We sailed north from Guadeloupe to Antigua for the holidays, combining a unique blend of English and Caribbean traditions we first discovered when cruising here on our former boat ZINGARO in 2008.

Our friends Michael and Celeste joined us on Christmas Eve for a week aboard KINETIC. They hadn’t sailed in a few years, but were looking forward to boat ownership and were eager to embrace the cruising lifestyle. We spent Christmas Eve in Deep Bay, and enjoyed a “boisterous” sail north to Barbuda on Christmas day. Cocoa Point, normally well attended by cruising and charter boats, was like a ghost town – only one other cruising boat, and the devastating wreckage left by Hurricane Irma. It was difficult to resolve the natural beauty of Barbuda with the wreckage of the Cocoa Point Beach Resort, active and thriving just last season, and now an eerie shambles.

 

 

 

Back aboard that evening, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner of smoked turkey, sweet potatoes and vegetables, along with Buche de Noel and a marzipan Galette (we provisioned well in French Guadeloupe)!  Christmas lights in the cockpit (solar LED, of course) and carols, sharing holiday memories and dreams.

Boxing Day (Dec 26^th) was a lazy day at Cocoa Point – swimming, sunning, and exploring the remnants of the K Club, now owned/leased by Robert DeNiro. Sea turtles made frequent appearances, keeping us entertained. Time for Christmas Pudding!

 

Our next leg was around the windward side of Antigua, to Green Island and Nonsuch Bay. A long day of strong winds and big seas, lots of practice hand-steering; we were grateful to have a stable ocean-going boat!  Once moored behind the reef at Green Island, we went ashore to watch the kitesurfers launch off “40 Knot Point”.

 

Next stop, Falmouth! An easy downwind sail along the south coast of Antigua, admiring Eric Clapton’s Cliffside estate and the forts guarding English Harbour. Luckily we reserved a mooring, as English/Falmouth is extremely popular with cruising boats and megayachts for the Christmas holidays. Once secured, we headed ashore for a walking tour of Nelson’s Dockyard at English Harbour. Mike and Celeste also taxied up to Shirley Heights, boasting a commanding view of both English and Falmouth Harbours. Dinner at the Antigua Yacht Club was a terrific finale to the day.

 

 

On to Dickenson Bay – downwind to Cades Reef, and a reach up the lee side to the NW corner of Antigua. We anchored behind the cliffs, and dinghied ashore for a long walk on the beach and some island souvenirs.

After returning to Jolly Harbour, Mike and Celeste flew home to arctic Virginia, and we celebrated New Years Eve with dinner ashore and a terrific fireworks display seen from the cockpit.   Here’s to fabulous 2018!