The party’s over!  What?  Why? How?  It turns out that finishing a World ARC rally is as surreal as the rest of trip.  That feeling: ‘it-can’t-possibly-be-true’ has morphed into ‘it-can’t-possibly-be-over’.

RESTING AT LAST – THE FLEET IN ST LUCIA

THE LAST HARRAH

Then again, if we have to say goodbye, this is the place to do it. These past two weeks are a blur of water-side bars, rum cocktails, BBQs on the beach and fleet outings.  Oh, and did I mention rum cocktails? Prue and Mike have been troopers – instant hits with the ARC crews, they managed to learn everybody’s story in about 12.5 seconds, whilst enduring endless rally dinners.

We’ve barely scratched the surface of the Caribbean, but we are yet to find a place we’ve not enjoyed, and Cup keeps saying ‘we’ll need to come back here with the kids’.  This is a GOOD SIGN.

It had to end, of course, and last Saturday started with a sail past, except we motored.  Good thing, too, given the smallest boat went first.

HANGOVER

What is left is a world-class hangover.  First is the physical one – we started drinking on the dock at about 2:00pm, and after the formal party, we restarted the dock party, which still had life in it at 3:00 am.  Mike paid it the highest compliment: “this is like a boatshed party!”, which might be partly because he was self-appointed DJ.  Went off like a firecracker…

CIRCUMNAVIGATORS – WELL, SOME OF THEM, ANYWAY

Then there’s the social and emotional hangover.  How do you say goodbye?  What happens when a tight-knit community, bonded together over months by such a fantastic, shared experience, suddenly disbands?  Well, we’re about to find out….

OVER, BUT NOT OUT

The only reason we all survived the tearful goodbyes was because we’re going to see each other for a reunion in July! Fortunately, Brian and Claudine (Wishanger II) are throwing a party at Brian’s home in the Cotswolds.

Meanwhile, Ressie is taking a sabbatical, cuddled up amongst other cats at Clarke’s Court Marina in Grenada.  Enjoy the summer, Ressie!  We’ll be back for Christmas…