British Virgin Islands

Tatt av vinden
Bjørn Larsen
Mon 20 Apr 2009 13:38
We have been in the BVI for more than a week now. The time of our stay in
Caribbean is soon running out. It is wanderful to sail among these Virgin
islands. So far the most wanderful, no doubt, is Jost van Dyke. Both Geat
harbour and White bay was beautiful. In Great harbour we met "Yppi" again,
and we had dinner together at the infamous "Foxy's bar". As the beach
affords several bars, we found we had to try at least one more after dinner.
The small talk went well, and the strange thing happened, we were the last
sailors to leave the shore that night. (Must be 20 years since such a thing
happened last time.)

The day after we took the dinghy over to White bay, wich is even more
beautiful. There are two more bars that are known around the world: "Soggy
dollars bar" and "Ivan's bar". It is very clever to have branded three bars
like that in a small island. The branding keeps the prices high of course.

We jogged over to Little harbour yesterday morning. The road was not exactly
flat, so we got a good exercise. Then we decided to move "Tatt av vinden"
over to White bay, but when we arrived there an uncomfortable swell had
built up, and we decided to go to Cane garden bay instead. Comming here,
where we are now, the swell was just as bad, and we found that the place was
a little hyped in the cruising guide. It is ok, but far from as charming as
the bays in JVD. We think we'll get back there once more before we leave
BVI.

The beautiful Dead man's bay on Peter island was quite rolly when we stopped
there. Two thirds of the beach is occupied by a hotel resort. According to
the guide book sailors shall keep to the last third of the beach, but are
welcome to drink in the bar! That's provoking! Well, no one asked us to
leave when we walked the whole of the beautiful beach with it coconut palms.

The bight on Norman island was not as beautiful, but had a lot more charm to
it. We also found good snorkeling just outside. Bjorn even saw a small
turtle. That was the first time since Grand Anse d'Arlet in Martinique. And
of course we snorkeled in the wellknown caves and outside on the reef. It
was good, but again, we found it a littel bit hyped.

On our way to Jost van Dyke we stopped, together with "Yppi" at Sandy spit
which is a small sandy islet. Here we found good snorkeling in clear water,
and we both enjoyed this. In St Martin Bjørn had bought a camera that can
operate under water, and we had fun taking underwater photos of each other.

The last days have brought light gentle breezes and bright sun through the
hole day. The nights in Great harbour the wind even gave way to a complete
calm. That is not the normal here. The trade winds blow day and night, and
the islands are low and does not change it significantly. The calm made
beautiful starbright nights and dinner in the cockpit.

We love it here. There are so many good places here that we could easily
have spent two months just in BVI. But in a couple of weeks we shall have to
start the crossing to the Azores. And we also look forward to getting back
to Europe.