Deep Bay, Antigua

It was amazing how, immediately following Antigua Sailing Week (April 23-29, 2016), cruising boats, race boats and mega yachts alike cleared out of Antigua. The event definitely marked the end of the boating season on this Caribbean island.

Many sailors began their voyages south or north following the event to be out of the Hurricane Belt by June, race boats set sail to various destinations to participate in other regattas and mega yachts headed to sea to make their annual transatlantic crossing to the Mediterranean for the summer months.

Like us, some cruising sailors prepared to carry on their exploration of the Caribbean having organized safe hurricane storage of their boats in approved boat yards, in our case Bobby’s Boat Yard Airport Road in St. Maarten, or having plans to run to a hurricane hole or make a quick passage out of the Hurricane Belt when early warning forecasts were given. But there was still a month of safe cruising time left and we were going to enjoy every minute of it.

Distant Shores II at Jolly Harbour, Antigua, a good place to provision before a passage.

We’d had a great cruise around Antigua (see previous newsletter) which we concluded at Jolly Harbour anchoring in the outer harbour so we could easily leave in the dark to make a night sail north to our next destination, Anguilla. It would be a 95 nm passage and we wanted to sail overnight so that we would be approaching the island and arriving in Road Bay, the Port of Entry, in daylight. (Blowing Point on the south coast is also a Port of Entry but the anchorage is rolly and is a busy ferry port so it's not recommended for visiting yachts.)

We raised anchor at midnight in Jolly Harbour after a brief rest and set sail. Conditions were good throughout the night and day. Distant Shores sliced through the sapphire blue sea passing St. Kitts and Nevis, Stacia, St. Barths, Saba and St. Maarten/St. Martin arriving late afternoon on May 5th at Road Bay, Anguilla.

Road Bay, Anguilla

There are lots of moorings in Road Bay but they are all privately owned so visiting yachts are requested to anchor. No problem. It's a large anchorage and there is always lots of room however in the winter months, when there is often swell from the north, there could be a bit of a roll in here but we had peaceful conditions.

It was late afternoon when we dropped the hook, too late to clear in with Customs and Immigration so we stayed on board with our yellow “Q” flag flying on the starboard halyard to indicate that we still had to clear in and enjoyed a sunset meal in the cockpit before calling it an early night. Tomorrow was the start of the annual Anguilla Regatta and we wanted to be well rested to film it.

Anguilla, is a British overseas territory. The name Anguilla is taken from an earlier Spanish word anguila, French anguille, or Italian anguilla, all meaning “eel” due to the island's shape. It’s 16 miles long with a population of 13,450. Anguilla is a small quiet island famous for its very high-end hotels and restaurants and the most exquisite beaches. However, we discovered there are lots of great options for mid-priced travel here too.

The clear water, golden sand and open horizon at Mead's Bay Beach, Anguilla

You can see Anguilla easily from the French side of St. Martin. It takes less than 2 hours to sail from St. Martin as opposed to 12 hours from Antigua so most of the yachts participating in the Anguilla Regatta were coming over from St. Martin and St. Maarten. Cruising yachts from other countries also participated with all proceeds from the regatta going to the Anguilla Youth Sailing Association. Sailing is the national sport of Anguilla and scholarships are made available so that every child can learn to sail if they want to.

Anguilla Youth Sailing Association, Road Bay, makes sure every child can learn to sail.

The next morning we took the dinghy to the large dinghy dock which is in the middle of the beach. There is also a large commercial dock to the left with a marked channel where cargo ships come to so is restricted. However if you need water you can call the port authority "Road Bay Port" on VHF 16 and arrange a time to come over for water. We didn't ask about fuel but this seems difficult. Top up before you sail over is the best advice we got.

The Anguilla Customs, Immigration and Port Authority offices are all conveniently located right by the dinghy dock and all the officers are charming.

"Welcome to Anguilla. Welcome to Paradise," the Immigration officer greeted us as we walked in.

Although super friendly, Anguilla has the most restrictions for yachts on where you can cruise, specific hours you can sail to certain places, where you can anchor and where mooring balls must be used as compared to any other island we have visited in the Caribbean. This is an attempt to protect their small but remarkable marine resources but it can be frustrating and expensive if you don't plan carefully.

