Having been assured that May is the best time to come down to the islands and the boat, they turn up and the weather takes a major change. It goes cool, stormy and wet.
We're not going to sit around in the harbour though. We head off to Falmouth and Green Island first.
Somehow we get a little fortunate and the weather breaks to give us a sunny day at Green Island. Time for some swimming and snorkeling. Then it reverts again in the evening, and the wind picks up to over 30kts, with some stronger gusts. We get blown back on the anchor, and just have time to set it again before the rain pounds down. It holds, but Capt Kerry has a mainly sleepless night checking on it. After the stormy night we leave Green Island and enjoy a rolly ride down the coast and back to Falmouth. There's some of the biggest waves we've seen in the islands rolling thru the stern quarter, including one roguish one that must have been well over 20'.
Weather is still far from perfect, but we head out sailing again, and around to Jumby and Great Bird. Davey and Tyler are getting in to the sailing life and sharpen their crew skills on the jib, and take turns on the helm.
We have a quiet day at Great Bird - not a lot of tour boats around - and try the snorkeling - its a bit choppy but the water is clear and the marine life is quite good.
A good breeze going back - time to enjoy some more sailing.
We're back in time for Saturday - Jolly Harbour Yacht Club's race day - and the boys get to join Augustine for a race - which we manage to win by protesting everyone else for passing a mark the wrong way.
And their week is up. The weather was far from ideal, but they did experience just about the full range of sailing conditions, and sounded like everyone had fun. that weather also had everyone in the cabin more than usual, and along with picking up sailing skills, Tyler and Davey became adept dominos and Dutch Blitz players.
With time on our hands we stay anchored off Low Bay Barbuda for a few days, and for the first time we take the dinghy and motor around the north of the island and into the lagoon for a little exploration.
The weather looks like it is turning again, so we head back to Antigua, dodging a few squalls on the way.
It's now time to pack up the boat. We have rented Jim and Sherrils waterfront unit in Jolly Harbour for a few days, which allows us to strip "Manx Mist" down and prepare it for onland storage, and enjoy a comforatble place to stay as we do that.
Then she's out of the water and stacked again for another hurricane season, and Hil and Kerry are headed home to Calgary.
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