Dear Reader(s)

 

Walking past – repeat – past - the bar at JHM when heard  voice saying ‘hi, come and have a G & T’ which, naturally, got my attention and tuned to see Sandie and Noel ensconced. To cut a long story short they left Whisper at JHM and sailed with us to BVIs when Garth and Joanne left. We raised Fallen Jerusalem and the dawn and sailed into Virgin Gorda Harbour. We then had several delightful days cruising the BVIs inc all the famous spots like the Soggy Dollar which was infested with millions of Yanks on day trips from the USVIs. Monkey Point at the south end of Guana Island proved a sheltered anchorage rather than joining the masses in Trellis Bay under the Beef Island airport flight path or Marina Cay on a dodgy bit of dead coral. We met up with Sue and Peter O-P en famille in a gigantic rented catamaran and sailed in convoy from Soper’s Hole to Bight Bay on Norman Island. This an amazing bay with millions of mooring buoys and clearly a breeding ground for Bavarias. I have, in all modesty, to  report that Carrick with all white sails up, left the cat in the dust even on a broad reach. They later confessed that they had been motor sailing and they still ate our wash!!!

 

We waved farewell the next a.m. and headed to Cooper Island in honour of dearly loved and much missed Cooper, aka the family dog. CI is now a v shi shi , ritzy resort, run, it would appear, by Yanks. We eschewed their blandishments and ate aboard thereby saving dosh not unadjacent to the US deficit. From there back to the Bitter End YC for a second visit to the pub that sells splendid cold, draft Heineken. Then out and tore downwind down the Francis Drake Passage to Peter Island and a dodgy anchorage which we left pdq. Headed back across to The Bight which was full. Not a mooring buoy to be had. Just the serried ranks of chartered Bavarias in perfect shelter from a big northerly swell which must have kept all the Bavarias on night long anchor watch. Ended up in Whelk Bay on the south side of Peter Island, almost alone but for a couple of charters and Leander a 246ft stink boat with Leander Class Frigate logos and and RYS  member. As we left the crew were taking beach furniture and umbrellas ashore and raking the sand for the great and good who were aboard. Then a great sail back to Virgin Gorda Harbour.  The heavy northerly swell made the entry past the reef interesting and we are surging furiously even as I type.

Sadly, Sandie and Noel leave tomorrow for Antigua and Whisper. They will be greatly missed.

 

Here for a few days awaiting the Culbertsons and the BVI Spring Regatta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

joanne left.