Author: juronnie

Hello again Boatbloggers ® , or as we say over here, Buenos Dias Barcobloggers y bienvenido a una edicion neuva del BarcoBlog,

We have at last reached The Mediterranean.

Our first stop in Spain, but still on this side of the Gibraltar Straits was…

Which is a beautiful old town…

…with a long and proud history. Most of which seems to consist of various illustrious British sailors from Drake to Nelson, turning up and setting fire to all the Spanish ships. We decided it might be better to anchor out rather than sail straight into Cadiz Harbour in case they  held a grudge, so we dropped the hook in a place called Port Sherry. Which has to be the booziest name for a town that we’ve ever come across.

And no wonder. This is home to the “Sherry Triangle.” It is almost obligatory to take a trip round the local sherry factories. Or is that breweries? Distilleries? Sherryeries?

Anyway, we were invited to sample some of the finest vintages – although if you know about sherry, you will appreciate that they don’t actually have vintages because the way it works is that they just keep topping up the barrel when it starts getting a bit low. Well, it’s a bit more sophisticated than that, but that’s the general idea. And what that means is that some parts of the glass that you are quaffing might be hundreds of years old, while other bits are quite new.

The tasting was an elegant affair…

but unfortunately, Ju wasn’t drinking that day…

So Lyn had to drink his.

Well, it would have been rude to leave it.

Not too early the next day, and very quietly, we set off for the Gibraltar Straights. We went past another famous landmark from British naval history,

…Trafalgar. And on through the Straits. It was exciting to have Europe on one side of the boat, and Africa on the other.

Eventually, we arrived at Gibraltar itself.

The cradle of history.

Which I guess means we went in and burnt a load more Spanish ships.

You already know about the Rock, and the monkeys and the WW2 tunnels, so here at the Boatblog® we’re not going to bore you with the usual Gibraltar photos. And that’s not just because we forgot to take our camera that day. What we can tell you is that Gibraltar is a really unique place. The locals speak a strange dialect called – you’ve guessed it – Gibberish, which is a strange half-English, half-Spanish concoction. Actually, it’s not very far off Ju’s Spanish. On this tiny strip of land, they still use pounds sterling, and there is no tax or VAT. So diesel is 44p a litre and cigarettes are £2.60. So cheap in fact that Ju, who can never resist a bargain, has decided to take up smoking.

Generally speaking, it is fair to say that the Spanish are a bit miffed that Britain still owns Gibraltar, and they make their displeasure felt at the border which can take two hours to cross if you get the wrong time of day.

LYN COMING IN FROM THE COLD. CHECK POINT CHARLIE

The border guards can be quite intimidating.

The Rock and the views and the people of Gibraltar are all fantastic, but to be honest, quite a lot of it is like Croydon with palm trees.

Maybe if they paid a bit more tax they could get their pavements repaired and potholes filled in.

So think about that before you vote! What would you rather have – decent infrastructure, or cheap fags?

(Dave – don’t answer that.)

But of course the highlight of any trip to Gibraltar is this.

Expats, holidaymakers and sailors come from miles around to stock up on PG tips, Proper Bacon, Branston Pickle and Morrissons’ Own-Brand Oatcakes. All the things you miss about Blighty.

The other unusual feature is the airport.

There’s not many places in the world where you have to dash across a runway to get to the supermarket.

And you have to wonder why they get the fire engines out every time an Easyjet flight comes in.

But alas dear reader, it is time to bid you a fond adios as we head back to…

But this time by boat.

But there is just time for this edition’s arty farty prize, which this time goes to Lyn.

CADIZ SKYLINE

And before we go, a reminder that a lot of people in Europe still welcome foreigners – even the one’s whose ancestors kept on coming over and burning all their ships.

Hasta Luego for now amigos

Ju & Lyn

Ahoy there Boatbloggers® and welcome back to another action packed edition of The Boatblog.

We are currently anchored between Vila Real de Santa Antonio in Portugal and Ayamonte in Spain, at the mouth of the Guardiana River. We are waiting for the tide to turn so that we can get past the bar and on to Cadiz. Ju has often had difficulty getting past a bar, but in this case it is a sand bar and we need to wait for high water so that we don’t run aground. We’ve spent the morning clearing out a blockage in the holding tank, and putting in new joker valves. Those of you who are sailors will know that there is not much to laugh about changing a joker, and those of you who don’t know what it is – keep it that way.

