Passage: English Harbour, Antigua W.I. to Bonaire, Dutch Antilles, Day1

Bootlegger of Mann
Frank Newton
Tue 4 May 2010 19:08


Bootlegger of Mann Log

16:12.53N 62:47W

29 04 10

Passage: English Harbour, Antigua, W.I. to Curacao, via Bonaire,
Netherlands Antilles - Day 1

Crew: Frank ( Skipper) and Karl Newton ( Crew)

Conditions: Caribbean Weather: Fine and sunny. Light Wind: E 08 kts
Fully fuelled up with 590 litres of diesel aboard good for 120 hours
motoring at 1800 rpm.

Estimated hours for planned passage on above basis to first stop Bonaire
is 60 hours.

14:00: 17:00.51N 61:45.88W Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, Antigua.

Departed our usual berth just opposite the Galleon Bar and headed down the
busy harbour shouting our farewells to, and receiving a cheery
acknowledgement from to the waitress’s in Catherine’s waterside French
restaurant where we had lunch the previous day..

Karl and I arrived back in Antigua last Friday, the 24th and since been
very busy in Jolly Harbour getting various works completed on Bootlegger
and general commissioning, victualling after her lift in.

Left Jolly Harbour on Tuesday the 27th with just the faulty
instrumentation to be attended to by Cap at the Signal Locker at Nelson’s,
English Harbour..

During her period on the hard Bootleggeeer had undergone a complete engine
and generator service; had all her service batteries renewed at enormous
cost, was re-antifouled and polished up. She looks good.

Before leaving Jolly Harbour we had met two old faces from the Isle of Man
–Mike Bailey who has a ¼ share in a Janeau there, and Peter Lancaster and
his wife Cindy Lou who happened upon us in their tender as we were
fuelling up to leave. Now based in the States they have a small Packet
yacht (U.S. built).which they are slowly cruising the Caribbean in. It
was good to see these old faces and to catch up..

14:30 Course steered: - 235 degrees to take us around the SE tip of
Montserrat before setting a new course of 248 degrees after clearing this
volcanic island with its dust cloud rising above it.

21:00: 16:27.12N 62:27.8W FN takes first 3 hour Watch. Motor sailing;.
CSE: 250 degrees SOG 8 kts.with 18 kt wind up th chuff. Have main and
mizzen out on gybe preventers.

21:30 16:24.08N 62:32.4W After sighting a target on a converging
course on radar I identified it as the cruise ship ‘Serenade of the Seas’
on passage to St Thomas. I called her up
for a ‘radar check’ and she confirmed we were some 9 nm off her starboard
beam