Paul swimming off the beach at Road Bay, Anguilla

Please don't be put off! If you anchor in Road Bay, which has a truly lovely crescent beach with charming beach bars, and explore Anguilla by rental car or taxi you pay no cruising fees or entrance/departure fees. This is well worth doing. The island is pristine with the most beautiful beaches with wide open horizons and the clearest water you have ever seen.

If you want to sail out to the little out islands such as Sandy Island (you can also take a little ferry there for $10 US return/person), Prickly Pear Cays or Dog Island or any of the other bays around the island, day permits must be purchased. For our Southerly 49 sailboat a day permit was $50 US per day and expired at midnight.

Beach at Sandy Island with boats in mooring field in distance.


Paul enjoying a Margarita at the Sandy Island Beach Bar

Once cleared in you are only allowed to sail in daylight hours, defined as between the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

There is one other anchorage where you can stay overnight in your boat in Anguilla besides Road Bay and that is Crocus Bay, just one bay east from Road Bay, but since day permits expire at midnight, you pay for 2 days to stay overnight in Crocus Bay. i.e. $100 US. We didn't bother and drove there instead.

Cruising permits are also available for one week, one month and one year.

After we'd been in Anguilla for a few days we learned that if you call ahead and have an Anguilla Marine Agent clear you in (required for mega yachts but not cruising boats) you may be granted permission to stay overnight in Rendezvous Bay on the south coast which is quite lovely. (Rates are about $150 US per hour however.)

Cruising sailors are generally free spirits and are put off by these kinds of restrictions not to mention the complication and cost involved so just don’t go there. To be honest, we have been put off by this ourselves and have changed our minds several times when we considered sailing to Anguilla. There are so many other great Caribbean destinations you can sail to and explore freely and inexpensively. However, we knew Anguilla was a special place (we had cruised there 20 years ago before the restrictions were brought in and also stopped for a couple of nights in Road Bay in 2008) so were determined to check it out and learn how things worked these days when you arrive by boat and were glad we did.

There is talk of a marina being built in Road Bay (where the old salt pond is located behind the beach) so work is being done to make Anguilla more boater friendly while still protecting their the beautiful but limited marine resources of this small nation.

More on cruising Anguilla in the next newsletter…

Have you sailed to or visited Anguilla? What was your experience? We'd love to hear all about it in the comments below. Thanks!

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Sheryl and Paul Shard have now been cruising internationally for over 25 years. They are sailing authors, instructors/consultants and the fun-loving hosts of the Distant Shores sailing adventure TV series (AWE TV, Nautical Channel and Vimeo on Demand). The Distant Shores series profiles the world's best sailing destinations and provides insights into the joys and challenges of living aboard a cruising sailboat. The shows are also available on DVD and as HD downloads.

Schooner S/V Heron

When we first arrived in Antigua for the start of the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta we were pleasantly surprised to find that many long-time cruising friends, who we have shared anchorages with over the years, come each year to crew aboard these classic yachts or to work as volunteers to keep the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta running smoothly. Even if you aren’t racing there are lots of ways to get involved as volunteers and it is such a good time!

Attending the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta became quite a social occasion for us as we got caught up with friends and colleagues we hadn’t seen for a while, danced to the great bands in the evenings and, of course, shared a drink or two after a day of filming. Every afternoon there was free Mount Gay Rum Tasting along with other events such as cocktail making contests, BBQ’s and daily prize-giving.

The last day was especially fun with Gig Races at English Harbour. A gig is a small rowboat or sailing boat generally used to taxi the ship’s captain ashore.

This was followed by a Cream Tea at the Admiral’s Inn, Nelson’s Dockyard. It was a great opportunity for me to wear the hat my British sailing friend, Elizabeth Pattison, made for me. You meet Elizabeth in the Chichester Harbour episode of Distant Shores in season 7, episode 1.









As the ACYR website says, “The sailing combined with Antiguan hospitality, plenty of rum, sunshine, and great camaraderie in a friendly relaxed atmosphere, places the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, in a class of its own.”

