Barbuda and the Frigates

Methinks that title sounds like the name of a pop group… purely coincidental of course. In this case Barbuda is the name of a wonderful unspoilt Caribbean island, whilst the Frigates - birds of course - are the main reason for coming here, apart from the miles of pinky white sand beaches, tourqoise sea, wild donkeys and .... NO HIGH RISE HOTELS OR TOURIST DEVELOPMENTS! In short it is nothing short of a tropical paradise.

On the passage here from Falmouth, the Magic Zero sail emerged from its locker for the first time since our Atlantic crossing a year ago.

Light south-easterly winds provided perfect conditions for flying it. However, a later start than ideal after having to pick up water before setting off, plus the slower-than-expected progress along the south coast of Antigua and then up the west coast meant that it was midday before we even arrived at the north end of Antigua. And there was still about 30nm of open water to cover before getting anywhere near a suitable anchorage off Barbuda. Taking all the advice to stay away from Barbuda at night, since it is surrounded by dangerous reefs, we dropped anchor in Deep Bay near the north end of Antigua and enjoyed a lazy afternoon swimming and reading. Just before sunset, Skipper set up the wind generator in the hope that some charging could be had if the wind came up. And of course, being the 25th January, we toasted the Immortal Memory with a wee dram or two. Regret no haggis to be had anywhere around here.

Next morning, the wind had backed but was still light so we continued our passage north towards Barbuda with conventional rig of mainsail and jib - but it was quite slow! Shortly before arriving there, and while still safely outside the reefs, we caught not one but two fish:

Spanish Mackerel - about 3lb

Kingfish - 5-6lb

Regrettably we discovered afterwards that Kingfish this large and in this latitude are liable to be infected with Ciguatera, so that beautiful fish was thrown back. Large Spanish Mackerel (over 4lb) can also be infected but we took a chance on this small one and - fingers crossed - no symptoms so far.

By happy chance we found ourselves anchored next to the same charter boat we had been next to the previous evening. The three crew, from Yorkshire, were also wanting to take the tour to the famous frigate bird colony on this island. We teamed up and managed to engage George Graham who is the premier guide here.

He whizzed us across the inland lagoon, separated from the sea by a narrow strip of land and took us right in amongst the mangroves which provide the nesting site for thousands upon thousands of frigate birds. Well, the sight of this massive colony just took our breath away - and we were only on one side of it.

"We enjoy the neighbourliness..."

"Gee whizz- aren't I irresistible dressed like this darling?"

"Where's my breakfast Mum?"

These photos cannot adequately show what this massive colony was like with huge numbers of birds wheeling overhead and filling the sky, jockeying for position whilst waiting to swoop in and find their nestlings. Their GPS is second to none!

George told us that the colony stretched back by half a mile and was over a mile wide, and is likely the biggest in the world. He also showed us the upside-down jelly fish that inhabit the lagoon.

After the two-hour tour, George took us over to Codrington on the far side of the lagoon - the only ‘town’ on Barbuda. It is named after the family who leased it from England beginning in 1685 in exchange for one fat sheep p.a. Shops are few and far between.

Returning us to the coastal side of the lagoon, where we had left our dinghies near the Barbuda Outbar 

it was (unexpectedly) open so beer and barbecued lobster with our new-found Yorkshire friends could not be resisted. Regret I didn't get a photo with Ruth in it but David and Martin are shown below.

A great way to end a fabulous tour.

The view out to sea from here sums it up - Follyfin centre stage. Now you know why I called it a tropical paradise.

 

Hello Antigua

This post is being composed whilst gently bobbing at anchor in Nonsuch Bay, Antigua, a reef-protected expanse of water covering several square miles. Incredible to think that as we gaze out to the east, there is only a reef between us and the Atlantic Ocean rolling unbroken from Africa. Turquoise, shallow, warm water over sand has encouraged even the Skipper to swim several times a day whilst I have been enjoying snorkelling over the nearby reefs; so many fish of all shapes, sizes and colours and such clear water. The coral is so colourful and so alive with so many different types. Yesterday we saw two sting rays, one from on board as it swam under the boat. It has been a great place to spend the weekend. The sunsets here have been fabulous, especially so last evening.

Arrived in Falmouth Harbour on Tuesday evening (17 January) after a fabulous beam reach passage up from Guadeloupe (Follyfin averaged 7.0kn - a record) and during which we caught a large mahi-mahi fish, 85cm long which has been feeding us for the last week. You'd be surprised how many ways this excellent fish can be served: ceviche, sautéed fillet, pasta Follyfin, curried and chowder to name but some.

Note - this is a fish of the same species caught on our Atlantic crossing, as a reminder to those who might have forgotten what they look like. I was busy operating the gaff on the latest catch so no pics!

