Antigua ’09 – A Circumnavigation of note.

Antigua ’09 – A Circumnavigation of note.

New years day 2009: and we set out on our adventure. It’s 12.55 and we’ve borded our plane to Gatwick Airport, London for our overnight stopover in the Sofitiel Hotel. I never thought I’d have such a complaint but the bets really were too plush... unusual I know but these things do happen!

Before going to bed that evening we broke until 1800 to compose ourselves and then rendezvous in the hotel foyer. Where we would meet the last person for our weeklong adventure – Aidan. He would be our onboard meterologist for the week. After a slideshow and a few drinks, minerals only for me, the conversation began to flow and the group struck up a good chord. It was going to be a fantastic trip. We made our way to the restaurant for some dinner after which we made a dignified retreat to bed at 2200, we had to be up at 0600...

After a personal restless night on the already mentioned “over plush” bed I met the others in the foyer and paid for the room. We checked in and after what can only be described as a trying experience in the departures lounge, too much choice at fantastic value and sadly not enough money, we boarded for our eight and a half hour flight to St. John’s International Airport, Antigua. Me and Jude had an interesting flight, being unable to sleep due to a couple with a very young child being so short sighted as to forget to pack any toys for their little girl to appease her during the extremely long and trying flight. But we arrivied and when Jo told us change into shorts and tees on the plane she wasn’t joking! All 27degrees of the local heat hit us like a concrete wall. The runway sweltered in the desertlike conditions ressembling somethng of a more civilised sahara. Then the customs and immigration queue.... I forget and pass over this particular section with little hesitation.

After 3 hours possibly more in the queue we boarded the yacht, Renoir II Candaian Registered  Oceanis 47.3 foot yacht. In excellent condition and would turn out to be a cracking sailer. Very beamy, and with plenty of spacious accomadation the week was starting well!

After dinner in Trappas that evening just outside English Harbour, and the Nelson’s Dockyard complex we wandered back to the boat where we, or rather most of us had an early night. Some of us, no names mentioned wandered off and made the acquaintence of the dismasted yacht opposite – a fierce storm with large aggressive whales were involved in the serious dismasting incident... shocking stuff! And yes Nick, it’ll be okay...

Saturday: English Harbour – Falmouth Harbour – Pigeon Bay- English Harbour. Saturday started with us getting used to the boat and myself and Jude doing a briefing both down below and up on deck, quickly gotten out of the way as the more important task of the passage plan to Falmouth Harbour had to be done. Where we would have our first taste of the warm, warm turquoise waters of the Caribbean. After a brisk sail in 20knots in a stiff breeze we arrived no the worse, althought spluttering from the volcanic ash from nearby Montserrat which could be seen fuming gently from a comfortable distance. We anchored in Pigeon Bay and swam ashore for some Lime Daiquiri’s, mine was quickly traded in for a cool can of coke. Too bitter for even my tastes! After a swim back to the boat for some of the more active, or a dinghy trip for the rest of us.. We made our steady way back around to English Harbour, where I wandered round childishly enjoying all the history the experience invoked in me, wondering where Nelson might have trod or how much of this amazing harbour had changed in the time lapsed since his stationing here in 1774. Very little I imagine, as time really does find a way to stand perfectly still in that part of the world.

Sunday: English Harbour- Green Island – English Harbour. On Sunday we set off to explore the fantastic sights on offer along the South Coast of Antigua, heading East. It was a breezy day with a reef in the main and jib all the way up with a steady deep swell. Uncomfortable for all I can say with conviction. Once we cleared the headland into the lee of Green Islands shelter the sweel eased off and we were able to sail most of the way through the reefs in and around Green Island up to the North West Side of the island where we anchored among a selection of Antiguas flotilla. After an extremely tasty lunch we all went for a swim or indeed a paddle around the the boat depending on how large a tasty lunch some had! A great afternoon! But it was soon time to leave as we had a rendez vous with a sunset from Shirley Heights that evening! So With everyone feeling some what more human after our meal and swim we set off on the downwind leg back to English Harbour with gusto! It was a beautiful evening with the wind holding true all the way back allowing for a good view of a certain Eric Claptons house nestled among the rocks.

We made it back to English Harbour a little late and dropped the anchor rather hastily, so we would learn tomorrow! Eddie, Jude, Aidan and I quickly made off as the sun was on the clock and was setting withing the half hour so we jumped into the nearest cab for Shirley Heights and made off for that commanding of locations! Breathtaking does not describe the view from that place. On a fine day apparently you can see Monsterrat, Rhodanda and Guedolope as well as many other features of the South Antiguan coast. We spent our evening up there watching the sun set, enjoying first a steel drum band and then a classic Reggae performance, it was fantastic! We left at 1930 to ensure we were back for 2000 as Jo would have dinner ready. We arrived back punctually for 1955. After a fantastic lazy dinner aboard we washed up and parted company for the evening, the child in me taking over and wandering around the dockyard taking it all in once more before finding my way to my bunk and book.