Next year the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta celebrates its 30th anniversary so be sure to mark your calendar. It will be held April 19-25, 2017.


Sheryl and Paul Shard have now been cruising internationally for 25 years. They are sailing authors, instructors/consultants and the fun-loving hosts of the Distant Shores sailing adventure TV series (AWE TV, Nautical Channel, Vimeo on Demand). The Distant Shores series profiles the world's best sailing destinations and provides insights into the joys and challenges of living aboard a cruising sailboat. The shows are also available on DVD and as HD downloads.

Big Bang

Distant Shores Fans

Chilling in the BVI

Searching for Distant Shores III

On to Antigua

Antigua - Classic Regatta & Sailing Week

Happy Easter! The end of winter and the coming of spring is an event celebrated by most cultures in many splendid ways around the world. Paul and I have been fortunate to participate in quite a few of these celebrations in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Scandinavia throughout our 25 years of cruising aboard sailboats. We have had fun filming and writing about the experiences to help you plan your own cruising adventures…

Fun Festivals All Year Long

Easter procession in Malta

What are our favourites? The most memorable spring celebrations for us have been Easter ceremonies in Malta, which is located in the central Mediterranean, and the festival of Smell the Breeze in Egypt, both of which we filmed for the Distant Shores sailing adventure TV series. Many festivals in Spain and Greece as well as Caribbean Carnival are tops on our list too. Check out past Newsletters under the category Festivals.

Last spring we had a special Easter experience at the small island of South Caicos in the Turks and Caicos after a 5-day passage from the British Virgin Islands. We arrived and cleared in on Good Friday and had our papers stamped by the Customs and Immigration officials at the local church where they were directing the youth group reenactment of the Easter story! We were welcomed in and had a memorable weekend with the people there. (See newsletter 21/04/14.)

How to Find Festivals when Planning Your Cruise

You can find out what local events are taking place before sailing there from tourist board websites and travel guides, sailing blogs and Facebook Groups about various destinations and watching travel shows as part of your research.

Easter Week in Malta

Sham El Nissem (Smell the Breeze) in Egypt

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Anchored in Abrahams Bay, Mayaguana, watching a passing squall

The morning of Friday April 25th dawned bright and sunny with good conditions for our sail from West Caicos in the Turks and Caicos to the island of Mayaguana lying about 50 nm to the NW, our port of entry for the Bahamas.

We had cleared out of Turks and Caicos the afternoon before in Provo (see previous newsletter) so we sailed off the park mooring at West Caicos at 0650 (we like to practice manoeuvres under sail whenever possible) and were soon making 7 kts under mainsail and genoa. We had to sail a little high of our course to keep up our speed since we wanted to get into Abraham's Bay, Mayaguana, in the afternoon with enough time to get anchored, dinghy ashore to clear in, and get a Bahamas sim card for our open iPhone. We wanted to be sure that we had phone and internet communications set up before things shut down for the weekend.

It was a delightful day as we soared along the sapphire blue seas towards the Bahamas, one of our most favourite cruising grounds. We've filmed numerous episodes about destinations in the Bahamas for the Distant Shores TV series over the years. Several years ago we made this same passage and saw humpback whales leaping and fluking so we kept a good lookout in case we might be blessed with another whale sighting but it was not to be.

All that we could see on the horizon were the sails of SV Rufus and Soliel II, two German boats traveling together that we had met earlier in the week in South Caicos. That morning they had set sail from another anchorage, the one on the west end of Providenciales, and were also headed to Mayaguana.

Abraham's Bay, Mayaguana
At around 1130 Paul I shouted “Land Ho!” as Southeast Point, Mayaguana, rose up on the horizon and by 1430 we were winding our way past the reefs and coral heads into the anchorage at Abraham's Bay. It was half tide and rising. The water is a pallet of multiple shades of blue in this large bay which is protected by barrier reefs. It is quite shallow close to shore so you need to anchor a little way out from the government dock where you can tie up your dinghy with the local skiffs.

