April 21, 2008
Jolly Harbor, Antigua to White Bay, Barbuda
Mileage: 36 miles
Time: 5 hours 56 minutes
Average SOG: 5 kts
9:10:08 AM 3.0 nm 1:00:22 3 kt 334° mag N17 04 29.0 W61 53 36.9
10:10:30 AM 5.6 nm 1:00:05 6 kt 7° mag N17 07 13.7 W61 54 59.3
11:10:35 AM 4.7 nm 1:00:02 5 kt 10° mag N17 12 49.3 W61 54 18.4
12:10:37 PM 5.2 nm 1:00:17 5 kt 10° mag N17 17 26.8 W61 53 27.6
1:10:54 PM 5.4 nm 1:00:03 5 kt 8° mag N17 22 36.1 W61 52 31.7
2:10:57 PM 5.2 nm 1:00:00 5 kt 37° mag N17 27 54.0 W61 51 43.4
3:10:57 PM 4.0 nm 0:56:00 4 kt 81° mag N17 32 01.8 W61 48 28.2
4:06:57 PM N17 32 40.2 W61 44 18.6
Believe-it-or-not, the wind has FINALLY died and the seas subsided. Although a shot day for me, we left for Barbuda to give Steve something to do J
Barbuda lies low on the horizon, the highest point a mere 125 feet above sea level. Untold numbers of ships must have perished on her reefs, unable to see the danger until it was too late. Today, virtually undeveloped and out of the way, few boaters make the trip. Anchoring tonight at Gravenor Bay, there are only a handful of boats to appreciate the breathtaking sunset,
April 22, 2008
We began our day walking across the island to the windward beaches, some craggy, others sandy and stretching as far as the eye could see, all completely unoccupied. The delicious solitude allowed me my first opportunity to walk the beached au natural…and what a wonderfully freeing experience it was, despite the resulting sunburn on my nether regions J
We saw wild donkeys, the mine from which Antigua harvests sand to replenish her beaches, a scattering of sea cotton plants, as well as innumerable items washed ashore including the skeleton of a hull, a massive mahogany timber, hundreds of shells and the bane of environmentalists – thousands of plastic bottles.
A snorkel of the nearby reef completed another perfect day of retirement. If we knew retirement was this wonderful, we would have tried it LONG ago!
April 23, 2008
Mileage: 12 miles
Time: 2 hours 56 minutes
Average SOG: 5kts
9:15:12 AM 1.7 nm 0:30:16 3 kt 258° mag N17 32 39.8 W61 44 18.2
9:45:28 AM 2.6 nm 0:30:14 5 kt 288° mag N17 32 18.3 W61 46 00.7
10:15:42 AM 2.8 nm 0:30:14 6 kt 291° mag N17 33 06.2 W61 48 36.9
10:45:56 AM 2.9 nm 0:30:06 6 kt 359° mag N17 34 06.5 W61 51 19.7
11:16:02 AM 1.8 nm 0:26:04 4 kt 1° mag N17 37 02.8 W61 51 22.6
11:42:06 AM N17 38 50.5 W61 51 19.9
John and Ann (LIVIN THE DREAM) arrived this morning from Antigua. We met at Low Bay, where we al agreed, Barbuda is paradise found… The leeward beach runs uninterrupted for 22 miles…yep…I said 22 miles. Can you spell S-A-N-D?
Just as impressive is the lack of commercial development. Miami-like developers are not welcome here. From 1961-2006, a mere 3 “resorts” have popped up along this entire stretch. Although the resorts are small, very exclusive and expensive, they remain inconspicuous, single story bungalows, lacking ostentatious architectural detail found at other Caribbean properties. Architectural simplicity not withstanding, the resorts compensate with an array of amenities, one of which is a personal butler available to meet your every need.
The first new resort since 2006 will open at Low Bay on Sunday. Although attractive, modern, brightly colored with a bright blue 2-story tower, it seems completely out of place. The exceptionally friendly staff, however, was conversant and welcoming, yet unfortunately unresponsive to our pleas for an early opening of the beach bar. J
Left to our own devices, we retired to SEAMAN’S ELIXIR for cocktails, appetizers, dinner and conversation.
April 24
We met George Jeffrey this morning for a tour of the Frigate Sanctuary. What a charmer – never lacking for words of wisdom or wit. Reflecting on getting older and his need to change lobstering styles from free diving to trapping, he encouraged all of us to “change our techniques to ‘stay in the fight’, just as he had done. His reply to a compliment, “Tomorrow I will be even better – I strive to be better every day”. Then there was his humorous comment for a request to take is picture “If your camera can bear it, proceed.”
