by chris ayres | Feb 2015 | UK to New Zealand
I had really enjoyed my stay in Dominica, only my deadline for being on Antigua stopped me from staying longer and doing more exploring of the interior.
There had been rain overnight, but it had cleared by early morning when I raised the anchor at Portsmouth and headed out towards the Dominican channel. There was a light breeze at first which strengthened to between 15 to 18 knots. Sea Bear romped along and just over 3 hours later we entered the Passage du Sud-Ouest and passed between the rocks of les Augustins and the island of Terre-de-Bas of Les Saintes. Here the wind was gusting to 25 knots so we were down to 2 reefs in the main and the staysail. Soon enough though we were picking up mooring bouy in Anse de Bourg on Terre-de-Haute. Fortunately another boater saw my firts attempt to pass a line through t he ring thawted by an untimely gust and hopped in his tender and helped me secure my line. Many thanks to that man.
Formalities ashore soon completed thanks to the computerised French system, you just fill in your details yourself, print out the form, sign it and get them to countersign it.
The town is very pretty but almost overrun by tourists who visit via the fast ferry from Guadeloupe.
Next morning I walked over to Baie de Pt Pierre for a swim, a beautiful sandy beach with coconut palm trees. It’s also one of the beaches that turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. No sign of them of course, they do it at night.
I crossed the next day to Guadeloupe itself. Coming past the top of Ilet a Cabrit I had to watch out for the fishermen setting some nets, Done with their fast “santoises” but they amaze me by swimming alongside the nets, something I also saw in Dominica. Bear in mind too this is open water with sizeable waves a mile or so offshore.
With a lovely fresh beam wind I saw the log record a speed of 7.6 knots at one point, very good going for little old Sea Bear. Past the lighthouse on Pte du Vieux Fort, the wind fell light and the seas flatter until eventually faced with a flat calm I resorted to some motoring, then sailing then motoring. Eventually we dropped the hook in Anse de la Barque, a nice little cove with a palm fringed beach but apart from the road passing by nothing else. I took a swim around the boat, bold for me this swimming when I am out of my depth.
Carrying on up the coast next day we passed Bouillante, with it plumes of steam and then Pigeon island, which is Reserve Cousteau, a marine reserve. Arrived at Anse Deshaies and anchored.
A nice little place this, a dinghy dock, some beach front restaurants a few shops, oh and home of Madame Sorbet who sells delicious homemade ice cream from the back of her van in the afternoons. Saw more turtles swimming in the bay here.
Baie de Pte Peirre
Baie de Pte Peirre
Anse de la Barque
Deshaies
by chris ayres | Feb 2015 | UK to New Zealand
For whatever reason I didn’t sleep well, so since I was awake at 4 I thought I might as well leave. I had wanted an early start to make sure that I made the 40 + mile crossing and arrive by early afternoon, but didn’t mean this early, first light I thought. Anyway the moon was up and stars in the sky, so I stowed the dinghy, hoisted the main and left. There was a gentle breeze which gradually freshened as I made my way away from the coast. I wanted a bit of offing to avoid the headland to the north, the shallow patches and the offshore island of Kahouanne
Later I began to doubt my wisdom, the sky had clouded over and in the half light pre-dawn it looked rather ominous, thought I might get rain squalls but in the distance it looked clearer. In the end I missed all the rain, although I could see it falling on Guadeloupe behind me and gradually the clouds passed and it was another sunny day in paradise. I could get to like this trade wind sailing, a steady NE breeze between 12 & 15 knots so with the course desired the apparent wind was around 60 degrees, a close reach and with very little swell our speed was good.
