Barbuda
Calema
Wed 12 Mar 2003 01:21
the colour of the water is that intense turquoise that (surely) doesn't
really exist. It does, and we are floating in it. With increasing confidence
in our ability to spot reefs that are unsociable we have now found some
fantastic anchorages away from it all. We are presently sitting in 3m of
water behind a coral reef which seperates us from the the Atlantic and as I
type I can hear the ocean swells breaking on the reef about 300m away.
When I swam to check the anchor was well dug in yesterday, I also dived
under the hull (complete with new antifouling) and can just stand on the
bottom upright under the keel. We'd better go out the same way we came in!
This place is so fantastic that we will probably stay until the water runs
out (no chance of the food running out - still carrying cans from the
transatlantic) or we go mad. The only distractions are windsurfing
,snorkelling (we are detrmined to have a lobby by the end of our stay - only
managed a couple of tentacles so far - but don't tell the Barbudans as they
prefer to catch them themselves) and general boat chores. If you are going
to service all your winches (I said winches), what better place to do it.
We had a big fishing day on our trip up from Antigua with 2 Barracuda and a
massive Black Jack (of which photographic evidence will follow when we reach
civilisation again). Therse were all returned to the ocean becaus of
Cigutera risk. The only safely edible fish was a small tuna which escaped
from the deck. Tinned crab pasta just didn't do justice to the turquoise
water.