We have spent the last ten days or so up the Guardiana (ooh Matron!) and very nice it is too. Though to get there you have to go under the bridge, which from a distance doesn’t look too bad….

But in actual fact, there is only 20.5m of headroom at High Water. And Domini is 20m high. So that’s 50cm clearance. But does that include the Windex on the top of the mast? Or The VHF ariel? Hmmm…not sure…

So we waited for low water. Did our height of tide calculations. Sailed up slowly. Did our calculations again. Had another look. Checked the calculations. And then, ever so slowly…

Not for nothing is it known among the locals as The Ex Lax Bridge.

Our friends Ray & Kath on Cady waited for us to go through first and then followed on behind.

Chickens!

Safely through, we motored up the river. And very lovely it is too.

Though to be honest, I don’t think river cruising is for us. You have to concentrate too much! It’s not like ocean sailing where you set the sails, switch on the autopilot and go and make a cup of tea and have a kip. You actually have to steer round the bends, watch out for floating logs, keep the right side of the buoys, and all that palaver.

But at last we arrived at Alcoutim, about 20 miles up river. It is right on the Spanish/Portuguese border, so we had the dilemma of not knowing which courtesy flag to put up. But no one seems to bother too much.

Though maybe after Brexit we’ll need to take our passports every time we get in the dinghy.

Talking of which, …there are three ways to cross the river.

The dinghy.

But that gets clogged up with floating branches.

The ferry.

But that costs a euro!…

and is comfy – but dull.

Or there is always…

The death defying…

The terrifying…

The high flying…

ZIP WIRE!

The only one in the world that crosses an international border.

It only takes a minute, and because Portugal is an hour behind Spain, you actually arrive fifty nine minutes before you leave.  At first, Lyn wasn’t too keen…

but so long as you approach these things in a calm and professional manner, there’s nothing to worry about.

The hour time change can get pretty confusing, and plays havoc with your iPhone which keeps resetting itself every time the boat swings on the anchor. Still, on Ju’s birthday it meant that if we stayed in Portugal he was fifty four for an hour longer.

Happy Birthday Ju! He’s started telling everyone he’s sixty seven, because that way at least everyone tells him he’s looking good for his age.

We were lucky because while we were in Sanlucar on the Spanish side, it happened to be the Festival de la Virgen de la Rabida. (Ju has been learning Spanish and can inform our readers that this roughly translates as The Festival of the Rabid Virgin.  Lyn checked on to Google translate and apparently Rabida means rhubarb, which seems even more unlikely.)

There was dancing.

It was a bit like Morris Dancing but without the clogs.

They threw flowers over everyone…

But by the time the rather funereal band started up,

…it started to feel a bit like we were on the set of The Godfather.

But it was all very charming, and Spanish and lovely.

But it hasn’t all been fun and games. Ju had to go up to Lisbon to rehearse the ballet that he is writing for the Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporaneo. They needed him for the photoshoot – with celebrated photographer Rui Aguiar.

Unfortunately, Ju didn’t make the final edit. He suspects that this is because since he had to take his top off,  his muscular physique was showing up the dancers.

Apparently, to keep this fit and toned, the dancers do a three hour gym session every morning. And that’s before they start dancing. (To get a physique like Ju’s, we recommend a full English, and sitting around all day on a boat in the sun.)

But now for this edition’s arty farty prize. First entry is a selection from Lyn, based on all things circular…

Next is this piece, rather imaginatively called, “Old Building.”

But it wouldn’t be a proper Boatblog® without the obligatory sunset.

There’s no filters or anything fancy on that picture. The sky really was that red.

But now we bid a fond Tchau to Portugal, and say Hola Espana!

 

Ju & Lyn

Hello there Boatbloggers®

And huge apologies for the long radio silence, but do not worry. The All New Improved Boatblog is back and here to stay! Well, the only thing that’s new and improved is that Ju has found out how to make collages out of the photos, but that’s a pretty good start.

Here at The Boatblog.com we strive never to bore our readers, which is why we haven’t been posting articles. Since our last blog we have been simply retracing our steps from Southampton to where we are now at Ayamonte, (That’s where Portugal meets Spain on The Algarve coast) so there has been nothing new to show you.

