Montserrat

Jeremy and Pat up Indian Creek, Antigua

Sal Darago in Indian Creek

Pat treated us to a special meal at the Royal Antigua Hotel and Beach Resort, just behind Deep Bay. We put on our glad rags, landed on the beach without getting wet or falling in and had an expensive but very enjoyable meal ashore. Thank you, Pat. Her ankle was much better when we took her to the airport the next day. As soon as she’d gone the weather took a turn for the worse. It rained heavily, the wind blew hard, the swell increased, so we motored to Jolly Harbour for shelter. Here we filled up with drinking water and had a cooking gas bottle filled as well. A few days later we had a good sail with full main and genoa all 26 miles to Montserrat and anchored in Little Bay. We’d checked the weather forecast and knew we would be OK for 2 nights.

The jungle takes over in Joe's village of Corkhill, Montserrat

Health Centre in Corkhill

Montserrat remains British Overseas Territory. The port dues were a very reasonable 36ECD, approx 9 pounds. However, taxi tours of the island were the most we’d ever paid for three and a half hours at 150US. The charge would have been the same for 4 people but there were no other takers that day.

All that remains of the capital, Portsmouth

After the tour we could not begrudge Joe Phillip his money. He had lost his house when hurricane Hugo struck in 1987. By 1989 he’d rebuilt and lost it all again when the Soufriere Hills volcano erupted in 1995. Volcanic ash carpeted his village and all the residents were told to pack a bag for the weekend. They were never to return and Joe spent two and a half years living in a classroom with his family. He now lives in the north and has rebuilt once more. No-one expected the volcano to erupt. It had been dormant for 400 years.

The volcano is still smoking

The capital, Portsmouth, has been totally buried; not even church steeples rise above the layers of ash. Joe’s photographs of the area before the volcano became active are a poignant reminder of former days. The ash has stopped belching out for now, but the volcano continues to smoke. Fumes of sulphur dioxide are carried on the wind. When it rains heavily, large boulders join with mud and ash and slide down the valley where the golf course once was into the sea. New land is being formed and is soon covered with trees and vegetation.

The pool at the Montserrat Spa Hotel, Portsmouth

We met a Belgian couple from catamaran Zipper at Monty’s bar and dive centre. They reminded us that we had shared a table for dinner in Carriacou last April, when Pat was with us. Do have a drink at Monty’s if you go to Monserrat. The owner is an Englishman who has recently started this new venture close to the beach in Little Bay. We wish him every success.

Precarious new construction at Little Bay