We arrived in Antigua an hour before sunset, lots of time to find a spot and set the anchor right?  Unless your windlass stops working (again), and of course we didn't nail it the first time so Jack had to haul up anchor the old fashioned way.  Second time we grabbed but now had a new repair item on our to do list,  also the forward gear has been slipping like it did in Sherburne two years ago when we started our voyage. We hope it's just our imagination and it will simply go away!! There's always a todo list, fortunately we are here until after Christmas so we have time on our side for any repairs.  A  zipper on our dodger cover just made it on to the todo list today and was dropped off at the sail loft for repair.

We are staying in English Bay which is home to Nelson Dockyards. Admiral Horatio Nelson from the British navy set up this boat yard in this concealed anchorage as a maintenance place for the British Fleet in 1740. All the original exterior structures are intact and everything has been renovated inside for shops and restaurants, it is like being in an old English village.  The marine services are extensive and only steps away from the docks.  There is a mixed combination of sailboats, mega power yachts in the 100-200 foot range but in a small community so we chat with the crews of some of these larger yachts and find their careers quite interesting.  Plus we find it interesting that none of them seem to be over 25 years old.

Walking the docks on Friday night before the weekly fish fry dinner we saw all the mega yachts getting ready, that means all the backs are open and you can see right into the garage area and the engine room.  One was getting food delivered and the fish supplier was apologizing that all he had was lobster, no fish.  He had two large plastic bags with about 20 lobsters in both bags that were still moving on the back of the boat before the Chef took them away.  The fish supplier also apologized that they were still alive and the Chef said no problem 'I will be killing them shortly'.  Different world.

All these big yachts have a dozen crew walking around doing different tasks in uniforms with walkie talkies and cell phones clipped to their belts and they are busy all the time, nobody stops moving.

We have been hiking the island every second day, there are lots of trails, challenging and high up cliffs but great views with goats close by and rewarding on the way down.  Yesterday we went up to the popular Sunday only venue at Shirley Heights. It was amazing with the views of the Caribbean and Atlantic side of Antigua as well as English Harbour and Foulmouth Harbour. They set up a BBQ, Bar and Steel Pan Band, lots of tourists and boat cruisers that can be picked out by their shoes (the tourists are in heels).  We hiked up in the day light thinking it would be a taxi ride back but in a 'what the heck' moment we decided to walk back down in the dark. It was only a half mile straight down...how hard could it be in the dark with flashlights.  Not bad other than the one thorn tree I grabbed by mistake for balance and both our flashlights conked out just at the end of the trail.

We are ready for Christmas, bought a turkey took it out of the freezer today for Christmas Eve dinner on KATHRIAN. Christmas Day there is a Christmas dinner on shore at the Nelson Dockyard which is why people return here year after year.  I have heard of canoes filled with Champagne so I'm in.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.