We set off from Tortola to go to Coopers Island as a bit of a shake down sail and leave later that night for Anguilla. When we stopped to anchor for a quick zizz we found that the electric windlass no longer worked and with no obvious reason. So after a short break we hauled the thing up and thought we would just start our passage. As we rounded the headland it was blowing a hooley and the sea state was very lumpy and disorganised. We carried on for a further hour and then decided life jackets were in order but when I went below to get them I was immediately nauseous and on my return threw up big time! So we hummed and hahed a bit longer and decided that the Gods were against us and headed for Virgin Gorda, Spanish Town for a night stop to regroup. This was a nice place to stay, loads of Americans greeting everyone like long lost friends regardless of who you were. Everyone wants to know where home is..on a boat isn’t it?

The next morning we were keen to be off but only once the windlass was fixed. The electricians came and went but didn’t have the bit, so we set of again, this time to the top of Virgin Gourda to have a better angle of attack on Anguilla. We were able to sail for the first time – it was a great feeling and Wine Down seemed to like it as well.

When we did eventually set off the the following afternoon for Anguilla the wind was directly on the nose all the way, the sea state was just as muddled and we had several squalls to contend with. After a long 16-hour night passage we arrived at dawn in beautiful Anguilla. We had a sleep before we did customs and immigration and a well-earned swim in the clear turquoise water. After customs it was time for Jeff to go down memory lane. He had been the last RAF officer to leave Anguilla in 1969, after a 3 month stint where he was required to check the runway before the daily resupply flights from Antigua were allowed to land. These flights were in support of the 60 London bobbies and the 120 army engineers who were on the iland to protect the locals from an impending invasion from St Kitts and St Nevis – something the Anguillans were blissfully unaware of! He had some fantastic stories to tell and could remember the old runway and buildings. We were fortunate to have a taxi driver who new where and what he was talking about. It was inevitable that some of the characters are long since dead. It was great fun and a pleasure for him to see that even though the place has grown it still retains its charm. The best thing was that the boat shop had the bit for the windlass and it now works!

Tomorrow we sail to Simpson Bay on St Maarten, It’s a swept up place that will have facilities for the mundane things in life like laundry; some shreds are on there second turn I think!
Wild Life count: 2 turtles, flying fish, dead sprat in the dinghy and some dogs chasing chickens.