Far away from normal

This season has been full of highs and we were certainly having some amazing experiences in Guadeloupe, we met up again with the Buccaneers in Deshailes, hiked and swam in waterfalls with Julie and Richard, did a week of diving around the Cousteau Park and shared some really fun times with our new friends on Breeze and reconnected with Alkemi again; then we all went together to Les Saintes. We even got to feature in Sv Breeze new YouTube channel with our custom cocktails. Yeah this is really what cruising life if all about..... then you get a call, and this amazing crazy life becomes the hardest life ever because you are so very far away from normal.

 Langstone shore walk gave us space to breath again and England in the sunshine is so pretty

We were lazing in bed in the beautiful Isles de Saintes, talking about what next, when the phone went and it was our close family friend Sam - 'your Dad is fine but he's in hospital' - heart sinking moment. My parents were just out with us in Antigua and he was laughing and being his usual self, just a few weeks before the blood clot that had now caused him to collapse outside the hospital. Sam carefully explained what had happened and I then chatted to Mum who was desperately worried, then a few words with Dad all bandaged up. They had been told he could still fly in a month - they were emigrating to Australia after years of planning and visa processing. After we came away from the call, this life felt instantly frivolous and I thought how much had to be done before their flight and how this would be so hard having gone through such a shock. So Andrew and I quickly agreed I should fly to the UK. I booked a flight from Antigua, he rushed ashore to clear us out for Antigua and I readied Askari for the ocean passage north, 200 miles.

As we sailed out of Les Saintes, another call came, the clot reducing drugs had caused a brain haemorrhage I needed to get to the UK as a priority. We had the worse phone signal ever but Andrew managed to see there was a flight from Guadeloupe that night, but we had no way to book it online and no phone booking service. We had to try it, so Andrew got us across the ocean pass to Guadeloupe while I packed a few things - not knowing what was happening in my head, still wearing shorts we pulled into the very rolly bay at Base Terre, the wind was blowing 30knts and we managed to spot a boat with a dinghy - French. Oh gosh why is my french so bad..... "monsieur, votre petite bateau" - lots of arms waving. He finally understood and brought the very small, wobbly floored dingy alongside Askari pitching in the swell, I jumped in and held my bag over my head and directed him to take me to the small port. I looked back at Andrew he watched on, us both in shock, as the frenchman stalled the outboard and my arse got soaked in the choppy seas - yes I love our AB rib. By the time we reached the port I had managed to explain I needed to get to the airport. In the port, this amazing guy wouldn't leave me until I was on my way. He found a group of divers on the dock - amazingly one guy Alex was heading home and agreed to take me to the airport - I didn't know it was 70km away! Just so very kind - these complete strangers, who I could barely communicate with took me under their wings. Words cannot explain my gratitude although I barely remember a thing.

With my wet arse, still in shorts and sailor bun head I ran into the airport and found the customer service desk for Air France - when the lovely lady at the desk gave me a warm caribbean smile and said of course I could buy a ticket I nearly melted, but of course couldn't remember the pin for my credit card. She fixed it all and I was booked. Now I just needed to tell Andrew I was okay and he should carry on to Antigua - the plan was for him to wait offshore to the north of Guadeloupe until I was safely on the plane, in case we needed to revert to plan A with the flight from Antigua the next day. There is another problem, we share a sim card and phone in the islands, which I took with me- he said he would figure the communications out somehow..... The somehow meant using our SSB radio email - which is a little convoluted and he's solo sailing in the dark now, but at least he knew I was on my way to Paris. He carried on sailing north all on his own - no easy feat across a big swell, so very tired and emotional too.  Arriving in Antigua the following morning Andrew was detained by customs who wanted to know where the missing passenger was from the crew list.  Of course I had landed without clearance in Guadeloupe the day before and left by plane.

I landed at Paris Orly after what felt like the longest flight and had to get the most expensive taxi across to Charles De Gaule for a flight to London - I had at least changed out of my wet shorts now. In London, Sam's Brother Phil met me - we hadn't seen each other for years but he came with a sign and snacks and drove me straight to the hospital. My Brother arrived from Sydney on Monday as did Andrew after leaving Askari in Antigua - I'm sure Dad knew we were there, but so very sadly he died a week later.

We can't believe you're not here. 

His funeral was a simple beautiful gathering of a cast of thousands; he had touched so many peoples lives and he will be missed so much. I'm so lucky we got to share that week together in Antigua and wish desperately it had been longer. At the end of March we flew back to Askari to be met with a freezer full of maggots - the joy of boats!!!

It's been a hard couple of months trying to get back to normal, 'a new normal' a good friend told me. I haven't felt very sociable or confident which doesn't really fit with this life, however we have done some lovely hiking and exploring in Dominica and now Martinique. It's very hard being so far away and leading such an unconventional life, but equally it cannot be unwound easily as it's a commitment to life, your partner, the boat and the dream. The boat jobs go on (the maggot infested freezer took 3 weeks to fix) and we need to get Askari south before the hurricane season plus more adventures that hopefully Mum will share some of with us too.

Thank you to everyone who has sent me and the family such kind messages and to all the cruising friends that offered support when they spotted Askari where she was not supposed to be. One friend knew something was up as she had sand on her anchor - of course we would never normally leave her like that.

Oh if you were one of the cruisers in Antigua that got to share the contents of our fridge that Andrew gave away we really hope you enjoyed the Foie Gras and Camembert!