Yippee and thank the good Lord we are here. Tied up and stationary (that is just the best feeling ever!) We have been out of circulation for a few days as our generator packed up on Thursday and we couldn’t fire up the computer to connect with the phone etc. John and Robert spent a day change oil water impellor etc and the ruddy thing just wasn’t having it. think there might be air in it. Anyway we are all fine and safe home.

It was a fairly interesting last few days as we met some of the infamous Atlantic squalls. Wind goes from 15 – 43 knots in a matter of seconds and the only warning is a large grey wall coming towards you. Eventually we got the hang of reading them and reefing down well in advance of them hitting.

The accompanying rain was actually in a perverse way very welcome. It got rid of a lot of the salt that had accumulated on boat and the ropes became softer to handle.

Sleeping was virtually impossible for the last 3 days as the boat, wind and wave noise were immense. You slept for an hour or so but your body never rested as you were being tossed around in the bunk. Got more bruises from bumping into each other in bed than at any other time.

On a plus note it was just fantastic surfing down the big swells. Some of us thought it was like rally driving , others thought it was like skiing down a mogul run. The moon only waned the last 2 nights to be replaced by cloudy squalls but at other times the stars were just amazing.

We arrived in the dark at 2 a.m. local time but it was 6UTC and we hadn’t a clue where we were going in the pitch black. Typical of course, the final few miles were taking an age. Getting in to the Bay was exciting as the charts showed a few large rocks to be avoided.  In the lights that were coming from the shore the silhoutte of the hills suggested we should go further on.  John however was adamant that this was the entrance.  I had been trying to get the ARC finish line boat on the radio and eventually they responded.  (It is amazing these folk are volunteers and they sit out in the bay awaiting arriving boats and clock their time as they pass the line)   It was just wonderful to hear the voice ‘welcome to St Lucia and congratulations’.  They then shone a light to guide us in  and asked if we wanted to be photographed crossing the line.  Sounded like a good idea.  As we sojurned in the speed boat came out and started flashing , taking shots.  Course all the flashes ruined our night vision and as we shouted to him “where is the finish line”  he pointed ahead and we could see we were rather close to the finish boat  (bad words were said)  and the boat was quickly tacked away from a near miss.  We tacked and back and managed to cross the finish line to lots of toots etc.   Then getting into the   marina proved confusing.  There were a lot of masts in the bay, some did not have any lights on which meant you had to make out the shape in the dark.  Finding the navigation  channel through the binoculars looked like would would end up either in a pikle of shacks or on the main road.  However captain John made the decision to go for the red and green poles and as so often happens, a channel opened up.  It reminded me of some of the swamp channels you see in the movies.  A bar with loud music on one side and shanty shacks on the other.  However it opened into a huge marina and we spied a body waving from a pontoon.  Threre was an ARC  guy there to help us tie up.  We threw a line ashore and then Robert and I jumped onto dry land.  Fortunately it wasn’t too shaky a pontoon as legs feltlike jelly.  Just wanted to savour the moment.  Not to be.  There was a shout from a few yards away and   Caribbean Johnnywas shouting a greeting.  He   had the rum pumch and fruit basket to hand. Lots of hugs and congrats and it was all over just like that.    Liz was ready with the camera fortunately otherwise there would be no record of the event.  We went back onboard as we had to wait to clear customs before we could go ashore.  Cracked a bottle of champange and laughed and breathed large sighs of relief.  Also said all the things we didn’t say on the journey for fear that Murphy would strike mid Atlantic and then laughed some more!

Slept like the dead for a few hours and then were greeted by various friends who stopped by to say hi.  Dawn from Dolphin minus Richard (he had fallen over his ankle going to get a bottle from the boat  to celebrate our arrival and could hardly walk – poor chap)  Michael, Andi, Kris and Lani from Linocat and  then lunch with the crew of Voyageur.  They had all arrived many days ahead of us and had their land legs back.  The day has disappeared as we have moved pontoons 4 times but now finally have one with electricity and are close to Dolphin.