![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/3-22-17a-001.jpg\")
When we returned\u00a0to Antigua last week, our friends Sue and Dave of SV Sans Cles, invited me (Brenda had already flown back to CT) to participate in an evening meeting of, what I now know is the Royal Navy Tot Club of Antigua and Barbuda.<\/p>\nWell, my visit here in Antigua is just about over as my friend Craig will arrive tomorrow and we plan to head up to St Martin on Sunday night. \u00a0We’d love to stop in St Barths but there is a large northerly swell running that will likely make the anchorage there very rolly.<\/p>\n
I spoke with Chris Parker, our weather router, today and he told me that the sailing conditions should be great, likely a broad reach in 15-25kts, but that any anchorage that might be affected by a northerly swell, in this case 7-8′, is probably best to avoid.<\/p>\n
I guess I’ll check back with Chris on Saturday and see if his forecast might\u00a0have changed. \u00a0 \u00a0Happily, my SSB radio is now back in perfect health which is just so great. \u00a0I have participated in a number of nets over the last few days and I am told that indeed they “can hear me now”. \u00a0What a relief. \u00a0It took months and more than a few “boat dollars” to sort through that problem. \u00a0 All better now.<\/p>\n
When Brenda and I were tied up in English Harbor Antigua during our last visit here a month ago, while our son Christopher was visiting, we saw a group of folks standing outside of a bar in the dockyard doing some sort of chant. \u00a0Actually, the looked positively “druidesque”, if you ask me.\u00a0When we returned\u00a0to Antigua last week, our friends Sue and Dave of SV Sans Cles, invited me (Brenda had already flown back to CT) to participate in an evening meeting of, what I now know is the Royal Navy Tot Club of Antigua and Barbuda.<\/p>\n
Ok, sure, I’ll go. \u00a0How could I say no? And, I didn’t.<\/p>\n
So here’s the deal and once again this proves, without a question, that there is indeed a club for everything and everyone. \u00a0And now that I know about the Royal Navy Tot Club I am fairly certain that the Brits lead the way in that department.<\/p>\n
So, you might be asking yourself, who are these people that stand in a circle and drink rum? \u00a0 This is what they have to say about themselves.<\/p>\n
“The Royal Naval Tot Club of Antigua & Barbuda was formed in 1991 by a small group of \u2018like minded people\u2019 who met at the end of the working day to toast the Queen and reinstate the Royal Navy\u2019s tradition of a daily tot of rum which had been discontinued in 1970.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Very soon, others began to join the \u2018circle\u2019 and the Royal Naval Tot Club of Antigua & Barbuda developed into an organisation recognised not only in Antigua but worldwide.\u00a0 The Tot Club formalised itself by writing some rules known as Standard Operating Procedures.\u00a0 It is only possible to join the Tot Club in Antigua and well over 500 have joined to date.\u00a0 An aspiring member has to be invited to join by an existing member and pass though a joining routine which includes a test on Royal Navy history.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The Tot Club meets at 6 pm each evening when guests may be introduced, announcements made relating to points of interest and a reading from Royal Navy history pertinent to that day.\u00a0 The reading is followed by a toast which is different for each day of the week, however, all toasts end with the words \u2018\u2026and the Queen, God Bless Her\u2019.”<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n All of this grows out of a long tradition in the British Royal Navy to issue rum\/grog to the troops. \u00a0Sadly, this tradition was abandoned in the 70s. \u00a0I guess in our “PC” obsessed world, issuing rum aboard ships full of guys with big guns was no longer considered to be\u00a0a good idea, and to carry on that tradition was the reason that the club was formed.<\/p>\n They even have an “official” website \u00a0<\/a>. \u00a0Who knew?<\/p>\n So, Sue and Dave delivered me to my official meeting of the Royal Navy Tot Club. \u00a0It was a hoot.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/4-11-17a-002-1.jpg\")
I won’t go into all of the details of what transpired except to say that on your “introductory visit” you, and in this case, I was presented with \u00a0a “megatot” of fine ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/4-11-17a-005-1.jpg\")
Before the tot and chaser, a passage, I guess about Lord Nelson, is solemnly read. \u00a0That evening’s “reading” was shared from “the book” by Peter, a very solemn British bloke. \u00a0![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/4-11-17a-010-1.jpg\")
After that, well, I am not completely crystal clear on what happened after my “tot” but I am confident that Sue and Dave were “inducted” and I was smiling. \u00a0\u00a0As near as I can recall, it was a lot of fun.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/maltese-falcon-movie-night.jpg\")
So, if you wonder what folks to do keep busy here in Antigua, now you have your answer. \u00a0 \u00a0If you are one of the .001% crowd, movie night. \u00a0For the rest of us, assuming that you know the right people, there may be a tot waiting for you here in Antigua.<\/p>\n