How do you leave Antigua?

Oriole
Sat 14 Feb 2009 15:46
Falmouth Harbour, Antigua 17:00.94N 61:46.39W.
 
As soon as we make plans to leave Antigua, where we checked in five weeks ago, something gets in the way.  During that time we have had two weeks of excellent sailing on the north and west coasts, but it is about time we left.  Our latest plan was to spend a bit of time in Martinique and Guadeloupe but the strikes there have rather put a dampener on that.  The shops there are mostly shut, the ATMs won't give you any money and there is considerable unrest and although there has not yet been any rioting, it sounds as though it is not far away. Added to that there is possibly a racist element tied to this as around 1% of the population who are old white families own more than 50% of the farmland and also a significant proportion of the supermarkets and other large businesses. The strike issue seems to be all about the high cost of living.
 
 
Maybe the pent up emotion if the French islands will cause Mt. Pelé to blow its top again.

 

As soon as we formulate another plan someone else arrives who we have not seen for a while so here we still are.  Andrew returns from his charter on Monday so we are certainly waiting to see him and two other yachts are expected in the next few days.  Watch this space because unless we move soon we will run out of time and have to renew our entry with Immigration and the anchor is growing roots.  However that is not diffucult as our new Rocna anchor which replaced our aging and rusting CQR digs a hole for itself within seconds of touching the bottom and so far has resisted all attempts to dislodge it unless of course we haul it up.  Last time it came up with a JCB bucket load of the bottom into which it had buried iteself - another yachting success for the Kiwis.  We were discussing this on the long range radio net this morning and people were popping up everywhere singing the praises of this new kid on the block.  However complacency with anchors is very dangerous!
 
            
 
                           The Rocna in resting mode on the stemhead which required minor modification to accomodate it.
                            When we manage to get an underwater picture of it in action we will not be able to resist posting it.
 
Most people will know that John thinks that watching cricket is akin to watching paint dry, but the Test Match in Antigua due to start yesterday did not even manage to put a coat of paint on to watch. There is considerable embarassment here that the beautiful new stadium built by the Chinese (that well known cricket loving nation) for the World Cup, is proving a bit of a white elephant and the outfield was deemed dangerous for the bowlers at the last moment. It has now been rescheduled to start on Sunday at the much loved Antigua Recreation Ground.