I always hope to get onto the boat and everything works perfectly. However, all yachtsmen know that you alway have a list of to dos on a boat. The rear rack (Heckträger) that holds the solar panels and the wind generator had to be welted (geschweißt) and the wind generator had to be mounted and connected electrically again.
Southern Stingray
The Southern stingray is the most common ray in the Caribbean. In some snorkeling sites, they are even tamed and fed by local tour operators. They have poisonous stings at the base of the tail, which can cause serious injuries. This one is burying his body in the sand and interacts with a fish.
Deep Bay Wreck Antes
Under water you cannot spread Covid-19. Therefore, snorkeling is a perfect way to stay healthy when beeing in quarantaine. The wreck Antes is a nice snorkeling spot, and tourist boats feed terns (Seeschwalben).
Chris Doyle has a wonderful desrcription of the wreck Andes: “This three-masted ironbarque was sailing from Trinidad with a load of pitch in 1905. When it got to Antigua, the crew noticed smoke rising from one ofthe hollow masts and suspected the motion of the boat had caused enough friction in the cargo to start a fire. Having hazardous cargo, they were refused permission to go into St. John’s, so they anchored in Deep Bay. When they opened the cargo hatches to dea l with the problem, the infusion of fresh air caused the pitch to burst into uncontrollable flames. The wooden deck burned off the steel frames and the vessel sank.”
Five Islands Anchorage
It’s strange that we were the only sailing boat anchoring in this beautiful bay just a few miles away from buzzling Jolly Harbour. Seeing no other boats or people for miles arround, but only one fisherman in the night, and even knowing that Antigua allegedly has the lowest crime rate of all Caribbean countries, we locked our companionway (Niedergang) and lifted our dingi out of the water for the night.
Quarantine before Atlantic Crossing
On anchor at Mosquito Cove near Jolly Harbour, sending the temperature twice a day to a Corone nurse. That’s the start for a fourteen day quarantine for sailors in Antigua. There may be worse ways to quarantaine before starting a transatlantic crossing.
Frigatebird and Pelican Island
Orinoco under Sails
Ten to fifteen knots of wind in the Samana Bay are enough for a nice sailing day with Ivan, Finn and Uwe on our Sun Odysee 409 Orinoco.
Los Haitises National Park
Los Haitises is a do-not-miss-anchorage in the Samana Bay. A natural park with dense deep green vegetation and misty blue and green mountains.
Humpback calf with mother
The humpback (Buckelwal) wale calf seems to rest on its mother, playful and relaxed. In February, hundreds of wales meet in the Samana Bay in the North of the Domincian Republic. Some give birth, others mate.
Humpback whales slap their tails
Humpback whales slap their tails and fins in a repetitive fashion and leap out of the water and twist on to their backs (breaching). The resulting sounds travel underwater and seems to communicate messages to other whales.
