Barbuda checkout

I moved the boat yesterday, leaving Cocoa Point on the south of Barbuda for Low Bay on the west side. Seven nautical miles distance. 

Low Bay faces Eleven Mile Beach, which has a 600m or so gap in it giving access to Codrington Lagoon. This gap is recent: it was created by Hurricane Irma in 2017. The lagoon is several miles long and a bit over a mile wide; on its eastern shore lies Codrington, the only town in Barbuda. 

I went there by dinghy, to visit Customs & Immigration to clear out. I was walking across town (misleading, it is more a large village) when a car stopped. It was the Immigration lady, who just happened to see me. She said jump in! Fortunate, otherwise I would have got to the office and found it locked. She phoned the Customs guy and got him to come back in too. So this is how things work here…

Had a long conversation with this lady about development in Barbuda. There is a history of strong opposition – some years ago a large resort was to be built, but the locals went down and pushed the construction offices into the sea. Barbuda is very different. It’s population were formerly slaves of the Codrington family, who owned the island. When they were freed they decided to stay and live cooperatively, with no ownership of land. Any tourist development is on long leases granted by the Antigua & Barbuda government (over which the locals have little say, given they number 1,600 against 90,000 in Antigua). As she said, it’s difficult: obviously money coming in is welcome, but they don’t want to see heavy development. In particular there seems to be a concern that the number of outsiders brought in to build and run new projects will soon exceed the local population – that Barbudans will end up a minority on their island… (rather like Dubai, for instance).

At this stage development seems to be focused on very upmarket facilities, which I suppose will limit the number of tourists. But as I said to her, when a McDonald’s opens you will know it’s all over!

I’m hardly an objective commentator, but it does seem that cruising yachts are a better type of tourism – making no mark on the land. No obstructive buildings and facilities – people come, drop anchor, go ashore, spend some money and then depart, leaving no trace. Certainly better for the environment.

Anyway, off to Sint Maarten tomorrow, Saturday 15th. It’s 73 nautical miles, just a bit too far to do in daylight, so will be an overnight trip.