
Lottie looking the part in Falmouth Marina, Antigua
Looking out over English harbour and Falmouth Harbour from Shirley Heights


Kate has gone off with her other two girls, Lottie (7) and Beth (3), for a little row to the beautiful deserted beach ashore. Lottie has really mastered her rowing and Bethie is being a great navigator. Currently Papa Paul (Skipper) and Uncle Mark (First Mate) are pulling apart the generator to decipher why there is diesel leaking out into the crystal clear waters!! Its been leaking diesel into the bilges and when we pumped the bilges this morning we saw the slick shiny stream polluting the water NOT ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY as we so intend to be! So we’ve got a local dude coming this afternoon to fix the problem. We should be able to set sail to Guadaloupe once the generator is fixed - fingers crossed!
Its a different pace of life here on board, especially with lots of little nieces to get organised ( i fully comend mummy Kate). Tin Tin is is most certainly not a small boat but she feels pretty tiny with this loveable crowd! Not complaining one bit, however, as it is so special to be sharing this adventure with them. Also, only two weeks of wonderful madness with this bunch of little people as the Szym family leave the boat in two weeks and head home. Beth has just come aboard and wants to contribute to the blog - “we didn’t see anything just a wreck and bluuuuue water” she’s also worried about Gerry her toy Giraffe because he got wet and so we’ve put him in the sun to dry. We’re setting sail now so i must go - all hands on deck!


Bethie getting ready for
a snorkel
arms was taken up by the go pro stick which i was trying to get some good footage with.. the coral was sadly disappointing as quite a lot was no longer alive, it maybe that it had been battered by the crashing waves or/and more likely and distressingly global warming. So so Sad.
I ventured further away from the break and to a calmer part of the reef where there was more life. I was playing with my new toy (go pro) and filming small fish life swimming around the more vibrant coral, when a large Spotted Eagle Ray swooshed past me much to my surprise. i mean it was huge- bigger than me with a tail twice the length of its body and it almost touched me. Not just one but two and they were circling around me so gracefully, not menacingly (I don’t think) although i have to admit i was a little intimidated but perhaps more because i was so in awe of their beauty such magnificent graceful giants flying through the water with their huge wingspan (roughly 2m). I tried to follow them but my flippers couldn’t keep up and they disappeared into the hazy blue.. I hauled myself up in a ladylike manner back onto snowy in such a daze as if it had all been a dream. How lucky am I!?! An experience i won’t be forgetting in a hurry, thats for sure. Thanks Kate for my awesome snorkelling gear!
Back on board, I wanted to see if my go pro had caught them and it certainly had, I can’t believe I captured them on video, just amazing! Am now National Geographic official camerawomen taking on the wonders of the ocean- perhaps this is my destiny. Watch this space. (Camera skill may need a little improvement!!) GoPro footage to follow and moire photos too. Struggling to upload photos onto here with very limited Wifi!
A beautiful sail back to a new anchorage in the setting sun, I really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else on earth right now. Oh and did i mention a turtle popped up to say hello and welcome us.
With the moon full i was inspired to practice yoga on the front deck, so peaceful yet a lovely powerful energy almost enhanced by the water which surrounds me. Could this get any better? Rain stopped yoga but bed awaits. I shall sleep well tonight (if Lottie who I’m sharing my cabin with doesn’t wake me up at 3 in the morning saying its time to get up and embrace the day… No Lottie it’s still nighttime and even princesses and Ariel need their sleep)
Now sitting up on deck as I write this, I can hear the crickets singing in the trees ashore Pigeon Beach and the gentle lapping of water around the hull of TinTin. The moon is almost full and is lighting up the almost still surface of the water. It is so clear and light from the moon that you can see the bottom and our anchor chain resting upon the sand. A few little mozzies have just nibbled me so I must adjourn. Must eat more garlic.
Oh goodnight paradise, I can’t wait to spend another day with you.
Panda, over and out.
x
Brilliant first blog. Can't wait to share it all with you via this and to watch what sounds like an amazing video. I would have been scared stiff!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely following you ! So far amazing . Where is the video ?
ReplyDeleteBellisiama!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a way to start your blog!
Can't wait for the additional pictures and the next episode!!