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
05 March 2019 | Grenada
05 March 2019 | Antigua and Grenada
29 January 2019 | Barbuda
29 January 2019 | Barbuda
29 January 2019 | Nonsuch Bay, Antigua
29 January 2019 | Falmouth Harbour
29 January 2019 | English Harbour, Antigua
29 January 2019 | Antigua Yacht Club
29 January 2019 | Antigua
19 January 2019 | Catherine’s noisy bar, Pigeon Bay
18 January 2019
17 January 2019
16 January 2019
15 January 2019
14 January 2019
13 January 2019
12 January 2019
11 January 2019
10 January 2019
Recent Blog Posts
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 contrast between the devastation from Hurricane Irma and the miles of pinky white deserted beaches is staggering

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 [...]

29 January 2019 | Nonsuch Bay, Antigua

On our own in Nonsuch Bay

Gone native

09 March 2019 | Southern Grenada
Sarah
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).

We spent the last 2 weeks in one of the deep sheltered bays in southern Grenada, surrounded by mangroves and palm trees. We joined the merry gang of nautical international drop outs, many living on their tired boats for decades, or even up to 25 years. Maybe they stay because it is down wind, so hard work to clamber back up wind to the white beaches of the Grenadines, or maybe just because the pace of life has ground to a halt.

Either way, were happy to join their activities which included a full moon party within 100 yards of Freebird, so she enjoyed the throbbing music all night. There were regular yoga classes on the shore for the hippies, some of which included families with young children. There was a weekly reggae band on the beach for the rastas, hippies and castaways which involved a lot of rum, noxious substances and tattoos. It is a miracle that we managed to tear ourselves away to come home...

The Grenadians are incredibly outgoing and friendly. We were lucky to attend an epic one day international cricket match in St Geore’s, their capital. The stadium was packed, mostly with locals all dressed in colourful national colours. They were completely passionate about the game, drinking copious quantities of rum which fuelled the lavish dancing to a steel band that did not stop all day. There were over 800 runs scored, with 48 sixes, many from their hero Gayle. The crowd went beserk until England just clinched the match at the end of the day. It was extraordinary how all the Grenadian supporters immediately congratulated us on a great win, and as we walked through the packed town afterwards, the locals continued to offer praise for such a good match. The same would certainly never happen in London.

Roll on 10 months when we hope to continue the next leg of our adventure.

Photo shows the reggae band on the beach. Sadly no photo to show The Skipper has gone native, mainly because he didn’t,
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Freebird's Photos - Main
6 Photos
Created 29 December 2018
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Created 23 November 2018
2 Photos
Created 20 November 2018

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