A Tale of Two Chemists: Bridget arrives … Tues 3rd

Bridget arrives … Tues 3^rd – Thurs 5^th April

Airplane issues delayed Bridget’s arrival. She made her connection in Miami, but 15 minutes into the flight to Antigua they were turned around and had to head back because of “mechanical issues”. However, the prime minister of Antigu and his secret service agents were on the plane and speculation from the passengers was that there had been some sort of terrorist threat. Once back in Miami a new plane and crew were provided in short order and they were back on their way, minus the prime minister. It was about 6.45 pm by the time Bridget arrived at Jolly Harbor and we jumped in the dinghy and motored in the dark out of the harbor itself to the Cotinga out in Mosquito Bay anchorage.

Our overall plan for the week was to spend a few days in secluded areas on the south-east side of the island and then return to the more developed English and Falmouth harbors. On Wednesday we pulled up anchor and motored south and east, back the way we had come a few days earlier. It’s been a while since we have had to travel to windward and we must have forgotten how much harder it feels than sailing off the wind. For much of the journey we were inside of a protective reef and seas were pretty flat, but as we approached Indian Creek bay the swell / waves had picked up considerably. The entrance to this small Bay is narrow and with waves crashing on cliffs to the side it was a little scary. Once inside the Bay makes a dog-leg turn through an even narrower section with an almost land-locked area behind. The guide book says depths are 8 feet through the dog-leg “but take it easy in case there are some shallower sections”. We chickened out. With strong winds behind us, and rocky shores all around, the prospect of running aground was too much. We dropped the hook and anchored in the main part of the Bay. This in itself was a little intimidating because of the rock wall about 50 yards behind us, but the holding seemed good and the water was pretty flat and were directly below Eric Clapton’s mansion up on the hill! When we first arrived there was a catamaran close to the entrance of the Bay, but they soon departed and we were left in splendid isolation. We jumped into the “Dumb Dog” and took a dinghy ride around the Bay. Cactus covered cliffs surround the bay, which give way to mangroves as you proceeded around the bend. There are a few goats bleating and lots of pelicans diving for fish - peaceful location. We enjoyed Mahi-Mahi for dinner, but were disappointed not be invited for an impromptu concert up on the hill.

On Thursday morning we motored out of Indian Creek Bay and turned east to continue round the coast to Nonsuch Bay. It was only a seven mile trip that we motor-sailed but it was quite rough. We were thrilled to see a large whale really close to the boat. To get into Nonsuch Bay you need to pass over a shallow bar called “York Bank” which is marked on the charts as “dangerous in heavy swells”. We didn’t think the conditions constituted “heavy swell” but it certainly wasn’t light. We got some encouragement from seeing another sailing vessel coming out from the bay, although it was a little disconcerting when our AIS system showed that it had gone aground on the adjacent island – although we could see by eye that this was not the case. So much for the accuracy of the AIS system! Anyway, crossing the bar didn’t prove too bad. We saw depths of 17 feet but were soon in deeper water and navigating our way round the reefs. We pulled into Ricketts harbor on Green Island, which is an idyllic cove with crystal clear water and two sandy beaches. There was one other boat on a mooring, a second empty mooring and a dinghy from a nearby resort on the beach. We dropped our anchor, but as the dinghy left the driver told us we were welcome to use the free mooring and land on the beach (Green Island is private). We were initially reluctant to pull up our anchor, but the owner of the other vessel came over in his dinghy and offered to help us with our lines, so we moved onto the mooring. This is an astonishingly beautiful location! After a quick lunch we went snorkeling and saw lots of fish, including a sting-ray, and a turtle. Because the visibility was so good, we also spent an hour or more cleaning weed from the outside of the hull. In the evening Yves and Francine from the other boat “Shan Han” came over for a drink. They have been coming down to the Caribbean for 6 months every year for the past 8 years, returning to Montreal in the summer. It was fun to meet up with them and share our experiences. They said that the weather conditions this January-February were the most challenging they had faced in those 8 years.

Mike

Indian Creek Bay – 17^o 0.3 N, 61^o 44.3 W

Ricketts Harbor – 17^o 4.2 N, 61^o 40.3 W