November 30, 2008
Simpson Bay, St. Maarten to Prickly Island, BVI
Mileage: 78.9
Time: 12 hours 4 minutes
Talk about a long day; no wind, SOG around 6 knots. Whew! One cannot help but be spoiled when accustomed to traveling at over 8 knots. What a difference 2 knots make J
We will yellow flag until tomorrow morning when we will clear in at Spanish Town.
December 1, 2008
This morning we moved to Spanish Town to check-in. We anchored outside the marina…pretty windy and Steve thought too close to another boat. So after checking in, we moved the boat a tad forward of our original spot, just enough to have good swing room. A while later, a guy in a dinghy came by to ask if we were spending the night. Yep. You will have to move, he said. You are too close to the mooring for a 50′ cat, which is arriving within an hour. Third time is the charm they say…
HA! We could not raise the anchor. No matter how we maneuvered the boat, no matter which direction we pulled from…nada. Stuck…stuck…stuck. Steve finally donned his dive gear to investigate. Lo-and-behold, we had fouled the anchor. Steve discovered we were not the first to foul here – three abandoned anchors with lengths of chain had become "one" with a discarded engine block, making for a mess.
Steve had to unbolt the anchor to free our chain, after which I brought the Rhode aboard with the windlass. The anchor was another story. After prying loose from the conglomeration of metal, we had to tie a line to it to haul it aboard. Luckily, we had an entire hour before the cat arrived, and by then we had safely attached to a mooring ball. DRAMA!!!!
December 2, 2008
Tonight we are on another mooring ball back at the Bitterend. The Tarpon fascinate us; the school estimated 25-30, searching for food swimming through the underwater lights at the boat’s stern. They are huge – 3 feet in length, thick bodied and glowing in the reflection of the blue light. What a sight!
December 3, 2008
We spent another lazy day in Gorda Sound, this time on a mooring ball at Leverick Bay. The morning filled by our appreciation of the acrobatic skills of Terns and Pelicans. Where as the Pelicans hit the water in a crumble of feathers, splashing so hard one would think they sustained a concussion, earned a snack well caught, gulped down their gullet. The Tern, on the other hand, propelled streamlined into and out of the water in a continuous graceful arch, a small, tasty morsel protruding from its beak. Our afternoon filled with Cribbage, dining aboard in the evening on pasta, quenching our thirst with Cabernet Sauvignon, what‘s not to love?
December 4-7, 2008
The last few days have given us the opportunity to reconnect with Paul/Ginette, SOL MAGIQUE, Jimmy/Amanda, Captain and Chef team aboard BLISS and Marsha, half of a Captain Chef team aboard JET STREAM (AKA the first SEAMAN’S ELIXIR). Paul and Ginette arrived in the BVI mid-November to get SOL MAGIQUE ready for sale. They have committed as Captain and Chef for a charter company based in Nanny Cay, Tortola. We have not seen their boat, so cannot give any details, but we can attest Ginette is an excellent cook, Paul an accomplished Captain.
Jimmy and Amanda have also put their boat, ADVENTURE BOUND, up for sale as they, too, have committed themselves to the charter industry aboard a privately owned, 58 foot Voyage Catamaran. Talk about cushy chartering – five staterooms, each with its own DirecTV feed, as well as Nintendo, private heads with dedicated showers, as well as roomy salon and cockpit. Jimmy and Amanda both dive and will guide charter guests for some of the best diving in the Caribbean. Good cooking, copious libations and personable staff – what more could anyone want? We encourage anyone interested in an excellent charter vacation to look up the webpage: www.charterbrochure.com/bliss
December 7, 2008 was our last day on Virgin Gorda. The “Fat Virgin”, so named by Christopher Columbus upon first sight, thought the island looked like a reclining, Rubenesque Virgin. Me thinks he’d been a sea for a really, really long time J
Our road trip covered the entire island in four hours – our first land-based trip, even though we had a boat in charter in the BVI for 5 years. We saw beautiful beaches, amazing resorts, the ruins of the only copper mine in the area, as well as the ever-fascinating Baths. (The Baths, so named due to the off-loading of slaves to bathe before transported to the market for sale.) Difficult to believe this beautiful area, topography unlike any other in the Caribbean, had such a disturbing history.
December 8, 2008
Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda to Marina Cay, Tortola
It is just a hop-skip-and-a-jump across the Drake Channel to Marina Cay. That is one of the reasons this is the charter cruising capital of the world, dozens and dozens of anchorages a few miles apart, many within sight of each other.
