Escape from English Harbour
Oriole
Sun 25 Jan 2004 18:29
One of the problems of English Harbour is that once
you are there it is very difficult to leave. There are so may distractions
and it is wonderful to be able to step off your boat staight into the
historical backdrop of Nelson's Dockyard. There is every conceivable boat
repair and supply facility but they never really seem to have exactly what you
want. People are always arriving for a chat and the jobs don't get done.
There are some lovely restaurants, some very inexpensive and the other sort
where Lynn and Ian very kindly entertained us on their last night with us.
Since they left, as predicted, there has not been a drop of rain and the weather
has been back to the Caribbean norm but still without very much
wind.
Oriole stern to in Nelson's Dockyard.
Disaster struck last Saturday when the laptop
computer got splashed with a little fresh water from the hose pipe. It
ceased to function and we presumed the worst. However a very good guy has
resuscitated it and it is now working fine with a remote keyboard and we await
its return to the UK to be fitted with a new one which fortunately will be
a charge to PC World, as we were extravagant enough to have it insured. Chris
broke a tooth this week but we managed to locate a retired fellow yachtie
dentist who carries a mobile dental surgery on his boat! There is a happy
outcome here too. (That makes three with the engine last week!!).
We completed our Advanced PADI Open Water Diving
Course and had some good diving but nothing really spectacular. Chris
rated the night dive very highly with some vivid colours illuminated in the
artificial light, and our deep dive down to 32 meters to a little wooden fishing
boat wreck out on a sandy plateau was like crossing a
moonscape.
The Captain's House, Nelson's Dockyard.
Well, we finally escaped from English Harbour today
and have sailed along to Nonsuch Bay at the southeast corner Antigua where we
are anchored close behind the reef which protects the bay from the onslaught of
the open Atlantic. But we still have not escaped Antigua and have two
lunch engagements later this week. We plan to take off for St Kitts and Nevis on
Thursday. Brrhh!! its a chilly 28C in the cabin this evening as the sun is
sinking and the first rum punch is slipping down a treat.