Photo: Steel Band, Shirley Heights
Antigua, unlike the Windward Islands and southern Leewards, is a coral created island not a volcanic island and therefore does not get the same rainfall or katabatic winds. We anchored in Falmouth Harbour inside Bishop Shoal, a coral reef which when we were there was easily identified by the red and green buoys. We had to remember that the American buoy system is used here, therefore we left the red buoys to starboard not port.
We took the dinghy ashore and walked around to English Harbour and Nelsons Dockyard to find Customs and cleared in, which included our National Park fees. Then it was a walk to Marine Power Services to see if we could get someone to look at our generator. The staff were very friendly and helpful and we arranged to meet Steve the owner the following morning and by 10:00 we had someone on the boat looking at the generator. It turned out to be a very minor fault, a crimp on an electrical connection had come loose inside the main power control box, it was replaced and all was working again.
English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour are close to each other, an easy 5 -10 minute walk. The marina at both harbours has some impressive super yachts, the most we have seen in one area for a while.
As we had paid our National Park fees when we cleared in, there was no additional charge to walk around the old buildings and visit the museum. We also took the opportunity to walk along the cliff top to the gun emplacements. Some of the views across English and Falmouth Harbours were worth the walk. Antigua was a known hurricane refuge in the 18th century and became the main British Naval Base for the Eastern Caribbean. Nelsons Dockyard was developed in between 1785 – 1792. It has been restored and now the old buildings are cafes, bars, restaurants and shops.
On Thursday Paul and Gloria “Scallywag” and Dick and Lynn “Wind Pony” arrived early evening. It was good to catch up for drinks and tales of everyone’s adventures since we crossed the Atlantic together at the end of last year. Friday we all went to Cloggy’s for drinks and then we stayed for a very nice dinner at Cloggy’s with Paul and Gloria. It was Molly’s last night on board Wind Pony, so they all had a farewell dinner together.
Sunday 19th March we went ashore for lunch and to watch the Liverpool vs Man City game, and as we were leaving the barman suggested we went to the Steel Band BBQ at Shirley Heights, this was something that had also been recommended to us by Wayne and Ally “Blue Heeler”. So it was a quick trip back to the boats for shower and change then back ashore and a taxi up to Shirley Heights. It turned out to be a great evening. The views across the bays were amazing and the set up was nice and relaxed with picnic tables and plenty of grassed areas for those with blankets to sit on. The Steel Band played until 19:00 and then a reggae band and singer played till 22:00. They knew how to sing and party. What a nice way to spend the last evening the 6 of us would be together for a while as Scallywag are heading for the Panama, Wind Pony for Trinidad and the Dol for the Virgin Islands.
Monday morning we walked across to English Harbour, Nelsons Dockyard and cleared out of Antigua, the place was very busy and it took us over an hour to clear. Back to the dinghy and a quick stop at Wind Pony and Scallywag to say goodbye then back to the Dol, anchor up and off around the corner. We dropped the anchor in Five Island Harbour, a lovely quiet bay and easy for an early departure tomorrow for either St Martins or St Barts. Time for a swim.