US Virgin Islands

Moonbeam
David and Lynn Wilkie
Fri 25 Mar 2011 12:33
 
 
18.20.241N   064.55.737W
 
Sunday early morning we managed to update our Mailasail software but then as the weather was poor everyone else in the anchorage obviously went on line and as we were a way from the router we lost our signal. The weather brightened but still the wind stayed strong but we headed out of Gorda Sound and headed down Francis Drake Channel where we were overtaken by a superyacht and a kite surfer!
 
   
 
Supposedly Cilla Black has a motor yacht out here and I imagine that it might have been her boat "Blind Date" ( ? ) that steamed in front of us creating an excessive wash!
A couple of the anchorages we considered were full so we headed to Key Bay on the south side of Peter Island where we had a quiet night at anchor.
 
Monday afternoon we headed for Soper's Hole at the west end of the BVI's and then we checked out and headed for Waterlemon Bay on St.John's on the USVI's.
 
   
 
Entrance to Soper's Hole
 
    
 
Waterlemon Bay                                                                                Perhaps they should do this at AYC?
 
 Here there are National Park moorings which cost 15$ a night and you put your money in a cash box on a floating raft! In many places anchoring is discouraged but there are moorings provided to protect the coral and seabed.
 
    
 
At Anchor Waterlemon Bay looking over to the BVI
 
Thursday we headed to Cruz Bay and checked into the USVIs, christening our American Visas!
 
   
 
 Cruz Bay , St Johns USVI                                                                 Outside a church in St Johns!                                                
 
St.John's has gone for minimalist eco tourism and the island appears fairly unspoilt but it is still tourist orientated. Then we headed for a popular anchorage called Christmas Cove which has had moorings installed but they are free! The water is clear and the snorkelling good and I saw  Rays,trunkfish, stoplight parrotfish,yellowtail snapper,squid as well as a 4ft Barracuda while I was scrubbing the weed off the bottom of the boat.
 
   
 
Christmas Cove                                                                                   Approaching Charlotte Amalie
 
    
 
 
After a morning of boat jobs on Wednesday we headed for Charlotte Amalie on St.Thomas where we anchored in the harbour next to Terry and Debbie aboard "Wings" who had been our neighbours for a month in La Gomera so we enjoyed a meal out with them ashore in the town. We had recently seen Chris and Erin from "Barefeet" who were also in La Gomera so it has been a bit of a reunion!
An amusing note about the USVIs is that although it is definitelt American and the cars are all left hand drive they actually drive on the left too!