It's now Friday, December 23rd and it's our 45th wedding anniversary! Hard to believe it's been that long and here we are anchored in another harbor.
We pulled up the hook about 0900 and took off around the northwest corner of Antigua and moved over to Davis Bay, about a 10 mile trip. Of course Mother Nature played her silly games and made us have to motor the entire way. There was no way to ever get any wind in the sail. We first stopped at Maiden Island which is supposed to be great for sea shells. What we found was a party boat anchored just off shore with water slides and jumping platforms and loud music blaring from speakers. It costs $135US a day but you get all the booze or soft drinks you can handle and a box lunch. It was quiet when we pulled up but quickly there was activity with a man jumping on one of the trampolines and music suddenly coming from the speakers. While we put the anchor down, it didn't stay there very long(as we motored away, the music stopped and all was quiet again) and came right back up and we moved another mile to Davis Bay with us anchored behind numerous houses along the shore. We're parked in peoples back yards with no access to shore with our being on someones personal property. It's strange to be in someones back yard and the houses--wow, each seems to try and out do their neighbors each their own little or big mansion with lots of chaise lounges in the back along the water and each with it's own "infinity" pool. We'll only be here one night and be moving along tomorrow.
Well, we moved along to Great Bird Island but we had to wait til the sun was in a better position where we could see the coral heads that live in the bay we are in. Not many but it only takes one to ruin your day and since we already had that when we were back in British Columbia in 2009, we'd prefer not to do it again. We had a nice breakfast and waited till about 1100 before we took off. When looking for coral heads, it helps to have the Sun above you and not at an indirect angle. They show up better that way as light spots in the dark water. While it was only about 1.7 miles from where we were anchored, safety always pays. Before we left Davis Harbor, two boat had joined us coming over from Jumby Bay, right around the corner. Neither liked where they had originally dropped their anchor and both pulled it back up and repositioned it. I guess they liked their new spot as they were going to spend the night, again like us, in someones back yard. I expect that they will be coming over to Great Bird tomorrow and join us though we have never been introduced.

When we got to Great Bird, we found several mooring buoys so instead of dropping the hook, we grabbed one for tonight so I can replace the rubber snubber on our snubber line. One broke several days ago and needs replacing. I still have one left so it will go on tomorrow. We have two catamarans with us in this anchorage. Once on another mooring and one on his anchor. While I dove on the mooring(a whole 7 feet down), and it looked fine(set up to hold a 60 foot boat)I still trust my anchor and chain and will disconnect from the mooring tomorrow. During the afternoon, we put on snorkeling gear and took a look around the boat. There is a reef about 200 feet north of us so we gave it a look. We've seen better and will investigate more over the next few days. There are dive and snorkel boats along with tour boats visiting the island throughout the day. Some in the water and some hiking the hillsides of the island. What the hikers are looking for, we have no clue but will find out in the next day or so. Meanwhile, it just keeps blowing(15-25 knots) and raining off and on throughout the day and night. It's raining right now(2200). Tomorrow is Christmas so this is where we will be this year. Last year, we had just left Durban, South Africa for the mad dash to get past the Cape of Good Hope. Over the last 8 years, we've had our holidays all over the world. 2008--Port Townsend, Washington, 2009--Mexico, 2010--Mexico, 2011--Fiji, 2012--just left Tuvalu for Micronesia with blown engine, 2013--Kotakinabalu, Malaysia on Borneo, 2014--Phuket, Thailand, 2015--Just left Durban for the run to Cape town, 2016--here at Great Bird Island, Antigua.

