To Barbuda and back without really being there

Moorglade's Voyage
Ted Wilson
Wed 18 May 2011 15:40
 

Our position is 17:07.55N 61:53.23W

Tuesday 17 May 2011

 

After bidding everyone a fond farewell at the final tot, royally entertained by the crew of Nakesa, we were up bright and early the next morning to change the headsail and expecting to have a lot of anchor cleaning, if our previous stay was anything to go by. However luck was on our side and it came up a lot cleaner so we were soon on our way to Jolly Harbour, on the West coast. The weather was dry and sunny (for a change) and we had a good passage through the Goat Head Channel, reaching with just the headsail. An excellent lunch used almost the last of the bacon  and the views along the way were outstanding. Jolly Harbour is dredged, but only to about 3.5m so there were no superyachts on show as we tied up between the piles in time for a nice cup of tea and a walk to the beach and a trip to Epicurean, the expensive supermarket. We had thought we might leave the following day and move further up the coast, but when we woke up apathy took over. While Ted was in the shower a Canadian boat came into the next berth. Later, when apologising for not being in a position to help with their warps, we got chatting and arranged to meet up in the evening for a drink and a meal. We had thought of exploring the harbour in the dinghy but I had work to do and a skipper's sleeping is never done, so we were on hand to help in the afternoon when Chris on Avocette, a fellow tot club member, arrived from English Harbour with his newly acquired trans Atlantic crew and tied up on our other side. By the time the fine details of the electricity supply had been debated it was time to go over to Sea Otter for rum punches with Jonas and Heather and an introduction to Stormy the sea dog. These were followed by an excellent meal ashore and then some Madeira back on their boat. The latter was only curtailed, not by the emptying of the bottle, but by the rain which necessitated emergency hatch closing.

The next morning the forecast said the winds would be light South Easterlies so, after refuelling, we set sail for Barbuda. The pilot books make much of arriving early in the day with good light so the reefs are visible. Unfortunately we didn't leave until 11am and it was cloudy. The winds were much stronger than forecast so we made good time and arrived before dark, but sailing up the West coast to Low Bay revealed that there was a big swell on the beach which would make landing impossible. The only other anchorages are open to the South and in any case would have been too difficult to go to in those light levels so we anchored in splendid isolation and a certain amount of rolling and waited to see what the morning would bring.

In the morning the conditions on the beach were unchanged, storm clouds were rolling over the island and the wind was 15 - 20 knots more than the forecast. A decision was made to return to Antigua and we motored out round the West Tuson Rock in driving rain and 30kts of wind. Once clear of the 9 foot bank we were able to sail on a beam reach but before long the wind went round more to the South and we had to motor. As the morning progressed clouds got thicker and lighter and rain and wind came and went. As we closed the NW coast of Antigua we decided to go to Deep Bay, just South of St Johns, in the expectation of best shelter from the prevailing conditions, so lunch time saw us passing the wreck of the Andes and anchoring in a beautiful, quiet bay with only a few other boats.

Later in the afternoon most of the other boats left so Monday morning saw just us and the permanent residents of the bay in occupation. We went ashore to climb up to Fort Barrington after dinghying in via the wreck of the Andes to see if we could make anything out below the surface. It was actually very close - the remains of its mainmast are just visible at most states of the tide - but there was insufficient sun to show it up really clearly. At Fort Barrington we met Ray and Carole from Colorado, who had cycled round from the next bay where they were holidaying. They were very interested in the boat and its travels so we extended an invitation to take them snorkelling on the wreck the next day if they cycled round to the beach again. We had a really good lunch at the beach restaurant of the Royal Antigua Hotel, where we were entertained by the pelicans diving after an enormous shoal of little fish right under our feet. There were also several other larger fish patrolling the area to the consternation of the shoal. The laughing gulls were doing their best to steal fish out of the pelicans' beaks, but I'm not sure how successful they were. Back on the boat we entertained ourselves watching the activity on the cliffside construction site just beside our anchorage. It certainly felt as if someone had  made life very difficult for the builders by choosing such a difficult place to build.

Tuesday morning we decided not to move on anywhere as the sun was shining again. Robinson and Valerie from Nova Scotia stopped by on their way back to their chartered boat to say hello to fellow Moody 34 owners. Their boat, left back home in the rain they said, was a year newer than Moorglade, but they didn't have the time to spare to sail her down and found it more convenient to charter. After they had departed (for Barbuda - I contemplated stowing away) we were just wondering what to do when Ray and Carole were spotted wheeling their bikes along the beach, so Ted set off in the dinghy to fetch them. A most convivial time was had chatting and snorkelling until it was time for them to return to their hotel and we were left to plan what to do with the few days I have left. I had hoped to spend some time on the North coast heading slowly towards Crabs Peninsula, where the boat will be lifted out but the wind is back in the East and quite strong at the moment so we will see what the morning brings.

 

               

 

Approaching the Goat Head Channel                                                                             Johnsons Point - the South West corner of Antigua

 

                       

 

Residential part of Jolly Harbour                                                         Lignumvitae Bay beach on the sea side of Jolly Harbour

 

                      

 

Moorglade between Avocette and Sea Otter (with the sunshade) Ted chatting to Jonas and Heather             Sea dog Stormy

 

                     

 

Not quite Starbucks at Jolly Harbour                                              As near as we got to the beach at Low Bay, Barbuda (not as calm as it looked)

 

               

 

Mainmast of Andes providing a useful perch                                                           Fort Barrington, Deep Bay

 

             

 

View of Deep Bay from Fort Barrington (Moorglade furthest right)                            View towards St Johns from Fort Barrington

 

           

 

Pelican feeding time

 

             

 

Some just like others to do all the hard work

 

                  

 This was taken from the restaurant pictured right                                                        The lunch spot with built in natural entertainment

 

                

 

Precipitous building site                                                                                          Goats on the slopes of Fort Barrington find it easier going

 

            

 

Ray and Carole go snorkelling                                                                                            Waving goodbye to Ray and Carole,