
Wine Down at customs dock Antigua.
We left Sint Maarten after a rolly night at anchor on the outside of Simpson Bay Lagoon. We had had a good duty free shop there, bits for the boat to mend stuff, including that dratted windlass that needed a bigger trip box! We bought fun stuff as well including a fishing rod and reel to do some trawling with and a mask that is big enough to cover Jeff’s face so we can snorkel together.
It all went down hill after that. We have had some really rough weather, the wind is always on the nose and the seas are big with swells that lift and crash us to the bottom of the dip sending a shudder through Wine Down and our bones. There doesn’t seem to be any break in this pattern either. Not that we know too much about the weather as both local websites we know are having the weekend off! We had a night on a mooring in St Eustasius (Statia), which is a bit of a one-horse town. They seem to be big on scuba diving but not on visiting yachts, even customs weren’t around and no one seemed to know when they would return, so it was a place we could neither check in to or out of. We then had an uncomfortable motor sail to Nevis. This is a good-looking Island with friendly folk. We went to the Four Seasons resort and used their Internet facilities for $10 for 30 mins. We are now back on the boat bobbing around at anchor and the wind has eventually died down; it was a constant 25kts today, gusting to 35kts and again big seas. Tomorrow we set off for Antigua, which will be an 8-hour sail, as long as the wind doesn’t change again.
The routine on the boat is coming along nicely although we are both aware how tiring it can be in this heat, the smallest of tasks seem to take longer and be harder. We have long periods of inactivity whilst we are sailing on the same heading and then lots of stuff happens as we come into moor and then it’s time to repair and sort out whatever happens to have broken or is misbehaving. Tonight’s problem was the gas alarm sounding for no possible reason but it was deafening, which was not welcome as we were just making final approaches to a mooring buoy.
Wildlife tally- not good I’m afraid. Still no dolphins but we did get some live sprat landing in the dinghy as we motored back from the hotel.
We haven’t had time to fix up the rod yet so we are still on dry rations (apart from the cheese burger that the skipper ate whilst at the hotel) I am still on packets of gruel but can report that I wore a pair of Fi’s shorts today so something must be working.
We are in Antigua! So this is a bit of a postscript.
We got here yesterday at about 4.30pm,everything was shut as it was hero’s day. No customs and immigration and no marina staff, so security said just park where you want and sort it out in the morning. We had cold beers, showers, met some ex RAF people and had a meal. We slept well, no creaking or rocking or rolling, it was great!
The morning dawned and we set about the days tasks. Priority was to clear customs, but they weren’t there at 9am, 10am or 10.30 and the queue was building. Jeff returned at midday, hoorah, they were there, but, having lunch. Mr Angry was much tested as they denied that they weren’t there earlier and anyhow it was lunchtime, come back that 1pm. At 1pm he duly went back only to be told that he needed to sail the boat there so they could look at it. Boy did we pick the jobs worth. The whole thing went on and on but we eventually have cleared in and out thank God and tomorrow should be on our way to Guadaloupe.
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Next edition will be from Guadaloupe or Dominica or failing that from St Lucia in about 5 days time. Time for cold beers and another sunset.
2 comments:
We've been following your every move, every heave (all meanings encompassed), every yaw. Even with the inevitable hiccups, it still sounds a marvellous adventure. But who ate the sprats?? I've read about trips like yours. Apparently, if you don't eat everything that comes your way you end up drinking your own urine and cutting off the odd toe to chew on.
jacki
Whoop Whop bring on the 21st!!! Love you....xx
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