Jolly Harbour
Land Ahoy, we crossed the Atlantic on the 5th March 2022.
Les and his two trustworthy Germain crew, Moe and Clemens arrived in Jolly Harbour after there Atlantic crossing, on the 5th March 2022. Here’s what we found in Antigua, and some useful Antigua travel information.
The route so far from Maryport Marina to Jolly Harbour Marina
Clearing In was a lengthy process as a consequence of the added COVID procedures. A cruising permit for Ocean Strider was 40 East Caribbean Dollars.
I flew into Antigua on 13th March, to join Les and Ocean Strider. I’d been working for three-month in the UK, to top up our bank balance. We stayed in the marina for an additional week. In that time we fully enjoyed the luxury of showers.
We made the short journey around to Lignum Vitae Bay, as we had cleared out of the marina and it was time to anchor up. This was just off the beautiful beach. Read more on the Marina and bay below.
English is the official language of Antigua.
In Antigua, English is their official spoken language. However, many of the locals will also speak Antiguan Creole and/or Spanish.
CUSTOMS: Signing In/Out
You can Clear In and Out at Jolly Harbour.
To clear In/Out, it is necessary to moor up outside the Yellow Customs office. This is situated on the left-hand side of the channel and before entering the Marina.
You can only leave your boat for clearing in. You cannot leave your boat to go ashore, for any other reason.
For the final mile we used the electric engine, to motor us towards the office. It was almost the end of the working day. The Doctor had left early, there was no one to complete a COVID test, a requirement at that time.
We should return to Customs and Immigration, at 8am the next day and stay on the boat.
Les and the crew, Moe and Clemens in Jolly Harbour after the Transatlantic Crossing.
Les and crew return to Customs and Immigration, just after 8am the next morning to complete clearing in. Immigration staff inform us, the doctor usually arrives at 10.30 am.
The doctor arrives and informs everyone that she has no official COVID paperwork for clearing in. We all had to return to our boats until tomorrow. Not what anyone in the queue wanted to hear!
A little persuasion from from all the boaters and the staff agreed to try and sort things for that the afternoon. The paperwork did arrive.
The doctor took all the skippers temperature, we completed customs and immigration paperwork and paid for the cruising permit. All complete, we were able to proceed to the marina.
Our cruising permit, were free to see Antigua.
The situation was a confusing mess at the time. It was understandable at the present time because of the COVID.
Removing crew from your boat manifest.
We returned to Customs and Immigration to remove the 2 crew members, off the official boat manifest. The crew had no flight tickets to leave the Island as they wanted to sail as crew, to continue their travels. The official answer was to produce accommodation invoices for a few days, which would give both crew time to find a place on a boat.
An accommodation invoice will help to clear crew from the official boat manifest.
They now had an hour till the office shut, to find accommodation and invoices, then return with proof. The race was on and the task completed with 20 minutes to spare, they returned to customs and immigration to find the officials they needed to see had gone home early. They returned the next day and handed in the hotel invoices. Most importantly, everything was completed to get a good result!
With all the Clearing In Paperwork completed, time to enjoy Antigua.
I flew to Antigua on a Virgin Atlantic return ticket, as it was my cheapest option. This meant I was technically on holiday on Ocean Strider.
To sail the Caribbean with Les, I should be added to the boat manifest.
We cleared out via Nelson’s Dockyard in English Harbor on the 10th of April. Where I was added to the Crew Manifest.
You can delay your flight by requesting a Travel Voucher from Virgin Atlantic airways.
I requested a travel voucher for the return portion of my Virgin Atlantic air ticket, as I wouldn’t be returning to the UK from Antigua straight away. I can use the voucher to fly from any airport used by Virgin Atlantic airlines.
MARINA: Jolly Harbour.
Motoring to Jolly Harbour marina from Customs and Immigration. A view from the Marina.
We spent our first 2 weeks in Jolly Harbour Marina, moored bow to on the visitor’s pontoon. There are several other pontoons for long term boats and commercial yachts for hire, some of which I’d class as mega yachts.
Next to the Marina complex, as you looked out ashore and to the right, you can see a large and very ornate building. It was going to be a hotel. Unfortunately the investors ran out of money.
Around the bay and channel there are beautiful waterside properties with their own moorings, boats moored on most.
Water and Electricity.
Both are metered, you will be charged on the final marina invoice. Unless you make other arrangements.
Ablutions.
There were 3 very good shower blocks in Jolly Harbour Marina. The best was on the Left side of the Marina, as you look at the marina office from the moorings. In a wooden building with 4 separate units in each Male and Female block. The units included shower, toilet and sink.