We spent the first couple of days doing the tourist thing. English Harbour sits side by side with Falmouth and is only a short walk away. It is home of Nelson’s Dockyard, the foundations of which were begun in 1745. Completed in 1789, it was Britain’s main naval station in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles with Nelson himself being stationed here in 1784. Over the centuries it gradually fell into disrepair but has now been fully restored and is the only example of an 18th century Caribbean dockyard/harbour as it used to be.

It is all the better for still being fully functional, it attracts some beautiful classic yachts, and is home to the Sunsail Charter company. Falmouth Harbour is much larger, with two marinas designed for super yachts, of which there are many. This one shown below headed out from the marina past us one morning… aptly named Vertigo it is 223ft long, 39ft wide and has a draft of 5.1m. 

And it's not just their yachts that the rich and famous show off here. On our way up to Nonsuch Bay, we passed under Indian Creek Point (250ft), the whole of which is occupied by Eric Clapton’s mansion. Yes, Antigua really is a paradise for the wealthy but luckily small fry like us can also enjoy it in passing.

Wednesday afternoon saw us taking a water taxi from Nelson's Dockyard over to Galleons Beach where the trail up to Shirley Heights Lookout (490ft) begins. We opted for the long way up, taking us along the coast first and through a most exotic population of cacti, conjuring up HG Wells’ tryphids.

Shirley Heights, named after the Governor of Antigua in Nelson's time, affords a magnificent viewpoint over English and Falmouth Harbours.

It's easy to see why the potential of these bays was recognised back in the 18th century as they are very sheltered from storms and hurricanes, easily defended against the French (mainly) and immediate access to the trade winds. The much shorter way down via the Nicholson Trail (named after Desmond Nicholson who’s father Vernon not only instigated the restoration of Nelson's Dockyard when he found it in ruins in 1947 but also founded Nicholsons Charter Co., the first charter yacht company in the Caribbean) leads through forest with some interesting plants.

We departed Falmouth on Thursday afternoon, heading east and anchoring in Mamora Bay one night, then Ricketts harbour the next before arriving here… in paradise! Next stop will be Barbuda, after we have revisited Customs in English Harbour to fulfill the complicated formalities, and reprovisioned (and of course, uploaded this blog post!)

Farewell Guadeloupe

It was another fun-filled but relaxing week including lots of sea swimming, scuba diving at Les Îles des Petite Terre for Laurel ("one of the best dives of my life"), hiking on Basse Terre for Flora's parents whilst Skipper and I were left OIC of Flora for the day, and a visit to the Aquarium so the rest of us could also admire the tropical marine life.

It has been a wonderful holiday for us all. But alas, Team Hodgkinson departed yesterday, Sunday. All squashed into tiny rental car, Flora planning the route to the airport. Don't let her near GPS til she can map read please!

Meanwhile for the crew of Follyfin, it has been a day of tying up loose ends, paying our dues and generally preparing for our next passage. Tomorrow, Tuesday, she sets sail for Antigua. We have decided to sail up the east coast of Guadeloupe, a route less frequented by cruising folk. It should be a beautiful beam or broad reach for most of the 66nm passage. We'll see.

However, First Mate found time for some extra-curricular activity... taking her courage in both hands, she tried scuba diving herself.

Encouraged first by Ivor when we met on Grenada in December, and then by Laurel this last week, I am so glad I did. My 'baptême de Plongée' in the lagoon outside the marina was magnifique! So many fish and so brightly coloured, even at 3m depth. And the coral... Must do it again - a New Year's resolution!

Atlantic Odyssey anniversary

Exactly a year, a whole year - to the very day as I write this - since we set sail from Tenerife on 9 January 2016 into the wide blue yonder. Remembering now the feeling of excitement mixed with not a little trepidation as we cast off from that place with 3000 miles of ocean between us and landfall in the Caribbean … well it's hard to believe, and how the time has flown. We celebrated the anniversary this evening with a delicious meal of mahi-mahi fish cooked by William (job in the galley awaits you Will). He, Laurel and Flora have now been here a week. 

Now here we are, still safely berthed in St. François marina on Guadeloupe. 

Much enjoyment has been had during the week, especially by the back-up team from Follyfin. Flora is a real little water baby, swimming once or twice a day and loving splashing in the warm sea and the pool at their apartment.

One of our first expeditions was to Pointe des Chateaux, the SE tip of the island and not far from where we are staying. There one can witness the power of the Atlantic in all its majesty. From there it is possible to see the island where Christopher Columbus first made landfall on his second voyage. QLa Désirade is the 700 foot high, flat-topped island seen in the distance below, so-called because he and his crew were so happy to see it after over two months at sea.

