8 August 2011
we all trooped ashore and did another mammoth laundry session and took it in turns to have a shower in the one open-air shower - one with the best view in the world!! Mark reminded me how much I've toughened up as when we arrived in Antigua I was super upset that we had to pay $2 for the showers AND THEY WERE COLD!!! Now, it's so nice to have fast running water that I haven't had to lug to the boat in jerry cans, that I don't mind that they're cold. The kids have probably had more showers this week than in the past 3 months!!! Ah, we were soft in the Caribbean. Pontoons to pull alongside for fuel and water, jetties to tie your dinghy up against, internet on the boat. There's none of that mamby pamby luxury here. God, I miss it!! However, we have definitely grown as far as sailing is concerned. We'll miss the extra sleep without the extra crew, but we feel that, though the learning will never stop, we can actually pass on some advice to other boats, now we're not the newbies anymore, and it feels good to have grown in confidence. Off to Nuka Hiva today or tomorrow - it'll be an overnighter but we'd like the clothes to be dry before we leave and it's pouring with rain now. One thing's for sure, I'm not going back into town with the kids. I've walked the walk. The baguettes can wait.