Full on - and back in Jolly Harbour, Antigua

Serafina
Rob & Sarah Bell
Mon 20 Jan 2014 00:51

17:03.9N 61:53.0W

 

 

Sunday 19th Jan

 

We were on our way by 0700 hours, but having lifted the anchor, we swung past Ruffian to pick up a loaf of bread that Iain had baked for us, before motoring out of the anchorage past the coral heads and into deeper water. We hoisted a reefed main and the stay sail and with 20 knots of breeze from the east, we had a spanking sail south to Antigua. We saw a huge ray leap clear of the ocean at one stage and for most of the 30 odd miles we were making 8 and even 9 knots through the water.

 

The day looked even better when the fishing rod bent over to signal a catch and as we rounded up to stop the boat, sadly this fish got off the hook which was disappointing as we could tell from the extreme pressure on the rod, reel and line that this had been something worthwhile.  So although we did not have more than a few miles to run, we launched the lure back out and hoped for a repeat. Sadly nothing happened but then as we approached St Johns, I started to reel the lure and line back in.  I had got the lure to within 10 meteres of the back of Serafina when the sea behind us erupted as a very big tuna launched itself out of the sea like a Polaris missile. I had time to think to myself that perhaps I should be re-launching the lure when I realised that the lure was already in this big boy’s mouth and he had struck it hard from below.  Sadly as this big fish hit the water again and dived, the short line that was all that was out now, simply could not take the strain and snapped – leaving us with just the broken line and the tuna with a big lure in its mouth.  No winners there at all I am afraid.

 

We dropped the sails and motored into Jolly Harbour where we found Il Sogno tied to one of the buoys in the outer harbour. We went over to say hi on our way in and Craig and Karene came on deck to tell us their tale of woe.  The foil inside their mast had snapped during their sail down the day before and dumped the mainsail on the deck and any repair was going to require the mast being taken off etc. so they were a bit downcast at their luck and not too sure what was going to happen next.

 

We continued on into Jolly and were met by the marina’s rib driven as ever by the irrepressibly cheerful William. He led us to the berth we are to have for the next few days and helped us reverse into it.

 

We were very pleased to see that Shian (Paul & Janey) were still here and so we invited them over for drinks in the evening.