9 March Falmouth Harbour

Falmouth harbour

From Jolly we moved 6 miles to Falmouth Harbour, an excellent protected anchorage, 6 to 7m deep though there are patches of shallow reef to avoid and no swell. Again, three years since we were here. There are more mooring balls than we recall, but less boats and we easily find a nice space to drop the hook.

distinct SV Maltese Falcon

Of course we've been out exploring. The place is booming; people, cars, shops, restaurants. Three years ago Covid restrictions were in place; masks, keep your distance, wash hands and temperature checks before entering. Now we see new building projects, super yachts on the dock including the seized Russian owned Alfa Nero.

We finally got our banging Indian curry at Indian Summer and found a newly opened Thai restaurant which was even better. We're going back there next week.

Thai

We walked Middle Trail which conveniently loops from the Yacht Club to Pigeon Beach, over the hill via three old British Forts to Fort Berkeley in English Harbour and back to the dinghy dock. On the way we've watched the sailing super yachts practise for races next week and bumped into more dear friends. This time it is Lucy and Jamie of Bamboozle II. Bamboozle is an Amel. We first met them in St Barts in 2009 and both crossed the Pacific the next year and hadn't seen them for a long time until we anchored next to them In English Harbour in late 2021. New friends are good, long time friends are extra special.

Nelson's dockyard

English harbour

 

4 March Boat watch

Lying in bed last night I saw a Boat Watch post on FB for an overdue French boat called Epipapu coming from St Barts to Antigua. Yesterday it was very windy day and a boat had come in and dropped anchor in the channel. Did they have an engine problem? It was dark so I would have to wait until morning to check but I have a feeling that the boat anchored in the channel is the one the French coastguard is searching for.

This morning I took the binoculars to look at our neighbours and it is Epipapu, overdue from St Barts. I send an email to the Coastguard to alert them and they immediately answer with a request for a phone call. Because it is a French boat I'm talking to the CG in Martinique who speak perfect English. They ask that David and I go over to see them, they need to contact their son who raised the alarm.

They are called Alain and Alexa and they have no idea their son has issued an overdue notice. With no internet connection they haven't been able, and yes, there is an issue with the engine over heating. I give Alexa my phone and she calls her son.

Phew! Mission completed, lost souls found. It's time for breakfast and a cup of tea.

27 February Highs and lows

We are back in Antigua three years since we were last here and when Covid restrictions were still in place.

It was a grand 14 knots on the beam sail from the north tip of Guadeloupe to the anchorage at Jolly Harbour. We were too late to clear in yesterday so went in in the dinghy this morning to complete our official entry.

What was the good feeling? Being in a new country and spotting SV Relax anchored 200m ahead of us. We met Ralph and Carmen in the Maldives and haven't seen them since South Africa which is six years ago though we have kept in touch by email. They've had the boat in Florida since completing their circumnavigation. It is wonderful to see them. It may have been 6 years, but, as it feels with so many of our cruising friends, it feels like last week as conversation bubbles and flows.

In contrast it was a most disappointing return to the Curry House in Jolly. We travelled in in high expectation of a banging Indian curry and returned in low spirits after a bland and flabby meal.

However, when we popped into the supermarket, our spirits were lifted as I spotted a known Scottish gin on the shelves at a bargain price. It would have been rude not to buy a few bottles ready for Christmas, or Easter. Easter comes first.

24 February Ready to leave Les Saints

It's Saturday and we take the dinghy into town to clear out from Guadeloupe for Antigua and do a final French shop for cheese and baguettes.

We are back on Jackster at Cabrit island for a final dive and a last chance to catch fish for Polly. Two days ago we had a close meet up with a sleepy hawksbill turtle. Today was another fine swim and our happy cat gets three fish for the freezer. While we have the kit out David cleans the prop and waterline. Got to look pretty when we sail off tomorrow. Our plan is a day sail up to Point Ferry, one night there and the next day continue to Jolly Harbour on the west coast of Antigua.

