In UK yachting circles there used to be a saying, which went, "There are three things that you should never have on a yacht a suitcase, an umbrella and a naval officer." We didn't have either of the first two! The third had, unsurprisingly, elected himself as Skipper of our vessel. The year was 1998. We were four sunburned Brits on a charter yacht pulling into Cruz Bay, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands, having made the crossing between two different worlds, albeit only a few miles apart. We had left a sleepy, backwater of the British Empire, where, having shared a lobster and a game of pool with the customs officer, we were made to return to our vessel to put on clean shirts, before he would stamp our exit papers. We had arrived at an outpost of the USA, where a sign on the dockside told us, in large red letters, to "SECURE TO A CUSTOMS MOORING. DO NOT GO ASHORE UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEARED US IMMIGRATION." This was a clear enough instruction, containing just a hint of threat, and one which we would undoubtedly obey to the letter, or we would have had we not found ourselves in an awkward situation. The problem was that, having collected passports containing precious visas, yacht's papers and any other official looking document we could put into a briefcase, we clambered into the tender, started the outboard and arrived at the customs shed to find that it was closed for lunch!

We had to stop for a small launch party coming onboard before we dock today having spent seven months away we naturally want to go home as soon as possible but oh! no. A former seaman who had served with the shipping company for nearly twenty five years has requested that after his death his ashes would be taken aboard a company ship and that they be spread at sea. So we are drifting off the Isle of Wight at the entrance to the Solent that leads up to the port of Southampton, the crew members family have been able to meet the ship and a small service is now going to take place on the aft end of the ship. Some of us were now assembled in a small group with the family, a priest ,and some representitives from the company, and of course the Captain. A few crew did not attend because this man was not that well liked (he was a tough nut, but he never upset me) ,one lad Peter said he ''I never liked the man and im glad he is bloody dead '' he said ,when iasked him if he was atending, ' i will be packing, and having a beer in my cabin he said''