But nevertheless, let’s have a quick recap of what we have done since we arrived back in the UK on the Queen Mary, and Domini arrived back on an old tramp steamer.

See what I mean about the photo collages. Pretty good eh.

We had Domini refitted by the legendary Chris Warwick at Universal Yachting (www.universalyachting.com). While that was going on, Ju – now a qualified skipper but still modest with it – did a couple of yacht deliveries across the Bay of Biscay and beyond. As newly recruited yacht delivery crew, he is pleased to report that there actually is a job that pays less than musician. It may not be well paid, but doing a delivery can be exciting. One of our crew fell ill and we had to call out the Search & Rescue helicopter.

It was like being on Blue Peter.

We’re pleased to report that our stricken shipmate made a full recovery in hospital.

Meanwhile, our exploits in the Caribbean haven’t failed to be noticed by the yachting press. Here is just one article from a selection of one.

Don’t worry, we’re trying not to let the fame and all the public recognition go to our heads.

As soon as Domini was all shipshape and Bristol fashion, we set off again. Across the Channel, over Biscay, down the coast of Spain and onto Portugal, where we decided to stay for the winter. In a little place called Cascais just outside Lisbon.

We had lots of visitors…

A new sail delivered…

…and when you visit Cascais, the one place you have to go is Sintra. It’s like Disneyland, but for real, with lots of secret caves and tunnels, and underground gardens, and secret stairways. Perfect for big kids.

Portugal is rightly famous for it’s fish. They eat fish with their fish. A common meal is fish soup, followed by fish, and then fish ice cream. Ok so I made the last one up, but you get the idea.

It’s a shame that Ju doesn’t really like fish.

Though he’s acquiring a taste. It’s that or piri piri chicken every day.

Could be worse.

Unless you like Iberico Ham…

Now we’re talking.

Sometimes lounging around on a boat all gets a bit too much, and you need a break. We went to Oslo to see the our friends Paul Martin and Jon Ensor open their new show – “The Miracle Men.”

A fantastic show. But to be honest, going straight from Portugal, Norway is a bit bloody cold.

One of the many great things about the sailing life, is that you make lots of fantastic friends, with gorgeous boats, in fabulous places. Rob and Frances Lythgoe on Alia Vita are just such a couple and they invited us out to Belize. Well…it would be rude to say no.

Of course when you visit fellow yachties, there is always something from home that they need, whether it’s a new toilet pump, a winch handle or whatever. As a guest, you are of course honour bound to bring it out with you when you visit and Rob & Frances were no exception. The thing they were missing was HP brown sauce. The problem was, we were travelling hand baggage only so we couldn’t take a bottle of supersize HP onto the plane as it was over the 100ml limit. Ju tried to decant some into one of the little travel bottles that they give you and claim it was aftershave, but it didn’t work. There was only one solution.

Thank you Starbucks, Gatwick.

The diving and snorkelling in Belize is incredible. This is a feeding frenzy of sting rays and nurse sharks.

The sharks get pretty close, but Lyn managed to tip toe away to safety.

To get to Belize, we had to go via Mexico. And as it happened Alice and Ben had just started their Central American gap year, so we were able to meet up with them. And by a huge co-incidence, Rory was in Mexico doing a photo shoot – so we all met up.

We did feel sorry for Alice and Ben. They have been saving up for years to finally get away and have their own special holiday. And two days after they arrive – we all turn up!

But it wouldn’t be a proper Boatblog ® without the Arty Farty prize, but because we have so many collected over the year, we have put them together into one.

But the winner is Rachel for her spectacular, Sunset over Culatra.

The prize for trying their best goes to Ben and Alice for these creations, which believe it or not they made themselves, as part of a course in Mexican art.

It’s hard to believe that they’ve never done it before.

That’s it for now Boatbloggers®.

By the time you read this we shall be in Spain and heading towards the Med, so watch out for more exciting episodes.

Obrigado, y bom dia.

Ju y Lyn

X

Welcome back Boatbloggers ® 

We wanted to be able to say that we had sailed back across The Atlantic from New York, and via the treacherous North Atlantic route past Newfoundland, Greenland and so on. Now clearly that would be ridiculous in little Domini  so we decided to get a bigger boat.

And here it is.

Yes, we know that a cruise is for retired elderly folk, and that by us being on it the average age would be brought down to 83. Yes, we know that the whole time is spent knitting, playing bowls and talking about what we did in the war. And yes we know that it’s the place to go to meet rich widows and doddering old colonels with three weeks to live.

