Great Harbour, Peter Island, BVI
Harmonie
Don and Anne Myers
Tue 11 Dec 2007 20:04
18:21.598N 64:35.007W
It's Monday now (12/10) and we have been anchored
in Great Harbour on Peter Island (not to be confused with Great Harbour on Jost
Van Dyke island, where the fabulous bakery and grocery store
were) since we left Road Harbour last Friday. We did not plan to stay
here so long, but the weather had other plans for us. We are waiting for a
particularly nasty low pressure system to pass north of us before we make the 80
mile overnight trip from BVI to St. Martin. The 80 miles to St.
Martin are in unprotected, open ocean waters, and we would be traveling through
them in a southeasterly direction. The nasty low pressure system has high
easterly winds (20-25 knots and 30-35 knots in squalls), which are causing
exceptionally high seas (9-12 ft). We have sailed in winds and seas like
this before (on the trip down here), but since the wind is from the east and we
will be traveling southeast, it would make for an unpleasant ride. So
we will wait in the British Virgin Islands until the system passes, which will
be another 4 or 5 days. As Don said this morning after listening to the
marine weather forecast, 'Well, there are worse places to be
stuck'.
Indeed. This particular bay is
gorgeous. I realize I've probably said that about every bay we've been in
(with the exception of Road Harbour) since we've been in the islands, but it's
true - this one is particularly gorgeous. It is very deep all the way up
to the shoreline, which makes for really good snorkeling along the drop off from
shore where the coral grows. I've had snorkeling lessons #4 and #5 and
finally relaxed enough yesterday to really enjoy the underwater view. Just
like the turquoise water color, the underwater scenery looks fake. When
looking down with a mask on, it's like viewing an aquarium through a glass
floor. It's looks just like all of those marine life documentaries -
schools of small fish swimming below us, sea fans, coral and all kinds of
colorful fish flitting about. We saw the most amazing lavender fish
yesterday - it was translucent, making its lavender color glow.
Very nice.
Lest you think we've been lollygagging about the
entire time we've been in this bay waiting for the weather to turn, let me
assure you, the morning work schedule has been reinstated after our brief
vacation in Leinster Bay on St. John. Since we've been here, Don has
washed the entire hull, polished the lower part of all the rigging (to guard
against corrosion) changed the oil, filter and alternator belt on the
generator, changed the water filter, dried out all the outside lockers
(including the one with the famous drogue, which was still wet from its use on
the night of the flying pears), etc., etc. For my part, the inside of the
boat is almost back to the pre-Norfolk/St. Thomas voyage standard of
cleanliness, the laundry is done (much to the probable annoyance of the charter
boaters since we fill their vacation views up with laundry hanging out
everywhere to dry), the bathrooms are clean and a fair amount of baking has been
done (the results of which are not too bad considering our thermostat-challenged
oven).
One last note about nakedness in the islands.
It seems to be increasing. Mostly with just the men
folk though. For some reason, neighbors anchored on both sides of
us felt the need to wax and polish their boats in the late afternoon sun
this past Saturday, naked. Naked bathing is one thing, but naked waxing
and polishing?
Pictures will be posted in a separate update the
next time we have high speed internet access. Not sure when that will
be. And no, there won't be any naked guy pictures!
Anne
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