FIRE DOWN BELOW!
Oriole
Fri 1 Feb 2008 13:43
Jumby Bay, NW Antigua, 17:09.3N
61:45.7W
Our sleep in the shelter of Falmouth
Harbour was disturbed on Monday night by an advancing thunderstorm with rain and
spectacular lightening - most unusual in the winter in the Caribbean. At around
0600 John was out on deck when it was still pretty dark and saw dense smoke
coming from the closeby Catamaran Marina. A little later it became clear
that a large yacht was on fire. We could make out RIBs towing the fiercely
burning yacht away from the dock and many other moored yachts. In front of
our eyes, although really too far for photography, the dreadful scene unfolded
as the 93 foot yacht Keturah was soon burning from end to end and resisted
the efforts of the local fire brigade and fire pumps from other yachts.
Keturah continued burning for 36 hours by which time there was little
left. The fire was probably unrelated to the lightening which did strike a
few yachts closeby, and came too close to us for comfort. At one stage we
did wonder if we had been struck but all was well with our electrics so we
assume that it missed.
0630. Keturah is towed clear of the
marina. 1700
The fire had burnt to deck level and was under control.
The next morning was Keturah was burnt
out.
The weather disturbance due to an
unseasonably southern depression out in the sub-tropical Atlantic had a vigorous
front trailing to Antigua with bullseye accuracy.
It took a few days to sort itself out
but we are now back to gentle trade wind weather which we are enjoying with Lynn
and Ian Dewar inside the reefs on the north side of Antigua where we sailed in
ideal conditions yesterday.
On a much happier note - Sunday morning breakfast in the
cockpit.
After a light breakfast this morning we are
contemplating a leisurely lunch at the exclusive Jumby Bay beach
restaurant. We do not have a large enough wheel barrow to carry the
necessary cash even if we had it, so plastic have to
surfice!