But we thought we’d give it a go anyway.

And we couldn’t have been more wrong. It is brilliant fun.

It’s not full of old fogeys. Well, there’s a few of course, but it’s mostly people like us (That is – just incase you thought otherwise – young sophisticates). And the ones who are older are all young at heart and out for a party.

We couldn’t keep up.

Of course it’s all very stylish. We had to send back home for suits and dresses, because they wouldn’t let us on with shorts and flip flops.

Champagne anyone?

…or cocktails perhaps?

And if you’re not in the Veuve Clicqot lounge, then it must be time for afternoon tea.

With sandwiches…

And cakes…

And sweets…

But it’s not all eating and drinking.

Actually on second thoughts, it is all eating and drinking. 

But occasionally you do other things. Like the Masquerade Ball for example.

All in all it’s a lot easier when someone else is doing the driving.

Though it can be a bit nippy on deck.

Especially during the Force 11 (Yes, ELEVEN!) that we sailed through. That is called a severe storm. (The scale only goes up to 12 – and that’s a hurricane!)

It doesn’t look so bad from the 8th floor, (for some reason storm photos never look as bad as they are – and it’s not just because sailors are natural exaggerators.) But if little Domini had been out in that we’d have been swamped.

It was a little disconcerting when the Captain came on the tannoy and said, “It may interest you to know that we are at this moment sailing over the final resting place of the Titanic.

“But do not worry, The Queen Mary is unsinkable.”

Hmmmm.

Ju let the captain know that he too was a sailor, and they only had to ask if they needed any help on the bridge. They seemed to manage OK without him, and even in the Force 11, the Queen Mary only rocked a little bit.

It’s all quite exhausting, what with the spa treatments, the massages, the pedicures, the steam room, and watching people working out in the gym.

And the decks are very long if you go for a walk.

…and it takes ages to get to your room.

Quick Quiz.

Do you know what these Henry Moore sculptures are of?

Are they

(A)     Waves

or

(B)     Seagulls

 

Answer below.

Answers to the Henry Moore Quiz.

Ha ha – fooled you. It’s actually neither. They weren’t made by Henry Moore at all, but by the shipyard. They are the spare propellor blades. Though if the propellor falls off, we’ve got no idea how they’re going to stick the new one back on. But unlike being on a little yacht – that’s not our problem!

So in eight days we went from here…

…to here.

Yes – welcome to Southampton!

And Domini isn’t far behind us. She should arrive on Sunday night, ready for offloading sometime on Monday.

And then we can start all over again.

Just time for one arty farty photo. No need to tell you who took this one. It’s called Queen Mary’s Lift.

And now….

THE DIET BEGINS!

Bye for now Boatbloggers ® 

 

Ju & Lyn

Old Cruisers

Welcome back Boatblog ®  fans, though perhaps this edition should be called The Car-blog, because we have temporarily abandoned the good ship Domini and for a short while have become landlubbers again.

In our last episode we left you in Los Galapagos. From there, we headed back to St Maarten, stopping briefly in Quayaquil in Ecuador, only narrowly missing the dreadful earthquake. This photo was taken about 12 hours before it hit.

We rejoined Domini, and after a couple of days of re-provisioning in St Maarten we sailed north to the BVI, and finally to the US Virgins, where we either sat on the beach or went out to the floating bar that you can see in the middle of the picture.

But it wasn’t all just lazing about in the sun. We had to get Domini prepared for our next adventure. We took off the sails, the bimini, the spray hood, all the safety gear on the back rail, even the davits, and lashed the dinghy to the deck.

By the time we’d finished, she looked quite naked.

“But why?” I hear you cry. You’ll need to get to the end to find out.

Because first, we were going on a Road Trip. We’d read about the Lincoln Highway, which was the first road that went right across the States from Times Square in New York to San Francisco. And we decided to drive it.

Not all of it. That’s a long way. Instead we would join it about half way in Chicago, and head East towards The Big Apple.

So we flew to Chicago, where the first thing we did was…

…get on a boat. 

Chicago is justly famous for its architecture, and the best way to see it is along the river.

It says “Trump,'” on the tower up ahead so as we went past, we did. That might be why it’s called The Windy City.

