Not everyone who crosses the Atlantic carries on directly to the Pacific after the winter season. Kate Ashe-Leonard describes the joys of summer in the Caribbean. Photos Jim Hooper
Pelicans soar over white sand beaches that fringe perfectly sheltered anchorages. Rum punch flows freely and the aroma of barbequed chicken drifts on the breeze. The bright colours of Carnival and steel drums playing into the night. Markets selling breadfruit, papaya and avocados, weighed out on scales. Days spent snorkelling reefs and hiking volcanic mountains. Evenings with other sailors watching for the green flash, sharing ideas and making plans. Fond memories of our time in the Caribbean.
As the final lock gates of the Panama canal swung open to reveal the Pacific ocean to us for the first time, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic about the places we were leaving behind. To me those gates represented the end of one very important chapter in our circumnavigation and the beginning of something new and completely different. It had been a tough decision to enter the Pacific. The Caribbean’s diverse cultures, stunning islands, cruising community, sporty sailing and excellent marine services provided us with an ideal cruising ground which felt hard to leave behind.
Antigua to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Two days before Christmas we tied up at Nelson’s dockyard, Antigua, after an uneventful first ocean passage across the Atlantic on our Catana 47. The marina was decked out festively and carols were playing in nearby bars and restaurants. We soaked in the atmosphere and celebrated Christmas. Soon though, we were around at Falmouth harbour before setting sail again, this time to Green Island, one of only a few anchorages we would visit in Antigua.
With a limited budget and plan to circumnavigate in just three years, we didn’t have much time to hang around and made our way quickly south. Conditions between the islands were feisty: the winds were usually quite strong, making for fast sailing on a beam reach. Tricky acceleration zones and large swells kept us on our toes too. We reached Guadeloupe, our first French Caribbean Island, and indulged in French cheese and baguettes. We sailed to Deshaies on the north-west coast, then around to the capital, Pointe a Pitre. The stunning island of Marie Galante did not disappoint followed by Îles des Saintes, a tiny, charming archipelago lying off the southwest tip of Guadeloupe.
In Dominica, we anchored at Prince Rupert Bay, Portsmouth where we wandered around town and
