Chartering in Antigua Dr. Paul Jacobs & Nancy Kaull From 2009 to 2014 we owned Sandpiper, a Jeanneau 36i that was part of the Sunsail fleet in Roadtown, Tortola. We are retired, so we wound up sailing in 14 different Caribbean, Mediterranean, and South Pacific locations during those years. We had so many wonderful experiences that we later wrote a book about them [Voyages: Stories of ten Sunsail Cruises, by Nancy Kaull & Paul Jacobs]. Of course, we also sailed our own Sandpiper multiple times and came to love our friends Norman, Peter, Cooper, Salt, Jost van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Sandy Spit. However, when our five year term finally expired, we needed to find a viable alternative for Sandpiper. After doing some research, and checking with a number of Caribbean charter companies, we subsequently selected Horizon Yacht Charters in Jolly Harbour, Antigua. Naturally, we soon wanted to check out this new-to-us location, so in the winter of 2015 we decided to sail our beloved Sandpiper in the waters around Antigua. Figure 2: Sandpiper at the HYC dock in Jolly Harbour, Antigua. 1
The first thing we discovered was that amazingly it is actually easier to get to Antigua from our home in RI than it was to get to the BVI! We were very pleasantly surprised to find low-cost round trip flights direct from JFK to Antigua. The second thing we discovered was that V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua (ANU) was virtually brand new, extremely clean, with no long lines, speedy clearance through customs, and a row of very clean taxis just 70 feet from the exit that will take you directly to Jolly Harbour in about 35 minutes, at very reasonable fares. So far so good! Then we arrived at Jolly Harbour (love that name!). Our immediate reaction was wow this place is really lovely! Nancy and I now consider Jolly Harbor to be one of the best, if not THE best charter base we have ever been to, and we have been to many over the past eight years. Figure 2 above shows Sandpiper at the HYC dock in Jolly Harbour. The first positive aspect we observed was that the docks are only about 100 ft from the HYC office. Second, Jackie Ashford greets every charter guest personally with a warm smile and a gift basket of goodies. Third, Alastair Ashford is extraordinarily competent, oversees the status of all their charter sailboats in Antigua, assures that they are maintained in superb condition (we know this first hand), and checks that each charter skipper receives a detailed step-by-step boat briefing to assure that you know where for example the circuit breaker is located for the windlass (an utterly non-obvious location), as well as a wonderfully clear and detailed chart briefing for the waters around Antigua. Fourth, there are three really good restaurants within 100 yards. We know this, because we have now dined at all of them! Horizon Yacht Charters Jolly Harbour Marina base 2
Finally, if you are chartering for a week or more you will need to provision the boat. Fortunately, only about 250 ft from the dock, with no need to cross a major highway, there is an absolutely spotless Epicurean Market, a tiny portion of which is shown in Figure 3, This very modern market carries a wide range of regular as well as gourmet foods, wines and liquors. Then, when you are finished shopping, they even have a very helpful employee with a special heavy-duty cart that will deliver your provisions directly to the transom of your charter boat! Figure 3: A portion of the nearby Epicurean Market Now we get to potential sailing destinations. Jolly Harbour is located on the West side of Antigua, which is also the protected leeward side since the prevailing trade winds from late fall though the spring are mostly out of the East at 10-15 knots. Exiting Jolly Harbor is very easy as the channel is wide, deep, and well-marked with multiple green starboard cans and red port nun buoys. You will soon be sailing in gorgeous, clear, warm, turquoise water. Aerial view of Jolly Harbour Marina, Pool, Supermarket, Horizon base 3
There are literally dozens of fabulous harbors around Antigua, some relatively large, others small but well protected. You will want to practice anchoring and weighing anchor (windlasses make this task a lot easier!), since moorings are less common in Antigua than the BVI. However, all the anchorages noted below have sand bottoms with excellent holding. Crowds are smaller than those in the BVI, so you might be the ONLY boat in an anchorage! The serenity can be ethereal. On some soft white, powder sand beaches the footprints you see are probably yours, or those from your crew. I could go on for pages about the many splendid anchorages, but here are just six that are really perfect for a week s sailing vacation, with some brief highlights about each: 1. Deep Bay. A lovely first day beam reach on the protected leeward side of the island. Very well protected, great holding, with a crescent shaped snow white sand beach. The water is so clear that you can see your anchor buried in the sand at 20 ft depth! Snorkelling over the wreck of the Andes in Deep Bay 2. Jumby Bay. Sail / power around the northern side of Antigua, through the Boon Channel, between the island and an extensive offshore reef. Anchor in Jumby Bay adjacent to the million-dollar-plus homes, on Long Island, some of which can be seen in Figure 4. 4
Figure 4: Jumby Bay and the estates on Long Island, Antigua 3. English Harbour: For those of you, like Nancy and I, who enjoy history you will thoroughly delight in this location. It was here that a young Captain Horatio Nelson, later to become Admiral Lord Nelson, first served as a member of the Royal Navy in the 18 th century. Figure 5 shows the bar at The Admiral s Inn at Nelson s Dockyard. Note the bricks on the well-worn floor which are over 230 years old, and the painting of Captain Nelson at the extreme right. Whatever you do, do NOT miss this place, as dinner will linger in your memory forever! There are multiple splendid tables close to the water. Figure 5: The bar at The Admirals Inn, Nelson s Dockyard, English Harbour. 5
4. Falmouth Harbour. Much larger than English Harbour, Falmouth is one place where there are plenty of moorings, and where you definitely will not be alone. This is both the start and finish for Antigua Race Week, when, every spring some of the world s most magnificent - and fastest - sailboats converge for a week of intense racing. The Antigua Yacht Club is tucked back in the corner and you do not need to be a member to have lunch there. Also, it is a short walk from here, across a narrow spit of land to English Harbour, where in addition to fine dining there are many shops and a historic sail loft. Figure 6 shows a wonderful sunset with backstays of the sun that Nancy shot from Sandpiper while we were on a mooring in Falmouth Harbour. Figure 6: Sunset from Falmouth Harbour, Antigua. 5. Nonesuch Bay & Green Island. On the SE side of Antigua, Nonesuch is a large, wellprotected bay which includes Green Island. Soft sand, clear water, great swimming and snorkeling abound. You may never want to leave! 6
Nonsuch Bay anchorage, East Coast of Antigua 6. Carlisle Bay. A relatively small but beautiful bay near the SW corner of Antigua. Very well protected from the prevailing easterly trade winds, with a beautiful white sand beach near a lovely resort. Again, you may never want to leave! Leaving Carlisle Bay provides a splendid broad reach past Cades Reef followed by a beam reach back to Jolly Harbour. Carlisle Bay anchorage 7
If you have more time there are other terrific spots including a 25 mile sail to the neighboring island of Barbuda with its almost unbelievable 11 mile beach of spectacular, utterly unspoiled, white-to-pink sand. Unfortunately, Barbuda was impacted by Irma, so it will be a little while before you can sail up there due to some shifting of sand. Barbuda s 11 mile beach Fortunately, however, Irma passed to the north of Antigua, and then Maria passed to the south of Antigua, so quite miraculously this magical paradise was spared. For those of you who have sailed in the BVI, Nancy and I cannot overstate the extreme pleasure you are likely to realize by chartering in Antigua, whose national motto on every license plate is literally The Land of Sea and Sun. If anyone who reads this has any additional questions, please feel absolutely free to contact me via e-mail at pfjacobs@verizon.net. 8
Fair winds, following seas, and great sailing! Paul Historic Admiral s Inn waterfront dining 9