Yacht Wishing For The Moon

Wishing For The Moon is now back in shape with a new engine, new watermaker, and better plumbing. Now in Isola D'Elba Italy.

Depending on the virus thing, and hopefully it will reduce in spring, I will be free for cruising Italy - Sicily and Eolian Islands, Sardinia, the Naples area with Capri, Ischia, Amalfi Coast and Pontine Islands from early April (or even March), also perhaps Corsica.

Now on shore on the island of Elba for last couple of years, and works going on October 2019 up to March 23 with engine replacement, plumbing, hull works etc, but locked out due to the virus thing here in Italy, and new engine blocked in the UK still.
Plans for the summer not yet fixed. Perhaps cruise in the Med, or sail to the UK, and sail to the Caribbean next winter if the Corona virus thing settles down.

We are free for charters around Antigua between 20th April and 5th May, which is the period of Antigua Race Week 27th April to 3rd May.

http://www.antiguanice.com/v2/client.php?id=591

Whimbrel is then - Plans for the summer have changed again as Whimbrel is being shipped back to the UK in mid May and we may be available for charter in the waters around the UK, including the Channel Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sark and Alderney. Also perhaps and Ireland, Scotland and Northern France. Please let me know should you be interested?

Here is a link showing feedback from recent guests on Whimbrel, and past info.

http://www.sailsunsea.com/Tmonials.htm

We start out from Jolly Harbour half way up the West coast.
Going south around, places to visit are:
1/ Crab Hill Bay where lies OJ's Restaurant which is good and not overly expensive, and Jacqui O's which is fine and a bit more expensive. both lie on a very pleasant beach on the sheltered side of the island.

2/ Cades Reef which lies offshore, is well protected and good for swimming and snorkelling

3/ Carlisle Bay, which is a nice overnight anchoring stop in a protected anchorage off a hotel with a dinghy dock and several fine restaurants. Nearby is a fine swimming and snorkelling area off Old Road Bluff.

4/ Falmouth Harbour which is a well protected bay with 3 marinas and visitors buoys and anchoring areas, with nice restaurants, a supermarket, a launderette, and within easy walking distance of English harbour next door. Also a large collection of super yachts to view!

5/ English Harbour which contains Nelsons Dockyard and Freemans Bay Anchorage. Nice to visit and a good hike up to Shirley Heights for glorious views.

6/ Marmora Bay which is well protected, and access to the St.James Club Hotel

7/ Nonsuch Bay which is on the East coast, so is a bit of a bash into the prevailing wind and seas, but worthwhile!
Green Island which is un-inhabited has some nice anchorages like tenpound bay, where there is only space for one boat and contains a useful mooring buoy. Also Rickets Bay and West Bay and further north where there is a collection of useful mooring buoys in the lee of the reefs. At the West end of the bay lies the Nonsuch Bay Resort with a useful restaurant.

The rest of the East coast is quite inaccessible due to being on the windward side and covered by dangerous reefs.

So Travelling back past Jolly Harbour going north is Five Island Harbour, and Deep Bay which make good anchorages. Then north of there is Dickenson Bay which has good restaurants and sheltered beaches off which to anchor.

Going around the North of the island within the Boon Channel inside the off-lying reef one can find Long Island which is a wealthy resort but with a fine anchorage, and with care one can find anchorages off a number of islands amongst the reefs.

After checking out in English Harbour following a nights stay, and watching an Atlantic crossing rowing boat with 5 men on board arrive around midnight, we sail down to Deshais bay.

Quite a busy anchorage but we find a spot near the little fishing harbour, and check in on the simple customs computer located in a store in the main street.

Then we sail south to Pigeon Island and anchor. But a local informs us no anchoring so we move to the main shore. We dinghy over to the island for snorkelling.

Next we sail south to Isle de Saintes. A pleasant spot with nice village and a slection of bays with beaches.

Next we motor into the easterly wind to Marie Galante Island and anchor off Saint Louis village. A pleasant anchorage with nice beaches. The town is a bit old, but there are some restaurants.

Then a good sail up to St. Francoise where we take a berth in the marina, and fill the water tanks and stock up etc. Very pleasant town with an interesting local produce market,

One curiosity was a large amount of Sargasso weed coming in from the Atlantic. It seems the weed is increasing perhaps due to warming, or fertilizer pollution or something?? This is becoming an increasing issue.

Then we check out, and sail up to the north of Guadaloupe to the village of Port Louis which rests just inside the Grande Coul-de-sac Marin. A nice moderately protected anchorage with a village and some restaurants etc., and a harbour able to accomodate a few yachts.

Our next intention was to explore the area behind the reefs and visit St Rose, but a northerly swell started coming in so we altered course and sailed up to Falmouth on Antigua and picked up a buoy for the night.

Now we are enjoying the pleasant anchorage in Carlisle bay and had a pleasant meal ashore in the little restaurant on the east side of the bay.

Cathleen aboard 14th Dec, and guests arrive 22nd. We sail south out of Jolly Hr, anchor off a beach for the night, then visit Cades Reef for snorkelling and spend the next night anchored off Carlisle Bay, near English Harbour.

Then we spend Christmas on Nelsons Dock in English Harbour. I purchase half and half with my guests a "Hot Dog" towing toy, which is great fun for them all whizzing around behind the dinghy.

Then we beat up against the rough Trade Winds to Green Island and we are greatly lucky to find the mooring buoy in Tenpound Bay free and we have the pretty and protected bay to ourselves, with great snorkelling around!

Next we pick up a buoy to the East of Green Island, situated behind a reef with views out into the Atlantic. We watch the Kite Surfers having fun in the bay!

27th we return to Jolly Harbour to collect the yachts new documents, and weather goes rainy so we stay for a couple of nights.

30th Dec we sial up to Jumby Bay on Long Island to the north of Antigua, which is a millionaires resort, and the security said we couldn't walk above the high water mark! But pretty and protected and good swimming area.

Then for New Years we pick up a park buoy off Great Bird Island another remote and attractive spot.

1st Jan we return to Jolly Harbour to re-stock and a night in port.

2nd we sail to Carlisle Bay again which is great for swimming and snorkelling, and the next day we go around to Falmouth where the guests enjoy an evening in the local restaurant next to the super yachts.

Then back to Carlisle Bay where we see sting rays, a Remora (which almost tries to attach to my tummy!), an octopus and some cuttle fish etc!

On the 5th we return to Jolly Hr my guests depart for their home in Canada.