Jolly Harbour, Antigua

     On Thursday we had our best sail in a while. It was downwind, calm, sunny and the swell was smaller than the typical 8-9 feet of late. Coming in towards Jolly Harbour along the west coast of Antigua there are several shoals and reefs so we navigated carefully through the striking turquoise water to anchor just outside the harbour entrance. The area outside Jolly is beautiful—green murky water, stretches of white sand beach, and a surprising number of sailboats from Canada.

     Our main interest in visiting Jolly Harbour was so that Dad could check out the waterfront condos here. Ever since we discovered how amazing Antigua is as a kiteboarding spot, the idea of a having condo here struck a chord with him. Also it is a port of entry, so we can check out easily when we head to St. Martin (possibly on Monday).  The area did not disappoint. In the harbour rows of brightly painted two-story condos sit along dredged canals with docks placed just behind back porches, making for the perfect low-key winter home for sailors.

     Basically, you can chill on your back porch, enjoying the hot sun, and then step right off your private dock onto your boat and head out for a sail. There is a nice beach nearby, shopping centres, a sports facility, a golf course on the northern part of the development, and Jolly Harbour is only a twenty minute drive to Jabberwock, an awesome kiteboarding spot frequented by pro kiteboarder Andre Phillip. After Dad visited a few real estate offices exciting possibilities began to brew for the future, easily supported by us kids as Antigua is just a plane ride away from Toronto. If it does happen, it won’t be in the immediate future, but there are some exciting options here for Mom and Dad’s developing retirement/cruising plans.

     Yesterday while the parents mused over condos for sale, Sarah, Jamie and I had our first proper beach day. You would think we’d have spent tons of time on beaches given that we’ve been sailing around islands for many months now, but this was the first time we’ve actually played in the swell and laid on a beach in the sun without being surrounded by kites.

     All in all, our first impressions of Jolly Harbour have been good and we none of us would feel put out in the least by returning here someday soon.

Until St. Martin,
Nicole.

The Journey Begins!

The Harry Potter-esque power house at Boldt Castle

Anchored in Alexandria Bay, New York, our view tonight consists of (get this!) a towering castle…what a life! This afternoon we motored in behind Boldt Castle after an eventful first day on the trip south. Casting off our lines early this morning, we left Collin’s Bay in Kingston and watched the dock recede into the distance as the air around us seemed to crackle with excitement. Finally, we were under way! After so much work, so much anticipation and combating with nerves and obstacles over the previous weeks and months, the journey had begun. Feeling the wind blowing in our faces, we gazed out into the gray clouded waters of Lake Ontario, passing gently into misty rain while managing to sail past Kingston. 

The highlights of the day included: getting a bonus sail from K-Town to Camelot Island; testing out the new camera snapping photos of our friends aboard s/v Raftan; passing beneath the Thousand Island Bridge; the ease of checking into US customs with our Nexus cards (just a phone call away!); waving to passing tour boats; and visiting Boldt Castle after a day of travel. 

Our cruising guide to the Thousand Islands describes Boldt Castle as a “colossal monument to love,” and basically it is a “mammoth cottage” intended as an expression of love from George Boldt to his wife Louise. Building began on Hart Island in the 1890s, but sadly Boldt’s wife passed away before construction was completed and in his grief he abandoned the summer house altogether. Since the 1970s restoration work has begun but, as we noticed, many of the upper levels remain unfinished. It is definitely worth a visit, and being anchored only a few hundred feet away, we simply couldn’t pass it up! 

On another note, a few problems we encountered on our first day were: breaking a dodger window (again while tacking), and finding a tear in the trailing edge of the genoa. But luckily these were minor setbacks. All in all we had a busy, misty day and are happy to be cozy at anchor with some delicious spaghetti and a celebratory beer! 

Until next time,

Nicole.

The Thousand Island Bridge with Raftan in the distance