You require a code to enter each shower unit. On the door is a sliding sign, to show vacant or occupied. In case you forget to slide to occupied, it’s important to lock the door. On the flip side, people forget to slide back to vacant on leaving. Whereas you turn up, also try every door.
The shower rooms are modern and clean. However, if you were the last person in at end of the day, some shower rooms didn’t have the best drainage as water covered the floor. Take a spare pair of flip flops if you’re not keen on wading through other people’s dirty water.
AT ANCHOR: Lignum Vitae -Bay
A short journey out of Jolly Harbour Marina, down the channel and turning south, you come into Lignum Vitae Bay. Lots of Yachties anchor around the channel entrance. We wanted a prettier view of the beach. The downside was it could get rolly at times with the constant winds blowing in the bay from the mountains. The upside was, it kept our wind generator going the whole time we were there. It is a fairly big bay with room for many boats to anchor.
From the anchorage we could take the dinghy to the dinghy dock, or go to the beach. For a bit of steady exercise, we could walk from the beach to the shops or to catch a bus.
We went straight to the dinghy dock if we needed to shop or catch a bus, as it was more secure.
Amenities.
Fuel:
There is a fuel dock near the shower block. As we didn’t require diesel, we have no idea of costs but assume its at the going rate.
Restaurants in Jolly Harbour marina complex.
The marina complex has good variety of restraints and bars. So if cooking isn’t your thing.
Rubbish.
The car park opposite the Marina office, has a concrete enclosure for rubbish disposal, which is for marina visitors and always appeared full.
There are also small waste bins around the marina.
Shopping and other Stores.
Groceries: There was a large grocery store opposite the Marina, considered one of the best stocked in the area. Yachties from other bays will taxi in to do a big shop there. Costs in Antigua as you travel are expensive in comparison to the other islands. Shop wisely to make the most out of your grocery budget.
Located outside the supermarket are roadside fruit and veg stalls. We found the costs for fruit and veg to be more expensive. Get your haggling head on.
The Marina complex also houses several different stores, for car hire, booking tourist trips, getting a local sim/data card, clothes, hair dressers and tailors, along with aforementioned eating venues.
Laundry Facilities: There was only a drop off service in the sailboat yard adjoining the the Marina on the north side. Unsure of costs as we didn’t use it. Stuck to a bucket instead.
Chandlery: There is a Budget Marine Chandler’s opposite the sail yard, with a decent amount of stock. Don’t forget your sail papers to get the tax off.
Gas Bottles.
There’s a gas bottles refill service at the boat yard by the marina. As you enter the gates, turn left to the shore line, call in at the office. We paid 40 ECD and waited 2 days for a 3kg Camping Gas bottle. I thought this was a reasonable price.
Busses and where to catch them.
To catch a bus close to the marina. Turn right out of the marina and immediately left on the corner of the supermarket car park, up the hill to the main road. You will see the bus stops, one on either side of the road. Buses are usually mini buses.
The cost is approximately 4ecd per person, for a one-way journey into St Johns or anywhere on rout. The busses will usually pick you up anywhere on rout. 4ecd is a standard charge.
The Town of St Johns.
5 mast crews ship and HMS Medway at St Johns dock. Les walking through the streets of St Johns.
A bus trip is easy and cost effective. It takes about 20mins and drops you off at the main bus depot, where you can catch a bus for the return journey.
The town is bustling with all kinds of shops, market stalls, banks and places of interest. As you would expect in a large town.
It’s also the location of the cruise liner dock. You should expect the usual tourist touts, if you venture there. Be polite say no if you wish, they usually do not hassle you. A walk around the dock complex with its pretty boutique shops and eating places is worth a look and the ice cream was very nice!
The Beach.
We kept ourselves to Lignum Vitae Bay beach, which stretches around the whole Bay area. There is a large holiday complex adjoining the beach front. It wasn’t in use and appeared to have been this way for a while, looking sad and neglected. You could suppose COVID had something to do with the closure. The upside was that the permanently erected beach front rattan umbrellas. They were free to use. This is especially useful when a rain shower appeared from nowhere. This was fairly frequent. You could also take a free shower in the liquid sunshine (rain).
The beach was glorious with white sands and the sea was always warm.
A word of warning, watch out for prickly seeds in the vegetation on the beach. They stick to your feet, pull them of immediately.
There was a beach restaurant to enjoy a meal or drink, along with the requisite beach stand hiring out sun beds and jet skis or trips.
To reach the beach from the Marina, turn right and it is about a 10-minute walk to get there, whilst walking past many of those beautiful aforementioned waterside homes and a few security posts. No doubt there to look after said beautiful homes.
