CURRENT LOCATION: Anchored in Mosquito Cove, just outside the entrance to Jolly Harbour, Antigua
17 04.505' N, 061 53.541' W

We started out with the goal to make it to Deep Bay. There the wreck of the Andes sits in 20 feet of water, perfect for snorkeling. The trip would be a long one, 4 nautical miles out and another 4 coming back. So, we had waited for the winds and swell to die down before inflating the kayaks. Unfortunately, we did not make our goal.



Once we rounded the corner near Five Islands it was obvious that the winds and waves had not died down nearly enough. After paddling our second mile across the opening to Five Islands Harbor, it was evident that the going was just too rough to go all the way to Deep Bay. We pushed on toward Hawksbill Rock, which is said to look just like a giant turtle head, staring out to sea:



After two hours of constant paddling (if you stopped, you quickly drifted backward) we dropped an anchor on the leeward side of Hawksbill Rock. The fact that it had taken us two hours to cover less than 3 nautical miles is a testament to our struggle against the current conditions. With both kayaks secured to a tiny anchor, protected at last from the incessant barrage of waves (note them crashing on the windward side of Hawksbill Rock)...



... we were free to relax. We ate our lunch of PB&J and trail mix, then Sheryl decided to go for a swim. Having suffered from a bit of a cold, of late, I decided to forgo the potential chill I foresaw when climbing back out of the water and simply stayed warm and somewhat dry in the kayak.



We love our current anchorage, but the one thing it does not afford is crystal-clear water. Out here, I can count the toes on Sheryl's feet from above the surface:



The paddle back was much more enjoyable, as I would estimate that we were doing better than a knot without even placing a paddle in the water. This gave us an opportunity to enjoy some of the wonderful sights that you can only get from a close-to-shore kayak journey: