Idyllic anchorages
Oriole
Sat 11 Feb 2006 16:14
|
One of the great advantages of the
stringent US immigration regulations is
that no foreign yachties can visit the US or Spanish Virgin Islands without a US visa, and that must be obtained in advance. We have met only 2 yachts from the UK and there are very few bare boat charters and the masses of charter yachts in the BVIs seem to be resticted to the BVIs. We now think the endless rigmarole of obtaining our US visas in London was well worthwhile and keeps the US islands very select. 
Tortola, Anegada & Virgin Gorda - UK.
St Thomas & St John - US
Vieques, Culebra, Culebrita ("Spanish Virgins") - US
There are some really lovely and uncrowded anchorages in the Spanish Virgin Islands and although we restricted ourselves to Culebra and Culebrita for a quick taster we are very tempted to come back for a longer period. The downside is that the weather fronts coming off the southern US tend to bring less settled weather to this area, but it is not exactly survival stuff - yet! 
Chris on the beach on Culebrita
Monday and Tuesday saw us anchored behind a reef protecting us from the sea but with the trade winds blowing over us and we then visited little uninhabited Culebrita where the anchorage must be one of the prettiest ever. There were lots of turtles in the bay and great snorkling and the view from the illegally climbed lighthouse was spectacular.  The
North Bay on Culebrita (Oriole on the left)
We threaded our way out through the reefs and sailed back to St Thomas on Friday satisfyingly outsailing the other two boats in our vicinity by a wide margin. It does not happen very often but we wallowed in disgraceful self congratulation. That night we were anchored in solitary splendour in an anchorage on the north side of St Thomas before returning to more civilised parts for much needed laundry and restocking of the larder. For the weekend we will be under the jurisdiction of the senior prefect in Water Melon Bay, St John and are planning some walking to reactivate our sealegs. |