Flight home

We got up at 5am to start our journey home. The taxi went over the top of the island and down to the airport where we queued several times. Finally we boarded our small airplane for our first of many flights. 

As we took off and climbed we could see all the islands. I didn't want it to end.

We got delayed in Antigua for 3 hours but after nearly 6 takeoff and landings we are nearly in Trinidad for the last flight home

The long goodbye

This morning I woke up for the last time on the boat and watched Sound of Music for about the 10th time.

We had breakfast and then went doughnutting. But Uncle Adrian had beaten us to it and will get an award for the most comical exit of the doughnut ever. 

We set sail (and motoring. Note Captain Doughnut) to the harbour. Once we got there we had to pack and say our goodbyes. Skyla and I have arranged for Skyla to come to England for 3 months from 25th January. Watch out Mrs Elsey (hey better not put that in the blog!)

We had our last photos with Captain Doughnut and Chef Diddles and made our way to the taxi to start the long journey home.

The Wreck of the Rhone

Today we went snorkelling to go and look at the Wreck of the Rhone. We went over in the tender and swam off to look at the wreck. We found a little bit quite quickly - I think it was the front of the boat and a ladder. But I was having a lot of trouble with my snorkel and Dad tried to help me. He then dropped his mask to the bottom of the sea.

Dad couldn't manage to get it back but some nice people came along and got it back for us. I was really tired so we signalled to Captain Doughnut. In the end he saw us and picked us up - and I went for a sleep in my campaign. When I was asleep, we went for a sail and it was so rough that I fell out of bed - twice!

The Baths

Today we went for a really good sail. When we got to the place we were meant to be we anchored and hopped in the
tender to go to the Baths

The Baths are blot of rock put together by nature to form a kind of circle which has water in it.To get to the Baths you have to climb lots of rocks and I was scared so uncle Adrian said don't panic and I replied "I'm panicking"! However we got over and under lots of rocks until we reached Devil's Bay. Dad, of course, fell off a rock and hurt his knee

Sailing at last (note: Captain Doughnut)

This morning we got up and had breakfast with Diddles but Skyla was asleep. Then I went up on deck and did homework with Daddy. And listened to ColdPlay singing Para, Para, Parachute, Para, Para, Paragraph, Para, Para, Paradise

Then we went sailing (note Captain Doughnut!) and I was still in my pyjamas. I was asleep until someone turned the music on (mentioning no names, Uncle Adrian!!). 

Then I went to sit  with Dad at the helm and I was so tired that I was asleep on the floor next to the helm. But Captain Doughnut - a strapping big man - carried me back to the seat.

I got changed out of my pyjamas at 5:45 and went out to dinner with the 6 of us: Diddles, Captain Doughnut (cos he is very sweet), Uncle Adrian, Dad and Sky....my nickname is Snuggles. 

We could see our boat from the restaurant due to Captain Doughnut's lovely blue LED lights (note: all of Essex)

Desert Island

This morning before we had breakfast, we hopped in the tender and went to the desert island. We had to swim through the surf to the island.

We walked around the island and we made a sand cake. We also brought a mini coconut for Diddles. Skyla bought an "L". Then we had to go back to the boat for breakfast of butter with bagel (or jam for Skyla)

After breakfast we went for a sail plus motor (note Captain Doughnut) to a bubbly pool which was more of a foam pool. It would get the big waves from the surf and funnel them through the rocks making them bubbly.

Then we motored to Guana Island which is called because it has an iguana on the side of it. We swam to shore from the boat and then back. We then went in the doughnut and it felt like we were flying.

Then we went for another motor sail to Yacht marina. Skyla and I were jumping off the side of the boat until Skyla for kissed by a jellyfish.

["Fred" Skyla's alter ego informed Virgin Gorda through a delicate understated scream]

We jumped in the tender to go to the hospital. Halfway there the tender ran out of fuel. It was the wrong time for it to break down. So we called 2 boats and the first one to arrive we took. We were towed behind in the tender.

We transferred to a car. Then to an ambulance. Then we stopped to fixthe ambulance bed to the floor but we still had to hold it down.

The driver drove it like he had stolen it. When we got to the hospital they took Skyla in on the bed and she received antihistamines to make her better.

[So all's well that ends well. The morals of the story: less insistence on doughnutting leaves more fuel in the tender. And scars are tattoos with better stories!]

Ropes, diving and soggy dollars

This morning we went on a rope swing which is a piece of rope dangling from a pole where you swing out into the sea.

After that we went swimming then we set sail again and anchored near the Soggy Dollar Bar where we played on the beach.

The Soggy Dollar Bar is a bar where you have to moor your boat and swim in or go in on a tender. So all your dollars get soggy! It is now celebrating its 40th anniversary. I got a new cap saying "Soggy Dollar Bar".

I also went diving. I couldn't dive at the start, I just did a belly flop off the side of the boat. Which hurt lots because I hit the water from a high point. But now I can do it. Yeaaah.

Then we went back to the boat and set sail again to a sandy spit of land. It is very small with a jungle in the middle and I wanted to go to it. But it was too rough and Captain Doughnut said I couldn't go - so I sulked in the sea.

Instead Skyla and I watched Sound of Music and I ate sweets for the 3rd time (but Uncle Adrian says that Skyla didn't because he will get in trouble with Auntie Charlie if she eats sweets)