Virgin Gorda BVI
Starcross Fair Log
Ross Wilson
Wed 6 Apr 2011 16:40
Wednesday 6/04/11
Position 18:27.0N 64:26.2W
Mid-day Temperatures: Air 32, Sea 26.5
Intention: to depart Thursday for Bermuda (St Georges) 850NM
Sunday afternoon and evening were spent exploring the Dutch (southern) part
of Saint Martin (Sint Maarten). It enjoys duty free/tax free status
and is well endowed with holiday developments, some very new and palatial,
casinos and expensive gold and jewelry outlets. Our evening meal was taken
at a Dutch McDonalds, the hamburgers being to their usual standard.
We departed St Martin Fort Louis Marina on Monday afternoon and had a
cracking 95NM overnight sail to the British Virgin Islands. With poled out
No 1 Genoa to windward, a loose luff gib and tri-sail, speeds in excess of 9
knots were achieved. We hove-to for a couple of hours to await daylight
before transitting Round Rock Passage and securing in Virgin Gorda
Yacht Harbour at 0800 Tuesday morning.
We then experienced HM Customs and Immigration British Virgin Islands
style, a procedure it would be hard to make more complicated and time
consuming! Interestingly the skipper ahead of me in the queue was
checking in a yacht with a crew of 17 and 6 passengers which gives an idea of
the type of yachting in the area. On the pontoon we met up with
a number of ex-ARC Norwegian yachts including Fanteliv, a regular on our HF
net. We enjoyed a pleasant evening on board Vulcan Spirit in the company
of Richard and Alison (Vulcan Spirit) and Robin and Jenny (Maymio), their
chicken curry followed by lime chiffon being a delightful gastronomic
experience. They both intend to cruise the eastern seaboard of the United
States.
Today we intend to continue preparations for the passage to Bermuda and to
explore Virgin Gorda.
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