Left Antigua at 7:30 this morning. Arrived Deshaies (prounounced Day-Hay) at 2:30 PM. Sailed the entire distance on a very fast reach. A distance of about 45 miles. Very cool. Nice trade winds sailing.
I am just stopping for the night. I plan to continue on to Iles Des Saints or Dominica tomorrow depending on how I feel. I am singlehanding now so I have to plan my anchorages carefully as it gets dark early around here.
I want to spend time In St Lucia, so I will bypass these Islands on the way down.
More when I do it
a

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Made it to Antigua after a very long slow slog to windward. Winds 18kts from the SE. and large swells. Left St Martin at 11 am on Friday and arrived in Antguia around 3 pm on Saturday. Only 90 miles! Had to take a long tack out into the Atlantic and a long tack down to Nevis. The wind never turned East as forecast.
My crew, who was hitching a ride from St Martin to Antigua to visit a friend, had just crossed from the Cape Verde Islands a few days before. A retired British school teacher. I am now well versed in the Monarchy and English history.
Jim, her friend met us at the mouth of the harbor and directed us in. He's from N Ireland. He sailed here in a 26 boat, 2 and half years ago and never left.
Jim invited me to a TOT. The British Navy TOT Club of Antigua. It's a ceremony they hold EVERY night. They have a TOT of rum ( a 1/2 glass of Pussers, where you down it in one gulp), read from the book of British Navy History for the day and toast the Queen. It rotates between the pubs here in English Harbour. No wonder he hasn't left.
So with a stiff upper lip.... I will go explore the Island today.
a
new pics in the gallery

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I see it's anowing again (still) in Rochester....
I've have spent the last 5 days since Beckie left preparing the boat for the next chapter. I will be leaving St Martin probably on Thursday to go down island. The plan as it looks right now is to be in the area of St Vincent by the 23rd of Jan to pick up Beckie for her next little taste of the Islands. We're planning on visiting Bequia, Union Island and Tobago Cay. I will island hop my way down (solo). The first island I will aim for is Antigua, about 90 miles from St Maarten. After Antigua the rest of the islands are only about 45 miles apart. The winds here have been a little flucky. Been mostly SE, with more S than E. Not the Christmas winds which are the usual fare here. About a 100 miles south of here the winds are back to the normal E trades so the sailing should be a little more reaching..... We'll see how it goes.
Anyhow, I am ready to leave St Marten and start out on my next adventure.
I'll leave the SPOT on for ya.
a
oh, in case you missed it, new pics in the gallery.

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