Barbuda!
The slogan is right- Barbuda is truly barbudaful- and so much more!
“ Come aboard and see the catch,“ invited the local fishermen, who were chatting amongst themselves between sips of cold beverages, in the hot afternoon sun. Joe and I inquired about lobster as we returned to our dinghy after a day of exploring. They’d just caught one today, they explained, and it wasn’t for sale. They had plenty of fish.
It would be impolite to decline and I was curious so I stepped carefully, not wanting to slip but also wanting to look more at ease than I felt. These men have grown their sea legs since birth. The invitation seemed to be to me only, so Joe stayed on the pier. I peered into the oversized cooler, viewing impressively-sizes parrotfish, snapper, jack, and other reef fish unknown to me. They looked delicious, but also like a lot of work after our day is adventure. My concern over ciguatera running through my mind(serious and possibly fatal illness caused by eating fish that contain toxins produced by a marine micro algae, impossible to tell if fish is contaminated, no effective treatment, found in fish that eat other fish on reefs) also rose up in my throat. I politely declined, meeting their eyes with a smile. “They’re beautiful but more work than we may want to do after a day of exploring. Lobsters are quick to prepare.”
An amused nod seemed to pass through them and then the guy holding the cooler thrust out his hand, now holding a food-sized live lobster and said,” Here, you take it!” It seemed both a gift and a challenge. The men regarded me bemusedly and I wondered if they were taking bets on this middle-aged American woman. Would I pick it up? They read my squeamishness correctly but I knew it was one of those moments: dig deep. I grasped it firmly, smiling broadly and sincerely. “Thank you! What can we pay you for it?” Again, glances flashed all around as they collectively nodded and smiled back. “Nothing! It’s a gift! It’s a gift from Barbuda.”
With profuse thanks and some astonishment at the generosity as well as my momentary bravery, I passed the lobster to Joe, who gently placed it on the dinghy floor between my feet. A great day for us! Not so for that lobster. The lobster gift so perfectly encapsulates our time in Barbuda.
We arrived in Barbuda in Saturday, January 6, departing Deep Bay, Antigua at 7 am. We had an exhilarating sail, close-hauled, averaging 6 to greater than 7 knots, flying both the main and jib on a starboard rack. It was a great antidote to our night in Deep Bay where loud music from the resort played until the wee hours is the morning and the pungent smell of burning garbage wafted through the boat all night. The anchorage is a picturesque stop; maybe these factors are not always present.
We anchored close to the beach, surrounded by cliffs in two sides, avoiding the northerly swell that appears to be everywhere these days. We enjoyed a swim then Joe whipped up banana daiquiris using the little yellow bananas I found at a fruit stand in English Harbour. Bananas, crushed ice, maple liqueur, vanilla bean paste, some milk, and a little cinnamon mixed with our mighty Cuisinart immersion blender(thanks mom- cruising essential- readers). A healthy sundowner! There may have been a little Sailor Jerry added by Sailor Joe.
We were initially interested in hiking to the top of the nearby ruins in Deep Bay and diving the wreck just off our boat but lost interest in staying one more night by dawn. We needed to depart early because a midday arrival is vital for reading the bank. Barbuda is a low-lying island, the highest point is just 125 feet above sea level. Hurricanes and weather constantly rewrite the coastline. Joe piloted the boat as I provided guidance through our headsets. We snaked our way through a field of lobster traps reminiscent of Maine and a maze of coral heads, burying the hook at Spanish Point, about 11 feet below us in pure sand. We were excited at snorkeling directly from the boat but also positioned so that I’d we dragged anchor, we would move into deeper water, not the reefs.
Joe set up the sun shades and tarps, creating a seasoned cruiser(Grapes of Wrath) look. We napped, swam and watched another beautiful sunset. Next morning, our Sunday brunch included croissant and pain au chocolat from La Brasserie in Antigua., served with a generous dose of relaxation. I tried our new washing machine, an improvement over washing in a bucket, but not quite like tossing in a load at home and forgetting about it. Then we were off for our daily constitutional: snorkeling.
The reef around Barbuda has been impacted by storms and climate change but still hold a lot of life. Each day, we swam from the bush until our fingers were completely wrinkled and we felt cold. As our eyes adjusted and our pace slowed, the reef came to life with a variety of sea creatures, corals, and sponges. One large turtle dashed away from us. We were regarded curiously by a moray eel and minutes later we watched a new-to-us eel, possibly a sharp tail eel wind its way beneath some sponges. A baby turtle hustled through the sea grass as fast as jr could muster. We saw a huge school of juvenile blue fish, possibly baby parrotfish. Angelfish, grouper, different species of smaller, and one of my favorites, Four-eye Butterfly fish danced in and out of hiding places. We found a few empty sea biscuits and some giant conch, still filled with life. After three nights at Spanish Point, we were ready to stretch our legs ashore. Hurricane Irma washed away much of the shoreline around Spanish Point, so it is difficult to land a dinghy and the remaining beach is comprised of large stones. We sailed out, following our route in as recorded on the chart plotter, with me still in the bow. We passed Cocoa Point, sorry to miss this beautiful beach and the famed grilled lobster dinner at Enoch’s Shack a Kai. Next time!
We sailed northwest 13.5 nm to Low Bay on a starboard tack, beam reach, using the jib in 15-20 knots of wind from the east/SE. I rapidly dropped the hook in 11-12 feet of water about 160 yards from the shoreline, trying to counter the wind pushing us into deep water.
We launched the dinghy, jumping out as soon as the water was shallow enough to climb out, then pulled the boat further into the beach timing it to the oncoming waves. After tying the boat to a tree(avoiding the poisonous machineel tree), we strolled on the softest sand either of us has ever experienced. Beautiful shells, glowing luminously in the late afternoon light lay scattered as if mermaids tossed handfuls of ocean jewels across the beach. Sundowners in hand, we bid the day farewell.
We were up early the next morning, as we had set a date to meet George Jeffrey at 9 am to tour the Codrington Lagoon National Park. Barbuda is serious about protecting the frigates and creating a means of livelihood for its residents. The Lagoon is a RAMSAR site, a special wetland designation. Private dinghies are not allowed and you must tour with a registered guide. We bustled around gathering sunscreen, water, binoculars, VHF radio and so on for the 1.5 nm dinghy ride along the reef to the fishing pier in Codrington. On approach, it looks impossible to pass through the large surf breaks. Riding in the bow, I shouted(just once) that maybe we couldn’t do it today because it looked like we would flip the dinghy. As we searched for the opening we’d read about, a fishing boat sped by, helping us spot the buoy a few hundred yards away in its wake. The buoy is just a collection of old fishing buoys at surface level, dark and easy to miss. We turned, riding the wake of the fishing boat to the one additional buoy that marked the way in. As we returned to Adiona at the end of our eventful day, we led a slightly shaken couple out past the surf breaks. They hadn’t found those buoys on the way in.
Once ashore, we were greeted by a young man who helped us tie up, directing us to an office where unpaid $20 EC to “safely leave the dinghy for the day.” George was already on the pier and we began chatting about Barbuda, frigates, children(he has 8!), politics, boats, adventures and the sea.
There is so much to write that I hope you will read my second post. The frigates and our day on Codrington ahead. The sun set on this day- one of multiple squalls and repairs, large and small. A sliver of moon is rising in the sky.
Great read!