Clearing in to the Bahamas
From the dinghy dock and public beach you walk up the road for about 5 minutes and just before reaching the small settlement you come upon a cluster of small yellow buildings where you'll find Customs and Immigration, the Post Office and the BTC Bahamas phone office. Very convenient! While I cleared us in with Customs and Immigration, Paul went to the phone centre to get a Bahamas sim card and data plan for our open phone so we would have a local Bahamas phone number and internet while traveling through the islands.

Clearing in to the Bahamas is quite expensive at $300 US for boats 31 feet and over. It's $150 for boats 30 feet and under. Distant Shores II is 49 feet. (The Bahamian dollar is tied directly to the US dollar and both currencies are used.) However if you consider that the Bahama island chain is similar in size to the whole Caribbean island chain where you are clearing in and out of numerous countries and colonies and paying for numerous cruising permits, it is a little easier to understand.

The cruising permit for the Bahamas is valid for two entries during a 90-day period and the fee includes government taxes, a fishing permit and the departure taxes for 3 people. Each additional person is charged $20 departure tax. At the Mayaguana office THEY ONLY TAKE CASH and there is no bank or ATM on the island. In fact, there is no bank or ATM until you get to George Town, Great Exuma, a few days sail away so it is very important to arrive with enough cash to clear in and cover your costs for any groceries (very basic supplies available so stock up ahead) or bar/restaurants in the small settlements you'll want to stop at on the way north. Credit cards are rarely accepted in the small remote villages of the Far Out Islands of the Bahamas so carry sufficient cash for all your needs when in these islands.

For more information about boats entering/exiting the Bahamas see the government website .

Communications in the Bahamas - Phone and Internet
Our very first trip to the Bahamas was in 1989/90 and to make a telephone call you had to line up at the local Batelco office where they assigned you a booth and you made your call from there. How things have changed!

Now at the local BTC Bahamas office which is found in just about every settlement no matter how remote, you can purchase a local pay-as-you-go sim card for your open phone so that you have a local phone number (goodbye roaming rates) and top it up as you go along. In April 2014 this was $15 US.

You can also add a data plan so that your phone acts as a personal hot spot so that you have internet access whenever you are in range of a tower. These large towers are found on all settled islands and we find that the range for internet is about 12-14 miles. The phone then acts as a modem for connecting other devices you have onboard to the internet too such as laptops, tablets, etc. We purchased a plan for 2 GB for a month, regularly $30 but on sale for $15 as an April special. It’s very fast and reliable service. You can top-up online on www.btcbahamas.com which is very convenient.
http://www.btcbahamas.com/

If you’re not interested in such plans, just up the road at the main crossroads of the settlement is a bar called Big Reg’s where for the purchase of a drink you can connect to the very fast wi-fi there.

We meet up with Yule Charlton at Big Reg’s Bar on our return to Mayaguana

Local Friends
We have visited Mayaguana twice before on various voyages through the Bahamas over the years and filmed there for the Distant Shores sailing TV series for Distant Shores season 5 “Mayaguana” and Distant Shores season 6 “Voyage to Eleuthera”. As a result we know a few local people here now and it was good to reconnect.

We stayed two nights in Mayaguana and concluded this year's visit with a lovely potluck BBQ with our German sailing friends, Heidi and Klaus of “Soleil II” and with Marion and Harold aboard their beautiful Lagoon 410 “Rufus”.

The next day we sailed on to explore more Far Out Islands of the Bahamas which we'll tell you about in the next newsletter.

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After crossing the Caicos Bank on April 21st from South Caicos where we'd had a very special Easter Weekend we arrived at the island of Providenciales, better known as “Provo”. This is the most developed island in the TCI with many beautiful resorts, luxury villas, white sand beaches including Grace Beach reputed to be the most beautiful beach in the world, along with great shopping and several good marina facilities.

South Side Marina looking out to Caicos Bank

Border Control - ProvoRadio
When we were on the bank 12 nm out from Provo we were contacted by ProvoRadio on VHF 16 and asked our intentions, the number of people on board, particulars of our boat, the port we were coming from, etc. ProvoRadio mans the coastal radar station at Five Cays, Providenciales, and is directed by the Ministry of Border Control and Labour. All boats on international voyages are required to report in when within 12 nm of Provo when arriving and departing. We were also required to fill out a Vessel Arrival Information Form either over the radio or by e-mail. We opted for e-mail and completed the one page form after we anchored at Sapodilla Bay for the night and e-mailed it back to them. We received a courteous e-mail thanking us for our cooperation. Shortly after we anchored in Sapodillo Bay, a catamaran came in that ProvoRadio had been trying to contact but had not replied. Within minutes a large Coast Guard helicopter descended on the anchorage. We could see that photos were being taken of the boat. They take security seriously here.