He entertained us with several stories, the first of which was buoy marker AM52. Resting inside Codrington Lagoon, quite obviously misplaced and not serving its intended purpose, George explained two Barbudian anglers happened upon the drifting marker and towed it into the Lagoon. American tourists, curious as to the origin of the marker researched the number emblazoned on its side. Believe-it-or-not, the buoy was originally a channel marker off the coast of Eastern Canada. A large indentation on the buoy’s base indicated it had an untimely encounter with a ship’s bow, which apparently broke it free of its tether. The subsequently drifting marker traveled along the steady ocean current north from Canada across the Northern Atlantic turning south along the European coast until it was pushed westward from Africa to the Caribbean, much the same route followed by Columbus in the 1490’s, where it met its final resting place in the Lagoon.
The Lagoon, featured in National Geographic and studied by oceanographers worldwide, is a pristine marine nursery, 2 miles wide, 7 miles long, 18 feet at its deepest. Lobsters hatch here, living for 1 year before venturing into the ocean. Tagged and under study, lobsters from Codrington Lagoon have been found as far away as Nevis. Native Barbudians treasure this marine haven, no refuse or discharge pipes run impurities into the water. Even hurricanes in the 1960’s and 1990’s, washing away stretches of beach separating the lagoon from the Caribbean Ocean, could not permanently disrupt the hatchery. It took a mere 14 months for Mother Nature to rebuild the sand dunes, reconfirming the lagoon’s destiny to remain a nursery.
The Lagoon also provides a sanctuary to the magnificent Frigate bird. As George jokes, the islanders must respect the bird; with only1000 Barbudians on island and 60,000 frigates in the sanctuary, islanders would undoubtedly lose any confrontation J this is the largest sanctuary in the world outside the Galapagos
April 24, 2008
Low Bay to Gravenor Bay
Mileage: 12 miles
Time: 2 hours 56 minutes
Average SOG: 5kts
9:15:12 AM 1.8 nm 0:30:16 3 kt 179° mag N17 38 50.5 W61 51 19.9
9:45:28 AM 2.9 nm 0:30:14 4 kt 181° mag N17 37 02.8 W61 51 22.6
10:15:42 AM 2.8 nm 0:30:14 6 kt 201° mag N17 34 06.5 W61 51 19.7
10:45:56 AM 2.6 nm 0:30:06 6 kt 204° mag N17 33 06.2 W61 48 36.9
11:16:02 AM 1.7 nm 0:26:04 5 kt 282° mag N17 32 18.3 W61 46 00.7
11:42:06 AM N17 32 39.8 W61 44 18.2
With the anchorage rolling and rather than weather a potentially uncomfortable night, following our tour with George, SEAMAN’S ELIXIR and LIVIN’ THE DREAM weighed anchor…just as LIWARD anchored in Low Bay. Although we had hoped LIWARD could join us for the tour, their presence was required at the awards ceremony the last night of the Classic’s Regatta in Antigua. Crewing aboard WILD HORSES, the boat won first place in two races, as well as first place overall in its class.
April 25
Steve and Lili, LIWARD, teased us upon departing Low Bay we had given them a complex – they arrive…we leave… So, although we had planned to leave for Antigua today, we stayed an extra day to spend more time with them, at Gravenor Bay.
Everyone went snorkeling after LIWARD joined us. My Steve and John journeyed outside the reef, found a canon and almost caught a lobster! A “local fisherman”, who shall remain nameless, caught five conch, which we cleaned for them to earn 1/2 the take.
Having had dinner aboard each other’s boats every night we have been here, gave us the opportunity to share good times and great conversation. Tonight was no different. The last night dinner was aboard SEMAN’S ELIXIR. Due to staying this extra night, my Steve lost out on an opportunity to redeem his coupon for the much-coveted collector’s MOUNT GAY RACE WEEK hat. LIWARD, to show their appreciation for picking friendship over collectibles, conducted an elaborate ceremony pre-dinner at which they opened a new bottle of Admiral Rodney 30-year-old St. Lucian Rum and awarded my Steve a MOUNT GAY 2007 RACE WEEK HAT from last year’s regatta. He was extraordinarily touched J
We have all been so fortunate to meet so many wonderful people…people I should say we would like to have as FFLs (Friends for Life).
Sailing adventures aboard a PDQ Antares 44i 