English Harbour

The passage between Guadeloupe and Antigua was indeed long and wet. We set off with two reefs and staysail, and battened down the hatches. We were not as close on the wind as we'd feared and initially went very well, only being overtaken by a couple of large fast modern boats.

Matthew spent the entire trip "watching the waves" and looking out for flying fish. Elizabeth spent the whole trip with her head in a plastic bucket until she was finally relieved with about an hour to run and then in instant need of food and drink. Vomitting really is a reset button for seasickness.

Antigua is less mountainous than the other islands we've visited so far. This made it harder to sight on the way over and also means that it has less rainfall and is visibly more arid. Incontrast, Montserrat, which we left to port, was immense and imposing, with a visible plume of ash scarring the east side of the volcano, visible even from twenty miles.

We approached the historic bay of English Harbour. This is where Nelson's base in the Caribbean and is a strategic gem - it is the most upwind of the main island chain and the natural harbour has so many twists and turns that it is near invisible from the ocean. The entrance was heavily fortified,a nd within, the historic Georgian dockyard has been carefully restored. We hope to explore tomorrow.

English Harbour is also home to many of the region's superyachts. Both immense modern motor cruisers and sailing yachts were here, as well as recently arrived classic giants, such as the J-class Lionheart which I watched last summer in Cowes. In such immaculate and plastic-wrapped company, we slunk off to the furthest and dankest edge of the mangroves to drop our hook. Here I am watching the sun set as egrets and herons patrol the shores, pigeons coo from the trees and pelicans cruise overhead.