“15:34N 061:28W”

Monday 5^th March to Tuesday 18^th March

Arrived back in Antigua on 5^th March and went straight to a villa (425B).  Quite a long way round on the north finger but as we had a golf cart this wasn’t a problem. We have the villa for 4 nights.

Next day we went to the boat to tidy the inside and getting it ready for launching on Wednesday 7^th.  The exhaust elbow on the engine has corroded as Ivan found out when he was replacing the seal as we had had a leak.  The part has to come from Miami and so we will have to be on the boatyard wall after launching until the part arrives later in the week.

Caught up with Ian and Gerri on “Spray” and went for a 2-for-1 pizza as it was Tuesday.

Launch went well, pulled alongside the wall.  Went to an OCC get together in the Crows Nest but managed to miss happy hour!

Engine work completed by Saturday, but then found the top of the seawater strainer was broken.  Ivan will fix on Monday so stayed on the wall until Tuesday and will then went out onto a buoy.

Jolly Harbour marina and surrounding area has a problem with lack of water.  All sorts of stories and rumours about why, but we had managed to fill up in the boatyard. Will refill when sailing from the water maker.

Left Jolly Harbour 06.45 Friday 16^th March and headed to Guadeloupe.  We decided to bypass Des Hais and stay overnight at Pigeon Island. This is a marine reserve but can anchor off the mainland.  Next morning set off for Les Saints.

Usually pick up a buoy but seem to be less the previously. May have lost some in last year’s hurricane Maria which went across  Dominica and the bottom of Guadeloupe.  Went and anchored in the anchorage.  Bit of a trek into town to clear in and out but not too bad.

Spent 2 nights in the Saints.  Met David and Anne-Marie on “Calypso” who are on their way to St Thomas to have their boat shipped back to the UK.

Monday 19^th March left the Saints for a very good sail to Dominica. “Lawrence of Arabia” helped us tie up to a buoy and took us over to customs to clear in and out.

Dominica was hit by hurricane Maria last year and was devastated. All the trees on the mountains have lost their leaves and are just bare stalks.  Many roofs are missing or covered in tarpaulins.  The PAYS (Portsmouth Association of Yacht Security) building was flattened and has been rebuilt with the help of OCC members at the beginning of the year. 

Tomorrow we will continue on to Martinique for one night then on to Rodney Bay St Lucia.  We are heading to Grenada to have the boat out of the water in Spice Island Marine and boatyard, which we hope is outside the hurricane belt...