ANTIGUA
Antigua Sailing Week
Daily Mirror
ANT 'N' DECK
‘Go on, give it a go,’ said the smiling captain as our yacht cut through the deep blue Caribbean waves. ‘It’s just like driving a car.’ I stood there staring with slight apprehension at the giant steering wheel glittering in the sunshine, amazed that I was actually going to be a big boy and man the helm.
One hour previously I’d known absolutely nothing about sailing. Now after a crash course in the basics, I was happily pulling ropes and cranking handles. I knew the difference between port and starboard. I even had my own cap with “crew” written on it.
I took hold of the wheel with pride. A minute later, the captain grabbed it back and took evasive action. The shame of it. I’d tried my hardest not to career towards the race yacht, I really had. Still, at least I still had my cap. There'd be blood spilt before I gave that back.
SAINT LUCIA
Daily Mirror
Caribbean fun with my son
A FLY-DIVE TO ST LUCIA
My son’s shrieks startled me and I immediately looked up out of the water.
Everything until then had been going, quite literally, swimmingly. But now he splashed his way over to me, the horror in his eyes partially concealed by a misty face mask.
“What’s wrong?” I asked frantically.
“The sharks,” he blurted, “are going to bite me!”
Sharks? Then I relaxed, realising what he meant. “Oh, you mean those trumpet fish? No, they’re perfectly safe,” I reassured him.
But they did look quite freaky... long and skinny and just dangling there above the coral, occasionally gnashing their spiky teeth like a pack of zombie eels.