Allan & Ursula Ward: Port Owen, Cape West Coast, South Africa.

Shearwater 39:
- L.O.A. 43ft (13.22m)
- L.O.D. 39ft (12m)
- L.W.L. 34ft (10.3m)
- BEAM 13ft(3.9m)
- DRAFT 6ft(1.8m)



HOW IT ALL BEGAN .

I placed my order on Nebe Boats on the 19/10/1992 for what was initially planned to be a complete factory built yacht that l would sail home to Durban from Capetown once she was completed. Unfortunately due to the demise of Nebe Boats in the early days of her construction it did not turn out that way, so l decided to truck her home to Ramsgate on the KZN South Coast to finish building her in our garden at home.

For many years we could proudly boast that we had the most expensive piece of garden furniture in town, but at the time l had no idea of how massive this project would turn out to be. As anyone who has built a blue water cruiser will tell you, particularly if she is kitted out with all the systems and the equipment that a modern cruiser has onboard these days, it is a daunting task . Looking at the positive aspects of this project, l know the boat intimately in that l designed and installed the systems, so from a repair and maintenance perspective l have no issues carrying out the work that is necessary from time to time.



The big day arrived on the 29/8/2008 when we craned her out of the garden onto a rig to truck her through to Durban for launching . What followed was three months of preparations to ready her for the maiden voyage to our home port in Port Owen on the Cape West Coast.

We had a fast passage down the South African East Coast including a storm off the notorious Wild Coast and arrived in Port Owen in dense fog. Windward had passed her first test with flying colours and since then we have enjoyed some great sailing on the West Coast.


The master plan has always been to go cruising, so our plans are to leave for Brazil via Luderitz and St Helena Island at the end of February 2014. So far everything is on track although the “To Do“ list still grows each day.

The purpose of this blog is to record our adventure for ourselves, family and friends. Although it will probably end up being a brief summary of events while we are cruising, we hope you will enjoy and share some of our experiences with us.

LIVING THE DREAM .

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

ANTIGUA . A CRUISER'S UTOPIA

OFF THE LEEWARD COASTS OF THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS THESE FISH TRAPS IN VARIOUS FORMS LIE ON THE SEABED IN THEIR DOZENS . ON THE SURFACE ALL YOU SEE ARE A COUPLE OF FLOATS USUALLY PLASTIC BOTTLES . FORTUNATELY TOUCH WOOD WE HAVEN'T FOULED ANY YET .

I WISH WE HAD CHECKED OUT WHO THIS VIP IS .

STRANGELY ENOUGH THIS IS THE BUILDING THAT HE IS GAZING AT .
I PRESUME THEY ARE REFERRING TO A HAMBURGER .

NOTICE HOW ALL THE OLD BUILDINGS HAVE STORM SHUTTERS ON THEIR WINDOWS AND DOORS.

EXPLORING ST JOHNS WITH OUR SWISS CRUISING MATES .

THE RESTORATION PROJECT ON THIS MAGNIFICENT CHURCH HAS TAKEN SO LONG THAT THE BUILDING EQUIPMENT BEING USED NOW NEEDS RESTORING .

HEMINGWAY'S RESTAURANT IN ST JOHNS .
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE GENTLEMEN IN THE PAINTING IS , YOU HAVE MISSED OUT ON SOMETHING QUITE SPECIAL .

A PRIVATELY OWNED FLEET OF DRAGONS SUSPENDED OVER THE WATER AT ANTIGUA YACHT CLUB .

THE ANTIGUA YACHT CLUB .
HOST TO SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS CARIBBEAN REGATTAS .

THIS PIC DOES NO JUSTICE AT ALL TO THE SCALE OF THE SIZE OF THIS HUGE GIN PALACE .

FALMOUTH HARBOUR MARINA .
SOME OF THE MOST MAGNIFICENT YACHTS THAT I HAVE EVER LAID MY EYES ON .

THIS IS THE SUPERYACHT TWIZZLE .
WHEN SHE SAILED OUT OF FALMOUTH HER SHIP'S HORN SOUNDED SIMILAR TO THE QE2 .

THE UPMARKET PILLARS RESTAURANT HOUSED IN ONE OF THE HISTORIC NELSON'S DOCKYARD BUILDINGS .

THE PILLARS THAT USED TO SUPPORT THE ROOF OF THE OLD SAIL LOFT BEFORE IT WAS DESTROYED .

THE BEAUTIFUL GARDENS IN NELSON'S DOCKYARD .
THEY DID AN AMAZING JOB RESTORING THE ONLY WORKING GEORGIAN NAVAL DOCKYARD IN THE WORLD . 

THE ALLEY THAT LEADS TO THE DOCKYARD .

WHEN THE NICHOLSON FAMILY SAILED INTO ENGLISH HARBOUR IN THE EARLY FIFTIES ON THEIR YACHT THEY FOUND THIS AMAZING PLACE IN TOTAL DISREPAIR .

THE VERY INTERESTING MUSEUM TELLS THE FASCINATING STORY OF THE HISTORY OF THIS PLACE . 

DITTO .

THE ADMIRALS INN .
THE ENTIRE PERIOD THAT ADMIRAL HORATIO NELSON SERVED IN ENGLISH HARBOUR , HE REFUSED TO LIVE ASHORE BUT CHOSE TO STAY ONBOARD HIS SHIP .

THE SUPERYACHT DOCK IN ENGLISH HARBOUR .

FREEMAN'S BAY ANCHORAGE IN ENGLISH HARBOUR .

FRONT ROW SEATS WATCHING THE RACING DOWN BELOW .

A SIGHT TO BEHOLD WATCHING THESE CLASSIC YACHTS LINING UP FOR THE START OF THEIR RACE .

THE ORIGINAL CAPSTAN USED IN THE DOCKYARD DRIVEN BY MEN ON THE SPOKES .

THE SUPER IMPRESSIVE MALTESE FALCON .

THE WELL LAID OUT JOLLY HARBOUR MARINA .
IN THE BACKGROUND STANDS THE CASINO COMPLEX THAT WENT BUST . WHAT AN EYESORE .

THE BEAUTIFUL ANCHORAGE OFF GREEN ISLAND WHERE WE OVER-NIGHTED BEFORE SETTING SAIL FOR BARBADOS .

POWERING ALONG ON ROUTE TO BARBADOS WITH ANTIGUA SLIPPING OVER THE HORIZON .

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