We would like to thank all our relatives and friends for putting us up this summer (or should that be putting up with us!) It seems a long time since the last posting of our blog in May and indeed it is, for which we apologise. The ‘season’ in Antigua seems to be the winter months, allowing the summer months to be taken up with more humid weather and hurricanes and such like. Hurricane Dean was the only one that came near us this summer and although we started to prepare for strong winds, about three days before it was likely to reach us, it then became obvious that the eye of the hurricane was going to miss us by well over a hundred miles. Most hurricanes are really quite small with a radius of severe influence of about fifty miles where the winds can reach up to 250 miles an hour. Fortunately Hurricane Dean only caused winds in the eastern islands of up to 150 miles an hour, well south of here, equivalent to a very severe storm in Scotland! Hurricane Dean passed us as a category 2 hurricane but later built up its destructive power and hit the Mexican coast as a category 5 (250 m.p.h.) hurricane. The maximum speed we experienced in Jolly Harbour was probably only about 50 miles per hour for a very short time.

Although the hurricane season is not yet over, (it ends about 1st December), most people are counting themselves lucky again and are putting their boats back in the water, so they can once again experience the aquamarine seas and azure skies that usually characterise this island. For your information though, the weather here, is currently, absolutely awful. Last night there was thunder and lightning from about two in the afternoon until three the following morning with attendant heavy rain and flooding. Since Atlantia is now back in the water, and waiting for her final fitting out, we attached the lightning conductors to her shrouds and thence to the water. These stout wires will also act as jump leads if necessary!

We have been living in the north house since our return from Scotland and we are pleased to say that, bar a bit of varnishing, wood staining and a few electrical fittings, it is complete. Most of the furniture is in and we are now shore dwellers for the first time for three years. How long this will last though is anybody’s guess, since one of the units is for sale and the other for rent on a long term basis. We may be back on the boat again very shortly, although this seems a little unlikely at present.

The house on the south side, (separated from our present dwelling by 16 inches (400mm) of solid concrete, is water and weather tight but the internal walls and ceilings require to be completed and bathrooms and electrical fittings are still to be installed. It will be about a month before we could even camp in it.

It has been just over a year since we started the building process, and, although slow, progress has been steady, with about six people working away. We have had two sets of tilers and we are on our third electrician, but is has all been well coordinated by our seemingly unflappable main contractor Philson Humphreys, with considerable help/control from the designers/financiers/clerks of works/scrubbers and bottle washers,………… ourselves!

We are certainly pleased with the results so far as we hope you can see in the pictures.

If you haven’t yet visited us and would like to do so we can hopefully provide a shore base until May next year, when we will be on our travels again, this time to South America. Since it takes about six months to sell a property here, at least one should be free. Zandra Macpherson so enjoyed herself with us on the boat in Antigua a couple of years ago that she’s coming back to visit us again in November, together with Vicky and Tony, who came sailing with us up in Maine, the seas of the lobster pots! This time they will have proper beds, when we have bought them next week!

Talking of beds, Margaret concluded that she had slept in sixteen different beds during her travels around Scotland and England in the summer. Will doesn’t think he slept in quite so many! But then he did have a spell back in Antigua whilst Margaret was helping her mother and father spring clean their cottage at Lochgair. In fact, during the months of July and the part of September when Will was back in Scotland, it only rained for one day! Although Margaret assures him it didn’t stop raining whilst he was away. Will still thinks it doesn’t rain much in Scotland!

It is a peculiar feeling being land bound, despite the boat being moored at the jetty outside the living room window. The house is obviously much bigger than the boat, but it gives a feeling of constancy that we didn’t experience when we were living on Atlantia. The snail carries its home on its back, which must give it an immense sense of freedom, even if it makes him feel a little exposed at times!

Back in Scotland we were delighted to be invited by Chas and Mary Bachelor to watch the eight metre world championship, on one of the days of sailing on the Clyde and under the auspices of the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club. It was fabulous to watch these magnificent yachts, some old and some new, ghost their way across the water and to see some of the old tactics we used to employ there when we were seriously racing International One Designs and Dragons on the Clyde.

