Barbuda - Spanish Point
SV Meshugga
Nicholas & Deidre Mace
Sun 10 Feb 2019 17:29
We sailed from St Johns north to Barbuda, leaving St Johns at first light so that we arrived at Barbuda with the sun high. Our destination was Spanish Point, which is fringed with reefs and the anchorage area is littered with bommies.
Our timing was good. We dropped sail before entering the reef area, and with Nicholas on the helm and me up on the mast step wearing polarized sunglasses, we had no problems spotting the bommies, and we motored and wound our way as close to the shore, depth permitting, that we could get.
We have 3 bommies all within easy swim distance, and the main reef and beach a quick dinghy ride away.
Most days we have other cruising boats in our anchorage. Some stay only a day or two, others like us, stay many days.
Beautiful sunsets every night
We have now been here in Spanish Point Bay for 2 weeks, and our days have been busy and relaxing.
We have a few tasks we want to achieve whilst here, and we also spend a few hours every other day either ashore or in the water.
Nicholas has installed an extra 10 new solar panel, which will make us more green, and less reliant on running our generator.
Saloon and Galley ceiling down, to install the solar panels.
Nicholas doing maintenance on our existing 12 solar panels which live on top of the Fly-bridge Awning.
We had the thread on our awning beginning to disintegrate and seams coming apart. We had not been able to get the re-sewing of the Awning done timeously in St Maarten, so here in Spanish Point we took down the awning, and I spent a good week sewing and reinforcing every seam, and replacing a skylight panel which had come loose and torn.
Awning on my sewing table/cockpit table. Machine wrapped up against the sea air when not being used.
A huge job for my little Pfaff domestic sewing machine, but it stood up to the challenge, and when I began to have machine problems, my wonderful sister-in-law, Penny came to the rescue with good advice of what to check, service, clean and file for burrs.
Thank you 😊 Penny.
My second sewing maintenance job was reinforcing the seams on our MainSail Cover, where the thread is also disintegrating. Unfortunately Sail companies use Coates Contender Thread, which only has a 2 year UV resistant guarantee - thus ensuring they have loads of repeat business to renew canvas products. I have bought/imported Coats Helios-P thread which has a 10 year UV guarantee, and use this for my repairs whether I do them myself of send them in - and then get the Sail company to use my thread.
MainSail cover
Diving on the bommie right next to Meshugga is not great, but has some beautiful small reef fish and I was excited to see a ray feeding on the fringe of the bommie.
Wrasse
Southern Stingray. Feeding on sand dwelling invertebrates.
Snorkeling on the inside of the outer reef was better, with clearer water, more coral and fish.
Nicholas
Common Sea Fan with a Bluehead Wrasse
School of Ocean Surgeon Fish
My Hunter Gatherer at work
Investigating under every rock overhang
Success
Green Iguana, came swimming up to our dinghy.
We also had one sunbathing on our back step on Meshugga.
Striped-leg Spiny Lobster
Dinner 🍴
Deidre Mace
SV Meshugga
E: Deidre {CHANGE TO AT} Mace {DOT} co {DOT} za
C: +1 754 213 7663
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