January 2000 - Cruising to Antigua

Posted 3 January

BEQUIA

We are now on Bequia. Brandamajo are here too. We had great fun on a beach with huge waves. We had new year crackers and I got a joke saying: What do you call a woman with a frog on her head? LILY. Ha ha. I also got a clip that you clip onto your belt and put something else on the other end. We had great fun, except that David wasn’t feeling too good. (He had a sore tummy). But he got better. We also went to a whaling museum (without Brandamajo). The arch was the jaw bone of a whale that Athneal (the last whaler in Bequia and if he stops whaling all whaling shall stop) had killed with one throw of the harpoon fir it went straight for the heart. So that whale was special, and that’s why the put the jaw as the arch. They also put the ribs into a sort of fence on each side of you as you come in. We talked to Athneal himself. Then we talked to someone else who had been going out to catch whales but couldn’t any more because of his neck. We saw paintings, photographs, postcards and some of the whales bones. It was wonderful there. Very interesting too.

Today we had a BBQ on the beach with Brandamajo and another boat called Alice Ambler who had two kids called Lauren (girl) and Tobyan (boy) about Hannah and Julia’s age. First of all the big ones and the dads came to play football. The Lazy Duckers against the Brandamajoers. We won. YES!!! Then we swam, played a bit of catch the rugby ball and the donkey. Then we ate. Yum yum. After that, we played cops and robbers in the dark. The cops were allowed the torch. Then we went, all in different groups, Alice Ambler, Brandamajo and Lazy Duck.

UP DOWN AND ALL AROUND

First we went on a days sail to Les Saintes. It was very roly and we all felt a little queasy. But at last we got there after a day. We had lunch out and at the other end of the road, there was a crowd and we went to investigate. In the middle was a huge tuna that had been caught and they were cutting it up. Then we went to a sweet shop and I got a cherry lollipop with bubble gum inside. We stayed the night there. At four in the morning, we set off again to get there before dark so we could see the rocks, otherwise it would be too dangerous. That day we went to Antigua. We had hot dogs for lunch. Yum yum! Then I was sick and went up on deck. Then we got to Antigua. Mum swam to the beach and me and Dad had a race going different ways round the boat. I won! Then I did it with Tommy but he won. Then we washed and jumped in to rinse. Then we stayed the night there. We got up at four in the morning and set off again. I was sea sick just as I was about to play a card game with Tommy. But we got to St Martin and met two people called Nicky and Natalie (Natalie had plaits all around her head which we wanted to do but the lady who did it, only opened at 8-10 in the morning and we were late). She looked nice. They were nice and we went out to supper with them. It was great.

Posted on 20 January

LIFE ON LAND

We went to Anguilla but the weather wasn’t too good. Then we went back to St Martin. John-John wanted to stay in Martin for that day because the rudder was coming off so that meant I could have my hair braided. Julia had her hair braided too. Hannah just had nine braids at the top of her head because her hair was too short. We were allowed to choose different coloured beads. Then we went to a harbour to be lifted out of the water by a crane to fix the rudder. We were put in a boat-yard. We couldn’t wash up or even go to the loo!!! We had to go to the hotel near us. There was a beach right in front. After we checked in, we went to play on the beach. Me and Julia had a collision. I got a black eye and Julia got a bump on her forehead! We put lots of ice on the bumps. We went to the hotel that night. (Dad slept on the boat) The room looked nice, as you come in, the loos are on the right. Then you go a little further and there is a big space. The double bed was on the right and chest-of-drawers was on the left. We had a terrace on the other side of the room which connected to another balcony. We also got very bitten by mosquitoes. The Ripards went and we were very sad. Then we moved back onto the boat because it would be too expensive in the hotel for the whole week.

POOL

Me, Hannah and Mum all went to the beach. We were allowed some coke but most of Hannah’s got swept away. I had to give her some of mine. I made a sand castle. We also went on a trampoline in the water. Then we had to go. In the evening we played pool. Me and mum against Hannah and Dad. Hannah was funny at hitting the balls. She only hit it an inch away from where it was before. But they won. We would have if they hadn’t potted the black ball. Pool is like snooker except it has a little difference in the rules.

WHERE IS IT? I DON’T KNOW

Here we are. STILL in the boat yard. We are all getting bitten by mosquitoes. We went to the beach yesterday to play airobea. It is a kind of frizbie. But after two throws, it got swallowed up by the waves. I have been thinking of a treasure hunt.

Starting from the pool restaurant:

1. Go to the up straight, down. (bridge).
2. Through some tall green and browns (palm trees).
3. Through a passage of hellos and goodbyes (telephones).
4. Up to a space with a hut at the back (the office square).
5. Up to the hut with the lantern (the security house).
6. Through the gate to a yard of swimming steel (the boat yard).
7. Up to the end to the blue-bottomed quack (Lazy Duck with the painted blue bottom).
8. Up the lines of white and red (the white and red ladder)
9. To the middle and down the brown (down the middle hatch with the wooden stairs.
10. AND YOU ARE THERE!!