Banana : just three more islands and then we’re off…

Boat: Saint Francis 50
Who : Sophie, Oscar-Louis, Robert-Louis
Where : From Cape Town to Florida

In the starring roles: Dinghy the dog, in charge of on board security. A pure bred Jack Russell from the USA. Oscar-Louis, the young sailor who’s already been around the world. Video game and cards specialist. Contracted to the CNED education programme since 2010. Sophie, the chef, who can feed a crew for a month without any fresh supplies and without repeating any recipes. Contracted to the captain since 1986. On “Banana”, we eat for pleasure not just to fill ourselves up. Robert-Louis, the captain. A bit of a McGiver whenever necessary. A bad fisherman, but he hasn’t given up trying.
April. Goodbye to the seals, penguins and whales. We took 10 days to reach St Helena. The prison is still attractive, the stairway just as steep. Stopover at Ascension Island, a British Territory, so Dinghy had to stay on board. We didn’t expect to see any changes. However, although there is still nothing there, the population had dropped from 2000 to 800. Most of the military have left, but the place is now even livelier! Especially if you like a stony style of architecture with a touch of concrete breeze blocks. The harbour is still as welcoming. You’ve just got to make sure that you grab one of the ropes at the right moment and hop off quickly before the swell comes back and submerges you. A watertight bag is highly recommended.