Across to Barbuda

Up early in the morning, checked the weather, and it looked good to make a crossing. Breakfast and a quick swim, and off we go.

We weren't quite as adept as the catamaran moored in front of us, who pulled up sails on anchor and then reversed back down the channel, keeping the bow into the wind, before sailing out through the south channel.

We put up our sails (1st reef) behind middle reef, as usual, and sailed out through the south channel. Up past Man-o-War point, the desolate (and spectacular) east end of Green Island that gets regularly beaten by the ocean, and straight towards Barbuda.

The sea was quite big, 2m swells at times, and some huge waves that broke over the entire boat. Set a course, and just kept heading North on a broad reach. It was surprisingly shallow for a lot of the way, we were sailing above a reef 20m below us, that may have contributed to the sea-state.

Antigua slowly faded away behind us, and we were out on the open ocean, with no land in sight, for the first time.

At 9kts, that didn't last for long, and by midday we could see the thin outline of sandy Barbuda up ahead.

A few yachts nestled up along the beach, and some kite-surfers further down towards the point.

We dropped the sails, picked our way through the reefs, and anchored off Cocoa Point in crystal clear green water. A totally different world to muddy Falmouth.

Again, we ran the water-maker all day (at low speed, on one pump). We need to get the failed pump replaced, this clear seawater is just perfect for making drinking water.

Navionics Track