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