Barbuda

Blue Sky's Voyage
George & Michael
Thu 1 Feb 2007 20:49
Hello Friends                                    "17:39.6N 61:51.8W"
 
I expect you thought we'd gone missing as I guess it's a couple of weeks since the last blog. In fact we've been having a wonderful time in Antigua and Barbuda.
 
We were going to have a few days making a recce of the island before Pom and Barbara arrived but in fact we found a really lovely anchorage and just dozed for a while. We did have the excitement of a really comprehensive entanglement of a lobster pot rope around the propellor. With no engine power, we managed to sail into a sheltered anchorage and Michael dived with our patent device (length of plastic pipe ...) and diving knife until the mess was cut free. Not an incident we wish to repeat too often.
 
We met Pom and Barbara on schedule at the airport, which we managed to navigate to directly by rental car, despite the total lack of road signs.
 
We anchored in Falmouth Harbour again and this is the view from the lookout at Shirley Heights (composite 3 pic shot) with English Harbour in the foreground and Falmouth Harbour behind.
 
 
By this time we reckoned the girls were used to the boat so we tacked up quite briskly to the east side and had another couple of lazy days at anchor before crossing to Barbuda.
 
Barbuda is surrounded by coral reefs, isolated coral heads and numerous wrecks, so we timed our crossing to arrive in good light and found our way into the anchorage without difficulty. This must be one of the most beautiful anchorages on the planet. The beach is 11 miles long, pure white sand with a pinkish tinge from tiny shells, the sea brilliant turquoise and hardly anyone here (we saw 2 other people on the beach today - all day !). It is utterly unspoilt and long may it remain so.
 
 
Blue Sky is the dot on the horizon about a quarter of the way from the left.
 
Yesterday we had a taxi tour of Barbuda and today we went to the Frigate Bird Sanctuary (biggest in the world) with the famous George Jeffrey. It seems we were following in the footsteps of assorted princes and princesses (all the usual ones) and it was a really amazing day. Here are the birds: a young one in the middle, males still seeking a mate with their red throats puffed up and many birds just wheeling around.
 
 
The amazing sight of the Frigate Birds was equalled by talking to George Jeffrey, a passionate defender of Barbudan life. If ever you come out to Antigua and Barbuda, Dear Reader, forget the fancy restaurants, if you do anything you should get George to take you to the Frigate Bird sanctuary on Barbuda.
 
We're now relaxing on board, prior to yet another fantastic sunset etc etc.
 
Best Wishes
 
George, Michael, Pom and Barbara