We flew Virgin Atlantic LGW to ANU, had 3 hours to kill in Antigua (time for a meal at Sticky Wicket) and then LIAT to EIS. No Sunsail rep visible in Antigua – presumably because the Sunsail base there is currently closed for refurbishment. Most of our luggage made it to Beef Island but we were missing one suitcase. Previously when we have had cases missing, Sunsail have done everything in their power to make it easier for us. This time they offered very little assistance and we had to sort it out for ourselves.

The new base seemed to have all the expected facilities and everything progressed smoothly. Some old faces still around from Hodges Creek, some have moved on. The bareboat briefing was good and comprehensive (good use of PowerPoint to support briefer – but it might have been nice to have had a copy of the slides). The boat briefing was sufficient but not exceptional (e.g. I was left unclear about the use of holding tanks and when we tried to use them we had difficulties). We had a Lagoon 38 for 8 of us and it seemed like we had plenty of space!

We left base about midday – but we weren’t rushing. A smooth exit was messed up a bit by lines from another boat but the staff were vigilant and helpful and soon sorted the problem. Having never sailed a cat before, I was a bit nervous but soon found it was as easy as everyone said. First impressions were that it was slow – but I think this is mostly as a result of the higher steering position – under power we were doing 5 knots (according to the Navman – the log didn’t work) but it felt slow. Under sail, we sometimes went a bit faster but we were towing two dinghies so I wasn’t trying to set any records. Mindful of the advice I had received about not pointing too high, I was aiming for about 50 degrees apparent wind – but it soon became clear that 40 degrees was quite acceptable and rather faster to get upwind. We headed up to Trellis Bay to retrieve the missing suitcase (eventually successfully). The Last Resort had a buffet meal as a result of a large birthday party so we chose to go to The Loose Mongoose for a perfectly acceptable dinner. Speaking to a couple of other people there, they told me everything I’d heard about cat sailing was wrong – according to them, cats point better upwind than monohulls but are slower going downhill – okay back to basics!

This was our first trip since the smoking regulations had changed and it seemed everyone was being pragmatic about its application. The letter of the law does not seem to be being applied and we were always able to find somewhere to indulge our filthy habit – though I guess strictly speaking we were often illegal.

While at Trellis Bay we got Sunsail to come out to fix a shower tray pump and the log. This they were able to do quite quickly but neither fix seemed to work properly. The shower tray pump worked after treatment but there seemed to be some variations in the wiring – one shower tray pump was on the bilge pump switch, the mooring light worked sometimes but only if the steaming light was also on. The electric bilge pump never seemed to work and one of the manual bilge pumps seemed to be blocked up. Even after clearing the impeller, the log never did work. We ended up with quite a snagging list of minor inconveniencies – nothing critical but it seemed like maybe maintenance had been lacking overall – or short cuts had been taken.

From Trellis Bay we went to Great Harbour, Peter Island and Oceans Seven. This was our first visit to this location and we were impressed. Good food, a profusion of fish for the snorkelers to see and generally very pleasant. Then we went on to White Bay, JVD (via Sopers Hole for lunch and shopping) and spent a couple of days in the idyllic spot – which we love – the magic is definitely there!

Wednesday night was spent at Great Harbour JVD (Corsairs for dinner, an excellent steak. Thanks, Vinny). One of our crew had a birthday so we went over to CGB and had dinner at Myett’s on the Thursday night – a good meal though the “live music” was somewhat limited (a steel drum player with backing tapes doing what he probably thought we wanted to hear).

We had booked a rendezvous dive from JVD Scuba for Sunday morning and it dawned flat calm. Colin came and picked us up and, together with another couple, we had two stunning dives on the north side of JVD – at one point, on the second dive, we were looking at (and photographing) a nice big nurse shark when a turtle came and literally got in the way. It then stayed with us for several minutes as if it wanted to be there – a great experience for all. Apparently those dive sites (Twin Towers and Playground) are only diveable rarely and we were very lucky with the conditions. Colin was an excellent guide – clear and confident – I can strongly recommend his operation.

The remainder of the holiday we spent at Marina Cay, Leverick Bay, Trellis Bay (again) and the Bight at Norman Island. All lived up to expectations. In the past we’ve had a heated discussion about where the best steaks are available and it has usually been a battle between Corsairs and Pirates. This time, by a whisker, the Last Resort got the vote over Corsairs with Pirates coming in third but I think the music at the Last Resort might have had an influence – the chef wasn’t playing but the solo musician (not sure of his name, was it David?) was very good and turned his hand to playing almost anything – including our sailing theme tune “Purple Rain”! He certainly managed to fill the slot very well – and seemed to enjoy himself too!

We ate at the Mariner Inn on the last night, mostly for our convenience as we had an early start home the next day. Not a good experience. The menu shown outside which had convinced us to go there (one of our veggies was drooling at the possibility of fried goats cheese) was not available and the buffet options were not exciting and seemed over-priced. The promised live music didn’t materialise. Next time, we’ll probably be more adventurous and head into town.

So, impressions of cat sailing? Loads of space and comfort. Less excitement – it felt a bit to me like driving an MPV – very practical but not much adrenaline. With a combination of several days of light winds and my lack of experience, I’m sure I didn’t get the best out of sailing it. There is a temptation to motor more if conditions aren’t really right for sailing. Picking up mooring buoys has to be more positive but is easier with so much more to aim for. My technique in a monohull is to line it up and drift in but the cat seemed less stable in a straight line so needed to be driven up to the buoy and stopped. Once mastered, it was fine and the two engines made turning the boat very easy. With the propellers so far back, behind the rudders, I was more worried about catching the dinghy painters than in a monohull and kept a very close eye on them – I guess it would be very easy to get wrapped up. Overall, with 8 people I think I’d rather have a cat than a mono – but, with fewer, I’d choose a mono again just for a bit more fun.

Coming home we had 5 hours to kill in Antigua so we went to the Rex Resort at Halcyon Cove and for $60 each got a day pass which made for a good, relaxing break in the journey. It didn’t feel quite such a long journey after all…