LAME SWANS AND 'VAVs'

Well... where do I start? 

My much anticipated trip across the Atlantic on a Swan 47' took a bit  of a turn for the worse last month.. In fact, it was to be a turn straight back to port!!
After a normal flight and a couple of days sorting out the boat in Gros Islet, we set off North, up the islands towards better wind. With 35oC heat and some colossal downpours, it looked like we were in for great trip, albeit a long one. Its a big 'ol bit of water when you look down on it from the plane for 8 hours..

Within a few miles, water, water, water... with gallons of water coming in from the rudder stock in just half an hour, we had no alternative but to turn back and get the boat lifted for a survey. The owner of 'Live Edge' had already told George the skipper that there had been a small leak on the previous years trip across from the Azores at the rudder stock.. Ignorance is bliss!! The survey revealed a completely sodden fiberglass skeg which had been causing the the rudder bearing to wear prematurely, also, with no sealing 'packing' in the packing case we would almost curtainly have spent some time this summer in a liferaft!

                                                     ('VISION' the Gros Islet boatman)

So as it turned out, with all the easter holiday makers taking most of the flights back to the UK we were stuck in paradise for a while, only to hear a Volcano would add even more time to our stay!

With no Internet to blog on I set about doing some fairly nice diving at a beachsite at the end of the runway near the hotel where we were staying. Pretty nice collection of fish and coral, even managed to get some underwater footage on camera ( which am now having trouble downloading) which was a lot of fun.

All in all... a bit of a disaster, especially for the skipper, but for me... I got some great news... New Job!

Dan Russell...   Yarmouth Harbour Berthing Master.

So I can't wait to be able to get upto some great missions here on the island this year!