We are anchored in Freeman's bay in English harbour, just outside Nelson's Dockyard and are staying until after Christmas. There is a champagne reception in Nelson's dockyard Christmas morning in aid of charity and we have been invited for drinks and nibbles on one of the big luxury yachts which a friend of ours is crewing on. Then William and I are booked into a restaurant for a traditional Christmas dinner with most of the rally people. It will probably be our last party with many of them as we all go our separate ways. Paul and Alex plan a barbecue on the beach.

We have been snorkelling, the water is not as clear as in the BVIs and there are not as many fish but its nice and cool. We have been to Shirley Heights to see the sunset over English and Falmouth harbours with a restaurant/bar and a steel band on Thursdays and Sundays. I have put up our Christmas decorations. The riggers have been and fixed the main sail furling.

Christmas in Antigua

It was very strange to wake up on Christmas day to bright sunshine and temperatures in the 80s. After cooking a full English breakfast on board (you need some food if you are going to have a few drinks) we had a bottle of champagne. We went ashore at about 12 o'clock to Nelson's dockyard to join the party which was in full swing by then, with hundreds of people, champagne and a very loud steel band. Christmas day is a big party at Nelson's dockyard which people come back year after year to attend. We met up with lots of people from the rally. It was very hot but there wsa plenty of cold beer and rum punch of course.

At 4pm we went to a local restaurant called Not enough Luff for dinner. There were about 100 of us from the rally plus visiting friends and relatives. I think we somewhat overwhelmed the restaurant who had bitten of more than they could chew, or feed in this case. Anyhow the meal was a bit of a c*** up, ours was cold but we were among the lucky ones as they ran out of turkey and some people had to make do with starters only. The atmosphere was fun and there was free wine to make up for the lack of food. Paul and Alex barbeque was a great sucess, the right choice on this occasion. Boxing day has been a much quieter day, just swimming and a few beers. Dinner on board with John and Jane.

New Year in Antigua

We would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year.

We spent New Years Eve in Nelson's dockyard where there was a party from 11 o,clock till 3 am with a live band and fireworks at midnight. There was even more rum punch. Most of the rally people had left but enough of us remained to have a good night out. New years day was very quiet, recovering from the prevoius evening.

On the previous Sunday we went on the Antigua rainforest adventure. This was a ride on 9 zipways attached by a harness, through the rainforest canopy 350 feet in the air. It was great fun. I (Helen) managed to get stuck half way across one of the lines (it had to be me did't it) but I was able to pull myself to the other end. After the zipways was a vertical drop down a line and an assault course (the challenge as they called it). It was an adventure playground for adults with a high wire and wobbly rope bridges to traverse. Again great fun and not too challenging since I made it across. The weather was wet very appropriate for a rain forest.