ANTIGUE AND TIME TRAVEL

04/16/92 Lat. N 16 59.1'  W 61 46.3 English Harbor, Antigua

TIME TRAVEL AGAIN!


As I walked through the old area in English Harbor glimpsed out of the corner of my eye eighteenth century sailors. When I turned my head to look they would be gone, leaving only the hustle and bustle of Antigua Race week with mega yachts, sleek racers with their crews all dressed the same, support yachts and groupies.

But now and again I could see the old dockyard with its tall square rigged ships and, if I listened carefully, I could hear the chantyman on a ship hauling its anchor, sailors at the capstan.

"Call all hands to man the capstan.
See your cable flank down clear.
We are sailing homeward bound boys.
For the channel we will steer.

Rolling home, rolling home,
Rolling home across the sea.
Rolling home to dear old England.
Rolling home dear land to thee."

I could hear the pawls clank, first slowly, then faster, as the capstan turned and the ship moved up on its anchor. Must be a merchant ship. The Navy would never allow singing, I thought.

"Goodbye girls we're bound to leave ya.
All the tow rope all aboard.
We shall leave Antigua sternward.
Clap all sail we can afford.

Rolling home, rolling home,
Rolling home across the sea.
Rolling home to dear old England
Rolling home dear land to thee."

"She's up and down," cried the bosun on the foredeck.

"Bring her home," shouted the mate. "Back the jib....lower foretop'syl and man the braces."

I saw a barkentine with jibs and foretopsail set heading out of the harbor.

I knew it was not reality. Reality was all those young deck apes getting sails on a mega racer to check them over. But the ghosts, they were still there. I wonder what Captains Nelson, Hornblower, or Bolithio would say about this modern bunch of sailors?