Falmouth Harbour, Antigua

Serafina
Rob & Sarah Bell
Tue 7 Feb 2012 14:23

17:00.802N 61:46.553W

 

Monday 6th Feb

 

Woke up to crashing surf on the beach and a good swell working its way in from the south east which was coming up behind the anchored boats so that we all rode forward on our anchor chains, but still stayed facing the easterly winds.   We had already decided we needed to get back to Antigua and lost no time in departing!   Surprisingly no one followed us and we reckon they were in for a bumpy ride….

 

We set off with our usual one reef in the main and a slightly reefed foresail and weaved our way out among the reefs.   We soon met the Atlantic swell coming between Barbuda and Antigua, plus a somewhat confused swell from the NE.   Rob had another go with the Hydrovane and it quickly became apparent that we were really carrying too much sail for Henry to cope with, as well as the hefty swell, but we were having such a great sail (9.7 knots at 60⁰ off the wind) that we opted to abandon wind steering for the day!

 

As we neared Antigua the swell changed again – this was the promised northerly swell that we had heard rumours about, despite an almost south easterly wind blowing by now.   Once we got into the lee of the west coast of Antigua, the swell then came from the north west and we were practically surfing down the waves, with spectacular breaking sea over the reef and Sandy Island.  We were really surprised to see a west coast in the Caribbean look so untenable:  we saw spume bursting about 100’ into the air by the posh hotel in Five Island Harbour and waves sweeping right over usually sheltered beaches.   At this point we opted to go inside of the south reef, into Goat Head Channel rather than battle round the longer route straight into the wind and unknown sea conditions, which is a decision that has to be made halfway down the west coast before you turn the corner and can see what is ahead of you.   Once we turned east the swell remained northerly, but the waves were then coming from the east again!

 

We reached Falmouth which was even busier than we had seen it last year and wondered whether we would find an anchorage space, but in fact it is the large number of huge yachts that make it look so crowded but they were not going to be anchoring where we might fit!   So we nosed our way in and luckily managed to get the anchor to bite first go, as the holding is notoriously poor here.  And we seem to have picked ‘Najad Nook’ again:  Weir Kraken, a N570 immediately behind us and Halsway Grace a few boats ahead!

 

We also appear to be in the area where the yacht club brings the Optimist and Pico dinghies out to learn to sail and watched one poor lad badly handle a tack, bang his head on the boom, lose concentration and then capsize.   Whereupon his dinghy drifted on to the yacht anchored next to us.   Enthusiastically our sailor righted the dinghy successfully bringing it up between the yacht and its anchor chain, with the hull one side of the yacht and the rig wrapped around the pulpit on the other side!   Luckily he had an attentive safety rib in attendance and they sorted him out and the absent owners need never know!

 

After that a quiet evening while Rob attempted to get up to date with emails as we have been without internet access for over 4 days.   He is less than impressed with Hot, Hot, Hot, the wifi provider we signed up with for a month in Dominica:  we have had rather too many occasions when the signal has been unavailable at all and here is it very flaky.

 

Night-time in Falmouth is all about competitive lights!   The really big yachts have two red lights at the top of their masts presumably to ward off unsuspecting aircraft;  they all have grand uplighters on their crosstrees, so obviously the more crosstrees (six is the best so far) the better and then even the motor boats can join in with underwater lights – all colours of blue, purple and red.   We wonder if anyone would actually pick up our feeble anchor light amongst all this!  We have been delighted to see the most beautiful yacht, Salperton back in action – this time last year she was dismasted and about to be shipped back to the UK.  She is anchored behind us and looks a whole lot classier than the run-of-the-mill rich man’s toy out here.

 

Incidentally, Rob feels you should all be aware that the blog author has changed to me, Sarah, since Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe and so any derogatory remarks about me are by me!