Some thoughts about our trip.

When we first set off on our adventure I guess we both wondered about just how far we would get and to a certain degree both concerned about our safety. I was never worried about our sailing safety, I was more concerned about having to endure the Caribbean again and especially the delights of Trinidad as our first stop. It certainly wasn’t my favourite place and as I said after my first trip there ‘never again’ I really mean it this time ‘NEVER AGAIN!. Of all the places that we went to Trinidad was by far the worst place, although the Caribbean end of the Panama Canal came pretty close.

We also went to some of the best places in the world, my favourite place without a doubt was Porvenir in the San Blas Islands. I’d go back there like a shot, even if it meant that I had to put up with the trip round the coast of Colombia again. I always wondered how I’d cope in a big sea, but after 30 foot plus waves, wind speeds of 50 knots and over, and a couple of knockdowns to boot, I think I did ok! Night watches were a chore that had to just be got on with. Sitting by yourself in the dark, solo charge of a 40 foot yacht in the middle of the Pacific gives you a certain degree of self reliance I can tell you.

Nigel had a couple of heart stopper moments, one was when he was night fishing and a ‘very’ big fish swam right under the boat and up to him. The other time was in the middle of the night when I gave out a blood curdling yell – it was the 3am, pitch black, middle of the Pacific, no one for thousands of miles. Suddenly the sky lit up brilliant white behind me with a sizzling sound followed by a large green streak across the sky. Holy Cr*p - I thought ET was going to beam me up. He was not impressed at being woken like that I can tell you, turns out that it was probably a meteor entering the atmosphere just above my head.

How did we cope onboard? Just fine! Nigel had always thought that I’d never be able to put up with the hardship of living long term on a yacht. But in the end it turned out that I managed slightly better than he did. Touch wood I’ve never been seasick, I can cook in the roughest of seas, and I didn’t mind stripping off on the jetty for a wash in a big bucket. Ok, so at times it wasn’t great being tossed around like you were in a tumble dryer in 100 degrees plus heat. But the places and people that we met along the way made up for all of that.

On our sailing adventures, between us we have sailed 2/3 of the way round the world, it’s very sad that the remaining 1/3 is probably through some of the most dangerous waters in the world and means that we may never get the opportunity to complete a circumnavigation. Until piracy is brought under control in the Gulf of Aden it’s doubtful that we ever will. Sadly pirates claimed the lives of 2 people that we met along the way and the Danish family that we lived alongside in Panama are still being held hostage in Somalia. I’m going to dedicate a page to Phyllis and Bob and the Johansens from Denmark aboard ING.

Would we do it again? I think so, next time I’d like to do it in a catamaran (a little bit more space and luxury). Take less clothes, buy more black pearls, salsa more in Colombia and stockpile Abuelo Rum. If I ever win the lottery I’m going to charter Richard Branson’s big catamaran (the one with the mini submarine onboard) and sail round the San Blas and or The Galapagos with a whole bunch of ‘good folk’ on board. About time I shared an adventure with one or two of you!