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Date: 17 Feb 2012 21:46:00
Title: A brief stop at the Bitter End & on to Anegada, BVI
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Back to the BVI's.  Strangely enough, at first when we looked at all the things to do and see in the BVI's we thought that the 6-7 weeks we had allowed would not be enough.  Counting up now, we have actually spent almost half the time in Puerto Rico and the surrounding islands, as our experience of the BVI's was not quite what we expected.  Anyway, we had a plan for today; leave about 9am and sail to Sopers Hole on the west end of Tortola to check in, get brunch at the fab little coffee shop there, stock up on fresh fruit and veggies, and then head to the Bitter End for some kiting lessons. We had arrived at the Bitter End with limited provisions last time and were determined not to do the same again.  Best laid plans.......
When we were getting ready to leave St John, the navigation computer in the cockpit, which is our equivalent of satellite navigation, decided to throw a wobbler, and refused to switch on - marvellous!!  After digging around for manuals and then removing and replacing various wires, we decided we would have to just manage without it until we could get hold of some 'technical support'.  To cut a long and frustrating story short, it started to work again after 4 hours, and is now 90% functional, another thing to be fixed!!!  As well as this, brunch went out the window when despite driving round and round the mooring field several times, there was not a spare mooring ball to be seen - not a good start to the day.  So to plan B... check in at Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda and then head up to the Bitter End - this part went without a hitch, amazingly.  
We anchored in the same spot as last time and went for a swim to check the anchor and saw an enormous barracuda and 2 rays swimming around under the boat, which was an unexpected treat.  Unfortunately due to lack of wind, kiteboarding is a none starter so we paid our bill from last time and set of to Anegada, the 'drowned' island for a couple of days.
Anegada is completely different from other Caribbean islands in that it is not volcanic and is made of coral and limestone as a result of the movement between the Atlantic and Caribbean plates which meet to the north of it.  It is 13 miles long and entirely fringed with beautiful sandy beaches.  The highest point on the island is only 28 feet!  Anegada is also famous for it's lobster which is sold all over the Caribbean. The first afternoon we paddled ashore in the canoe and walked a mile or so down the beach towards the Settlement where all of the 300 or so islanders live. There are a few shops and souvenir shops but other than that, this is all there is to it.  Anegada is a great place to swim, snorkel and fish. 
As it was flat we decided that it was time again to get the bikes out on our second day and cycle round the island, after all it is flat - how hard can it be??!!  Well.... after a good start where we had a concrete roadway for the first mile or so, we hit sandy track which made cycling a bit tricky to say the least.  If you managed to stay in the car tyre tracks you were mostly OK but of you hit deep sand, the bike tyre just sunk and you were off to the side - I can't remember falling off my bike so often since I first had my stabilisers removed!! As this was the case with the roads most of the way round, it was a long slow cycle and lunch, which we had planned for Loblolly Beach on the north shore did't happen until nearly 4pm - we had thought we would have a swim after lunch, but the heavens opened and soon put an end to that plan.
By the time we had returned to the boat the anchorage was quiet and we were the only boat there, nice and peaceful....or so we thought.  The wind had changed direction and what had been a nice calm anchorage the night before with minimal rolling turned into a veritable washing machine, meaning little or no sleep for either of us again, oh for a bed that stays still all night!! We definitely won't be here another night......

 Miles of gorgeous beach

 Fresh Anegada lobster

 How clean and clear is this water??? (Just so you know this is about 5-6 metres deep)

 The oddly named 'Cow Wreck' Beach were we stopped off on our cycle ride

 One of the beach side restaurants in the settlement 

 A good shot of the boat underway






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