On another afternoon we explored the north coast of Grande Terre - the large island making up the eastern half of the lop-sided butterfly shape of Guadeloupe as a whole. Being the windward side, and having had much volcanic activity in the past, the coast is much indented. Our geological friends will be delighted to know we found an almost circular cove, a cirque even, which provided yet another swimming opportunity, sea urchins permitting.

On Saturday Laurel headed out with Noa Plongée (with a little apprehension) to refresh her scuba diving proficiency after a 6-year break … but the name of the outfit, even without the ‘h’ on the end, was a great incentive as was a nearby shop named ‘Laurel B’; it was obviously meant to be!

Meanwhile, back on Follyfin, you know by now that there is always something in need of fixing on a boat? This time it's the water pump which has packed up, meaning that we can't get any water out of any of the taps in the galley or the heads. So the Bosun has spent much time this week trying to repair it. Having finally given up, a trip to the chandlers in Pointe á Pitre would be needed at some point before we set sail again.

Yesterday, Sunday, we decided to venture further afield to explore the interior of Basse  Terre - the western half of the lop-sided butterfly shape of Guadeloupe. It is geologically much younger than Grande Terre, with more recent volcanic activity, so is much more mountainous and covered in tropical rain forest. Basse and Grande Terre are both islands, separated by a narrow mangrove channel, the Rivière Salée. Handily, the chandlers was on the way so the Bosun was able to purchase a replacement water pump for Follyfin.

Taking the Route de la Traversée, which cuts east-west across Basse Terre, enabled us to appreciate the mountains and the rain forest of the national park. The high point of our Sunday outing, in more ways than one, was a visit to the Parc Zoologique et Botanique des Mamelles. If ever you are in this neck of the woods, this is a must-see place. A very well constructed walkway leads one through the gardens which are set in the midst of the tropical rain forest on the side of a mountain; the range of vegetation is vast and wonderful. It feels wild but it is discreetly managed. There is a fantastic tree-top rope walk which runs right round the garden up in the rain forest canopy. The others were unphased by it but I admit I found it slightly precarious at first.

As well as the plants there are animal enclosures containing a range of big cats, turtles, terrapins, crabs, birds, small mammals, bats, monkeys, reptiles etc. Flora was particularly taken with a small green gecko which cooperated by staring at her through the glass wall of its home.

We have another week here in which there will no doubt be lots more swimming, relaxing, exploring, diving, snorkelling, fresh fish, and maybe even some langouste (Guadeloupian equivalent of lobster)… we'll see! Below see an example of the tuna they catch around here.

Flora is busy acquiring her sea legs for the short excursion on Follyfin, out of the marina, that we plan for later this week. Watch this space...

STOP PRESS!

The day after the text for this blog was composed, the Bosun/Engineer announced that the water pump had been fixed - another triumph for that indispensable member of the crew. The Skipper awarded him an extra grog for his trouble.

P.S. It's now 2 days after this text was composed. The delay in publishing this post was caused by the extreme flakiness of our internet connections in this location. Grrrr!

Happy Hogmanay

Wishing you all a happy and healthy year in 2017!

Here in St. François marina on Guadeloupe, we might as well be in Brittany ... except for the deliciously warm, tourqoise sea and consistently warm air, typically 28-32 degrees C. To celebrate Hogmanay, we chose to go out for lunch, not just any lunch mind you. This one required a 10km cycle ride to reach the venue, which was a Creole restaurant positioned overlooking the ocean on the SE tip of Guadeloupe.

It was a stormy day but we managed to dodge the heavy showers. And the traditional 'planteur' to start got us in the right mood after our exertions.

Afterwards we needed to work off the excellent seafood lunch so explored the nearby beaches. Finding one to our liking, went swimming in the warm ocean before the cycle home. A good start to the new year!

It took us two days sailing to get here from Dominica: a half-day's comfortable reach from there to Îles des Saintes, known as 'The Saints', and a long,10-hour beat from The Saints up to here. For a 30 mile direct trip, we actually sailed 58 miles! It's no wonder there are very few cruising boats in here, and no others from the UK. However the pay-off will be the lovely broad reach we expect to have when we leave and sail up the east coast to Antigua.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We plan to be here in the marina for 2 weeks. It is well protected by reefs outside so we are enjoying the stability at night as opposed to the often rolly nights we have spent at anchor or on moorings recently. Tomorrow daughter Laurel, her husband William and grand-daughter Flora arrive to stay in a nearby apartment for a fortnight. After the year they have had, what with the high of Flora's birth almost a year ago and then the low of the trauma of Flora's kidney infection when on holiday in the US, we are hoping this will be the rest cure they need. To cap everything, Flora contracted chicken pox just before Christmas... let's hope there are no more surprises like that.