As for this Christmas, well Mother Nature is still letting it blow and blow and blow--18 to 25 knots our of the northeast. We're on the lee of the island so at least the swells are minimal but the wind generator on the stern is valiantly trying to keep up with the wind pumping vilest into our batteries. The two catamarans with us(one with two small kids) have gone ashore or the small beach around the point. With this pressure zone coming in, Tracy's got a big headache so we have just been resting till it passes. Dinner was chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. We had planned on roasting a whole chicken but it refused to be defrosted in time and with Tracy's headache, it's better to wait till tomorrow. The two boats in Davis Bay, where we had left yesterday, didn't bother to come over here today. The winds have stirred up the water so badly it's hard to see the coral bommies that litter the bay here. Much easier to see if it's a bit calmer. Maybe tomorrow but I don't think too many boats are moving around today.

Sleeping in the stern stateroom last night(and many other nights) with the wind howling past the boat and making the wind generator spin makes it feel like it's a nasty Denver blizzard outside. I pulled up an extra cover sheet so I could snuggle into it to give me the feeling of staying warm though it's still in the high 70s inside. That wind just makes you think it's really cold when it's not.

Tomorrow, when Tracy is feeling better, we'll be exploring the area--snorkeling and hiking the islands. Should be fun.

Well, it wasn't fun. Most of the coral that was there was dead or dying. Lots of sand and grass but very little worth taking the time to see. Add in the wind as well as the current and it was a rather quick snorkel. Just glad we didn't pay come company to take us there. We talked to another boat that's been here almost as long as we have and that has gone out and snorkeled just about everywhere and they agree with us. Just not worth the time. We did a morning trip and then the other couple came over to introduce themselves and in talking, we discussed the coral. Getting their input made us make up our minds not to bother to go out again so up came Puff and everything was stowed. We'll be taking of tomorrow for Deep Bay for a day and then down to Jolly Harbour where with luck, I'll get internet and can get all these posts out. We hope to be on our way and out of Antigua by sometime Thursday. Another big front is on it's way and we'd like to be gone before it gets here.

It's now Tuesday the 27th and we are back at Deep Bay. Just 12 miles but all with the wind in a non sailable position so the engine was put into use. We had hoped to sail but the first part of the trip was through a bunch of coral bommies so we needed to be able to change course if we needed to without having to worry about the sail position. Once we rounded the northwest corner of Antigua, the winds were close enough to the bow that again, we couldn't sail. We were back in Deep Bay before 1100 and nicely at anchor in about the same place we had anchored before. It's now well into the evening and there are 14 of us in the bay. Still room for more but if you are passing from the outside, it looks like it's full so some boats passed us by. Waters only about 8 feet deep and with a sandy bottom, our Rocna bit in just fine. A catamaran came in earlier and from what we saw, they don't have a clue on how to anchor a boat. It doesn't look like a charter but they seem to act like it is. When they came in, the wife at the bow. Once they stopped, they let out about 20 feet of anchor when the water was 10 feet deep. They seemed amazed when they dragged backward in the wind. They pulled up the anchor and we watched as not a lot of chain came up before the anchor did. They repositioned and dropped it again, all the while the wife was giving her husband hand signals as to where to steer the boat. With the boat backing up in the wind, it wasn't like there was any control available. Again, they dragged their anchor. As they were right beside us, it was easy to watch. No to properly anchor, you need to let our a minimum of three times the depth of the water. A two to one just isn't going to make your boat stay in place. On the third try, the anchor finally bit in but they still moved backwards. About a hour later, the husband and son came forward and let out more chain(well duh!!) and the finally stayed in place. They both seemed quite proud of themselves and gave each other a high five that they had finally stopped moving. We're just glad they are beside us and not in front of us. At least if their anchor breaks loose they will simply drift out of the anchorage and not hit another boat.
Tomorrow we are off for Jolly Harbour for some last minute provisioning, getting clothes washed and checked out. We will be leaving Antigua early on Friday morning and heading for the US Virgin Islands. We should be in by sometime early Saturday afternoon if the winds and weather holds.
We're now finally back in Jolly Harbour and are getting our laundry done. Not cheap but it saves time and water on board. Finally found the internet place open so I can post.
The picture is the view from the Fort Barrington beside Deep Bay. I was actually able to hike up it. My back and legs are getting better finally!