Mar 2010 - Olympics over

The pictures tell the story - Helen and teammate ShelleyAnne win Silver, we have a great time, and great memories.

Kerry doesn't have much time to reflect on it all though - back to the boat a few days after the Closing Ceremonies.
There is work to do before cruising can restart. The raw water feed to the engine is struggling and it all because Capt Kerry was too eager to return to the water in October. The seacock should have been replaced.
But before its time to meet that challenge, its racing time in St Maarten. The Heineken Regatta is about to start, and "Augustine", skipper Tony, and her misfit crew from Antigua are returning to St Maarten to race again. We're in Spinnaker 6 - up against many of the same boats we beat last year, including "Kick em Jenny". But having shredded Tony's best sails last season, we know we're going to struggle unless we get lucky and get the perfect wind to suit the limited sail choice.
Not to be, the first day is light winds, and its the longest race - we struggle in to finish 11th. We come back a bit with stronger winds, and collect a couple of 3rds in Races 2 and 5, but its not enough and we end up 5th overall.
Still, it's always a good time. After a bit of r&r and shopping, the race boats all start to head off. And I have time to fix "Manx Mist".
I'm convinced my problem is a bust seacock - it won't either open or close fully - and the engine is getting less and less sea-water for cooling. I decide to take a shot at fixing it, without lifting the boat out (which would be the smart and safe thing to do). The plan is to dive below and plug the intake with plasticbags, then remove the seacock and replace - hoping as I do this that I don't crack the thru-hull seal. The plan works, as does the new seacock, and the engine is getting more water than I've ever seen - and running beautifully. Whoopee! I'm ready to go cruising.

First visitor is cousin Bill  from Canada - keen sailor and great company. We actually start off his cruising with a car rental, and tour the island, including a visit to Marigot and Grand Case.
Then we head out from Simpson's Bay, stop at Phillipsburg, before crossing to Anse de Colombier, St Barths. Stay there a couple of days. The weather is good and so is the swimming and snorkeling - with lots of turtles around as usual. We visit Gustavia and the pretty little spot of Corossol - a little fishing village amidst the luxury of St barts.
After a couple of days at Barts, we head back to St Maarten and then on to Anguilla. The timing is just right - Sunday - and its brunch and jazz at Johnnos on the beach in Road Bay. Excellent music - the drummer, Fred York (?), is really good. Lots of fun.
Next day we head back to Simpson Bay again. Anchor outside, in Simpson Bay. Its busy, with lots of mega yachts also at anchor including Pelorus. She's big and very beautiful - but not big enough for billoinaire owner Abramovich - he now has a new yacht Eclipse - now the worlds largest private yacht.
We catch up with Antigua sailing/racing buddy Peter, who is still busy working on his yacht Severance at Bobbys Marina.   Severance  had a brush with the beach and reef at Simpson Bay.
We all head across for drinks at the Sunset Bar on Maho beach and then out for Bill's last supper. He is on an early morning flight back to the frozen north.
Kerry stays on in Simpson Bay 1 extra day, to help Peter out with some mast work. There's a decent weather window to make the jump across to Antigua, so Manx Mist heads out to Phillipsburg first, planning to have an early supper and then leave around midnight, thus making the night passage shorter and still arrive in Jolly harbour with daylight to spare.

The plan sort of works. The weather does not cooperate fully, and the wind and waves are on the nose, so its a long motor job, and the diesel gauge is dropping steadily. Its well in the red as we pull in to Antigua after 16hrs and drop anchor in Mosquito Cove, just outside Jolly harbour. And the engine dies just after the anchor is set.
Not the end of the story though.
The next day the wind picks up to over 25kts. Yachts are dragging thru the anchorage, and Manx Mist is slowly headed back to the shallows on the NW corner (bottom of the picture). This was not in the weather forecast. Theres no engine, with air in the diesel lines. Kerry has just time to dinghy in to the marina, pick up a mechanic to help bleed the fuel system, top up with a jerrycan of fuel, then pick up sailing buddy Derek Knowles to help move off anchor in the strong winds, and into the safety of the lagoon and a mooring ball. All too close.