The French Caribbean to Barcelona
April begins with a trip to the Caribbean islands of; St Lucia, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Dominica.
Many of these islands were fought for by the British and French. Nowadays they’re a hotspot for diving enthusiasts such as Paul to have the opportunity of diving with Green Sea Turtles!
After a wet and windy passage to Antigua, Paul and crew crossed the finishing line of the Oyster World Rally 2024/25 at English Harbour. This concludes 15 months, 25 countries, 3 oceans, 37,500 nautical miles (25,000 nautical miles for the rally). 27 teams completed the circumnavigation from Antigua.
(Pictured right: on the right is Paul and Katie at the beginning of their circumnavigation, and on the left is the end)
The crew have said that this is by no means the end of their adventure and are looking forward to their next milestone!
For the rest of April Paul and the crew visited many places, including:
- Charlestown Nevis
- St Kitts
- St Barts
- Bermuda
- Azores
- St Eustatius
- St Maarten
- Virgin Gorda Islands
They are hoping to arrive in Barcelona for out of water maintenance in July.
The British Virgin Islands turns out to be an American Charter boat destination.
Most of the small islands belong to the rich and famous although, sadly they haven’t bumped into Richard Branson yet.
Whilst island hopping They visited the Copper Mine National Park in Virgin Gorda.
The British Virgin Islands offer some amazing opportunities for diving including the wreckage of RMS Rhone that sank in October 1867. A day of diving was finished off with a beautiful sky and a nice meal.
Next on the cards is a 5 day passage to Bermuda, mixed weather is expected.
Light winds for the trip meant using the engine more than usual which showed up a minor engine issue with a sea water – oil cooler pipe becoming blocked with shells. It was difficult to diagnose as the pipe was hidden from view. Having fixed the engine they maintained a steady 20 knots for the next 18 hours despite heavy seas.
Shell growth in cooling systems has been a constant issue for the boat in this area of the world.
Arrived in Bermuda despite heavy seas and rain… Katy wants to head south!
While in Bermuda the crew decided to walk the full length of the island where they were never far from a beach, making up for their rough arrival.
Paul has left Bermuda and is heading for the Azores approximately 1230 miles across the Atlantic.
Nothing much to see during this crossing other than waves and the occasional Jelly Fish!
30knt winds carried the crew through to the Azores significantly quicker than was expected. First stop was Horta, where they ventured out for some sightseeing (and a few local beers!) before heading to their next island stop, Pico.
Pico is the highest elevation of the mid-Atlantic Ridge. Their final island stop was São Miguel before setting sail towards Portugal.
Once the crew arrive in Portugal their two year journey will have concluded. Paul and Katie have not been back to the UK since this journey began so they decided to make a surprise visit back to England for Fathers Day.
After travelling back from the UK, the crew passed the Terifa Lighthouse and decided to stop in Gibraltar before heading to Malaga and Barcelona.
Their final stop will be Montenegro to return the boat before heading home.
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