spring 2009 - partII - cruising with athletes

After our lovely 2 week cruise down to Martinique, we just chill out in Jolly for a few days. Time to clean up the boat a little, do some maintenance, and prepare for our next visitors. We're about to have an athletic crew! Bobsledding daughter Helen, bobsledding boyfriend Patrice, and friends Shauna and Val - the USA#1 Womens Bob team and Olympic Silver medallists. Shauna and Val fly in first, and the next day Patrice flies in from Monaco, via London, and Helen in from Calgary, via the US.
We have a boatfull - and the first major challenge is finding a home for all the food that these young folks consume!

We only have Val and Shauna with us for 1 week, so we head straight out and around to Jumby Bay and Great Bird Island. The wind is fresh, and it is a fine sail until we turn past Dickinson Bay and point into the breeze - then it is time to motor. We pull into Jumby Bay, and drop anchor - it's nearly always very sheltered here - and a great spot for the first overnight away from harbour. Time for a swim and cool off, and our athletic crew stay ashore for a while and do a workout on the beach.

Next morning we leave early, and head around to Great Bird Island. There are a few other yachts anchored but we get ashore early enough to have the place to ourselves. Doesn't last too long as the island soon starts to fill up with tour boats. But we have an enjoyable walk around and also snorkel both sides. The water is very clear and the marine life is quite good.

Time for lunch on the boat, hang out, and play silly games - lots of leaping off the boat and a new objective - to catch the best action shot.
Then its time to head back to Jolly and we'll resupply.
Next trip is a long sail around to Green Island - and this time we don't stop on the way.
We spend the best part of 2 days at Green Island - beaching, swimming, snorkeling and exploring the island - and more workouts for the athletes.
Time to start heading back. We make a stop at Mamora Bay and the St James club on the way back. It's a quiet, and very sheltered, anchorage and a lovely beach.
Another opportunity for the bobsledders to get some sun and do a workout at the same time.

Then we make  a final stop in Falmouth.
The Classic regatta is underway, and the marina is packed with lovely old boats. Helen had actually flown in with the skipper of "Ranger" in the adjacent seat on her flight, so she has an invitation to go aboard - it's a treat - it's a replica of the 1930's J-class classic which won the America's cup in 1937 - 135ft of sailing majesty.
We enjoy a night ashore at Mad Mongoose and Shirley Hts, and then supper atTrappa's.
Next morning we head out, back to Jolly Harbour, but take the opportunity to watch the Classics racing for a while.

The bobsledders get a last chance to swim and chill at Jolly Beach, and then it's time to bid farewell to Shauna and Val. They've been fun to have aboard, and we will see them again at the Winter Olympics, if not before.

We have one more week to enjoy some sailing with Helen and Patrice and, with good weather on the horizon, we decide to head over to Barbuda.

We anchor at Coco Pt first, and spend a day on the beach there, and snorkel the reefs off the once ritzy but now closed K Club. Then we move around to Low Bay and anchor in our favourite spot at the northern end. Helen and Patrice fall in love with this beach - it is a wonderful spot. More snorkeling again - including turtle spotting and a nurse shark. We set up a bit of a camp spot on the beach, and return in the evening for a bonfire.

 And the time on Barbuda has come to an end. We enjoy a lovely sail back across to Antigua, and return home to Jolly World and back on the dock.

Hels and Patrice rest-up for a day, and then catch their respective fights to Canada and France. We will see them again when we return to Calgary in the summer.