“There will be strong winds up to thirty knots. Oh dear… …We’ll have to tie grandmother down!”
The sad passing of two Antigua legends familiar to many of us mariners… We salute you Judy and Jol Byerley.
Jol sadly passed away in November, 2014 and now Judy has joined her husband leaving us on the 16th January, 2015.
“This is English Harbor Radio bringing you the Marine Weather and news of events in and around English Harbor, Antigua. To all the new arrivals, welcome to you all.”
This was a familiar start to the day if you were listening to English Harbour Radio in Antigua.
Every morning at 09:00 hours the voice of Jol Byerley used to ring out over the VHF radio with the all-important weather report, announcements important to mariners, and local gossip. All presented with good cheer and a distinctly British sense of humor. In more recent years his wife Judy would send out the regular reports in Jol’s absence.
Jol was one of the few, along with Desmond Nicholson, who were there at the beginning of the Charter Yacht industry in Antigua and the West Indies. He arrived in Antigua in 1957 to captain Commander Vernon Nicholson’s schooner ‘Mollihawk’. Two years later he bought the first of his many own yachts, Ron of Argyll. She was followed by the 73ft Alden gaff schooner Lord Jim.
Judy became Jol’s partner in 1972, and after enjoying the latter days of their charter career together, they moved ashore to run Nicholson Yacht Sales and enlarge Lord Jim’s Locker. The business still runs today as a fine bookshop and is often a first call for those that arrive to Antigua Yacht Club Marina in Falmouth Harbour. The couple were also instrumental in setting up Antigua Sailing Week where Jol would regularly sail his yacht ‘High Tide’ complete with his crew made up of his bikini-clad girls, used for distraction, but also very good sailors.
In 2004 Jol was awarded a G.O.M. by the Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda for long service to yachting.
Rest in peace.
Below is a fantastic clip put together for Jol Byerley’s passing.
