English Harbor, Antigua
After a brisk and brilliant morning passed on windy seas under sail, we anchored off English Harbor on the southeastern tip of the island of Antigua. We sailed at a brisk nine knots, passing the volcanic island of Montserrat on our port side. The volcano is still active and it appears that two vents are spewing whitish smoke which leaves a long trail toward the west. The bay itself is shallow, so we anchored some way out and went in by Zodiac following a narrow channel that winds through some rather treacherous but picturesque shallows.
The day had started out with clear blue skies, but as we reached the island, a series of squalls appeared from the east, depositing a warm pelting rain, followed by periods of clear sunshine. This alternating pattern continued throughout the afternoon and lent a certain amount of adventure to our explorations.
English Harbor is the site of Nelson’s dockyards and the old British fort which was once under the command of the man who would later become the famous Admiral Lord Nelson, the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar. He was originally sent here to patrol the seas to protect British trade supremacy with the islands during a period when the British tried to emulate the Spanish and monopolize trade with their own colonies. Nelson was not impressed with the islands and it was with great personal relief that he was transferred to Britain and eventually developed the British art of the Naval Blockade to great effect during the Napoleonic Wars.
Notwithstanding Nelson’s personal impressions, this is one of the most beautiful islands in the Eastern Caribbean chain. In contrast to the more volcanic high islands such as Dominica, Antigua is fairly flat covered by rolling hills and cut along the edges by numerous small sandy bays. Locals claim there are 365 beaches on the island, but so far no one has actually counted them. In the past, the island produced sugarcane but now agriculture has given way to tourism and Antigua’s many exquisite harbors and beaches are now popular among the world class yachters. The harbor is filled with superb yachts from all over the world, some of which have some innovative and unusual features.
Our visit took us up to a lookout called Shirley Heights, named for a peripatetic governor for whom Fort Shirley in Dominica is also named. From there, in between squalls we had a spectacular view of the southern harbors, beaches and tiny inlets which make this island unique. After a rest stop for rum punch in Nelson’s dockyard, we wandered through the fascinating historic buildings once used to careen and refit ships.
As we got into our Zodiacs for the return to the Sea Cloud II, another squall pounced upon us from the east, but looking back through the rain at the darkened sky over English Harbor, we were rewarded with a gorgeous rainbow arcing over the little town and the rolling hills of Antigua.
After a brisk and brilliant morning passed on windy seas under sail, we anchored off English Harbor on the southeastern tip of the island of Antigua. We sailed at a brisk nine knots, passing the volcanic island of Montserrat on our port side. The volcano is still active and it appears that two vents are spewing whitish smoke which leaves a long trail toward the west. The bay itself is shallow, so we anchored some way out and went in by Zodiac following a narrow channel that winds through some rather treacherous but picturesque shallows.
The day had started out with clear blue skies, but as we reached the island, a series of squalls appeared from the east, depositing a warm pelting rain, followed by periods of clear sunshine. This alternating pattern continued throughout the afternoon and lent a certain amount of adventure to our explorations.
English Harbor is the site of Nelson’s dockyards and the old British fort which was once under the command of the man who would later become the famous Admiral Lord Nelson, the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar. He was originally sent here to patrol the seas to protect British trade supremacy with the islands during a period when the British tried to emulate the Spanish and monopolize trade with their own colonies. Nelson was not impressed with the islands and it was with great personal relief that he was transferred to Britain and eventually developed the British art of the Naval Blockade to great effect during the Napoleonic Wars.
Notwithstanding Nelson’s personal impressions, this is one of the most beautiful islands in the Eastern Caribbean chain. In contrast to the more volcanic high islands such as Dominica, Antigua is fairly flat covered by rolling hills and cut along the edges by numerous small sandy bays. Locals claim there are 365 beaches on the island, but so far no one has actually counted them. In the past, the island produced sugarcane but now agriculture has given way to tourism and Antigua’s many exquisite harbors and beaches are now popular among the world class yachters. The harbor is filled with superb yachts from all over the world, some of which have some innovative and unusual features.
Our visit took us up to a lookout called Shirley Heights, named for a peripatetic governor for whom Fort Shirley in Dominica is also named. From there, in between squalls we had a spectacular view of the southern harbors, beaches and tiny inlets which make this island unique. After a rest stop for rum punch in Nelson’s dockyard, we wandered through the fascinating historic buildings once used to careen and refit ships.
As we got into our Zodiacs for the return to the Sea Cloud II, another squall pounced upon us from the east, but looking back through the rain at the darkened sky over English Harbor, we were rewarded with a gorgeous rainbow arcing over the little town and the rolling hills of Antigua.
