We haven’t gone far or done much but it has been
well worth it.
We spent two nights at Carlisle Bay. Our days were filled with sitting,
visiting, eating and drinking, punctuated with dinghy rides to shore for brief
walks and swims in the sea. All of
which were most relaxing and enjoyable.
After two nights at Carlisle we set sail for
Jolly Harbour. Just before we
pulled up the anchor Deborah, Glen and I went for a snorkel along the nearby
shore. There were lots of weeds on
the bottom and maybe the fish were hiding because we only saw a few green
speckle-backed and some single bright blue ones.
We enjoyed a nice sail up the leeward
coast. There is something very
special when the only sound is the wind in the rigging and the splash of water
as the boat cut through the waves.
The wind was with us most of the way but we did motor in to Jolly to get
groceries. After a quick trip to
shore we motored around the headland to set anchor at Hermitage Bay (and the
source of the strong free Internet).
The Hermitage anchorage provided much the same
as Carlisle. More great meals and
some more bobs in the blue. On the
first night we enjoyed a steel drum band in concert at the resort on the shore.
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In For A Swim at Heritage Bay |
We took a side trip into St. John's from Jolly Harbour. It was by local bus and took around 25 minutes. The bus delivered us downtown to the Markets. Fish on one side of the street, vegetables and fruit on the other. It was a Monday so the markets were quiet but still worth a gawk.
Fortunately for us, there were no cruise ships in the harbour. Walking was difficult as it was with the narrow sidewalks full of locals. We strolled to the Cruise Terminal and saw all the high end shops with their $200 US sunglasses.
We visited the Museum. It was worth it for the great displays and the fabulous air conditioning. The building was built in the 1700's and served as the Island's original Court House. The displays told the story of the original Indian inhabitants, the plantations of sugarcane, and the triangular trade of manufactured goods to Africa's west coast, slaves to the West Indies, and rum and molasses back to Europe. It included a full statue of International West Indies Cricket icon, Dr. Vivian Richards.
After washing down a Shwarma with a local beer and picking up a few fresh supplies at the market, we headed back to the boat on the bus.
We left Hermitage for the trip over the northern
tip. This was new ground for both
Deb and I. Glen and Pam have tried
to take other guests around the north in the past but have been turned back by heavy
seas. Going clockwise around the
island means venturing straight into the wind from the east. There is no chance of sailing directly
into the wind but even motoring can be problematic with facing large swells
that act as speed bumps to the Pearl.
Luckily for us the conditions were good and after seeing St. John’s from
the sea we safely anchored off Bird Island for the night.
The next morning we had a quick hike to the top
of the island for a great view of our surroundings. We were not alone for long. At least five different boats
arrived full of day tourists from the various resorts and cruise ships. They were all there to snorkel. We simply joined them and enjoyed the
best snorkeling of the trip. There
were large numbers of varied coloured fish amongst the coral.
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Bird Island |
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We Weren't Alone |
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We Weren't Alone |
After a great lunch we motored over to Davis Bay
on Long Island. The island is one
huge resort for the rich and famous called Jumby Bay. We might have been able to go ashore but didn’t want to
chance it with the island’s security forces.
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Jumby Bay Resort |
One more night here and it is a sail (hopefully)
with the wind at our back, back to Jolly Harbour and from there a quick taxi to
the airport for our return home.