Monday: English Harbour – Carlisle Bay – Pelican Bay – St. Johns, James Fort.

Today’s objective was to make for James Fort four our 1930 dinner reservation. Simple enough really. We set about doing the passage plan for the trip from locatation to location an important job! And set off that morning at 0730 a little late due to an incident with a Hurricane Chain in the harbour, an important safety feature for dragging anchors, Sylvanne the french sunsail rep who has an oxygen tank, flippers and dive tank on standby at all times reassures it it happens FREQUENTLY and we can’t help but take his word for it with that sort of kit on permanent standby! Our first destination was Carlisle Bay and breakfast! We arrived without much mishap in a comfortable 50 minutes and anchored in good time for an hours leisure after a snappy breakfast. Plenty of time for a swim! While everyone went for a swim I decided to figure out the technicalities of the Breeze boosters which attached to the cabin hatches and funnelled a gale down to the unavoidably in 27 degrees of heat stuffy cabins. And eureka! They worked a treat! Much to everyone’s pleasure. But as I read my book there was a shout from the water and I heard Jude scream, “There’s something in the water....! It’s a HUGE Ray!”. I rushed to the port side rail with the boat hook ready if necessary.Until Jude exclaimed, “it’s the wind booster! Fuck! My heart!”. This raised a few laughs later when the crew returned aboard one by one from the swim around the bay. And then we set off around the southern reefs and on towards Pelican Bay. We enjoyed a lovely sail on a Broad Reach much of the way enjoying the beautiful mangrove forests that grew right down to the water front creating an amazing bluff line making the transistion very elegant, and very inviting. We made Pelican Bay with little drama after delicately navigating through some of the more complicated reefs in the area. Enjoying the shallow waters display of the most spectacular shades of green, blue and turquoise. A resplendent sight! The pictures only confirm my overstatement it has to be said!

From Pelican Bay we picked our way back north through the reefs to St. Johns and James Fort for our evening sorteé ashore at James Fort. After an exciting adventure getting ashore, where few remained dry, both Ann and I among the very fortunate there... much to some of the others aggravation, but much to their pleasure I was thoroughly soaked getting aboard the tender later that evening as I dived over the side and into the bottom of the boat. Oh the excitement. An evening I won’t soon forget, nor I imagine will Mike.

Tuesday: James Fort-St. Johns-Dickenson Bay.

We upped anchored the next day after a short lie in... until 9am otherwise, we then motored round the corner of James Fort into St. John’s harbour. Anchored around from the two huge cruise liners, Emerald Princess and Serande of the Seas. And wherried ashore in the tender to replenish our supplies. Once done we were let loose about St. Johns town. Me and Jude went off in search of exciting places to visit. We went to the Cathedral a magnificent display of Mahogony carving built within the old stone structure of the Cathedral exterior. The heat about the town was truly overwhelming and we decided to give lunch a skip and had an ice-cream instead. Then went off to buy a large antique naval chart my single splurge for the trip. It’s really beautiful, shame I have no more room on my walls... oh dear what harm. At 1515 we made our rendez vous at the dock and made our delicate way back to the anchored Renoir II.

Due to the sedate demeanour of the crew thouroughly worn out from a fantastic days exploration and experiencing of Antiguan culture Eddie lifted the anchor, set the jib and then tacked it by himself as his much appreciated contribution to the afternoon... I then took the helm as we made our way North to Dickenson Bay and to our evenings meal aboard and our anchorage. And another swim for those ready and willing before dinner as the sun melted into the distant shadow of Rhodonda. After a beautiful meal aboard we all lounged about and slowly trickled off to our bunks.

Wednesday: Dicken Bay – Green Island

Today was the longest of our trips so far and we departed early that morning and made our way out past the reef entrance near Dickenson Bay and skirted a delicate path along their Northern Shore sailing as close to the wind as would allow, ultimately having to reef the jib and turn on the engine as we sailed into a stiff headwind, we had a dinner appointment to keep in Harmony Hall, it wouldn’t do to be late for that!