South Side Marina
We were in need of marina time to top up our water and do a repair and friends had recommended South Side Marina, “a marina managed by cruisers for cruisers”. So on the morning of April 22nd we raised anchor and made the 40 minute trip along the coast to the east. There was virtually no wind and the colour of the banks was stunning as we approached the harbour entrance.

When we came through the cut, we were met by manager Bob Pratt, dockhand Julien, and the lovely Nevarde who serves as office assistant and bartender at Bob's Bar which recently opened at the marina. Distant Shores II was quickly secured on a floating finger pontoon and we were welcomed into the friendly cruising community at this delightful marina, also a port of entry. The team here does everything to help you get settled, get your repairs done if needed, and makes sure you enjoy your stay on the island.

Bob Pratt, manager of South Side Marina. A friend to cruising sailors in the Turks and Caicos

Road Trip Provo
The next day Bob and Nevarde helped us organize a car rental so we could get out and explore the 37.5 square island. (Turns out the guy that works at the Holiday Rentals is Canadian and his mother is a director and vendor at the Orillia Farmers Market who we know from shopping there when we're home! Small world.)

In the morning we had a lot of fun driving the little back roads of Provo filming for the Distant Shores TV series and discovered some quiet beaches at Northwest Point which we had all to ourselves.

The water is such a beautiful colour and it was a pleasure to just stroll, beach combing as we went along.

This worked up an appetite so we drove along the north coast road where there are many popular beach bars to choose from with fresh seafood and locally prepared dishes. I had a delicious meal of grouper, peas and rice, coleslaw, and fresh avocado and tomato slices. Paul opted for stewed beef with peas and grits and fried plantain. All yummy!

Next we hit the downtown in the centre of the island to pick up a few things at Walkin's Chandlery, then headed to the east end of the island to see the beautiful 5 mile/8 km long Grace Beach and the gorgeous resorts there. This area is such a contrast to the small settlements in the outer islands such as South Caicos. But you can get everything you need here in the Graceway shopping district. We were able to find a few computer accessories we needed at Computech that we didn't expect to find until we got back to the US mainland.

We also checked out the large modern marinas at Turtle Cove and Blue Haven which we found to be reasonable priced. But South Side Marina is still the best deal at $50 a day for our Southerly 49 sailboat.

Blue Haven Marina at the east end of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

Since we had the car we concluded the day’s road trip with a stop at the Graceway IGA supermarket which is reputed to be the best supermarket to be found between Florida and the Virgin Islands. It is exceptional and we stocked up on goodies we hadn't seen for a while. Things were pricey compared to home but they had an excellent selection. We also picked up the latest Explorer Charts for the Bahamas (our next destination) at the Unicorn Bookstore which shares the same parking lot.

Meanwhile back at the marina, folks were getting ready for the Wednesday Night South Side Potluck Supper and BBQ. This happens weekly at Bob's Bar at South Side Marina with everyone bringing whatever meat they want to BBQ for themselves plus a side dish to share.

Bob's Bar is a really fun place to hang out because local homeowners, ex-pats and island visitors show up as well as sailors so it's a lively mix of interesting and interested people who aren't afraid to make conversation and have fun together. We had another great evening and then Bob treated everyone to a dish or two of ice cream! Boy, does Bob know what sailors love!

This morning, Paul spent the morning completing a repair to Distant Shores II’s bow thruster (rusty contact) and at noon Bob organized for the Customs and Immigration officials to come down to the marina to clear us out as well as another boat. It was another $50 US to clear out so $100 US total for a one-week permit. If you stay more than a week you must pay $300 but have 90 days to cruise. Our week in the Turks and Caicos has flown by so quickly! The officers were kind and courteous and tried to persuade us to stay for the weekly Thursday night Fish Fry tonight :-) Next time!