Of course Sweet Home Chicago is most famous for the Blues…

We’re on a mission from God.

You don’t see this outside many gigs.

…but at least there was no chicken wire.

Continuing our Musical Pilgrimage, we spent Sunday in the AIC with George.

For those of you that  didn’t get that brilliantly witty reference, this is the painting that inspired Sondheim’s masterpiece, Sunday in the Park With George, and is on display a the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC).

Once again the Boatblog ®  seeks to inform as well as entertain.

One of the great things about America, is that no matter how badly the diet is going…

…you never feel fat.

Chicago at night is pretty spectacular. 

And pretty scary if you get too close to the window and look down.

We needed some kicks. So we hit the road.

We went from Illinois, through Indiana skirting along the Southern shore of Lake Michegan. This lake is huge. Big enough for waves! 

It was hard to believe that this was lake and not sea.

Quick quiz. Is the water salty, or fresh?

Go to the top of the class if you said fresh. Of course it is – it’s a lake. But even so it’s really weird being able to drink water from what look like the sea.

We stayed off the beaten track as much as possible.

The distances are big in America.

We went through Akron, Ohio…

…to Pensylvania. We stopped at Gettysburg, scene of the largest battle in the American Civil War. This was the Gettysburg Address,

…and a very nice motel it was too.

Gettysburg is also famous for paranormal activity. Ju decided to go Ghostbusting, and spent a night in several haunted houses. This photograph was taken with a flash when he heard something creaking…

Do you see those spots floating about. Is it just dust on the lens?

Or is it……???!!!!

So, from now on, if you have a problem with ghosts , Who you gonna call?

Incidentally, Lyn didn’t go because she said she thought it was all a load of old rubbish.

Or was she just frightened.

On to Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th 1776.

Bet they’re regretting that now. It’s also the home of the Liberty Bell.

We carried on East into Amish country, which is quite delightful.

We stayed overnight with Ben & Emma who are Amish farmers. For those of you who haven’t seen Witness, the Amish still live in the traditional way without cars or electricity, making all their own clothes, and generally living a simple life without any mod cons.

A bit like sailors.

Ben offered to take us out for a spin in his buggy, pulled along by his faithful horse, Misty.

As we were guests, he took us out in the special buggy, usually reserved for Sundays.

Who needs a Porsche?

We found a space in the supermarket car park.

It’s amazing that they can maintain this way of life with all the pressures of the modern world.

This diner was great. 

We half expected the Fonz to turn up.

Our next stop was Atlantic City, a big casino town, which after the simple world of the Amish people seemed a little crazy.

But it was kinda fun. 

Next stop, New York…

..where we met up with Rory and Zoe who are currently living in the Bronx.

We went to see the Yankees play.

L to R:-  Lyn, Rory, Zoe & Greg (Zoe’s brother)

And went on a tour of the vintage clothes stores, called “thrift shops,” to get things for the next stage of the adventure…

(What could that be? – you’ll have to subscribe to the next instalment to find out.)

A postcard from Brooklyn.

…which is where they buried Miles Davis.

I never knew he was a Sir. It’s probably a Sir like Mr Ellington was a Duke, and the Mr Basie was a Count. Actually, Duke Ellington is buried here too, and a load of other famous jazzers.

Anyone know what that tune is? The prize for the first correct answer is a three day course in how to anti foul the bottom of a boat.

Talking of which, while we were messing about on the road, what was happening to Domini down in the USVI? And why had we stripped off all the sails and things?

She too was going on a trip.

But where to?

Don’t miss the next exciting instalment of The Boatblog ®  to find out.

But before we go, there is just time for the Arty Farty competition. This time, all the entries are by Lyn. The first is called Buttons in a Jar.

and the next is called Silver Bark.

…and finally…er….not sure what this is. Let’s call it Green Spotty Thing

And of course, one last sunset – this time courtesy of the US Virgin Islands.

We’re going to miss those.

Bye for now Boatbloggers ® 

Ju & Lyn

Bienvenidos mi amigos,

This island is called Waterfalls of the Sea, and is just one of the many wonders that makes up The Galapagos, 700 Nautical Miles off the coast of Ecuador far out in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, and just south of the Equator.

Yes Boatblog ® fanos, this latest edition comes to you live from The Galapagos.

