Caribbean Christmas

We have arrived in Antigua after a  14 hour overnight passage during which the boat performed like a Greyhound. The crew were less performance oriented and poor Al was up for most of the night making sure we avoided being knocked flat by passing squalls or cruise ships to get us safely to Nelson's Dockyard at first light.

The Oyster fleet is beginning to gather here for the start of the rally on the 6th Jan. As I write, its  lunch time on Christmas Day and the noise level on the dock behind our boat is reaching a crescendo as the West Indian DJ exhorts the crowd to "raise your glass.......there's gonna be a party all over the world tonight!"

I hope all of our friends and family all over the world and had a wonderful and slightly quieter Christmas. We miss you all but are settling into the island lifestyle with great ease..you will however be pleased to know that there are no dreadlocks involved as yet !

Nelson's dockyard is a lovely spot which used to be  Lord Nelson's headquarters in the Carribean . The harbour is littered with artifacts from the glory days of the English Navy...today however, Lord Nelson would be horrified at the English tourists who follow cruise ship guides around his canons and sail lofts, pale and hot ...and wondering when it will be time to get back to the ship for lunch!

Nelson would however be very impressed with some of the magnificent yachts and power boats that are moored here...all very impressive and beautifully kept by squadrons of crew who clean non stop...

We are off to have lunch at the Admirals Inn..Turkey and all the trimmings...It will be the first time I haven't done lunch at home in almost 10 years...something I volunteer for with enthusiasm in October every year and end up swearing I will never do again as the last bowl of Christmas pudding hits the table in December!

Christmas Morning on board Legend

The internet is slow here so photos are taking forever to down load...I have found my post with a series of good shots and will publish them once I find somewhere with  faster whatever....technical difficulties still continue but are being addressed...

Admiral's Inn -Old pillars for sail lofts