Photo shows Calypso's house (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Current Position: 17 00.81N, 61 46.61W Anchored in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua

View more pics at https://picasaweb.google.com/yacht.quilcene/---

Passages between the Caribbean islands can be notoriously rough as you sail out from, or approach the lee shelter of the islands. The open Atlantic Ocean is on one side, the Caribbean Sea on the other and the Trade winds accelerate through the gaps between islands. To add to this there can be big swells surging between the gap if there has been any sort of storm activity further north in the Atlantic, and squalls compound the melee. We have learned this the hard way so now we pick our crossing days very carefully after studying the various wind and sea state forecasts.

Last stop on Martinique; An overnight stop at St Pierre on the northwest of Martinique before crossing to Dominica was both rewarding and worrying; The seabed drops off steeply to deep water and the shallow area is littered with shipwrecks dating back to the Mt Pele eruption so finding a spot to anchor was difficult. Eventually we settled and I jumped in for a late swim and snorkel and was delighted to see a turtle feeding on the seagrass below me - but not so delighted to see that our anchor had dropped amongst wreckage! In the fading light it would have been hopeless to find another spot so we enjoyed the wonderful sunset then spent an anxious night anticipating problems when we tried to retrieve our anchor in the morning.

We were up at dawn and thankfully Kit managed to pull the anchor up slowly with only a couple of heart stopping snags before it was clear of the wreckage- phew!

With heavily reefed sails we nosed out from the shelter of Martinique and did indeed find gusty conditions and big seas, however as we left the influence of the coast and sailed into the open sea things settled down somewhat and we had a great sail across to Dominica.

Dominica, Roseau; Dominica is the southernmost of the Leeward chain of Caribbean islands. Roseau is the Capital and again the seabed drops off steeply to deep water. Enterprising locals have put down mooring buoys for yachts to moor so we picked a buoy in the south of the bay as those in this area are owned by a diving outfit and we reasoned that there was a fair chance they were regularly inspected.

As we approached Roseau a boat 'boy', Desmond, came out in an open boat and greeted us warmly. He helped with the mooring and offered various services including a ride into town to check in with Customs and Immigration. Dominica has high unemployment and relies heavily on the tourist trade so we had already decided to use some of the services on offer - and actually the rates weren't sky high.

Dominica is like nature on steroids; the high mountainous terrain covered in rainforest attracts more than its share of rain giving rise to 365 rivers and numerous waterfalls. Lush green trees and plants are everywhere, dotted here and there with colourful flowers.

Obviously this has a downside - the 365 rivers are fed by rain 365 days of the year! We noticed that the locals carry umbrellas at all times! In between showers the sun is still scorching hot so it was raincoats and sunscreen every day. Snorkelling out from the boat was wonderful, the water was clear and an underwater garden of colourful corals, plants, sponges and fish lay just inshore of us.

Gerard and Josje on 'Mermaid' arrived next day and moored close to us. We joined them on a half day tour of the south end of the island taking in magnificent waterfalls, beautiful scenery and bubbling sulphurous pools. Dominica has seven 'active' volcanoes and two extinct ones; most of the Caribbean islands have only one! We finished our tour by stopping at a roadside bar for rum punch sundowners - and they definitely had a punch! From the terrace of this bar I managed to photograph a hummingbird! (see Picasa pics)

Dominica, Portsmouth; Like all Caribbean islands, Dominica has been troubled by crime; in the past there were burglaries from yachts which resulted in many yachts by-passing the island (St Vincent also had a bad name amongst the yachting community). The local boat boys and guides got together and formed PAYS, Portsmouth Association of Yacht Security. They put down moorings that yachts can use for a small fee and have organised a night watch out on the water to keep us safe. This is funded by non-profit events such as a weekly BBQ (great fun if a little LOUD). It works and the bay now has a steady stream of visiting yachts; we were happy to attend the BBQ knowing that Quilcene was safe.

We had joined the OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) after our Atlantic crossing and now fly the 'flying fish' club burgee. Members Ken and Judith on 'Badgers Sett' saw it and came over to introduce themselves . We met other members at the BBQ, a friendly bunch who are happy to help out with information and keep in touch via an SSB net.

The Indian River trip is 'de rigueur ' for visitors to Dominica and an early start is best to avoid the cruise ship passenger trips later in the day. Kit and I were a bit blurry eyed from the BBQ the night before, when Michael, our guide, collected us and Gerard and Josje from our yachts at 0730. The Indian River runs inland through the rainforest from Portsmouth, engines have been banned since 1998 when they realised the wash from boats was beginning to erode the banks.

The engine went off at the river mouth and with Michael and Gerard on the oars we rowed on up as the river quickly narrowed and the trees formed an overhead canopy. Michael was very knowledgeable and pointed out trees with amazing buttress roots, birds and wildlife. Some scenes in Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed here; we saw a little shack perched in the mangroves that was home of the witch Calypso. It is a magical trip and very peaceful, especially in the early morning with no-one else about!

After about an hour Michael offered us coffee. We thought he was joking but there in the middle of the forest was a small jetty and a café built on the riverbank amongst the forest. It was closed at first because it was so early and we wandered around looking at the wildlife and plants until a woman arrived and served us coffee and juices. Altogether a really brilliant morning out!

Iles Des Saintes; As the name suggests Des Saintes islands are French, and actually part of Guadeloupe. We picked up a mooring buoy at Bourg des Saintes on Terre d'en Haut, the largest island in the archipelago. Like Martinique it is 'France in the Caribbean' and the seafront is clean and smart with colourful red roofed houses and many older Caribbean buildings with gingerbread latticework balconies and borders.

We checked in very easily and quickly on a computer in a café that offered several services including laundry. We could even order baguette and croissant to be delivered to the yacht in the morning - along with a case of beer! They don't do that in Plymouth!

Bourg is overlooked by Fort Napoleon on a hill to the north of the town. Its sister fort, Josephine sits atop Cabrit, a nearby islet. We took a long, hot walk up to the fort and were rewarded with wonderful views across the archipelago - the fort has its own 'botanic' garden and an interesting museum (if you really wanted a blow by blow account of the Battle of the Saintes!).

Guadeloupe: On to Guadeloupe and an overnight stop at an anchorage opposite Pigeon Island; it's a Costeau marine reserve so no anchoring on the island. We took the dinghy over to snorkel around the island and it was fantastic, the best I've ever seen. Amazing coloured fish, so many different species, and big coral formations and sponges in crystal clear azure water. We loved it. ...and where Quilcene was anchored we snorkelled and saw turtles feeding on the bottom! Cool!

From there we sailed on up to Deshaies (pronounced 'Day Hay') on the northwest coast, we had to wait a couple of days to go ashore as the wind was howling and we don't like to leave Quilcene in those conditions in case the anchor drags. It did seem good holding but we like to be sure. Apparently there can often be strong gusty winds here even when there are lighter winds out at sea! However it was fine and sunny through all this so not too onerus sitting on the boat!

Antigua: From Guadeloupe we sailed up the west coast of Antigua to Jolly Harbour and anchored outside in quite shallow water (3m). Unlike most of the islands we've visited so far Antigua is surrounded by shallows for some way out. However this, coupled with a coastline indented with numerous bays and sheltered inlets offers plenty of choice for yachts to anchor and is one of the major yachting centres in the Caribbean.

Antigua used to be British but since 1981 is an 'Independent State within the British Commonwealth'. Not sure exactly what this means but the language is English and they drive on the left. The currency, like all the non-French islands is EC dollars, approx. 4 to the British Pound. We plan to stay here for a few weeks and have a good look around!