CURRENT LOCATION: Anchored in Carlisle Bay, Antigua, just off the beach
17 00.840' N, 061 50.030' W
I didn't expect to have internet from here in Carlisle Bay, but we'll take advantage of this unexpected time online to give you an update...
Yesterday we completed all of our shoreside responsibilities, including another walk out to Reeds Point (the views provided from the point never cease to take our collective breath away) ...
... and a stop at Customs/Immigration/Port Authority to officially check out of Antigua. Once the paperwork was complete we made a final trip to the well-stocked grocery store in Jolly Harbour.
One of the special treats I have been enjoying over these past three weeks is inexpensive meat, specifically poultry. Since Sheryl is a vegetarian, and we have no refrigeration, I not only have to find it at a good price, but also must find it portioned for a single meal (to be cooked and consumed within an hour or two of purchase). When it is in stock, the Jolly Harbour grocery packages single boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or sometimes two small ones) which are perfect for a meal for one and retail for less than $2 USD. Unfortunately, yesterday was not one of the days to find chicken in stock. I did, however, find two ground turkey patties (already shaped to form perfect hamburgers) on the refrigerated shelf. It made a wonderful 'going away' present for my evening meal.
After an early dinner, I cleared out the port side cockpit locker and deflated the dinghy in preparation for stowing. By sunset, the jigsaw puzzle which is our cockpit lockers had been put back together and
Prudence was an island without a tender.
Just as the forecasters had predicted, the winds died as Monday night turned into Tuesday morning, and we woke to an anchorage where boats were pointed in every which direction. Our GPS nightlight showed that we had drifted around, about, and directly over our anchor through the hours of darkness. Fortunately, there was plenty of space between us and our neighbors.
With only about an 8 nautical mile journey before us, we took our time getting underway this morning. It is nice to be able to perform another weather check, respond to e-mail, have a leisurely breakfast and two cups of coffee before being asked to do anything as strenuous as picking up an anchor. I will have to rise fairly early tomorrow if I wish to enjoy the same pre-departure amenities, and even then will have to rush through them at a much faster pace. In order to make it to Deshaies in daylight hours, we will have to get a start at first light.
We were underway by 10AM today with less than 10 knots of wind coming from the exact direction we needed to go. Still, we put up the full main and snugged the sheet at the centerline. We have learned from experience how much this will dampen the effect of sea swell and make for a more comfortable ride. Once we rounded the corner, we had enough angle off the wind to give us a little lift from the main, but not enough to go entirely under sail alone. This is O.K. since we were heading along the Goat Head Channel, which leads between some offshore reefs and a coral-strewn coastline. We wanted to stay directly on our rhumb line. Besides, the engine can use a good warm up every so often, since weeks and sometimes months will go by without an engine start.
By noon we were motoring slowly into Carlisle Bay, a pretty little anchorage rimmed on three sides by green mountains. The bright sun's rays beat down upon us and suggested that it was time for a swim. Once we were settled, I changed to a swimsuit, mask, snorkel, and fins. While Sheryl opted to stay on the boat, I swam to shore and went for a short walk before sitting and relaxing on the beach (can you find me on the beach in the photo below, which Sheryl took from the boat?). A just reward for my anchor duty efforts this morning, if I do say so myself.
As evening approaches, we sit comfortably with light winds and a little rocking motion on the boat. We will be watching for the winds to shift overnight (around to the north) and strengthen a bit. If the forecast below holds true, we hope to be enjoying a broad reach to Guadeloupe tomorrow.