It was supposed to be downwind sailing from the Canaries to Panama and yet we’d found ourselves beating for part of the Atlantic crossing, from the BVIs to Sint Maarten and here we were again, another 12 hours into the wind and seas from Sint Maarten to Antigua. We arrived late in the evening, squared the boat and then Duncan and I went to meet Geoff and Rick for a few beers, Ewan and Catherine staying on the boat. After catching up we headed back to Geoff’s apartment. I knew that Duncs was intending to crash there for the duration and had brought stuff to change into, hoping to be able to get a warm shower.

The apartment was pretty cool with a lovely veranda overlooking an inlet and private mooring and the following day, once we’d cleared customs and immigration, we tried for a decent while to first find which inlet led to Geoff’s place and then try to get down it to moor outside. After a couple of groundings and subsequent self-congratulation over how massive our keel is, we sacked it off and got a berth in the Marina.

The boat was lifted out of the water, again, to try once and for all to fix the rudder leak. After some brainstorming, Ewan and Duncan Snr came up with a plan that would keep the water out. So, over a few days we fixed the rudder (mostly Ewan), touched up the paintwork on the underside of the boat, filled the leading edge of the keel where it had been mauled by lines and cleaned and painted the propeller (which still looked to be corroding despite all our efforts).

Scorn was our initial response to the prevalence of golf buggies around the apartment complex - what was wrong with walking? Quickly though we embraced the American approach when Geoff hired a cart and, Duncs and I certainly, were not happy with the thought of walking anywhere by the end of our stay - laaaaaaazy!

On Ewan’s birthday we went out for a meal and some of the gang played golf the morning after. Ewan’s sister Denise arrived and joined Sea Topaz with the plan to join the Logic crew when the boats parted ways in St Lucia. Duncan and I drank far too much, embracing the holiday spirit that Geoff and Rick had brought with them and also not in small part due to Geoff’s generosity - thanks Geoff. We knocked up a good few meals at Geoff’s place and at Rick’s suggestion, invented ‘eggy rice cakes’ one hung-over morning.

We were sure that New Year’s Eve was going to be massive on Antigua and were geared up for a night as large as that we’d had on Xmas Eve in Sint Maarten. The Briggs had a family meal whilst for Duncs, Geoff, Rick and me, the disappointment was tangible when we realised that Jolly Harbour was going to be dead. We tried for a while to arrange a taxi to take us to St Johns (the capital) but were met by chilled-outness that could easily be interpreted as rank incompetence by those of whom we were making the inquiries. After a while we resigned ourselves to the fact that NYE ‘08 was to be a quiet one.

We drove the golf cart along the beach in search of who knows what and found exactly that. Parking up outside the resort hotel our spirits were raised, only to be raised further when we found out that it was a free bar. We’d no issue with paying for drinks but we’d not been able to get any cash from the ATMs at the marina hence the double bonus of the free bar. As the bar shut, we rounded up a bunch of people and ferried them back to Geoff and Rick’s in the golf cart to continue the party.

When we eventually went to St Johns we were glad we’d not found a cab on NYE as it was pretty dire to the extent that I shall waste no energies in describing how un-visit-worthy it was. We stocked up on cash though and spent a small portion thereof in the casino before heading back - at least we got to see a little of the island. Duncan saw a little more of the island, taking a few tours with Geoff and Rick and family Briggs hired a car and drove about the island. Charlie (Briggs, no relation) arrived, joining us for the trip to Panama and we left on the 5th of January for Guadeloupe.