Antigua holds a special place in the pantheon of Caribbean islands. I always have wanted to see it. So when we looked for flights for the kids to visit us for Christmas, Antigua was the preferred fly-to airport and became the destination of our trip.

That makes it a special moment for us as we motor into English Harbour on the island’s south coast and drop anchor. Arrived – we made it!

But I am getting ahead of myself. Where were we? Ah yes, Dominica. After our magical dolphin experience it is time to say goodbye to this wonderful rugged and green oasis in the direction of Guadeloupe. It’s not a very long sail today and the wind and waves are kind. We head for a group of small islands off the southern tip of Guadeloupe, called Les Iles des Saintes, The Saints.

The islands create a large natural harbor and the setting and style of the French colonial buildings give it a distinct Mediterranean feel that reminds us a lot of Greece. We enjoy the scenery and go ashore the next morning, Monday, to clear into Guadeloupe and do some shopping. We are in a territory of France and are excited about croissants, baguette, and good cheese and charcuterie.

Our trip along Guadeloupe has two more stops, the first at Pigeon Island, where Karin finds really good snorkeling, and the second all the way at the northern tip at Deshaies, a beautiful small bay that provides good protection and an ideal jump-off point for the long leg to Antigua. It has gotten more breezy with stronger gusts and more frequent rain showers coming through. The protection these bays provides is thus quite welcome.

Our final challenge awaits: a 40nm sail, our longest so far, due north to Antigua. With the heavier weather and stronger winds of the past few days we are a bit cautious and a tad bit nervous. We cook a hearty meal and fill our thermoses, get everything aboard cleared away and stowed for heavy seas and strong motion. Five thirty am comes early, a quick breakfast and a sandwich for mid morning, and by seven am we weigh anchor.

We opt for a reefed main and just the small staysail as we come around the northern tip and expose ourselves to the open Atlantic. The angle to the wind is good, a comfortable reach at 50 degrees apparent in 18-25kn of true wind. This is JACE at her best: with her heavier build and smooth lines she slices into the oncoming swell without banging and makes a sloid 5-6kn of speed. Later, as the wind moderates a tad, we unfurl about half the genoa which adds a lot of power and gets us cruising at 7kn and more. We pay the price for the speed in form of occasional heavy breakers that throw up lots of spray and soak us in our protected cockpit. The motion is tolerable but enough that be both feel it and get a little nauseous. It is a long day but we are moving fast and by 1:30pm we are furling away our sails and motor into the protected waters of English Harbour.

Antigua used to be the naval base of the British Royal Navy in the 18th and 19th century, in the age of sails, those days when England, France, and Spain fought for supremacy over the seas – and thus their global colonial possessions – in huge wooden tall ships. In my younger years I devoured volumes of historical fiction about those times and my heroes Hornblower and Bolitho. Antigua, and specifically English Harbour and the neighboring Falmouth Harbour, featured prominently in those novels. Entering this port is therefore a very special occasion for me, seeing the beautifully renovated “Nelson’s Dockyard”, the old batteries and fortifications, and dropping our anchor in the very same spot as the heroes of my youth.

The next morning we get up early and go for a short hike. Through thick bushes a nice trail leads us up to Shirley Hights, a former observation post of the British Navy with a commanding view over English Harbour (forground) and Falmouth Harbour (background).

You can see the location of the dockyards, the protective batteries, and where the warships used to anchor. Poor Karin has to listen to more explanations about naval history that she bargained for. Along the trail we see plenty historical artifacts (grave stones and a wheel of a cannon) and ruins of water cisterns and officers quarters.

So, we made it to Antigua! With four days to spare, even. But there is much to do before the kids get here on the 23rd. Stay tuned.