Antigua

Great to be back in Antigua again after so long. I keep bumping into old friends from what seems another lifetime ago, well it was 25 years ago!!

All the big, blue, beautiful super yachts that were berthed in Palma when we were there are now here.

Just a different car park for the Caribbean season really. The are all dwarfed by the huge 'Maltese Falcon', available for charter for $385,000 a week!

Whilst in Antigua it is a Sunday tradition to go up to Shirley Heights, the hill overlooking English Harbour and listen to the steel band and drink rather a lot of rum!

The view is spectacular and the sunsets are wonderful too, if the rum hasn't kicked in yet!

The steel band.

Daryl and I enjoying the rum punches.

Here we are anchored in Falmouth Bay.

Behind us is the grey naval-looking boat. Apparently the owner was one of the first 'tourists' in space and had his yacht positioned in the middle of the Atlantic, so that he could see it from space! Is that possible??

A change of scenery on the island of Barbuda, where we spent a couple of days. It is just a morning's sail from Antigua and the peace and quiet was a welcome relief.

There is also a frigate bird colony on the island. The marine reserve is only accessible by dingy and it was fabulous to see thousands of these beautiful nesting.

We are now back in Antigua and have a few jobs to do on the boat before heading north again.

Martinique and Dominica

A group of yachties hired a mini-van and had a tour of the island of Dominica. It apparently has the most rainfall of all the Caribbean islands and the lush vegetation is the result.

Here is one of the 365 rivers that run through the island.

It was a long day on bad roads, but worth the effort. It is often so easy to sit on the boat and not go ashore at all! Especially with a fridge full of wine and other boats in the anchorage willing to help us drink it!

One of the beautiful white sand beaches on the east coast of the island. No time to stop and have a swim, we needed to get back to base for sun-downers!

Portsmouth harbour in Dominica.

In 1995 a hurricane hit and there must be about a dozen wrecks around the bay from the severe weather that hit the island.

Here is Mount Pelee in Saint Pierre in Martinique. In 1902 it erupted, spewing molten ash over the city, killing all but one of the 30,000 inhabitants. Cyparis, the sole survivor was an inmate of the local jail and was rescued three days later, from a dungeon by French sailors.

Martinique

Diamond Rock - Rumour has it that two drunk yachties climbed the rock and hoisted the British flag.

The next day was the French Bastille day, and appalled at the sight of the foreign flag, troops were dispatched to climb up and retrieve the flag.

They couldn't make the climb and a helicopter had to be called in!!!

Our friends Gaby and Shaun, (with us in the photo) Jenny and Steve, were keen to experience catamaran sailing and so we had a great day out, it was like being on charter again!

Had a good downwind sail to Anse D'Arlet, lunch and some delicious wine. Then a motor back to base.

Waving goodbye to Gaby on the deck of 'Tabasco Jazz', anchored in St. Anne's Bay. Great to catch up with them and celebrate my birthday with them too.

Anchored off the beach at Saint Pierre, on the northwest coast of Martinique, we shall head north in the next day or so.