May 12, 2013-As English Harbor Empties Out, Wings Remains.

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Judy and the Canon.

The sound of large ship’s horns blowing tells us another of the super yachts is departing for the Med; the other yachts still here are giving it a send off. We look to see who is leaving. This time it is Endeavour, last of the J’s in Falmouth Harbor, and we see her mast moving through the anchored yachts towards the ocean. She reaches the mouth of Falmouth Harbor and turns into the wind, her long bow rising and falling with the Atlantic swell. We see the huge mainsail creep slowly upward, waving gently in the breeze. Then Endeavour bears off and gathers way.

And is gone around the point.

Many of the other boats have already left or are leaving; all of our cruiser friends have departed.

It’s getting quiet here.

We, too, are ready to be on our way, yet not ready; there is a sail, a replacement for the number 4 jib, now under construction at North Sails, to be finished, there is a new computer to be delivered, (replacement for the beloved Dell studio which died, out of warranty of course), some rigging bits to be built at Antigua Rigging, mail to be delivered from Seattle, etc, etc.

We pass the time. Today we took a walk to Fort Berkley.

But sail we will, and soon, possibly Monday or Tuesday. By then the boat should be ready.

Bound for where?

When all preparations here in Falmouth Harbor are complete we’ll sail around to Jolly Harbor for final provisioning and to check out of the country. It is an easy shakedown from here to Jolly. We can take a look at the new sail and check out the cruising systems.

Then a short passage to Dominica. We missed it on the way north.

But by early June we should be on our way southwestward, to Bonaire, and after that, Cartegena, Columbia.

These are ocean passages, yet not the long ones we’ve done in the past; 480 miles to Bonaire, another 500 miles or so to Columbia. A few days each.

But we’ll go prepared, and that is why we are still here in English Harbor.

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Two Boys on a Slow Day.

Click here for a few more images from English Harbor and Falmouth.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Antigua

March 12, 2013-Finding Falmouth

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Superyacht "A" in Falmouth Harbor.

It is unusual weather in Antigua when the north wind blows and the northwest swell rolls in and the normally calm lee side becomes as angry as Neptune can make it short of a hurricane.

Under these conditions we departed Jolly Harbor bound for Falmouth and as we left the inner harbor we found the outer harbor empty except for a few diehards in denial who hung on and rolled to their beam ends while the swells rose up at random over the flats and crashed over the leading marks.

This was no place to be in a north wind and big swell.

The safety lies in blue water and we sheeted in and held our westing ‘till the last of the breakers were behind us before we turned south towards Falmouth. Once we got away from the flats of the west side things got better; it turned into a nice sail.

Outside of the reefs off of Johnson’s Point we picked up the “On Deck” sail training fleet in their way home and we raced with them until they peeled off for Carlisle Bay.

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Fred Steers to Falmouth Harbor.

One stayed out heading further east and I worked on him for a couple of miles up the coast. That was the best part of the day’s sail, when I was matching my helming skill and our boat speed against that other, unknown, guy. I had my total concentration on the two boats, on the wind, the waves, and on trying to eke out a few feet whenever I could, until when it was time for us to peel off for Falmouth Harbor, and by that time I had him beaten and it felt good.

With the wind in the north Deep Bay looked inviting and we turned in and dropped the hook in eighteen feet of water the lee of Brake Island. Up to the east the crowd of Falmouth seemed intimidating to us; who needs to anchor with 200 other boats?

Later I sat out in the cockpit drinking red wine and listening to the Who’s Quadrophenia while Judy played one handed scrabble and I watched some late arrivals come in. First a schooner tacked in and dropped anchor under sail the then a tall sloop with four sets of spreader lights dropped their hook right in the entrance.

Tomorrow, if you believe the forecasters, the wind will shift back to the east, and we’ll have to move up into the harbor.

We’ve come a long way in the last few years. Once upon a time we were immersed in China. I read a story today, “Nothing Good Comes from a Dead-Pig Tide” and in some ways I’m glad that China is a long way behind us. I‘m glad we’ve found Falmouth.

Click here for more photos from our trip to Falmouth.

Fred & Judy, SV Wings, Falmouth Harbor