Freebird Atlantic
| Vessel Name: | Freebird |
| Vessel Make/Model: | X-Yachts - XC 50 |
| Crew: | William and Sarah Maltby, Henry Faire, James Axtell |
09 March 2019 | Southern Grenada
Gone native
Freebird is now safely out of the water and has been left in a yard where a steel frame will be built around her to protect from a hurricane (which we hope is unlikely).
05 March 2019 | Grenada
How to acquire a new burgee stick
Grenada is a stunning island, much of it a tropical rain forest with exotic flowers, lush foliage, colossal bamboos, and many of the spices growing in abundance (nutmeg, cinnamon, ...) hence it’s name The Spice Island.
05 March 2019 | Antigua and Grenada
Cricket mania
I will now confess to the real purpose of the Skipper plotting to cross the Atlantic, and imposing the high seas on his wife... test matches in the West Indies. Since last posting a blog, we have been following England cricket team on their tour of the West Indies, with mixed success but fun all the [...]
29 January 2019 | Barbuda
Barbuda
The wind continued but we decided to head north to Barbuda which is reputed to have the best beaches in the Caribbean. After quite a lumpy sail we arrived in paradise, having taken care to avoid all the reefs. The beaches are completely exquisite, just miles and miles of pinky white sand, with not [...]
Out of our depth in Falmouth Harbour
We spent 6 nights anchored in Falmouth Harbour. It is a pretty, unspoilt bay, except for one corner which houses the Antigua Yacht Marina, an obscene sight of huge 200 Foot plus superyachts, more like a sea of plastic fantastic. One day we went alongside to pick up fuel and water, and found ourselves alongside Shemera, a beautiful classic motor boat belonging to Charles Dunstone. We were a lot smaller than most of the tenders, but one consolation was that we were spotted by a charming Danish couple who came to introduce themselves as fellow RYS members. His name is Poul Hoj-Jensen, an eminent Dragon sailor and holder of 2 Olympic gold medals. He came to admire our rather meagre boat, and said ours was by far his most favoured of the elite mix.
Falmouth Harbour is a short 10 minute walk across an isthmus to English Harbour, where Nelson came in 1793 with his fleet. It is an historic dockyard with an old slipway on which frigates could be hauled up. It now has been turned into an exclusive hotel, and museum, and there are also beautifully preserved buildings of that era. We spent some time there, partly as there was an excellent sailmaker who repaired our sprayhood, and partly because it is where the rowers arrive from their epic row across the Atlantic.
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