Waiting for a good weather window paid off. Our sail between Pigeon Island, Guadeloupe and Jolly Harbour, Antigua was probably the best sail that we have had over the past two years. The winds were between 15 and 18 knots and the seas were between 3 and 5 feet. The sun shone for most of the sail and it was simply a beautiful day to cross the Guadeloupe Channel. Other boats thought so as well. There must have been at least two dozen boats making the crossing that day.
We arrived at Valley Church, a beautiful anchorage close to Jolly Harbour, around 2:30p. The health and customs office was open until 4p. So, after we were sure our anchor was set, we hopped in the dinghy to the customs house, which was painted bright yellow and had a “Q” flag flying. There was a crowd there. Apparently the health nurse had run out of the correct forms. So, we were told to return the next day.
We returned to our boat and enjoyed the afternoon in the beautiful anchorage. The next morning we arrived to the customs house at 8:30a. The nurse was supposed to arrive at 9a. We think that she might have been held up at the cruise ship dock. Anyways, she arrived around 10:15a and started processing people. By this time, there was quite a crowd. Since we had been sitting there for so long, it became quite a social gathering. This was great, as many of these people were going to enter the marina after clearing through customs, just like us.
Once the health nurse arrived, the process went quite smoothly. In Antigua, they are very particular about having all of the entry documentation correct. So, we were glad that we cleared out of customs in Deshaies to get the official stamp on our paperwork. Clearing through customs is different in every island. In this case, after a visit with the health nurse, only the captain continues with the clearing in process. Steve met several of the other captains in the queue while I chatted with many of the wives. Because this became so social, we met several different couples. It was nice to say hello to everyone in the marina.
