Antigua

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

After a 30 hour sail, Opti has her senses focused on the beautiful beaches and mountains in Jolly Harbor, Antigua.

 Cleared in and explored this ex-pat community, doing laundry, grocery shopping and enjoying this community.  After 2 days it was time to move on and see the real Antigua...English Harbor.  Home of Admiral Nelson's Dockyard.

Explored the Dockyard then trekked up to Fort Berkley overlooking English Harbour.  followed by draft Wadalli, an Antiguan beer.  Afterwards, we dinghied across the harbor to let Opti swim while we bathed, snorkeled  and scrubbed the bottom of the dinghy.  Susan discovered that sand works pretty well on green sea slime.

Is it time to go back to the boat

Fort Berkley

Old tree in the dockyard

Jon enjoying his carbs.

We enjoyed the low key Dockyard Museum very much!

Busts Jon likes!

Boats Jon likes.

Saturday, August 9, we took the local bus to St. John's and back.  We were the only whites on it.  The guy behind let Jon open his dual row seat window all the way at the sacrifice of air on his part.  After bumping hands in thanks, thinking is all the cruise ship whites must take a private tour bus to English Harbour and other points of interest.  They miss so much humanity.  It seemed one continuous settlement(s) during the 30-40 min. ride from English Harbour to St. John's, Antigua's capital.  A diversity of churches seemingly every mile pointed to a religious island.

We walked the streets and enjoyed a thriving Saturday market but forgot to provision in the colorful veggie stands before returning.  To "rehydrate" we had a Caribe over ice (it works for us) and later, a great late lunch at C&C wine bar, including 4 samples of S. African vino with olives, bruschetta and Capri over eggplant, one of Susan's favorite variations on this theme.  Curious and somewhat in need, we even sprung for a couple of pieces of bamboo clothing.  3% cooler than cotton as if we could tell the difference.  Back early to Opti's delight for a welcomed pee ashore and finished off the evening with one of Susan's great makeshift pizzas and another episode of "24" (Susan bought the CDs last trip when visiting her dad).


Rented a vehicle to explore more of the island.  Went through a lush, tropical forest to a coastal road that we saw while sailing.  Discovered great beaches, local beach bars, forts and harbors; even met a guy who restores and maintains Land Rovers.  On a live ability scale, Antigua rates a 10,

Shirley Heights- a look out for English Harbor

The view of English Harbor from Shirley Heights.  We are tucked in
to the smallest finger, right in the middle of the picture.

Two of about 35 Land Rovers we discovered at a repair shop
near English Harbor,

Boys playing cricket near Carlyle Bay/

OJ's Beach Bar.  Enjoyed mussels and wings and a cold beverage.
Live jazz on weekends 

Fort overlooking St. John's Bay

Next day we picked up anchor and motored to Falmouth to re-fuel and water up.  Time to "explore, dream, discover". Casted away our dock lines and headed to Montserrat and Guadeloupe.