Leaving Antigua and back towards home

Pearl of Persia
Andrew Lock
Wed 16 Apr 2014 22:13
Lat 19:50.6N Long 060;14.7W
Pulled out from Nelson's Dockyard and went 500 meters to an anchorage for
the evening. Leaving is the hard part. So many good-byes, final things to
prepare and check, by finally pulling out and going to anchor helps the
process, in a way closes the door on our time in harbour, in security and
helps prepare us for the passage ahead. The two of us had dinner on the
boat, sitting in the cockpit, looking at the lights of English Harbour.
Oliver, who has decided he would like to join us for the trip, called a
friend on the VHF for a ride ashore and went for a final barbeque on the
beach with all the people still here that he has met. By 09:30 next morning
we couldn't think of any more excuses not to leave so we pulled up the
anchor, waved to the other boats that we knew, motored out past the Pillars
of Hercules, strange tower like formations in the cliffs that were a
landmark to early sailing vessels, and made our way around the south of the
island. Our course will depend on the wind and weather. Pointing directly
at the Azores would take us into the calms in the centre of the Atlantic
which we want to avoid so our plan is to steer 20 degrees north for about
1000 miles and then gradually steer more easterly, hopefully keeping some
wind for most of the way. If the winds don't oblige we will end up in
Bermuda, the classic route for the old square riggers, and go on from there.
We are now 36 hours out. It's been grey and overcast for much of the time
with squalls whipping up the wind and waves, forcing us to reef down the
sails, and then calms when we just roll about.