Away on our port beam was Monserrat and with the aid of binoculars you could see the ash flows from the eruption of 20 years ago which had caused the evacuation of the island. Ahead were the hills of Antigua, at first looking like a group of separate islands but as we drew closer they merged into one coherent mass. Closer still and I could identify parts of the coast, that surely was Cape Shirley and to its left the Pillars of Hercules marking the entrance to English harbour. Off Snapper Point I handed the sails and motored in between Charlotte Point and Berkley Point to arrive at Freemans Bay, English Harbour. The anchorage was pretty crowded but I found a spot to drop the hook, made the obligatory cup of tea and then sat in the cockpit taking it all in. After all these months I had arrived at my destination, tired but very happy.
English Harbour
by chris ayres | Mar 2015 | UK to New Zealand
I have been here in Antigua for 5 weeks now, the last month in the delightful company of Wendy who flew out to join me. When I arrived first on the agenda was the need for a bimini. The sun shades I had were all very well for when at anchor but some shade whilst sailing was desirable and whilst waiting for Wendy to arrive seemed the ideal time to get it sorted. A visit to AF sails set the process in motion, a process that took some time and was not completed until after Wendy had arrived but eventually Sea Bear was fitted with a bimini and so shade whilst sailing, it made a lot of difference to comfort in the cockpit.
Plans to do a little Island hopping were shelved as we have been having unusually strong winds, days of constant 25 plus knots of wind and higher and at times a rough sea state. There has been plenty to do nonetheless, some delightful anchorages and bays to visit,mainly on the west side of the island, Carlisle bay , Hermitage Bay, Five Islands, Deepbay, Dickenson’s Bay, Turners beach and Jolly Harbour but also in the North, navigating through the reefs to anchor off Jumby Bay, Great Bird Island, a beautiful deserted island, where we saw turtles, stringrays, lizards, hermit crabs, tropic birds, frigate birds and more. Beaches to swim from and walk along. Walks over Middle ground, to Shirley heights and up Fig Tree Drive. Reggae music drifting out at time across the water. A bus ride across the island to St Johns for the markets and lunch in the Palm Court Restaurant, sounds grand but in fact a small local eatery with Creole style food. Fish and lobster meals in beach side restaurants. It has all been pretty perfect really, the people are friendly and helpful, the sea a most amazing turquoise and such a perfect temperature for swimming, the sunsets wonderful.
Sea Bear At Anchor
Carlisle Bay
Coral fan Deep Bay
English Harbour
Approaching anchorage at Great Bird Island
Sleepy Parham
At Great Bird Island
Wendy helming
by chris ayres | Mar 2015 | UK to New Zealand
It was time time leave Antigua once Wendy had left to fly back to England. I got clearance from customs and immigration at Jolly Harbour and after settling marina fees I reversed Sea Bear out of the berth, always an interesting exercise in a long keeler and went and anchored outside the harbour ready for an early departure in the morning. The weather had reverted to norm now, wind about 15 knots rather than the 25’s we had been having and next day I had an uneventful passage to Monserrat where I anchored in Little Bay. Ashore I completed entrance formalities and realised I was a day late for the St Patricks day celebrations. many of the early settlers were Irish and the tradition is still strong and Guinness drank in the bars.
A swell was finding its way into the anchorage so the night was not peaceful but anyway next morning I went ashore determined to explore the island. I walked up to the ” main road” intending to take a bus but got offered a lift by someone who had seen me land and on the way he told me something of the island and the changes caused by the volcanic eruptions. He wasn’t going all the way to Salem but stopped another car who he reckoned was going there and they gave me a lift the rest of the way, good kind, friendly people on this island.
At Salem I walked up to the volcano observatory an interesting little walk in its own right arriving at a fine viewpoint of the volcano and the ruins of Plymouth in the distance. I walked some way back towards Little Bay, but at a fork in the road, no signposts of course I sat and waited for the bus. They are a good way to see something of the island. It is mountainous and very forested with plenty of wildlife only a bit of a nag about the safety of the boat made me return to Little Bay, There, seeing the boat OK I had a lunch of fried fish at a beach front bar a beer and an interesting chat with some locals.
