18:25.5N 64:37.0W

 

The BVIs are simply a great place to hang out on a boat, and we have been hanging around here for a couple of weeks now.  The highlight of our visit was visiting Jane and Pete (Trompeta) who are currently hostess and skipper on Heartbeat 3, a Moorings charter cat.  Jane served up two excellent meals and Pete gave us a skippers briefing, imparting some local knowledge of the best places to anchor.  Thanks for all your hospitality guys!

 

The lowlight was going to Foxy’s bar to watch an England football match.  Enough said.

 

The last time we were in the BVIs was just after the end of World ARC and then we spent most of our time moored at Nanny Cay in Tortola, saying goodbye to people.  This visit we have been cruising the outlying islands, Jost van Dyke, Norman Island, Peter Island and, currently, Virgin Gorda.  The BVIs are a bit crowded with charter yachts but you can still find quiet places to anchor and snorkel, provided you turn down the incessant chatter on the VHF (usually people asking for someone to come and collect their garbage).

 

The gang on Hearbeat

 

This one is for the caption competition.

 

There are turtles everywhere.  You see them on every snorkel.  How long before turtle is on the menu again?

 

We snorkelled some caves, where we saw some cave-dwelling fish (Glassy Sweepers).

 

No trip to Norman island is complete without a visit to Willy Ts bar and grill.

 

The motor catamaran is taking over the BVIs.  Here we see a new shipment from South Africa being unloaded.

 

We had to clean out a blockage in our water speed indicator.  Turns out this little guy had taken up residence.  No bigger than a fingernail. 

 

He soon perked up and we returned him to the water. (He swam down into the seagrass, not back up into the sensor.)

 

The sunset looking east from Foxy’s Taboo (reflected off the clouds)