Homeward Bound

We approached home, Singer Island, as the sun rose on the morning of April 2, 2001.

We decided to fly Stu home for medical care in late March. It was a hard decision to make. The pinched nerve he developed in Trinidad was not getting better. Actually, it was worse. It was time to get USA style medical care.

We were reluctant to leave the Shearwater in the islands. And, we were both tired from the months of cruising and were looking forward to a change of pace and a chance to recuperate. It seemed best to get the boat home as soon as possible. And, then we could take it from there depending how Stu made out in his recovery.

We had the good fortune to get to know Chris Lemmer in Cape Town last fall. He is a professional delivery skipper preparing to make a crossing with a 50 foot Mayote named Infinity. There were many weather delays for Infinity, so each evening we would get together for dinner and drinks and talk of boats and crossings. Chris generously shared his extensive knowledge and expertise and besides that he was a fun guy. We made plans to stay in touch via e-mail and to visit with each other in the Caribbean. We called Chris to see if he was available to help us out. He was. And, he did.

Amy Nel is the daughter of Chris' friends David and Nellie who sail aboard Scorpio. She is quite an experienced sailor for her 18 years. She and three other young ladies did the Cape to Rio Race across the South Atlantic. It was fun having Amy along for the trip.

On Monday March 26 Shearwater II set sail from Sopers Hole, West End, BVI homeward bound. It was a glorious morning with light winds a perfect opportunity to fly the spinnaker.

Here is a copy of our track captured from "The Capn" our navigation Software.