Today is Steve’s last 50-something birthday. I had planned to grill steaks and bake a cake or a fresh fruit tart, but we opted instead for dinner at Pusser’s. Marina Cay is a 6-acre jewel, once owned by Ron and Rodie White; ex-pat’s who wanted to live a romantic life in the late 1930’s.
Purchased in 1937 for $60, photos from the era show the one room concrete home they constructed, which still stands, a place of quiet solitude. Today, Marina Cay is bustling with a restaurant/bar, 12 guest rooms, a souvenir shop and 35 mooring balls renting for $35/night. If the Whites had never forfeited their rights to the island the appreciation in value of 6 little acres in heaven would astound them.
December 9-11, 2008
Following a big blow, 30-35 knot winds and rain, we moved down island to Soper’s Hole for dinner at the Jolly Roger with Paul and Ginette. (One can never have too many birthday celebrations.) This is one of the real joys in sailing, reconnecting with sailing friends at new destinations and sharing the experience.
Leaving, I stepped into step into the dinghy. A wave surged and I promptly landed face first on the dinghy floor, crumpled around the fuel tank. Thankfully I (a) was not wearing a dress (b) was not hurt and (c) naturally burst out laughing at my clumsiness.
The dinghy dock, being adjacent to the dining area, provided unrestricted view of my tumble to several patrons. Once I regained my composure, I turned to face the onlookers, mouths agape. To relieve their apparent concern, I requested my "score". Patrons promptly signaled "10’s", except one person, undoubtedly a stickler for form, who only awarded me a "9". (He must be a judge from Russia…a little Olympic humor…)
December 12-13, 2008
Soper’s Hole, Tortola to Diamond Cay, Jost Van Dyke
We moved across to Diamond Cay, adjacent to Jost Van Dyke. Steve hiked around the point to the Bubbling Pool, so named by the rush of waves under the rocks that create a “boiling effect”. Alone, feeling free, he immersed himself in the pool, sans shorts. An altogether lovely experience until 20 tourists rounded the point to surprise him…
Our next stop Great Harbor, home of the world famous Foxy’s Tamarind Bar, frequently listed as one of the top 10 places in the world to celebrate New Years Eve. Foxy’s originated in 1969, a simple beach bar which has morphed into a merchandisers dream. Foxy t-shirts, hats, wraps, shorts…anything which can bear a Foxy’s logo is available for purchase. Apparel undoubtedly sold to replace the many autographed t-shirts, hats, wraps and shorts left behind by revelers, clothing stapled to the ceiling.
The guidebooks describe this harbor as a difficult place to set your anchor…and, sure enough, it took us four frustrating tries to feel well hooked. We treated ourselves to a leisurely lunch Foxy’s (I highly recommend the Chicken Roti, although Steve’s cheeseburger looked great!).
After a walking tour of the area, we returned to the boat, exactly where we left it. Our anchoring ability no longer in question, we were entertained by one unattended boat that dragged through the harbor until its anchor reset, as well as the antics of several boats trying more than once to set the hook…. The winner of the anchoring contest went to another catamaran, five tries in all J
Forecast calls for the wind to back tonight. Let us hope all anchors hold… It is always a rude awakening when startled from a sound sleep by boats bumping in the night.
December 14, 2008
We made an overnight pit stop at Deadman Bay, Peter Island.
December 15-18, 2008
It is unusual for us to spend time in a Marina, but we have thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Village Cay Marina. Accessibility to provisioning (Bobby’s Market is a modern marvel), Parts and Power (one can never have too many spare parts) and great Italian food at Capriccio Di Mare have lulled us into a lovely sense of satiation.
Even though we had a boat in charter here from 1999-2004, managed by The Moorings, we never took the time to thoroughly investigate Road Town. It seemed run-down and the locals were not very friendly. Perhaps we were just to anxious to get on the water.
Since 1999, Road Town has been rejuvenated. A new Cruise Ship pier, businesses, condos, with streets well maintained and clean. (Much to our delight, motorists even stop to allow you to cross the road at pedestrian crosswalks!) We also found the old section of town to be quaint and charming, featuring old stone or wooden buildings with gingerbread clustered aside narrow one way streets. The stores here are not typically touristy and the Road Town Bakery is a local favorite. What a pleasant surprise.
Staying at the marina gave us another chance to spend more time with Tim and Marsha (JET STREAM), Captain and Chef on our old Leopard 45 catamaran. They have done a remarkable job maintaining her. Soon to be 10 years old, she looks nearly as good as the day they bought her. Anyone interested in a golfing/cruising vacation should contact them. www.jetstreamsailing.com (I am not sure…but I believe I am turing into a charter cruise broker…)
Sailing adventures aboard a PDQ Antares 44i 