The adventure begins in Antigua

We are finally beginning the circumnavigation that we’ve been dreaming and planning for now for a number of years. A couple of false starts but we are actually here. One big difference on this trip is that after many years sailing mostly just the two of us we have crew – something we have never done before. This will enable us to explore off the boat in the many wonderful places we will be visiting without worrying about the boat – not to mention taking an enormous amount of work off our shoulders. Heaven.   Our Captain Oscar and the wonderful Charlotte have been working flat out getting Sophistikate ready to leave on 15^th and I must say after her major refit during the summer she is now looking as good as she did the day we left Ipswich with her back in 2011. Very sad of course to leave our family but we are in the amazing position of being able to leave the Treasury Today business in the very capable hands of Sophie and Meg with John. Flo has been adopted by Daisy (only temporarily if Flo is reading this) and we leave our new house with another six months to go before completion in the able hands of our project manager – what could possibly go wrong!

Sophie, Oscar, Charlotte, Richard and I together with 14 bags arrived in Antigua via Gatwick and vast quantities of champagne (way too much in my case!). We are staying at Sea Shanty the beautiful house of Deborah and Malcolm and it is a wonderful retreat for us whilst we sort out Sophistikate ready to leave on 15^th.

We gathered with great ceremony at the boatyard to watch as our beautiful boat was hoisted up in a goliath of a hoist and carried to the water. She was slowly lowered down and gently placed into the sea – suddenly from below deck a cry of water from Oscar! Really not what you want to hear. A new valve that had been fitted was leaking and water quickly flooded in – Sophistikate maintained her dignity amid much chaotic activity whilst she was hoisted back out of the water and left hanging!  Workmen descended upon her and after a couple of hours delay she was afloat.  Anyone requiring technical details please email Oscar!