Libertaire Sailing

We spend a week in Stanley, waiting for our packages that still haven't arrived... The advantage is getting to know this small town and its charming inhabitants better, with whom we spend a few evenings. The girls can also attend Jelly Tots three mornings a week, a kind of activity club for children up to 5 years old. We take the opportunity to go for some runs around, especially to the beautiful beach of Gypsie Cove. On Sunday, November 11th, we have to leave the public dock as usual whenever the passengers of a cruise ship invade the town. We then head to Johnson Harbour in Berkeley Sound, 20 miles north, where Lee and Martha and their 4 daughters, aged 2 months to 7 years, are waiting for us. They run a farm of 9000 sheep, and Lee is the best shearer in the Falklands and hopes to qualify soon for the world sheep shearing championship, which will be held in France next July! Nina and Diane are delighted to play with their new friends every afternoon and sometimes for dinner. The anchorage is also well protected, so we stay there for 6 days. On Wednesday, November 14th, even though the weather is cloudy, we split the day to walk the 35 km round trip to Volunteer Beach, home to the main colony of king penguins in the Falklands, while the other takes care of the girls. We return to the boat sore but happy to have seen these magnificent penguins and just a little disappointed not to have been able to share this moment with our children. However, it's also nice to go for a walk alone for 5 hours, which is quite rare when traveling with family.... On Saturday the 17th, the weather finally seems favorable to sail to Volunteer Beach, and the swell is low enough to land, so the girls also get to see the king penguins and marvel at the chicks born a few weeks ago. We picnic in front of the colonies and return for snack time with Alain and Claudine on Kotick, another Damien 2, well known in these latitudes. We leave the next morning at dawn to return to Stanley and arrive there 3 hours later.