Fw: Sailing the BVIs
Simanderal
Michael Hughes and Ger White
Fri 6 Mar 2009 16:54
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----- Original Message -----
From: Michael
& Ger
To: blog
Sent: Friday, March 06, 2009 1:08 PM
Subject: Sailing the BVIs We had a couple of days in Village Cay Marina in
Road Town, Tortola sorting out the boat, provisioning and washing after our
passage from the Dominican Republic. Then Ger and I headed up to Great Harbour,
Jost van Dyke for a couple of days of beach, swimming and relaxation before Alan
& Sheena arrived on 23rd. Anchored in Great Harbour--anchor dug in first
time, despite what the book says is not great holding--must have found a nice
patch of sand! We had a drink at Foxy's in Great Harbour and the next day walked
over to White Bay for lunch at the Soggy Dollar Bar and a swim (which gives
rise to the soggy dollars)--this is a lovely bay and beach--Caribbean picture
postcard!
We then picked up Alan & Sheena in Road
Town late on 23rd and on 24th sailed to Norman Island--a lovely reach in 16kn of
wind--picked up a mooring close to the beach in Great Bight--lunch ashore and
good swimming out to boat. The next day--25th--we had a beat in 13kn wind up to
Cooper Island--mooring in Manchineel Bay--another short trip of 11 miles, more
swimming ashore, another beautiful day.
On 26th, we sailed to "The Baths" on Virgin Gorda,
picked up a mooring and Ger and I went ashore to explore the fascinating rock
formations before we had lunch on board. We then sailed up to North Sound on
Virgin Gorda and took a slip on Saba Rock for the night. Not the best choice, we
concluded. And the following day, we sailed slowly around North Sound in light
winds, visiting Leverick Bay marina to do some shopping, mooring off Prickly
Pear Island for a drink and lunch, and mooring at the Bitter End for the
night.
On 28th, we had a lovely sail up to Anegada--13
miles north of Virgin Gorda--a beam reach in 13kn wind, calm seas and
sunshine--sailing doesn't get better than this--wonderful!! Anegada is a low,
sandy island with scrub and a few trees and an interesting coral surrounded
lagoon as an anchorage. We stayed for 3 days--one day spent on Loblolly
Beach--great snorkelling on the coral reefs--and a day on Cow Wreck beach--but a
cloudy day, with the cloud and heavy showers continuing for the next 3
days.
So on 3rd March, we had a fast sail--winds
everywhere from 10 to 24 knots, visibility coming and going with the rain--to
Little Harbour on Jost van Dyke--dinner ashore at Sidneys--and the following day
a short sail across to Cane Garden Bay on Tortola--fortunately there was a break
in the cloud for a few hours on the beach. Then on 5th--drizzle and no wind, so
motored the 13 miles back to Village Cay marina, Road Town, to drop off Alan
& Sheena for their flight home.
We plan to stay here at the marina for the next
couple of days--bit of cleaning, washing and provisioning--before heading back
to Virgin Gorda for a few days--and then we head south!
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