For once the wind was light as we left the protection of the reef, and set our course for the eastern most part of Barbuda, 30 miles away. We had the full main and the gennaker out, and were sailing at close to wind speed in 8-10 knots. The sea had a small swell running, but the surface was glassy. It was a nice re-introduction to ocean sailing after our crossing from Europe, and our bash up to Guadaloupe. We arrived in the protected anchorage of Spanish Point after a few hours of sailing, and dropped anchor through clear water into white sand.

The first two days we had not a lot of wind, and entertained ourselves by swimming and snorkeling the reef. We re-anchored, finding a slightly better spot more inside the reef, and did some boat chores. Finally, on the third day, the wind picked up. Spanish point is an excellent foiling spot, with perfectly flat, protected water within the reef, and easy access to the channel, which has a large swell that stands up nicely. The low profile nature of the land means the trade winds blow in with very little interference, providing smooth and consistent wind. At Spanish Point we began to get bolder about riding out into the open ocean and riding the swell. This added a whole new dimension to what can be done with a foil, and we were soon becoming more and more comfortable surfing huge rolling waves that would never be possible on a surfboard.

After about 8 days of this we thought it might be time to move on. We sailed around the corner and had dinner at Roddy’s, to celebrate the completion of the first draft of Kate’s upcoming book. The anchorage was fine, and we had a good foil session there too. Dinner was good, and Kate got a complimentary glass of champagne for her celebration. In the morning we motored up a little and anchored in front of the world famous Princess Dianna Beach. This spot was characterized by a tasteless and overbuilt waterfront, and loads of boats anchored off the sandy beach. The foiling was ruined by the buildings on shore, as they break up the wind and turn it gusty. This rape and pillage of Barbuda by the billionaire class is not unique to Princess Dianna Beach, but is being perpetrated all over the island. A few Barbuda natives are trying to fight back against their government, and the greedy rich white people. www.savebarbuda.com details their struggle. There is also a good article in Surfers Journal for those who are interested. We stayed one night and then went back to Spanish Point where the only development is fisherman’s shacks.

We stayed a few more days, enjoying the foiling, and then returned to Antigua, in order to pick up my mom. We sailed around the top of the island, with a bit more wind than when we came over. We found a nice protected spot deep in English Harbor, and settled in for a few days. We rented a car, and picked up some groceries in town and my mom from the airport. Loading both back aboard KODA, we sailed out of the harbor and around the corner to Green Island. It was my birthday, and Kate encouraged me to go out for a foil session before our early dinner reservation. I had a great time, sticking several carving 360s on the large foil. The wind was smooth and perfect, and I had a nice time floating around the bay.

It was dinner time, and we dingied over to The Beach, a beachfront restaurant on Green Island. The only restaurant on Green island. In fact, the only building on Green Island. Dinner was great, with a large chunk of tuna on a hot slab of salt being a highlight. Although not cheap, the scene was interesting, and it’s fun to have a nicer dinner every now and then.

In the morning we sailed for Barbuda again. It was windy, and we flew along between 12 and 14 knots of speed over ground, making it in a little bit more than two hours. Four Balance catamarans left from Bird Island at the same time we left Green Island, and we overhauled each one. This was a nice testament to the performance of our boat, as Balance boats are quality machines. Coming into Spanish Point, our friend Alex, from Outlaw, foiled out to meet us. The waves were up, and it was cool watching him ride right next to the boat as we both surfed towards the anchorage.

We spent three days at Spanish Point, taking my mom snorkeling and doing some foiling. We were also invited to a cocktail hour with The Salty Cruisers aboard Pressure Drop, a Balance 526. There were all the Balance owners there as well as Alex and Arabella from Outlaw, and we had a nice evening socializing. We are out here mainly to avoid other people, but every now and then it is beneficial and entertaining to get together with like minded people, which many cruisers are.

The sail back to Antigua was relatively mild, and we spent two more nights on the main island before dropping my mom off for her taxi ride to the airport. The following day the weather looked promising, and we sailed directly back to Barbuda, and Spanish point, which has become one of our favorite spots on this side of the ocean. There was also a big north swell coming, and I wanted to check a spot on Barbuda. It turned out that the wave was not working, so we just stayed at Spanish Point and foiled, which was a fine conciliation prize. One day we were out with the dingy, snorkeling the outer reef, when we encountered a foiler who had run out of wind. He was from the fancy resort at Princess Dianna Beach, which was around 5 miles downwind, but the wind had died and left him floating. We rescued him and returned him to his hotel. He was from Denmark. We did not discuss Greenland.

After a few more days at Spanish Point, hanging out with Daniel and Miriam, our friends from Nava, we sailed back to Antigua, and checked out, preparing for our passage south, to Guadeloupe and beyond. We checked out in North Sound, and then sailed around the corner to Green Island, where we would jump off early the next morning. We loved Antigua and Barbuda, despite the insane prices of everything, but we understood that there are more islands in the Windwards and we decided to go check them out before the season ends.