Antigua

Apologies for nothing yesterday.

Clearing out proved not too bad. Once done Martin and I took a bus up to collect the laundry and walked back. Some shopping occurred, some washing too and we left around 1100. At about 1000 a frightful noise started up,  some DJ with a truck with infinite power was booming out, it wasn’t just loud, it filled the whole environment with awful noise, one couldn’t talk, think or do anything. I tried to ask if it was some kind of punishment of the harbour people but obviously communication was almost impossible, they said it was a truck and would leave soon. It didn’t but did leave after about half an hour. How the locals could put up with it, let alone appear to enjoy it, seemed incredible. I just find my brain objects and goes into stress shut down.

  It was breezy and we had a great sail down to Shitten bay in the South of St Kitts. We took a turn into the sound to see how bad the sea was and it didn’t seem too bad. We anchored, had a beautiful  salad lunch, with a huge avocado as base which we’ve been carrying around for about 10 days and keep forgetting tot eat, and then Katharine, Patrick and Sally swam ashore to investigate the snorkelling, build a cairn, check out the wreck whilst Martin and I relaxed aboard. Looking at the forecast for the morning it seemed less definite than it had done with some models showing more wind and some less than previously, all from the E or ESE, so a dead beat to Antigua. It’s a bay that the local charter sailing catamarans use for taking groups to and one was there with various people having a good time.  A speedboat arrived later in the afternoon too with 3 aboard including a couple, one of whom improved the view no end.

I decided on an early start so after a dinner of pancakes, bacon, egg plant and cheese sauce, thanks Patrick, we went to bed. The alarm woke us at 0400 and we were picking up anchor by 0405. We motored initially into the sound which has some rocky patches but as we were making slow progress against the wind and sea put the main up with 2 reefs and the genoa with a similar reduction.

It was fairly frisky and we headed to the NE to begin with before tacking towards Monserrat. The wind came and went through the day with a spell in the middle which was quite pleasant and we had most plain sail set but in the squalls it became less pleasant, so various reductions of sail plan followed by increases again occurred. It became obvious that we weren’t going to make it by dark to English Harbour so we spoke to the marina to say we wouldn’t make it  and they said to be there for 0830 the following morning and we’d have a berth. At one point when we had a reef in the genoa the furling line parted giving us full sail. This is still mistifying, it’s a new rope, albeit, in my opinion, too small for the job but the recommended size for my furling gear which is supposed to be good for far bigger boats than ourselves. I re rigged the line with a knot in it, going through a large snatch block for temporary purposes and we will change. It today for a thicker one that I have. I had thought I had found the reason for the previous one parting as the  block close to the furling drum was damaged, but I have changed that.

We had been going to go to Falmouth Harbour but it looked pretty crowded and we elected to go to Windward Bay just outside and closer to English harbour where we arrived in a strong breeze at about 2030.

Going to anchor the chain was very reluctant to come out of the locker, we had Sally down below making sure that the chain wasn’t getting caught in the coils and was feeding nicely but the gypsy was extremely reluctant to turn, some investigation is needed, maybe some grease is. Needed which I have not been aware of. I have no manual for it. Then the micro switch failed again going permanently on so that the windlass could not be turned off and I had to turn it off at the power source.Anyway we got the anchor down and had a dinner of left overs before an early night. Oh and another mini disaster, during an untidy tack the leach of the sail must have got caught around the radar scanner and knocked the lid off it, so all i all not the best of days from Yemaya’s point of view.

Slainte, Jock and the Bridge team.