Beaches, Fish, and Rocks

While home, we attended 12 events (visits, parties, get-togethers, meals with friends and family, etc.) and hair appointments for each of us.  All within 6 days.  Whew, that was a whirlwind week!  Our sister-in-law, Norma, drove us to the Detroit airport Sunday afternoon, where we stayed overnight.  We caught the 6:35 am flight to Fort Myers to spend a few days with Jo and Craig, and then they drove us to Miami, where we caught a flight to fly back to St. Thomas on Thursday.  Thursday night, we stayed at Beachcomber Island Resort on Lindbergh Bay.  Boy, that place needs a lot of TLC, but the view was spectacular.

On Friday, December 23, we took the ferry back to Tortola, reprovisioned at a Riteway in Roadtown, and grabbed a cab to take us back to Nanny Cay.  While we were away, we emailed Anne Poore with details about the closed engine through hull and about starting procedures, in case she could move the boat to a safer location while we were away.  She did, and our boat was in good shape, so we were happy sailors.



Saturday, December 24, 2016

We had breakfast at the Nanny Cay Cafe, then started ticking off items on our 'to do' list--pick up key and pay Anne Poore, who looked after our boat while we were away, go to ATM, pay marina, fill water tanks, recharge all electronic and electric devices, etc., etc.

When we were ready to go, we asked for a dinghy to be on stand-by, just in case we needed help getting out of the marina.  The wind is quite strong today (20-25 knots) and the water is choppy.  We had to wind our way through some turns to get out, so it was prudent to have support.  As it turned out, the dock guys threw us the lines, but the dinghy wasn't needed.  Always better to be safe than sorry, though.  I like stress free dock work!

We headed across the Sir Francis Drake Channel, with the waves and wind on our beam.  We were a bit sea sprayed by the time we got there, but not bad.  It was a short trip.  By 4:00 pm, we were anchored at Little Harbour, Peter Island, BVI.

This is a very crowded anchorage, so we were happy to put our Bushnell Yardage Pro laser to good use to check the distances to other boats.  This neat little device is made for checking yardages on a golf course, but Craig gave it to us to use on the boat.  It's been great, and it helps us to sleep better at night!



Sunday, December 25, 2016

Merry Christmas!

Well, that was a boisterous sail!  We had 20-25 knot winds, with the seas to match, and we sailed up wind all the way from Peter Island to Virgin Gorda.

We arrived at  4:20 pm at Gorda Sound (just off Prickly Pear Island), Virgin Gorda, BVI.  We (Carey, the boat, and I) were well salted from the spray created by pounding into the waves.  Sailing down here is definitely making us better sailors, because we have to sail in all kinds of conditions.

When we looked around at the other boats it made us think there must be a conference for magicians here.  Some boat names were Illusion, It's Magic, Magic Memories, and a few others.  It was a little weird to see all of these magical boats.



Monday, December 26, 2016

We had a very rolly, noisy night, so after breakfast we lifted anchor to find a better anchorage.  We scouted around Gorda Sound for awhile and ended up anchoring in Biras Creek.  The guidebook says there are mooring balls here for Biras Creek Resort, but we found out that the resort is closed and the mooring balls are condemned. Yikes, not using them!  No matter where we go, the wind finds us.  There really is no good place to be totally protected from these strong winds.  During the night the gusts rattle our bimini frame and make a terrible noise, often waking us up.

Once anchored, I washed the cushions to try to get all of the salt off of them, and Carey wiped down the stainless on the boat.  Later, we launched the dinghy, always tricky in these winds, and we dinghied into the Bitter End for a walk and some dinner.  Then, back to the boat for the night.



Tuesday, December 27, 2016

We lifted anchor around 10:00 and did a tour around Gorda Sound to check out Saba Rock and Leverick Bay for next time.  Then, we headed out and around Virgin Gorda.  This takes us out into the Atlantic Ocean for a bit and then we turn south into the Sir Francis Drake Channel.  The wind was between 15 and 19 knots from the northeast, so we sailed a broad reach for a while with full jib and reefed main, and then sailed a beam reach with reefed main and jib.  We were thinking of stopping at the Baths on Virgin Gorda.  However, as we approached we could see tons of boats anchored there, including some very large yachts (or very small cruise ships).  We decided to pass for today and try to get back on a less crowded day.

Next, we checked out an anchorage on Ginger Island, but that was untenable because of the wind and swells.  Then, we went to Cooper Island and checked out Manchineel Bay (too crowded) and Hallout Bay (too windy and rolly).  Finally, we settled on Salt Pond Bay on Salt Island.  It was tough to set the anchor--we dragged the first time, then reset it and it seemed to hold.  We were all by ourselves--for about ten minutes--then, a charter catamaran came in.  So much for solitude.  This is supposed to be a great area for snorkelling, so we're going in!