We made our way around enduring some torrential showers at a distanc of what felt like some few short meters and others which seemed to appear out of nowhere and soak us right through, providing a spectacle of steam once the sun got hold of us again! A refreshing experience I can assure you, as we made our way along the reef North of Green Island we spotted an incoming squall of fairly large proportions bearing down on us. Eddie took the helm from Una and the main sheet was eased and the main track let down. Then bang it hit us and we were trucking along after the initial heal over as the sturdy Renoir took to it like a thouroughbred and we were soon bearing away and gybing round into the shelter of Green Island’s approach from the South. We furled the jib and stored the main as promptly as our weeks training had provided and we were soon anchoring with each and everyone one of us taking to the water. Myself and Jude decided to go snorkling off the boat. Not a great deal to see a lot of grass and small dull fish circling round, the rough conditions outside the reef sidling over with occasional ‘cold’ washes of water sneaking in. Cold is as you can imagine an over exageration in the 20 degrees or so water, it might have been a degree or two less. After our swims and snorkling sessions we got back aboard and showered off the dive deck at the back of the yacht and prepared ourselves for our departure to Harmony Hall.

We unfurled the jib and made our leisurely way to Harmony Hall, anchoring in a charming little harbour with the Hall peeking through the mangrove trees and undergrowth, a very beautiful spot. We ferried ashore in the tender and made our way up to the restaurant through the rambling path through Aloe Vera and Mangrove shrubbery. Beautiful and tranquil is not the word suitable to describe how very beautiful this place was, easily the most impressive since Shirley Heights. We luncheoned on a deck overlooking Nonsuch Bay with the sweetest little Banana birds fluttering around picking at smatterings of sugar left around the decks serving as the most charming distraction! At this point my overuse of the word charming is surely obvious but really, it is the only word to describe this place, completely and utterly charming. After a wander through the gallery we took our leave of Antiguan Paradise and borded the Dinghy and we made our way back to the shelter of Green Island for the night. After the very full day I had an early night, but on deck the fun kept going till about 2000 we were all very tired after our day, the best yet.

Thursday: Green Island _ Pigeon Beach, Falmouth Harbour-Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour.

Thursday started a little overcast but cleared up with very obvious and localised showering with a cracking breeze from the East, with a touch of south to it at times as it fluked a little around the confused cloud systems offshore. A short sail back to Falmouth Harbour initially supposed to be broken up by a trip into Mamora Bay but due to the threat of what had the potential to be an aggressive squall we kept going rather then having a strong southerly under our coat tails going into a harbour, not a good idea Eddie reassured us. So we headed on for Pigeon Beach, Lime Daiquiris and all else that it had to offer. A splendid cooked aboard lunch. After a collection of beer supplies for our party that evening, we had some guests from all over the island attending it would seem! We made our way back to English Harbour where Sylvanne came aboard to take us back in for our final docking session, as tomorrow was, much to all our dissappointment, the day we left paradise.

That evening the guys from the semi-dismasted yacht arrived aboard, Nick, Steve, Blondie (AKA Jonothan) and Lorraine, later followed by Kiki a friend of Eddies brother JP who worked in the Caribbean extensively over the last number of years as a yacht skipper... jealous much? Yeah so were we all! After a side splitting evening with the lads from 1730-1945 we broke company and wandered off to Trappas for dinner. Promising a return visit aboard the lads boat later that evening! Which after dinner we duly followed through on! Although Steve was asleep and Lorraine very soon also after we arrived Blondie and Nick were there drinking a cup of tea. And the craic began! We had a great last evening with the lads, myself, Jude and weatherman Aidan, or the doc as the lads called him! Good stuff! After letting the lads to their beds at a reasonable 0100 me and Jude after walking back to the yacht felt a need for the loo! So left Aidan to his bed and proceeded to wander around Nelson’s Dockyard by the light of the moon and sympathetic street lighting, a fantastic end to a fantastic day as me and Jude fell, seperately!, into bed that night at 0400.

Friday: Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour – St. John’s International Airport – London Gatwick – Cork and home...

We awoke with a firm schedule, packed and off the yacht by 1100! Then we had till twelve to do as we wanted! After promptly cleaning the boat, packing and leaving all in order we were properly off the boat at about 1030. Where we all parted company, some of us went to the beach for a swim, some went for a final wander round the dockyard, we all know that was me...! And showers and shopping was also taken up! We then whizzed over to Katerines for lunch over the water, truly beautiful food... then back to the sunsail office where our taxi pulled up as we arrived then... off to the airport where the holiday ended for all concerned as it was a steady slog all the way back home to Cork or Dublin depending on your misfortune!

I can say with all confidence it has been the most spectacular experience of my life and I owe a great deal of thanks to Eddie and Jo of SailCork.com for the past year and a half for all the wonderful opportunities that you’ve given me. Thanks doesn’t say enough. Thanks to all the crew on Antigua ’09 stay in touch one and all!

Shane X