Now we know what you’re thinking. “Weren’t they in the Caribbean last week? How have they got all that distance, including going through the Panama Canal, in just a couple of weeks?”

Quite simple really. We left Domini in St Maarten, and got a plane. OK – so technically it’s cheating, but what happened is this. Our good friends Stuart & Ann Letton of Time Bandit…

…are sailing round the world. They’d just gone through the Panama Canal and arrived in The Galapagos, and they very kindly invited us over. Well it would be rude not to say no.

So here we are on Santa Cruz…

..exploring the caves caused by the lava flows.

It’s a long way down.

And even further back up.

We met some of the locals. They’re friendly enough, but they’re a bit slow.

Obviously it’s quite hard to get this close to the giant tortoises, so we had to make use of a specially designed ShellCam © 

That’s actually a real tortoise shell, but surprise surprise!

 It’s Stuart inside!

The tortoises live to over 150 years old, (which makes Ju about 26 in tortoise years). That is of course assuming they don’t get run over.

They really are enormous.

The number of animals that are unique to these islands is quite remarkable. These are marine iguanas. As in iguanas that go swimming in the sea.

There are weird looking jumping crabs,

..and sealions everywhere.

We even caught a brief glimpse of that rarest of all creatures.

A David Attenborough.

Next we went snorkelling.

It’s quite impossible to describe the sheer number of fish, and the amazing colours. It’s like swimming in an aquarium.

It’s a bit of a shock when you see your first shark and can’t get the Jaws theme out of your head.

There are Galapagos sharks (of course!), which are close relatives of the tiger shark, white tipped reef sharks, and  hammerheads swimming in vast numbers around the islands, and once you’ve got over the thought that you might be lunch, you appreciate just how incredible these animals are.

It seemed a bit mean, but on the way back we had a go at fishing. Now with this many fish in the water, even Ju should be able to catch something.

It was quite a struggle bringing it in. The fish put up quite a fight, and it took about ten minutes to haul it in. Ju was exhausted by the struggle, and convinced he’d hooked a record breaking tuna. He was quite surprised when it was finally brought on board.

Still, it’s the biggest (only) fish he’s ever caught. And couldn’t be fresher. On the table within five minutes of being pulled onto the boat.

Yum yum.

The snorkelling just gave us a taste for more, so the next day we decided to go diving.

And this time the Superheroes were down with the Hammerheads!

Dum dum dum dum dum dum.

They are the most majestic of animals.

There are giant rays…

…and they come in all shapes and colours.

Some just lurk on the bottom, waiting for the unwary diver.

Look at his eyes. The starfish are pretty.

Apparently you shouldn’t call them starfish, because they’re not really fish. You should call them Sea Stars. (Not a lot of people know that. Here at the Boatblog ® we seek to inform as well as entertain.)

The next day, we set sail (well, technically we put the motor on, but you know what I mean) for the largest of the Galapagos Islands…

…Isabela.

This is the island that is most like how you probably imagine the Galapagos to be. This is the high street of the main town.

…and this is the pub.

You have to step over the locals who spend all day lying around, sleeping off the effects of the night before.

…and it’s not ducks in the village pond.

It’s all totally unspoilt.

..which makes things like shopping much more fun than going down to Tesco’s. 

You go to the farm, point to you what you want, and the farmer cuts it down for you there and then. And who cares if you don’t get points on your loyalty card?

It’s the same with the fishmonger. It comes straight off the boat…

…and the pelicans get the scraps.

We went to a place called The Tuneles. (Not to be confused with The Tuneless, one of Ju’s old bands). It’s Spanish for Tunnels. Really they’re underwater arches, but apparently it got mixed up in the translation.

Again, the amount of wildlife was extraordinary, and you could get right up close. This is the famous Blue Footed Booby lolloping over to see what’s going on.

And there’s not many places in the world you can swim with penguins without a wet suit.

The rays fly round in schools…

…and the turtles are bigger than Ju.

 

And now in a brand new feature for The Boatblog ®, a little game called, “Find the Fauna!”

Round 1…

Can you see it?

And for round 2, have you idea what this?

If you said a pair of sharks, go to the bottom of the class. It is in fact a Manta Ray.

And finally, how many marine iguanas can you see in this photo?

Answers on a postcard please. Anyone with a correct answer gets to take the crew of Domini out for a slap up meal.

And this week’s caption competition.

