that stunningly blue, blue water! hanging out at a beachside cafe during our first few days what a view! Oh, the memories I have to get me through these long Alberta winters now. We had four days exploring Antigua at the start of our trip, ten glorious days on the boat, then four more fantastic days in a little beach cabin at the end of our trip. It was stunning! It's hard to tell in this photo, but the boat was heading into a trough between two very large waves - couldn't see the horizon from the bottom Jenny was a natural at helming the boat, spelling Ian off so he could take breaks trying to grab the mooring ball to anchor the boat, Jenny, Raymond, Stu another shade of blue again, after the storm hello Sabine! coming in to Falmouth Harbour in English Bay. trying to keep my eye on the compass and steer at the same time on the worst days, Raymond was feeling a tad bit queasy - became good friends with the bucket! (Ian & Stu standing) Ian (left) at the helm, Raymond grabbing the second wheel for fun this photo was not colour-retouched in any way - can you believe the blue of the water? A different shade in every kind of light. Sabine and Jenny checking the navigation, Ian helming, and Stu relaxing I took a turn at the helm, but only when the water was totally calm (too chicken to try it during the days of rough waves where the boat pitched and rolled between 12 to 15 foot swells). We had high winds for most of our trip, so we did less actual sailing than we planned. Then it was back on the boat for more adventures. Raymond and I played tourists in the resort for a couple days I tried to recreate that beautiful texture in my recipe for blackened red snapper, below. James Resort we could enjoy! heading to shore in shifts on the tender (the dinghy we pulled behind the sailboat) Raymond, Jenny, Sabine, Ian Jenny and I tried out the pedal boards at the resort - lots of fun and a good leg workoutĪt the resort, I had a meal of the most fantastic, tender, moist and fresh snapper in a garlic butter sauce.

Tropical winds got so high we had to anchor in Mamora Bay for three nights to wait out the storms. he steered us safely through some pretty rough waters some days we pounded through some pretty high waves (15 feet high on the windiest day - exciting but kinda scary, too!) lots of time to read once we anchored in calm waters for the evening (Sabine's deep in her book) this was our home for 10 days charting our course, getting settled in and ready to leave from Jolly Harbour, Antigua skipper Ian at the helm. Raymond and I were thrilled to be part of a six-person crew, with friends old and new, aboard a 42-foot sailboat exploring the waters around this beautiful Caribbean island stunningly blue waters in every shade of azure and turquoise, wild tropical winds and massive ocean waves, pristine sandy beaches, memorable moonrises with the waves lapping the sides of the boat as we anchored in quiet bays, fun evenings drinking wine and playing dice by the light of a flashlight hanging from the decking, fantastic meals cooked on the tiny stove in the galley, snorkeling and swimming right off the back of the boat, sightings of flying fish, pelicans, and one sea turtle, suntanning on the deck of the boat as it gently rocked in smooth waters, getting washed by blasts of spray and hanging on as it plowed through rough waters and swells so big the horizon disappeared each time the boat dipped into a trough, falling asleep in our berths at night to the gentle rocking motion of the boat. (I get a shiver just typing those words!)

We were off on a bucket list trip-of-a-lifetime - a sailing adventure in Antigua. Just a short week ago I looked out to this:īut don't worry - reality settled in pretty quickly the minute we arrived back to our wintry world and we had to deal with this: I won't shout out too loudly that I was away enjoying a tropical vacation while the snow came down and the chill settled in to all the rest of the world that had to stay home and tough out the cold spell.

If you're looking for the blackened red snapper recipe, skip to it here.) It only takes the time needed to dice the salsa ingredients, and dinner can be on the table. The tender fish fillets are rubbed with a fiery Caribbean spice blend, then quickly seared in a hot pan, for a fantastic dinner done in minutes. Add wow to a fish night with Blackened Red Snapper topped with a zesty fresh mango salsa.

Blackened red snapper