I am very glad to be sitting comfortably at home..... watching the weather around the globe at the moment and keeping up with the Cape to Rio race makes me very happy to have been doing basic housework on firm ground today. My thoughts go to the crews of the yachts that got hit in the storm which connected with the start of the Cape to Rio race, and in particular to the family of the crew who lost his life on 'Billie'. Am very proud of the way our emergency services and National Services got together to sort out a rescue. Just reminds us all that Mother Nature is the Boss, no matter what!....

Boating is not what it is cracked up to be in all the glossy magazines folks!!! In fact, having read several lately (nice wide choice of yachting mags here of course!) the Editor of Yachting Monthly did cover things by mentioning that thousands of skippers sail mostly with a reluctant or indifferent partner. He forgot those who are deranged, gullible or just plain nuts!!!

No seriously, it isn't as bad as all that....... really?..... It's been VERY windy from the west for the last 3 days, pouring with rain, and the cheery chap on the radio this morning made mention of snow on high ground during the day..... well that was it, crew lost the plot and made off the boat at some speed, into the car and to the West Gate Shopping Centre in Southampton, for some very well earned retail therapy!!!

Oh the ultimate pleasure of wandering around all the beautiful shops with lovely clothes, twinkly shop windows with breath-taking shoes, Next, Gap, John Lewis, Selfridges, Zara to name but a few. Gorgeous distractions to take my mind off the rain thundering on the Centre's roof!..... sadly time and pennies ran out and it was time to head back to the Elephant and reality where the chaps were busy securing boats and getting ready for this evening's blow.

Skip and I got snugged in to a nice meal, an excellent bottle of wine and a bit of TV, listening to the gusts and sensing 'Freedom's virtual sailing - we were a little worried about our tent that was still up, but decided to leave it. We watched the gusts hit 32 and then at midnight (about 15 minutes ago) Tom came around the berths checking lines etc, and asked Skip to move our old car as the barometer had dropped to the floor and the tide was well on the way up to where we had parked! When skip got back he reckoned it would probably be better to take the tent down afterall as Tom thought it was all going to get much worse in the early hours...... we have just got back in from the freezing wind and stowed everything down below and we wait for it!!!

In the meantime, I have been googling package holidays to Spain which if this lot keeps on going as some folk are saying it will, then we will be off!! It's that dam jet stream which just won't shift out of the way......

However, getting back to the glossies.... I just don't believe them... all that blue sky, crystal clear waters, bikini clad, bronzed people. It's all a myth I tell you! Rather check out the thermal underwear, spotty socks and various layers of T shirts, jerseys and wet weather gear, to say nothing of my very smart Durbarry sailing boots which are so very comfortable.... I almost sleep in them, just so I am ready to go in the case of an emergency!

It all does wonders for the sense of humour of course, I think it becomes a sort of hysteria in the end. We were due to go out to Bembridge today, but thank heavens sanity prevailed. Bramblemet has Force 7 earlier this evening, gusting higher so that would not have been any fun at all.

As Skip mentions from time to time, it is all character building stuff.... did I say there are times when I want to flatten him and donate his body for medical science!!!..... until next time.....

Life in General:
Well, this is it folks........... the BA Cattletruck landed at some ungodly hour in London on Thursday morning last week, and yours truely tumbled off the plane in the usual dishevelled state of one who has been squashed up with at least 350 other people, one in particular called Brian..... a dear person who talked to me for the whole journey!!! I had the headsets on in the end watching various films, but bless him, he still needed to get whatever it was off his chest and chat for old times sake!

Then there was Lesley on the window seat who took off at regular intervals for a walk (she had obviously read the helpful leaflet about exercising in flight to avoid the dreaded DVT's) leaving Brian and myself to sort of "hang" about in the aisle awaiting her return, so that we could all get back into our various pocket seats and resume a cosy journey..... Oh the joys of travel..... However, the angels were kind, and we got to our destination with no nasty surprises.

Skip was there to met me and we drove down the M3 to Chandlers Ford to drop in on my skin-n-bliss before heading off to the boat. 'Freedom's various mods and additions done over the winter months certainly looked really good. We can now boast a luxury mattress..... makes a difference I can say! (the previous one was designed by one of those guru type people who recommend sleeping on boards, or cold concrete floors). We also have a new carpet down, and best of all, we have a tent... yes it's up... (who said boating was a bit like caravaning?! It is already a very worthy addition to the boat, enabling us to use the cockpit much more when the weather is a little chilly, breezy, just plain wet and damp, or otherwise grim. Mind you I think we would have a problem with it up in a gale, it could end up giving us that spinnaker experience that Skip has been considering!!.....

Even in the light winds, when "Marie-Char III" took off on the Pursuit Race, the power surge was amazing to watch.... sadly the pic doesn't do her justice!

'Athos" looked fantastic under her spinnaker.....

The Wally was out with her new paint job "Hamilton"........