November – December 2024

Last year we were on the move for most of the cruising season and didn’t spend extended time in any one place. This year, the plan is to take it a bit slower so that we can settle in and get to know each island better. We’ve been in Antigua for a month now and it’s been wonderful to feel more like a long term visitor than a short term tourist.

When we returned from Casey & Garretts wedding back in November, Carried Away was still tied up “stern to” (that’s parked in backwards) at Nelson’s Dockyard right next to our new friends Todd & Joy on their Outremer 51 Alegria (which means Joy in Italian). We joined in on several of the Salty Dawg activities which included hikes, beach gatherings, cocktails and dinners as well as a “TOT” which is a British Naval tradition. It happens everyday at 6pm. They share records of British Naval history from the day, toast the king and throw down a big (3 oz) shot of harsh rum in one gulp. My dad was a British officer and my uncle was a captain in Her Majesties Royal Navy – so I felt compelled to partake!

It’s was great meeting new Dawgs and reconnecting with the folks we had met last year, but then it was time to head up to Jolly Harbour to get our leaky rudders fixed. The marina there has a boat lift big enough (width-wise) to lift catamarans and they hauled us out on the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. They don’t allow you to stay on the boat while it’s in the yard so we rented a little harbor cottage for a few days which allowed us to go back and forth to the boatyard via our dingy – it was a really fun way to commute!

We spent every day at the boat – working alongside Speedy and David Walter (they are brothers) who own Multi Task Marine Services so Billy could help out and also to make sure it got done correctly this time. They worked really hard as they had to drop both rudders, take them apart and make several adjustments to accommodate adding the bonding material to the bearings so they won’t come apart again. It was not easy and they worked every day until dark. Thanksgiving day we were all hard at work, though we did get a chance to grab a “to go” Turkey dinner from the boatyard cafe. It certainly didn’t feel like Thanksgiving does at home, but we were very thankful to be making progress on the fix!

Friday came and we didn’t realize it, but they would be closing for the weekend and Monday was a local holiday. If we didn’t get back in the water that day, we’d be stuck for 3 more days. They had some trouble getting the rudders set right – so while Danny the boat lift operator was keen to go home for the weekend, Speedy convinced him to stay late and an hour after closing they dropped us back into the water! Speedy re-attached the rudders to the steering system, sat and had a quick beer with us to celebrate and we were back in business. So far the rudders seem fine – and the fix is holding – Billy is confident they did it right this time.

Post Script: Yesterday we were back in Jolly Harbour to provision and fuel up. We were at the marine store and heard someone say “Hey Billy”. It turned out to be David Walter from Multi Task who had fixed the rudders. He gave us a big smile and we chatted about holiday plans…..we got that feeling of being more than a tourist which is really nice.

We were so happy to be back in the water as our friends JB & Kelley Braun were arriving to spend a week aboard. They have just returned from Barcelona and the 2024 America’s Cup where INEOS Britannia won the Louis Vuitton Cup (Yahoo!). With the racing complete they were able to pack up and come home and quickly booked a week to come join us.

They arrived to Jolly Harbour and we headed right out for Barbuda which is the “sister” island to Antigua lying just 30 miles north. The island is quite remote. They have only 1,600 residents versus 92,000 on Antigua. We pulled into Cocoa Reef (carefully) which is off Princess Diana Beach which is probably the most beautiful beach we have seen in all the Caribbean. Beautiful sand and unspoiled for now. Sadly after the island was badly damaged in 2017 by hurricane Irma, much of Barbuda’s land was “leased” to high end property developers and the construction is everywhere. The locals seem wary.

The main attraction beyond the beach is the Frigate Bird Sanctuary which is the largest frigate colony in the western hemisphere. Some Salty Dawgs had booked a tour and invited us to join. Our tour guide Solomon took us out to the sanctuary on his 22 ft skiff. It’s the only way to get there. He told us all about the birds, their mating habits and how the males migrate to the Galapagos and back – without stopping! Apparently they can sleep for moments at a time while flying. We finished the day with lobster dinner on the beach hosted by Enoch at his little beach shack. Two lobster tails and one baked potato per person – that’s it and it was so good!

We sailed the 30 miles back down to Antigua to Great Bird Island which is a national preserve in the North Sound. The first night, we were the only ones there and it was so peaceful. We hiked and snorkeled all around the island.

Continuing our clockwise sail around Antigua, we headed down to Green Island and Nonsuch bay on the east coast. Bill has been dying to try wing foiling and there is a kiting school there. The whole bay is open to the east, but there is a reef that blocks the waves so the wind is strong, but seas relatively calm. It’s a perfect spot for kiting and foiling. JB was keen to try it too so they took lessons from a lovely Italian man named Micko. Kelley and I had fun watching them go back and forth, learning first to use the wing on the dingy then trying it on the board. After the lesson, we had a lovely lunch with cocktails and a bottle of wine. Needless to say it was an early evening as the guys were totally tuckered out!

On our last day at Green Island, the boys took another foiling lesson and Kelley and I went exploring on the dingy. We got all the way down Nonsuch Bay when the dingy engine conked out. UGH. We got the oars out and started paddling but were not making any progress into the wind. Having NOT brought the handheld VHF radio (my bad) and with spotty cell service we were wondering where we would wash ashore. Then, to our great relief the launch boat from the Mill Reef Club came out to rescue us and towed us all the way back to Carried Away. We thanked them profusely and they said “no worries, that’s just what we do”. Just doing the right thing. Love that. We couldn’t believe it when it was time for the Braun’s to head home, it went by so fast!

We realized that having been in Antigua for a full month that our “cruising permit” was due to expire. We went to the local customs office and they said that in order to renew we’d have to go up to St. John, the capital city of Antigua. It’s a $90 round trip taxi ride and a long bus ride (97 potential stops – though they only stop if someone is standing there), but as we were figuring out how to get there we found 2 other Salty Dawgs who had the same issue (makes sense as we all arrived around the same time). Sandy from Odyssey offered to get the rental car and drive us along with Tim from Laughing Gull up to St. John to sort out the permits.

What an adventure! As is common with customs and port authorities we had quite a time actually finding the right building (4 different stops) and then once there finding the right office – we were directed up to the 2nd floor, then to the 3rd floor (locked) then back down to lobby and finally to the right unmarked window on the 1st floor. Think we asked over 6 people and an hour or so later we had our permits.

We took advantage of being in the big city to do some shopping and stop at the grocery store – which is the largest one on the island. Billy and Tim went to the dockside bar while Sandy and I perused the shops and they met a really cool local, Maryo Leo, at the harbor bar who is a local entertainer and inspirational speaker. He completely embodied the positive and happy attitude of Antigua.

Now we are getting ready for Christmas – all the kids and the Fillenworth’s, who will be chartering their own boat, will arrive this weekend. We will have the kids with us for 2 full weeks and no doubt will have lots to write about in January!

We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and for good health & happiness in the New Year!