We said thanks and farewell and this afternoon crossed the bank to the island of West Caicos where we picked up a mooring off the west coast for the night. It is a national park area and there are some excellent dive sites here, hence the moorings.

We'll spend the night here and at sunrise will head northwest to the Bahamas where we plan to clear in at the island of Mayaguana. You may recall we filmed an episode of Distant Shores there a few years ago for Distant Shores season 5 so are looking forward to seeing how things have changed.

Red sky at night is a sailor's delight so it should be a good day tomorrow...

Until next time,

Sheryl and Paul Shard
Aboard S/V Distant Shores II
West Caicos
Turks and Caicos

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1. The beautiful natural islands. We’ve been coming here since 1985 and there has been very little intrusive development.
2. There are numerous protected anchorages as well as good marina facilities if you want them.
3. There are numerous restaurants and beach bars if you don't feel like cooking on board. Reservations taken via VHF radio! They really cater to boaters here.
4. English is spoken so communication is not an issue.
5. The grocery stores are good although pricier than other Caribbean Islands but they offer a good selection and have high end specialty items due to the charter boat industry here. You can order provisions online from grocery stores such as Rite Way Food Markets and have them delivered right to your boat. There are decent yacht services and chandleries too.
6. The snorkeling and diving is great and good sites are convenient to anchorages. The dive operations offer “rendezvous dive services” where they will pick you up from your boat, provide gear, and take you to an interesting dive site. Check out Sail Caribbean Divers. There are over 100 sites in the islands within a small area.
7. It’s easy eye-ball navigation since the islands are all close together so stress-free. It’s a nice break after lots of challenging navigation these past few years.
8. It’s peaceful. Rarely do you hear an airplane or a siren (unless you're around the main island of Tortola).
9. Large mooring fields have been installed in popular places so anchor-dragging issues and conflicts have virtually disappeared. Yet there are plenty of quiet places for experienced sailors to anchor, if you prefer.
10. People love to sail here! Many are on a week's bareboat charter and they want to sail every minute they can! There are regattas and rendezvous and beautiful mega-yachts. The atmosphere is always festive. You are surrounded by people who are happy and active and having a good time - but they fall asleep by 10 PM :-) It's a boat show everyday!

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We were soon out into open water, mainsail raised and self-tacking jib ready to unfurl but the wind never did set in from the ENE. It was light and on the nose, due E, the whole day. Motorsailing it was to be. It was a very clear day and Virgin Gorda didn't disappear off our stern until mid-morning. We each stood our watches listening to audio books on our iPhones to pass the time and watching the many sea birds and passing ships. The Anegada Passage is a gateway to the Caribbean for ocean-going ships travelling to and from the rest of the world.

At the half-way point we passed sailboats heading in the opposite direction and the blue skies began to get cloudy. Then the radar started to show patches of squalls developing and by the afternoon we were getting scattered shower – brief and cooling.

However, just after sighting St Maarten on the horizon in the late afternoon, we got a series of big squalls. No worries. The heavy rain gave the boat a good cleaning washing all the salt off the decks.

At the same time as the squalls passed we noticed an incredible feeding frenzy going on. Hundreds of sea birds were diving on fish at the surface all around us. Now we're not very good at fishing but we thought if we put out a line in this location we couldn't go wrong. Over the years we've done a lot of fishing with the hand spear but not so much with a line. But now we're getting into it and found a great book to guide us, The Cruiser's Handbook of Fishing by Scott and Wendy Bannerot. We dropped our line but I guess we were a bit late doing it since no fish seemed interested in our lure. Oh well. Better luck next time.

Just after 5:00 p.m. the skies had cleared and we were rounding the south end of St Martin/St Maarten in sunshine under blue skies. By 5:30 p.m. we were dropping the hook in Simpson Bay on the Dutch side of the island just behind SV Banyan owned by Canadian friends, Dave and Alex, who had left the BVI the day before us.

That's the great thing about cruising. You meet so many great people on your travels and encounter them many times in many places. A welcome always awaits you.

Until next time,

Sheryl and Paul
Aboard SV Distant Shores II


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