CURRENT LOCATION: Anchored in Mosquito Cove, just outside Jolly Harbour in Antigua
17 04.612' N, 061 53.679' W

The bottom job is done and we are, mercifully, back in the water. In my opinion, land just isn't the right place for a sailboat to be. Sailboats were designed to be in the water. And now Prudence is ready to face that aquatic environment and all the biological assaults associated with a floating existence.

Our plan was to get a couple of truly restful nights' sleep off of the boat. With no hatches to close and no anchor checks to concern us, it should have been the land of blissful slumber. However, that didn't turn out as planned. Unfortunately, we were not alone in our cheap little room on the outskirts of town. The mouse we killed the first night was not nearly as bothersome as the hoards of mosquitoes which swarmed us throughout the hours of darkness on both nights. The outlay for the room was minimal, and I suppose that you get what you pay for.

Once we were floating again this afternoon, we had the opportunity to tie up at the fuel dock and take on 90 gallons of water. This saved us much effort compared to our usual jerry-jug-water-hauling approach. No dinghy fuel was burned and we did not have to lift 700 lbs of water aboard. We would consider this approach for future fill-ups; however, our boat is very hard to maneuver in tight quarters, especially with any wind on the beam. Small engine, a tiny two bladed prop, and lotsa boat mass add up to a recipe for a frustrating experience in docking. Therefore, we avoid it at all costs.

On this occasion, though, life was made easier by having line handlers muscle us around the corner from the sling to tie us off at the fuel dock. I applied reverse, but the prop walk to port was probably more trouble than the reverse thrust it provided. Once our water tanks were full, all we had to do was untie and let the tradewinds blow us away from the dock.

Currently we are anchored once again in Mosquito Cove, less than 500ft from the spot we left on Monday morning. It has been a tiring couple of days, so I think we'll just rest here for a while before considering our next steps.