18 February More diving and fishing

Still enjoying the peace of Ils Cabrit we've been out diving. On our first dive two spotted eagle rays swam past us (not a common sight in the Caribbean), next dive we hung out with a hawksbill turtle and on another visit to the reef we had a free swimming octopus.

David's been doing more fishing and netted us some beautiful red snapper. We have the fillets and Polly has everything else.

14 February It must be my birthday!

After ten days on a mooring close to the main town we've moved a mile to take another mooring ball at Ils Cabrit. It's protected from the prevailing wind and swell, no-one lives on the island, apart from a few cats, I can swim off the boat to snorkel the shore line and there's a dive buoy we can use to tie the dinghy to nearby.

Today is Polly's nominated 10^th birthday and her, and our, lucky day because David catches two good size groupers. Polly won't eat meat, but she loves fresh fish. We do too and with our fish supper celebrate Valentine's Day with a chilled glass or three of champagne.

6 February Upwards, upwards to Mt Chameau

Not content with one walk yesterday, today we went further and higher. Okay, I admit this isn't on the same scale as scaling Everest, first it was much, much warmer, second, total height just 309m and there was a tarmacced road all the way. However, the road is closed to all vehicles and everyone has to walk, some quicker than others. We weren't in the quick group.

approaching the summit

This is the highest point of the Saints with great views across the ocean. In the 18^th century the French built a fortified watch tower to monitor English maritime movements from Dominica to the south. Those pesky English again! There used to be steps to access the first floor but they have gone so David used an old metal door which had been stood on rocks below the entrance to scramble up. I stayed on the ground to take the photos.

It was a popular spot with lots of red faced and deep breathing visitors arriving to take in the vista plus colourful local chickens begging to be fed.

The return downhill was considerably faster and on the way we met the most beguiling kitten. David was very close to bringing her home as a companion for Polly. I'm sure Polly would not have been impressed.

19thC graffiti

king of the castle

Ils Cabrit on the left

*it took two days before my leg muscles stopped hurting. 

5 February Fort Napoleon, Les Saintes

museum in the main building

Sitting on the hill above the town is an old fort called Fort Napoleon. We've walked up the hill to the gates many times and never been inside, partly because it's only open in the morning. Today we completed the visit! And it was very interesting with great views across the islands, north to main island Guadeloupe and south to Dominica. Perfect for watching out for those pesky Brits in their ships of the line coming to invade. As an aside, there was a four day sea battle between Britain and France around the Saints in April 1782. Britain won and seized the islands for a few years.

Back to today and our visit to the fort and its museum which was worth visiting, lots of background history on the islands and displays of local fauna and flora, shipwreck sites and marine excavations, good views from the battlements and a gardener who loves their work. 

great views over the island

4 February Exploring St Louis, Marie Gallante

I have to admit we found Marie Gallante disappointing. This doesn't happen very often and we always travel optmistically. We went with high hopes of finding the cute island our friends had told us about, hiring a car for a day and exploring further afield.

Perhaps it was our timing. Today was a Saturday morning and quiet, small groups of people outside the coffee shops come bakery, basic shops, plenty of litter and rusting abandoned cars on the side of the, a feeling of neglect and not one car hire shop open for business. We walked all the streets in search of joie de vivre and couldn't find it. From this small vignette of one MG town, but most popular for visiting yachts given the 50 boats anchored here, we felt this is a much poorer island compared to the Saintes.

With the addition of the wind predicted to turn to the north in a couple of days we decided it would be better to sail on to Les Saintes. We had a wonderful sail; 19 miles with the wind on our backs to Terre-de-haut with the added bonus of our preferred mooring ball tucked in the sheltered north corner of the mooring field available. Bingo!!

the extensive bay at St Louis

quiet on Saturday morning

the long pier to the dinghy dock

2 February Onwards to new horizons - Marie Gallante

We left Marina bas du Fort bound for the island of Marie Gallante which lies 20 miles south east of Point a Pitre. Normally it is a slog to wind and current but today there is no wind and we can motor over for our first visit.

We anchor off St Louis on the north west corner in a large, shallow sandy bay. It's too late to go ashore and we settle for a quiet and peaceful night at anchor with not a ripple on the water and a photo worthy sunset.