We were also very pleased to be invited to a celebration of the creation of Will Rudd Associates, now Will Rudd Davidson, when we were back in Scotland in September. .It was a very pleasant evening at the Merchant Company Hall in Edinburgh, full of all the faces and characters that made up Will’s, and all the family’s lives over 25 years. It seems strange that it all started in Hanover Street 25 years ago, up a stair with Helen, Will’s secretary, and an Australian draughtsman. We were very sorry to have missed a number of friends and colleagues from the old days, and not to have talked for long enough to others at the excellent reception, but were very impressed with Stewart Davidson and his Co Directors, who now seemingly run a very large company, and also with the work they are now doing. Will is however very pleased just to be a builder/developer at the moment. Not such a big machine to feed or such use of the slightly shrinking, sun dried brain! May Will Rudd Davidson continue to go from strength to strength!

We were excited to go to Chris and Susie’s wedding in Fife at the beginning of September. A huge affair with every hue of tartan, hat and hair! It was a truly memorable occasion with much revelry, dancing, witty speeches and excellent food and drink. We even went back the next day to help clear up and to enjoy their fabulous view over Lower Largo to North Berwick across the firth of Forth.

You will remember that Chris came out with Ian and Inga to the Cricket World Cup at St Kitts, and stayed with us on Atlantia. Chris is a founder member of the fat bearded bastards’ cricket club. They were all there. Everywhere one turned, there was a W.G. Grace look-alike! Susie, the bride, was, as is to be expected of all brides, looking ravishing!

We stayed with Will’s brother John in Sussex, and since we hadn’t seen Barbara or our niece Clarissa for quite a number of years, it made for an excellent day and evening with great cooking by Clarissa. We experienced Norfolk and Kent with Adrian and Lynne and Worcester with Iain (Margaret’s brother), Pauline and Olivia. We saw Thurstonfield near Carlisle with Mark and Lorna, Kirkcudbright with Peter, East Lothian with Tony and Vicky, Angus with Tom and Sylvia, Fife with Ian and Inga, Tighnabruaigh with Tom and Marge and Ardrishaig with Blair and Susan.

We visited Edinburgh with Zandra, Sandy, Stewart and Karen, Bernard and Ishbel, James and Pauline, James, Olivia and family, Jennifer and Donald and many, many old friends. Also in Glasgow with Stephen and Susan, Alison and Sarah, Brian, and Margaret’s ever hospitable Mother and Father. Many thanks to everyone for making our trip back so enjoyable. The time seemed to pass so quickly!

It passes quickly here as well, what with all the scrubbing of floors (Margaret!), and varnishing of doors (Will). In fact we don’t have enough time at present for Atlantia, although we did get a mechanic to service the engine last week, and the fuel is to be scrubbed before we use it properly again. We love sailing but we feel it a little too exciting to sail into marinas or our dock when the dirty fuel chokes the engine, which has happened in the past. Margaret has however managed the time to stitch new zips into the mainsail cover, so we are hoping the sail won’t burst out upon us in future when it’s not wanted!

There is talk here of a Classic Rum Distillery Cruise, to match the Classic Malts Cruise in Scotland. It will be a little further to sail between each Venue than it is between the Scottish Whisky Distilleries, but nevertheless some rum tastes like a fine brandy and we are sure it will be a worthwhile trip. Atlantia has signed up for it, and if anyone is interested in chartering a boat during May 2008, then let us know and we will try to help you arrange matters. It would be good to see you here as well!

We almost always go for a swim in the morning in the sea, which is about five minutes walk away, and stare out towards Montserrat, Redonda and Nevis. Sometimes we can see them quite clearly, but most of the time it is too hazy.

Imagine our surprise when returning from our swim one morning we saw a familiar figure in full running gear, speeding towards us. It was Jamie Thain who was spending a few days at the adjacent Jolly Beach Resort!

We had a few pleasant trips together, on one of which we came upon seven whistling ducks, plucking grass from the roadside. They are a rare bird but seemed very tame in their feeding habit!

Regrettably, the most magnificent sight in Antigua, the flamboyant tree, is now shedding its flowers, (in time for the tourists to arrive!!). It flowers between June and October all over the island and looks spectacular. A tree covered in red is not a usual sight for us boat dwellers!

We are hoping the weather will improve in time for our visitors. Enjoy the snaps.

Love Atlantia.