Monserrat from Little Bay
Beach Bar Little Bay
view towards ruins of Plymouth
Forest & Volcano
Little Bay Monserrat
by chris ayres | Mar 2015 | UK to New Zealand
Pinney’s beach
Nevis Peak
Charlestown
a bar in Charlestown
I would have staid longer in Monserrat but the anchorage was so uncomfortable, very rolly and the noise of the crashing surf disconcerting, I had spent two virtually sleepless nights so it was time to go. A shame as I liked the island, mountainous and very forested with lots of wildlife, the pace of life seemed slower too a lovely place. Someday I may go back there and find better anchoring conditions. The course to Nevis passed close by Redonna an uninhabited rocky island and reckon I must be getting a bit soft or something, I couldn’t see how they would have landed let along got up the cliffs to mine the phosphate and build a post office! its so steep and looks so loose. I had a good passage and picked up a mooring in the afternoon at Pinney’s beach, just past Charlestown the capital. Lovely peaceful conditions and a good restful sleep was had. Formalities completed the next morning and after a look around Charlestown, its a small little place I went to lookup a fellow member of the Vancouver Org, Mark who lives on the Island, has a Vancouver 32 “Pearl of Nevis” and owns a bar/restaurant on Pinney’s beach. He made me very welcome I must say. Nevis is a nice place to stay, the beach is superb the swimming idyllic and the forest quite wild. I went for a walk hoping I might get to the top of Nevis Peak but the trail just petered out high up in the forest and it would have been all to easy to get lost if I pressed on. Mind you I did see monkeys which was good. Also at Pinney’s Beach is the renowned Sunshine’s bar and grill. All painted up in Jamaican/Reggae colours, music pumping out and serving the famous Killerbee punch – care needed!
by chris ayres | Apr 2015 | UK to New Zealand
I caught a bus up to Qualie beach which is at North end of the island, where I hired a bike and then rode right around the island. It is lovely with some bits like Herbert’s beach just fantastically beautiful – doesn’t sound with that name like it should be do it? But it is completely undeveloped, open to, but protected from the Atlantic by a reef. Very few houses at all in this part of the island. The book said the roads are relatively flat for cycling, but the writer of the book has obviously never cycled around the island. There was a big hill, Zion on the road up to Gingerland that was hard work in the hot sun but of course a lovely run down the other side back to Charlestown. Here I dropped in at the agriculture show – lots of stalls so had a good meal of rice and beans veg and baked chicken and lovely refreshing home made lemonade. Got a puncture going to Fort Charles, which was a bit of a drag but the bike had a spare tube and pump. Owner of bike hire shop, Winston was lovely happy guy and he gave me a lift back to Pinney’s beach. A swim soon washed off the sweat from the ride, probably eased the legs too before back to the boat.
After a few more days of relaxing, swimming, it was time to move on again. A short sail took me to Basseterre on St Kitts. Anchored off the town, it was very rolly and uncomfortable but went ashore for a quick look around, it will repay a further visit. I left there that same afternoon and went across to the southern peninsular of the island, about 5 miles. To anchor in White House bay,very little there, very peaceful.
The whole southern end of the Island has been bought by a rich American developer who wants to, has already started to dredge the salt pond for super yacht berths, build a golf course, expensive restaurants lots of condos all that sort of thing in what was a virtually deserted and unspoilt part of the island. Doubtless it will be all done in good taste but another bit of wilderness gone for good.
A few days with plenty of swimming and short walks ashore. I did visit Basseterre again but with bad timing as it was Good Friday and the place was virtually shut down, it is all too easy to loose track of time.
At White House Bay I meet another Brit on a lovely 37 ft double ender, we dined on each other boats and talked of this and that. It was nice.
Once more though perhaps it is time to move on, so many islands still to see and towards the end of the month I will have turn south to get out of the hurricane zone before June.
Herberts beach Nevis
Basseterre St Kitts
White House Bay, St Kitts
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