"LAND HO!!" -- HIT THE BEACH!
Wallace's Sailing Adventure on "Arbella"
Mike and Vicki Wallace
Mon 10 Nov 2014 23:00
18:23.80N 64:37.98W David was first to look through the binoculars and call "Land Ho"! It was Jost Van Dyke, the first of the British Virgin Islands to come into view….imagine how Columbus and his crew felt…we knew it was there…they did not! With great anticipation, the crew focused on getting into Customs as directly as possible before they closed, motoring into the "West End" of Tortola to Soper's Hole; and when the dinghy engine would not start…yes…Ralph and the Captain rigged the oars and rowed to shore (see the photos), and … yes…while Ralph and Mike focused on Customs Clearance, David took a long overdue swim!. Once clear of Customs, we raced for an hour around to the Sir Francis Drake Channel side of Tortola, to the Nanny Cay Fuel Dock, with Cap providing appetizers! Fueling up in the dark, and now "officially cleared in", the crew headed to The Sugar Mill for dinner, near Cane Garden Bay….and, later, made a ceremonial stop at the Bomba Shack…(unfortuntely most of the photos were "lost"). We celebrated and recognized each other for the tremendous selfless contributions each crew member made to the safety and the comfort of the passage, and the consideration for their fellow crew members….I won't single out anyone, but, rather, will recognize all…this was a GREAT CREW! "Crew dynamics" can "make or break" a passage….the dynamics of this crew MADE this a tremendously enjoyable and somewhat "bonding" experience….old friends and new friends, old guys and young guys….excellent sailors all!! And so we ended 1,456 nautical miles, a total of 11 days since we left Annapolis, as much as 500 miles offshore, with 2 days layover in Little Creek….a LOT of "rockin and rollin"….on a boat that was steadfast and fully reliable…and she is a beauty! She is in the Islands waiting for family and friends to enjoy during the season…returning to Annapolis next June! "Roger Wilco Over and Out" (inside crew joke)… Captain Mike
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