Antigua
Hermitage Bay
17.05.197N
61.53.709W

We’re going to chalk this day up to gaining experience. We hoisted our anchor at 6:30 am and eased through the reefs and out into the Caribbean Sea. We rounded between St. Kitts and Nevis through the area known as ‘the Narrows’. We threaded our way through the reefs bordering the islands on the north and entered into the Atlantic Ocean. An amazing thing is that you can see where the waters meet in certain areas.

Once out into the Atlantic, the seas were confused (meaning they were coming from various directions.) The weather reports had indicated that the winds and seas would moderate during the week from their normal 17-20kts and 4-6’ heights. They didn’t moderate. We had the normal winds and seas, except that the waves were wind driven from one direction and swell driven in another. It made for the occasional 8’ wave that would smash into us sending gushing water over our bow and through our less than watertight hatches. One wave actually hit at an angle that sent water up over the bow with enough force to send it up the dodger and over the hard top. It was raining salt water! What didn’t go over the hard top, went down the companion way. As Dale shut the hatch to the companion way, he said that it was a little like shutting the barn door after the horses have gone.

I guess because it was day light and I could see what was happening, the washing machine action didn’t bother me. Since it only happened once, the salt water rain didn’t bother me. Dale was visibly nervous. Finally I just asked, since I assumed I was missing something I should be worried about. He was usurping my position as the Nervous Nelly in the family!

As it turned out, he was upset about our time schedule. He had estimated that we would be traveling at the same speed that we had made in traveling from St. Barts to St. Kitts, or at the very least we could motorsail at 6kts. With the washing machine action, we were in the 5.5 range and couldn’t sail on a more direct route which would put us very close to dusk when we arrived. No room for error.

So we motor sailed the entire way. He asked me what I had done with his wife, the one who didn’t like pounding into the waves or listing more than 20 degrees. Dunno, I’m sure she’s here somewhere, I was busy reading the cruising guides about our next adventure and the Palace seemed to be doing just fine. Since I wasn’t sitting down below, I didn’t hear the pounding hull or feel the water dripping from the hatches.

Another matter on his mind was that the watermaker had developed an airlock from the rough ride. Something that he easily rectified as soon as we anchored, but something he hadn’t encountered or thought about before. Normally, when the engine is running, we’re either making water or cooling the refrigerator.
As it turned out, it was a little before 3pm when we reached Antigua and started coasting down the west side heading for English Harbor on the south side. It was going to be close. We grabbed the guides and started looking for alternative harbors to pull into that would be safe and comfortable with the current wind and wave conditions.

As it turned out, the one we selected (Hermitage Bay, within Five Islands Harbor, if you‘re checking the guides) really didn’t have too much written about it but we could see a couple of boats already anchored in it as we sailed by. As of this writing, its been great. A quiet bay, nice beach, no bugs, not too much swell, not crowded; works for me!

Tomorrow, we’ll clear into Antigua in English Harbor and then set about checking out the local sights. They should be gearing up for Antigua Race Week at the end of April, so things should be starting to liven up. With any kind of luck, we’ll see the vintage yachts come in but be gone before it gets too crowded and crazy for the mega yacht racers that draw the crowds.