More from I.G.

The lack of updates was due to the poor internet access on Isla Grande, where we've been spending the majority of the last 3 months. Failing any other minor catastrophes, we will be leaving, definitely, 100%, to our next location – Sao Francisco Do Sul – today. The trip is 300 miles, so should take 3 days and will probably take a week considering the lack of wind in these parts. But without further ado, on to the main feature of the post – we have a Special Guest Star Writer, Jennie!

Oh wow! Nick and John suggested I write this contribution for the blog as a proper entry, not just a comment, so I feel really privileged. As most of you who are reading this know, Nick Senior and I had two weeks out in Brazil with the boys and not only was it fantastic to see them, but we had the best holiday ever. We spent 4 days and nights in Rio de Janeiro which was just as we had envisaged – noisy, bustling and hot and full of wonderful and weird sights. We had 2/3 nights and days in Parati which was where we first joined Nick and John. We slept aboard Rebel for 2 of these nights (I don’t think the boys will ever recover from my insistence on having fresh clean water in which to wash before bed!). On the third night we sailed (or should I say motored) for 14 hours to Ilha Grande. We shall never forget this journey. The highlight was when at least half a dozen dolphins joined us and leapt and swam at our sides for a mile or so. They made noises just like Flipper and we were utterly enthralled. The downside of this night time trip was my seasickness OH MY GOD did John see a side of me which he may well never recover from (the 2 Nicks have seen it all before)! But this torturous journey delivered us to Ilha Grande so it was all worthwhile. What a fantastic place! We could see exactly why the boys have spent so long here (despite the fact the Norwegian girls had gone home). Unfortunately Nick Snr and I did get tummy upsets (polite phraseology) and if you give him a few pints of Moondance Nick will tell you all about his novel way of feeding the fish! This stopped us from visiting as many of the attractions as we might, but we spent quite a lot of time with the boys on Rebel, cleaning the hull, fixing the outboard (or not), swimming off the boat in water that was over 30 degrees, lazing in hammocks and reading. Stress levels plummeted. Meals out and drinks are cheap so some of us over indulged a bit. The less said about this the better. In addition to the dolphins we saw on and around the island, in the wild of course, little monkeys, humming birds, vultures, huge sea and land crabs, and turtles. Nick and Johns appear extremely well and happy. They have tans to die for. They don’t seem to have fallen overboard, or to have fallen out, nor have they fallen for each other (which was always a possibility). Thanks, boys, for giving Nick and I the most wonderful holiday

Update: weather is still forcasting 7s and 8s, so looks like we're stuck here another night.