Photos from the BVIs

Aurora_b
Mike and Liz Downing
Tue 27 May 2014 17:25

It has been a hectic couple of weeks. Within a couple of days of arriving in the BVIs we were hauled out and spent 4 nights on the hard, antifouling and doing all the other underwater maintenance tasks - anodes, greasing prop and rudder and getting Propspeed put on (it costs a fortune here!). Went back in the water last Tuesday and changed the salt water pump on the engine (it started to leak the week before) only to find the cam-shaft drive plate that turns the water pump was very badly worn and needed replacing. So it was a panic to get the part ordered. It arrived for us to put it all on on Saturday. While this was going on we had the riggers come to check the rigging and tighten it as I thought it was too loose (we had the whole lot replaced in Cape Town). The riggers thought it was much too loose (and the mast was too bowed) so they set about tightening the forestays only to find the riggers in Cape Town had made the forestays too long and there was no adjustment left to tighten them up. So we had to have a couple of link plates that sit under the drums shortened to allow the adjustment to be made. Also to get rid of the bow we had to loosen off the backstay and found there wasn't enough slack in it to do it, so had to put another toggle in. So the Cape Town riggers made the two forestays too long and the backstay too short! Anyway, we're much happier with what we have now and we've sent two thirds of the bill off to the riggers in Cape Town. They sounded quite sympathetic when I called and they knew there was little (none) adjustment on the forestays. So we'll see if they cough up with the money. Riggers in the BVIs are some of the most expensive in the World!  

We've also serviced the generator and found a problem there that caused it to take 3 times as long as it should. So we've had a lot on our plate and are keen to get going.  So a few pictures of the BVIs before we head off once again.

Above and below, the Baths at Virgin Gorda where we did spend a few hours as soon as
we arrived in the BVIs. The small beach was deserted and we did have a lovely snorkel
around the rocks.
 
 
 
Looking across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to the main island of Tortola.
 
Lifting out at Nanny Cay marina. The travel lift is the widest we've ever seen and is
designed for big catamarans.
 
Flowers around the marina - it's planted with lots of flowers and is very tropical.
 
 
 
The old and new, showing the wear on the camshaft drive plate that turns the saltwater
pump. Don't think the old one would have worked much longer!
 
Up the mast once again. Always go up before a long passage to check everything looks
okay and always take the camera with me, so a couple of photos of the marina and
surrounding hills from the top.