 

 

Of course it wouldn’t be a Boatblog ® without an Arty Farty Prize, and in this Pacific Edition we have a number of contenders. First up is Stuart’s, “Flippers!”

(Correction – that should of course read “Fins!” Sorry Stuart)

Next we have Lyn’s “Gate!”

And Ju’s entry is “Pelican!”

 

It’s hard to believe we were only there for a week, and quite impossible to describe how incredible this place is. The pictures don’t do it justice. The Galapagos are islands of superlatives. So get out your David Attenborough box set, brush up your Spanish and come and see them for yourselves.

Muchas Gracias Stuart y Ann.

Hasta Luego.

Ju & Lyn

Whoops – almost forgot the obligatory sunset. Our first over The Pacific.

Welcome back Boatbloggers ®

Of course, when we say “Old Friends Come To Stay,” we don’t mean old as in, ‘of pensionable age.’  We simply mean that we have known them for a long time.

Yes, Nicho & Shelagh visited us in Nevis and St Kitts, for a week of fantastic sailing.

Unfortunately, it was really windy.

…which those landlubbers among you might think is what you would want to go sailing. And of course it’s true up to a point.  But sometimes it gets too windy and it’s better to stay at anchor and talk about sailing.

So, we went to a restaurant instead…

And then we went to a restaurant.

…and then we went to..er…a….

.

But after that we went to the famous Nevis Botanical Gardens…

..which is mainly famous for it’s…er..restaurant.

 

It’s always nice when old friends can get together, and have long and deep meaningful conversations…

…with people who are somewhere else.

(Are there any photos of you actually not in a restaurant? – Ed)

We saw pineapples growing.

And monkeys.

But sad to say, didn’t actually do a lot of sailing.

For this edition, of the Boatblog ® we have decided to introduce a new competition, called “Showers of the Caribbean.” The first contender is….

Surf Dude Shower

Next up is….Canoe Shower

Then for those who don’t mind sharing…His & Hers…

…and finally…Flower Power Shower

To cast your vote, simply call 0898 898989, and have your credit card ready.

To continue the Bathroom Theme, some of the signs outside the restrooms (that’s toilet to our English readers. Not quite sure why they are called restrooms. Do people go in there to have a rest?) are quite unusual. This was obviously quite an upmarket sort of a place.

And this one for some reason seems to be able to detect things that shouldn’t need detecting.

This next message kind of sums up life in the Caribbean, though it does give a hint of urgency that doesn’t really exist.

And in another brand new feature, introduced especially for this edition we would like to present

 The Poor Seamanship Award 2016

And this years unrivalled winner is…

(Pause for fanfare)

Nicho,

…with his splendid entry called “iPhone Beermat.”

Yes dear readers, that really is an iPhone 6 being used to protect the cockpit table from a cup of tea. Many of you might think this would actually count as poor landsmanship, but on a boat it is truly spectacular.

Congratulations Nicho!

We have a number of contenders for the arty farty prize. Lyn’s first entry is called simply “Floor.”

That is actually a floor made from coral that they used in one of the (many – we know) restaurants that we went to.

Next up we have, “Kite,” seen at Nevis’ annual Kite Flying Competition.

But the overall winner is Lyn’s “Mailboxes.”

All too soon, Nicho and Shelagh had to wend there way back to The Old Country, while we went North to St Maarten. It was quite a nerve racking trip. Our engine wouldn’t start, so we knew that when we got there we would have to go through the swing bridge under sail to get it into a marina where it could be repaired. Tricky stuff, even for master mariners.

When we got there, Lyn had a fiddle with some of the wires that led to the engine. And lo and behold it just started. Panic over. We’ve no real idea why, but Lyn now reckons she’s a master mechanic.

Fortunately, once we’d moored up, we met Jef from Marine Solutions here in Simpson Baii – and he really IS a master mechanic.

His last job was in Portsmouth working with the America’s Cup team. Ju told him that next time he is over, he should mention that he has been working in Domini to Ben Ainslie. It might help.

Next we are going to be sailing to Santa Cruz in The Galapagos Islands. That’s thousands of miles away from here. To find out how we manage it, make sure you order your next instalment of…

THE BOATBLOG.COM

Vaarwel for now.

Ju & Lyn

St Maarten (Dutch side)

PS

We hope you manage to receive this blog. Internet connections aren’t always that great.