Sunday 6th April Little Harbour, Jost van Dyke, BVI
Spellbinder
Sun 6 Apr 2008 14:28
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Allowed last Sunday as a settling in day for
Marjorie, so a slow morning followed by an all American Sunday Brunch at the
Villlage Cay restaurant, a few steps from the boat. Raised enough energy
later to walk the mile or so along to Fort Burt, a seventeenth century
Dutch fort now converted into a hotel, and enjoying a panoramic view across the
Francis Drake channel, where we introduced Marjorie to the pleasures of the
Caribbean sundowner.The scenery is reallly magnificent, with so many islands
within sight.
Monday morning was spent buying food, and sorting
out Marjorie's return flight- difficult as the LIAT computer seemed to be down
most of the time. Also buying a local mobile phone number for the BVI's, to
avoid the punitive roaming charges, equally difficult as the Cable and Wireless
computer system was also down most of the time. Eventually all sorted out, and
we set off after lunch for the 8 or 9 miles to the west end of Tortolla. Patches
of heavy rain and squally winds, so we were glad to snug into Sopers Hole, a
very well sheltered bay, and pick up a mooring. We had intended to anchor, but
the suggested anchoring area is now full of mooring buoys, at $25 a night. Henry
noticed a water leak on the engine, from the exhaust bend, which appeared to be
cracked. Decided to spend Tuesday sorting out a replacement part.
A phone call Tuesday morning established the
presence of a Yanmar dealer back in Road Town, so having confirmed
that they had the necessary spare, Henry took a taxi and went to pick it
up. Meanwhile, M&M did some local errands, including topping up the outboard
fuel container. On Henry.s return, complete with £200 spare, which apparently is
a regular failure item on these engines, we noticed fuel in the bottom of the
dinghy, and found the seam was leaking on the tank - a relatively recent
purchase. Nothing available locally, so Henry set off again to find a
replacement, while M&M conducted mop up duty. Finally back onboard for a
late lunch, hoping no other gremlins were lying in wait. Spare part succesfully
fitted that afternoon, and dinghy degreased, so all ready for some more
sailing.
Woke up to cloud, rain and squally wind, after a
very windy night, and quickly decided to stay put for another day. Set off for a
walk around the western point of the island, Steele Point, and between some
short heavy showers enjoyed some fine views. Later on spent some time on the
internet, and found a reply from a contact we had made in St Thomas on the
procedure for entering the US Virgin Islands. It is apparently unacceptable to
arrive in a private yacht without first having acquired a visitors visa, we were
told of one yacht where the captain ended up in prison for three days in San
Juan, and then was fined and told to leave. However if you arrive in a
commercial vessel, then you are automatically granted a 90 day visa. So the
advice is to cross on the ferry to one of the USVI, go through immmigration to
be given the 90 day visa, and then get straight back on the ferry! It's a mad
world. Found there was a ferry from Sopers Hole across to St John the next
morning, so decided to stay another day, as we had decided we really wanted to
go to St Croix and therefore it was worth going through the
pantomime.
Ashore in good time on Thursday morning to catch
the 9.15 ferry to St John, only to be told it was cancelled. Found there was a
10 o'clock ferry to St Thomas, so decided it was worth the extra distance to get
the job done, and off we all went to Charlotte Amalie, in company with another
yacht crew with the same mission - good business for the ferry company at $45 a
head. In through immigration, where the immigration official confirmed this was
the way to do it, and duly granted us 90 day visas. Took a look at the town,
walking to a nearby marina in the hope of finding a chandlery, as St Thomas is a
tax free zone. No luck with what we needed, and quickly put off by the
hoards of passengers from the 5 cruise ships in port, all looking for their tax
free jewellry and "designer lable " goods, apparently a quiet day, there can be
up to 11 cruise ships a day. Very happy to get back on the ferry, and cross St
Thomas off the list of places to visit!
Friday morning, while still cloudy and windy,
looked a bit more promising, so we decided to break out from Sopers Hole, and
head around to Cane Garden bay on the north west coast of Tortolla. 2 reefs in
the main, and 8 rolls in the genoa, and we had a brisk sail in a gusty south
easterly, occasionally reaching 28 knots, beating up the coast. Secured to
another $25 dollar buoy in time for a late lunch, and later on ashore for a walk
along the bay. Found the rum distillery mentioned in the guide book, which
looked completely derelict. Went for a sundowner in a nearby beachfront bar, to
find it was run by the distillery owner. All very low key, the
distillery might be open the next morning, and we were the only customers
in the bar. He did say it had been a very slow season, with the economic
downturn in the US. Expected a quiet night, only to find the beach bar nearest
to the boat started up with very loud music, which continued until
4am.
Saturday morning we had been discussing a morning
walk, but Marjorie found she had broken a tooth at breakfast, so attention
turned to finding a dental clinic. A trip ashore confirmed the need to get back
to Road Town on Monday, so we decided to cross to Jost Van Dyke for the week
end, and then head back into Sopers hole again for easy access to Road Town.
Headed across to White Bay, picture postcard anchorage inside a reef, only to
find all the mooring buoys occupied, and in trying to find a spot to anchor we
touched the bottom a couple of times, so made a rather rapid retreat. Back along
the coast of Jost van Dyke, past Great Harbour which also looked very busy, and
found ourselves a spot in Little Harbour, much quieter. Still windy and
showery.
Sunday, and it is stilll breezy and showery. Walk
ashore for the morning, and then the plan is to head across to find a spot in
Sopers Hole ready for an early start on Monday morning to get Marjorie some
dental treatment, after which, we will be looking to get on to the
USVI.
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