Archer

2154hrs, drinking Cosmopolitans on a terrace bar and in 24 hours more I'll be somewhere over the Atlantic on the way home.

When I went for my last drink, Archer, the barman, asked what I did for fun. I said walk my dogs, sail and sing. He said sing what, and I said not reggae, but I do know all the words to Redemption Song.

He said, so rap it. I don't rap. But we then sang it together, whilst he shook my drink in it's shaker for precussion. I'm drinking it now, and it is good.

Most of the Americans in the bar ignored us, engrossed in a football game. But an elderly couple at the other end of the bar did give us a round of applause. 

I've grown quite fond of Jamaica. I shall come back one day.

The photo was yesterday's sunset. The only photo I have of today is of Nikki, but she refused to smile as she saw the camera coming. 

She's been smiling pretty much most of the last ten days though. We were thirty years married on 6th Jan, I count myself a lucky man.

Jamaica

So, we've barely seen the sun since we landed and it rained pretty much all day today.

But all is good. Spent yesterday afternoon on the beach in the shade of clouds but warm enough to warrant a frequent swim. 

Now sat on the veranda of the hotel bar in the balmy heat enjoying a dry martini, thinking I might indulge in another in a moment.

Life could be worse.

Clocking out, clocking in

 2025 is dead, long live 2026.

61 gigs made for a busy, occasionally fraught year, but we shared some amazing moments.

Upped the membership of Grandad's Gang by one with the happy arrival of Ben and Hannah's first, Freddie.

We spent 62 hours underway with Petrella over 235 nautical miles, which is to say, not nearly enough. This is high on my list of "must do better" for next year.

With fewer gigs in the diary, and little appetite for booking many more for the year to come, that might actually be achievable.

Ashore, I spent 682 hours in the dojo practicing karate. Ironically, after a bit of a slump in the third quarter of the year due to ill health, I appear to have got back to where I started.

Back on the water, I've spent 688 hours racing the Albacore with Amanda and, as her occasional sub, Alex, during which we've covered 166 nautical miles. The last race was with Alex on Boxing Day, where we took third place. The photo below was taken by William from his Wayfarer, the winning boat, just ahead. Alex and I are on frame-right, being neatly match-raced into the oblivion of third in the closing couple of minutes of the race by Vernon and his Solo, who took a well deserved second.

Sans crew, I spent 407 hours racing the Laser, over 65 nautical miles. So most of my time racing was spent being sociable in the double-hander, but I do love the convenience and freedom of single-handed sailing. Across both boats in total, that was 1095 hours and 231 nautical miles spent racing around the cans on Lake 16 at South Cerney.

I don't track the hours spent walking the dogs, but there have been more than a few statute miles passed underfoot, always in good company, if not always the most pleasant of weather. Both Lottie and Boo have seen in the new year both in good health, and looking forward to many more walks. This is the German Shepherd version of a turtle on a post.

After more than thirty years together (I think it was thirty-five as of November, but don't hold me to that) Nikki and I finally managed a holiday aboard together, with a week in Sharm El Sheik. I think she's gotten a taste for it.

So clocking out the old year, it has had its ups and its downs, but on reflection, mostly ups. It's been busy, perhaps a little too busy, but we've had song and sun and sand and sea and dolphins and dogs and children and grandchildren, and good friends, old and new.

And clocking in the new, in a few days time on the 6th Jan, Nikki and I will see in our thirtieth anniversary. Thirty years ago, pecuniary constraints and family commitments meant that our honeymoon was not really a lavish affair. Family friends gave us a room in their home in Norwich, and we spent a week exploring the town and surrounds. I'll always be grateful, but thought as she's managed to put up with me under contract for thirty years now, it was about time I did something better.

So tomorrow morning we're catching a plane out of Birmingham, to spend ten days in Jamaica.

Happy New Year everybody.