Antigua, Fun and Games!

Hi,
We are only as far as Antigua. 5 April. We have been here for a week now, and just found a grand place for kite surfing. It is on the East coast of Antigua around Green Island. There are free buoyed moorings, about 20 in a reef protected anchorage. Pity the wind right now is now quite enough, but it is sure to pick up as the day progresses.
The sail from Guadalupe to Antigua was anything but comfortable. Only 42 Miles, but eventful. While motoring out of Deshaies, just after we had stowed the anchor, the alternator / coolant pump fan belt broke. Not a major crisis, but I needed to replace it. Fortunately I had one spare left, (started the voyage with 6 spares) Replacing it is not as simple as initially it may seem. First as we are sailing, the boat is now at 20 deg and moving around a lot. Next the engine is hot from the motoring while lifting anchor. Then to remove the offending belt, you must start with water maker belt, off, then Jabsco salt water pump belt, off, then the alternator / coolant pump. All this adds up to being a fiddly, dirty and awkward job, filled with profanities. Lucky I have had practice. My alternator is too big for just one belt, so I go through one every 100 hours or so.

Finally, after all was tidied up again, we got to the task of sailing north. Two reasonable wind squalls later I had a sick wife. Lucky I have spare........ Helmsman Alex. Now Alex likes to sail fast. 8 knots fast? For us it is OK! So we sailed on our side through the squalls, then we had NO wind, so we motored. Then the BLOODY fan belt was slipping. Not enough tension! The whole boat smelt like a day at Drag racing. Fuel and burnt rubber. That really got my Poor Wife Green.
Bucket Green!

Well the anchorage at Antigua in English Harbor was fantastic. Calm, clean water, Beautiful 120 ft boats, Classics Boats, New Fast Plastic Boats, Wooden Boats varnished to Museum display grade, and some ordinary boats too. All too Beautiful and too comfortable ! So we moved up to Green Island. An eight mile move which took 4 hours and 18 miles of sailing. Beating against wind and current. Poor Wife....

The kite surfing is good :)
Chat soon
Rob