We had to swim a fair distance from our boat to get to the rocks near Man Head Rock, but it was worth it. There were large angel fish along with many other colourful varieties of fish.  It rained while we were snorkelling, but that didn't bother us.  We were wet already and we had closed up the boat before we left, because it had been raining off and on all day--two minute downpours that got everything drenched and then bright, hot sun that dried everything quickly.  Later, I relaxed with a book in the cockpit.  Shortly after I sat down, I noticed the most amazingly bright rainbow I've ever seen.  I called for Carey, but too late, I realized it was coming with a fast line of rain.  I grabbed some stuff and threw it down below, but by the time I grabbed the cushions they were soaked. Within minutes the rain was gone and we were left with a whole lot of wet stuff.  Ugh.  And, of course, these were the same cushions that I had washed yesterday and hadn't waterproofed yet.  Aaarrrrgggghhhh!

This is a strange anchorage.  We swing around all ways, which is odd.  Usually, our bow is facing into the wind.  This creates a problem, because it puts our stern to the waves and they slam hard against the bottom of the boat right beneath our bed pillows.  Also, we seem to be quite protected from the wind and then suddenly we get slammed with a huge gust.

Carey is setting up our bed in the vee berth tonight so we won't have the slamming under our heads. Good thinking!



Wednesday, December 28, 2016

We got up at 7:30 and Carey reaffixed the anchor mate while I made breakfast.  Then, we were off to the Baths.  Of course, by 10:30 all of the mooring balls were taken.  We scouted around for awhile and then decided to anchor in Spring Bay and dinghy over to the Baths.

The Baths are amazing!  The Baths are an unusual formation of huge granite boulders.  After dinghying over, we swam to shore (with the help of a safety line they've strung up for us dinghy bats).  Once on land, we walked into the Baths.  The boulders have fallen together, so it's like walking through caves, with light streaming through and pools of Caribbean green water.  To follow the trail to Devil's Bay you have to climb up, over, and through the rock formations, wade through pools, climb ladders, slide along rocks, and creep or crawl under rocks.  It's quite a trek, but at the other end you are rewarded with the beauty of Devil's Beach.

We left the Baths around 3:00 and started looking for an anchorage for the night.  Spanish Town in St. Thomas Bay (on Virgin Gorda) didn't have any good anchoring spots for us (and we didn't want to go into the marina), so we put up the jib and sailed downwind across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Camanoe Island.  Lee Bay looked good, but there was another Canadian boat in there looking for solitude, so we went around the point to Bails Ground.  It reminded us a lot of Lake Superior.  High rock walls, dotted with scrub trees, and we were the only ones in there.  Perfect!  A pelican was flying around, so Carey figured there had to be fish here.  He went below to get out his fishing gear to try his luck.

Before Carey could get his gear, the skies opened up and I was scrambling to throw the (still not waterproofed) seat cushions below.  He quickly closed the hatches and we waited out the short downpour.  These rains come so quickly with very little warning.  The sky is blue all over, except for a little wisp of grey over our heads.  Sometimes that means rain, sometimes it doesn't.  We are getting good at scrambling.

While we were eating our dinner of Mongolian Beef (delicious, by the way), we got to watch quite a show.  Two dinghies of young local boys were trying to catch a goat in the rocky cliffs that surround our bay.  One boy, in particular, could leap across the rocks like a billy goat, his dog trailing him.  My heart was in my throat the whole time.  He only slipped once, though, with no serious injury.  They all worked together.  The young guys in the dinghies would point out where they saw a goat and the younger boys would tear off after it.  At one point, one of the boys caught a goat, but it got away.  I'm assuming they were catching it for a New Year's Eve feast.  I'm glad I didn't have to see what they'd do to it when they caught it.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

We had another restless night, worrying about the anchor dragging.  However, in the morning we found we hadn't moved at all.  The next worry is that it may be stuck in a rock and we won't be able to get it up!

We ate warm homemade bread for breakfast while we watched the pelicans dive for their meal.  They are wonderful soarers, aided by the updrafts in this cliff surrounded bay, and they dive straight into the water like German Stukas, the dive bombing planes of World War II.

Today we are going to find another anchorage near Scrub Island, where they have a beautiful resort and lots of facilities (like a laundry service). Yea!

The anchor came up beautifully, we sailed all the way to Scrub Island, and the resort will do our laundry for us.  Life is good!