North swells are no fun when they arrive in the Caribbean.
Typical Weather
Most of the time the winds and waves come roughly from the east. Sometimes ENE and sometimes ESE (east-northeast and eat-southeast). Thus most of the anchorages are situated so that they protect from these typical conditions.
Atlantic Storms
North swells are generated by big Atlantic storm systems, usually those departing the Atlantic seaboard of the northern states or Canada. These big waves arrive several days after the storm is either a mere memory or has decided to visit the British isles. Unless one is paying attention to the big-weather picture, these waves can hit “out of the blue” and turn a anchorage into a roller-coaster. I once awoke at 4AM in Cane Garden Bay to find that such a swell had arrived. I managed to escape out of the narrow entrance channel at sunrise while surfers were riding the breaking waves in past me!
Grand Case
Although Anguilla protects the anchorage from a direct hit, waves fold around headlands and wrap back into the anchorage. The waters are milky-white from the waves hitting the empty beaches and the retaining walls. I didn’t have to sleep on the floor, but did have to assume my “starfish” spreadeagled position in the bunk to avoid rolling off. North swells are no fun.
Noon
My failed attempt at docking and getting rid of my garbage is documented above the 3 pictures. While the waves are no longer washing over the dock, the surge and swell remains uncomfortably high and I can afford to wait a day or so before attempting a landing.
My work day is approaching its end and the weekend beckons! The most recent wave forecast shows the north swell switching back to an east swell at 14:00. I’m optimistic, despite it having been wrong earlier. So at about 13:30 I decided that I felt less waves aboard and got into the dinghy to go ashore. At the dock the waves seemed less ominous and I decided to try going ashore. I got all my garbage on the dock and crawled on as well, leaving a very long on the dinghy. This would protect it from bashing against the concrete dock – hopefully.
I walked unsteadily to the local Chinese grocery store and got some staples, then stopped at the dinghy dock bar for a long-awaited frosty beverage. Soon thereafter, a group of cruisers came to the bar and we got to talking. That was, as they say, all she wrote…
Fortunately when I stumbled back to the dinghy the waves had actually subsided significantly.
Dinner
I didn’t want to go ashore on a busy Friday and have to fight for a place at a table, so grilled a burger on the barbie and I’m about to call it an early night. I am looking forward to a long and uninterrupted sleep.