17:07.56N  61:53.30W

 

Distance Run  4 nm

 

Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 May 2013

 

Lots of discussion on Tuesday morning resulted in a change of plan.  We had been intending to go up to the BVI’s for our 21st Wedding Anniversary on 22 May.  This entails sailing from here in Antigua to Barbuda, then on to St Bart’s and St Martin which is straightforward.  The trip from St Martin to BVI’s will take about a day and a half sailing west which is downwind so also straightforward.  The return however is against the wind and current and will more likely take 2 days.  The hurricane season starts on 1 June and we need to get back down to Martinique for the first service on the engine.  This is due at around 50 hrs and we are already at 30 and we feel that we could be at the wrong end of the Caribbean when hurricane season starts if we are not careful.  So, the BVI’s are postponed until next season.

 

We spent the rest of the day sorting out information on bases for the hurricane season, then taking the boat to the fuel dock for diesel and water and then out of Jolly Harbour lagoon to anchor in the bay at the entrance. 

 

The bay is quite attractive provided Friday to Sunday evenings are avoided.  This is when ‘De Ship’, which is a party boat anchored in the bay, gets into full swing with ultra high decibel music.

 

 

The anchorage:-

 

 

 

 

Tuesday night was rather rolly so we decided to move on Wednesday.  First we returned by dinghy to the marina to use the internet and book our hurricane berth at Bailey’s Boatyard in Antigua.  After lunch ashore we returned to the boat and motored around to Deep Bay which is only a few miles away.

 

 

 

Just outside Jolly Harbour when the sun was high and accentuating the colour of the sea:-

 

 

 

 

Deep Bay comes highly recommended and there is a wreck in the middle which is easy to snorkel over.  The hotel ashore is not visually intrusive but the beach bar was dead in the late afternoon.  The high season has definitely gone.

 

 

Next to Deep Bay:-

 

 

 

It was a peaceful night with only about 4 other boats in the bay.