2nd 1/2 2008 - back to Jolly world.

Capt Kerry returned to Antigua in  mid October - 3 days after Hurricane Omar passed through the islands.
Omar had dumped a lot of rain on Antigua, causing flooding, some damage, and power outages, but fortunately the winds had not been overly strong and Antigua escaped lightly from another hurricane season. Damage was caused to harbours and docks throughout the Leeward Islands, as we were to find out as we cruised southwards later on.

"Manx Mist" had been shifted and  re-secured on the work dock, and after a bottom paint job (well done by Peter Glasgow) and the usual engine, sails and rigging  checks and reassembly, she went "splash" back into the water on Oct 21st.
Kerry had picked up a set of dinghy davits, ordered from Martek in Florida, and collected in transit as Kerry passed through Newark. So, one of the jobs as MM went back into the water, was to install the davits. It looked a very easy process, but in the end it required extra steel backing plates on the transom lip and stern, and a pair of extra stanchions to provide enough strength and rigidity to carry the dinghy and engine combination. A good addition to the boat though - avoiding the buildup of weed and barnacles on the dinghy bottom, and increasing boat speed during passage making.
MM did minimal sailing in the first week or so - but had a good cleaning and overhaul. Kerry also took a couple of breaks to watch the 20-20 cricket underway, including the final game between West Indies and an England XI, won comfortably by the West Indies. There was also a neat beach cricket match between Old England Stars and an Old West Indies team, led by Sir Viv Richards.

With all the prep done, and the weather looking great, Kerry and MM headed out to make an overnight passage to St Maarten. It was a fine sail, under a clear starry sky and with calm seas. MM came up on St Barths at first light - perfect timing - but headed past and on to St Maarten, dropping anchor for a while in Simpson Bay to await the bridge opening.
Kerry headed in to stay on the dock at Island Water World for a week - time to do some shopping and more work on the boat. Richard II (the dinghy) was beginning to show its age and was also on the heavy and large size for the davits, so a new dinghy was one of the acquisitions. Richard II being sold off to a awlgrip business as a work boat. Also, a  solar panel, new anchor chain and numerous smaller maintenance replacements were fitted. It was a busy week, but everything was finished in time for 1st mate Hil's arrival.

With Hil safely aboard, Manx Mist left the IWW dock the next morning planning to catch the early bridge opening and leave the lagoon. We were lucky. The bridge was undergoing some work and that was the only planned opening for a week. We left along with a host of other boats - sailing yachts, mega yachts, and a large crane barge (which was a tight fit through the bridge).
Once outside, we hauled the sails up and headed across to St barths, anchoring in Anse de Colombier for lunch and a sleep, as we prepared for a return overnight passage to Antigua.
This was Hil's first overnight sail, and the weather cooperated - calm seas and a good breeze - too good at times and Kerry had to shorten sail twice to slow down and stick with the plan of arriving back at Jolly at first light.
We had a few  days to settle into the boat  and then we were joined by old friends Richard and Pat Blakemore, flying in from Calgary via a stay in Barbados. It was Richard's 2nd time on "Manx Mist", having been one of the earliest crew members back in Nov 2007. Also his introduction to the new dinghy - Richard III  - successor to Richards I and II, named in his honour. And it was Pat's first time sailing in the islands. We did the tour around Antigua - blessed again with good weather. Pat and Richard both love to sail, so we were sailing whenever conditions permitted. It was an opportunity for them to practice skills for use on their own boat back on the lakes in BC. And in between sailing, we seemed to drink a lot of tea!
After Richard and Pat left, to head back to the frozen north, Hil and Kerry cruised a bit more but stayed close to Antigua. Kerry was about to lose his 1st mate for the rest of December.
The original plans for this sailing period were to spend Christmas and New Years on the boat, for the first time. All 3 daughters had separate plans for Christmas, and no-one was planning to be in Calgary, so Christmas in the sun and warmth seemed like a good option. These best-laid-plans were scuppered by an unfortunate fall that Hil's Mum had back in the UK, hospitalizing her for an extended time. Hil headed back to the UK in early December, just in time to look after her Mum as she came out of hospital.

Kerry was now solo again, and at a very dangerous time - with the Christmas social season looming. Kerry had also returned to an earlier passion - yacht racing - and had joined up with skipper Tony Sayer on his venerable but swift Beneteau First 42 "Augustine". Outside of the enjoyment and thrills again of racing, "Augustine" is a fun  boat, blessed(??) with a skilful, if a little aging (and definitely misfit) motley crew.

December is the time of the Jolly Harbour Yacht Club annual regatta, and this years regatta was marked by indifferent winds - appropriately matched by Augustine's performance. We would do better as the racing season progressed though.
Kerry was fortunate enough in this time to  receive some surprise visitors. Rob and Liz Jennings were vacationing on Guadeloupe, and not having a great time of it, and happily hopped over to Antigua for a week. Weather was good, and after a couple of days at the lovely Coco Bay resort we had time for 5 days of sailing around the island - a short but excellent cruise - and a chance for Rob and Liz to learn the entertaining card game of Dutch Blitz.

No photos from this period as a series of electronic crashes saw Kerry lose first his phone, then his laptop, and finally his camera. Brian and Pippa, on Miramar,  saved the day with  the loan of a spare laptop, allowing Kerry to stay in touch with family via Skype and weather via Windguru.

After Rob and Liz returned to Guadeloupe to finish their vacation, the weather took a turn for the worse, with a heavy swell rolling in  and a lot of rainy days.
Kerry  and MM stayed dockbound in Jolly Harbour, and Kerry did his best at avoiding the liquid and social temptations of evenings at Angie's Foredeck Bar - definitely unsuccessfully on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day was highlighted by a hangover, followed by a lunch on Jolly beach, conference call with Hil and the girls in their various locations around the world (courtesy of Skype), and finally a Christmas dinner at Castaways with the Sayers. A good day.
Boxing day, and the weather perked up - briefly - remained wet, cool and miserable for the rest of Christmas week.
New Years Eve and Hil returned from the UK. After a few cocktails at the Foredeck and some firework watching, we said goodbye to 2008.
We still had a couple of weeks on the boat though. Started 2009 by staying on the dock, and enjoyed an excellent party with Bob and Linda on "Fifty ways". Then we took a cruise off to Barbuda and then Green Island, before  returning to Jolly Harbour. We left Manx Mist tucked up on the dock in front of Jim and Sherrills waterfront apartment in Jolly, and headed back to Calgary and winter.