About Antigua Yacht CharterAbout Antigua Yacht Charter Antigua lies halfway down the Leeward Islands chain and is a major yacht charter base. Antigua is the quintessential British colony in a tropical paradise. The British choose Antigua as its naval stronghold in the Caribbean, some 200 years ago. Christopher Columbus landed on Antigua in 1493 and named the island Santa Maria de la. Early Spanish settlement was replaced by English rule from 1632, with a French interlude in 1666. The islands were granted independence from British rule on the 1st November 1981. Antigua is the largest of the British Leeward Islands with warm steady winds, a complicated coast of safe harbors and a protective, and near unbroken wall of coral reef. Antigua is a crossroad for sailing yachts heading up and down the archipelago of the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Sailing conditions around Antigua are really perfect with an annual rainfall averaging only 45 inches, and that makes it the sunniest of all the Eastern Caribbean Islands. The northeast trade winds blow almost constant year round, with the weakest month being September. To the east of English Harbour is Falmouth Harbour which is a major yachting. It is also home to Nelson's Dockyard, which is the only working Georgian dockyard in the world. There is a museum dedicated to Admiral Lord Nelson who used English Harbour as his Caribbean base in the late 18th century. Nelsons Dockyard is an active yachting centre and the bay now has three large marinas and the Antigua Yacht Club. The colonial history of Antigua is still worth a look, with the ruins at the top of Shirley Heights, with the British artillery emplacements. The island also is home to one of the regions best bird sanctuaries. Green Island, at the mouth of Nonsuch Bay on Antigua's east shore, offers an unspoilt anchorage for an Antigua Yacht Charter. St. John's is the capital of Antigua and lies on the west coast and you can find good provisioning here. Five Island Harbour, just south of St. John's, has several anchorages in which good shelter can be found no matter which wind direction. Jolly Harbour, lies on the south coast and has a large complex of boatyards, marinas, restaurants, and shops. Redonda, Antigua's out-island, lies 30 miles to the southeast and is completely uninhabited Every April the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta is held and is hosted by the Antigua Yacht Club. In May there is the Rolex Antigua Sailing Week and is an international event attracting competitors from worldwide Antigua has an international airport, with daily flights from many cities throughout the world. The East Caribbean dollar is the official currency but both US Dollars and Euros are used and major credit cards may be accepted in hotels, restaurants and some shops. Creole cuisine predominates on the islands. The national dish of Antigua is fungie and pepper pot. Fungie is a dish almost entirely made from cornmeal and very similar to the Italian polenta. Other local dishes include ducana, seasoned rice, saltfish and lobster from Barbuda. There are also local confectionaries which include: fudge, peanut brittle, raspberry and tamarind stew and sugarcake. Good international cuisine is also widely available. Barbuda lies 20 miles to the north of Antigua and offers good sailing and a number of lovely anchorages on its west and south sides. Codrington Lagoon is on the west side and is seven miles long with pink sandy beaches. Codrington, Barbuda's largest town is worth a vist while here. Many other pleasant beaches can be found on the island often covered with shells.
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