BVIs 2
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Tamarisk
Wed 26 Apr 2006 23:05
From North Sound on Virgin Gorda we sailed South
West down Sir Francis Drake Channel to Norman Island, which is the most
Southerly of the group. There wasn't a lot of wind behind us but we got the
pole out for a bit of practice and made a reasonable four and a bit knots. Keoma
put up their spinnaker and swept past our stern on one gybe and then another at
about twice our speed - the purpose being to give Penny a chance to get
a potential boat selling photo.
We picked up a mooring in The Bight - there must
have been at least 30 charter boats in the same bay, including quite a few motor
boats. Round the corner there are some caves that you can snorkel into. We went
round in a convey of dinghies (us at the back as always) and had a go. The
water was very clear and there wasn't too much swell. The caves go into the
cliff for about a hundred yards. There's enough light to be able to see right to
the end and the rock inside is layered in different colours. The water is about
three or four feet deep for most of their length. Because of the caves,
Norman Island is the setting for a lot of pirate treasure stories. And
Trond from Coconut had brought some gold-covered chocolate coins that he dropped
on the cave floor ahead of the children. Most managed to pick up at least one -
not a bad subsititute for Easter Eggs.
Back in the Bight, there's a bar on a boat called
Willy T's. It features a box on the top deck from which you can jump the 20 feet
or so into the bay. Women get a free t-shirt if they jump in
topless (mmm, classy...) The children jumped in and, after a couple of
drinks, most of the rest of us had a go (all decently attired). Later, a
group of Americans took all their clothes off and jumped. We decided that
was time to leave.
The next day we motored back North East past
Peter Island to Salt Island and picked up a mooring right next to the
wreck of the Rhone. The Rhone was a Royal Mail ship sunk by a hurricane in 1867.
Most of it is in about 25 feet of very clear water. The stern, including
the propellor are easily visible - you can even dive down and touch bits of
it. As you follow the main drive shaft West towards Black Rock it gets
deeper but you can still make out the ribs and the cams in the engine and the
pipes in the boiler. The children really enjoyed snorkelling over it. Anna saw a
huge Puffer fish. And Eddie did his utmost to dive the 15 feet down to
touch the shallowest part of the wreck. All day dive boats came and went
with parties of scuba divers.
We were caught up here by Blase, Temula B and
Mystic Breeze - at one stage I think we knew every boat on a mooring. That
night it was 'goodbye' beers and a team effort supper on Tamarisk. There must
have been twenty people onboard. Keoma, Blase and Temulah B are going back
to Antigua to crew on Keoma in the famous race week before heading back to the
UK and Mystic Breeze is going North to the States.
From Norman Island we went North West to Marina Cay
- which is a small island off the East of Tortola near the airport. Regina
were there to pick up Karolina's father. We picked up a mooring bouy and
snorkelled off the reef West of the island. This was some of the best
snorkelling we've done - lots of parrot fish and rays and some great big
tarpon. Jon from Wild Alliance thought he saw a black tipped reef shark.
That damped our enthusiasm a bit. It's hard to get decent pictures of fish
underwater but the Norman Island caves and the wreck of the Rhone would
have worked well. Next time we'll bring an underwater camera.
We then went West to Road Town, the capital of
Tortola, and a berth in the Village Cay Marina. There's a supermarket very
close and I had a couple of repairs I wanted to do in a marina. The
children played in the pool and Penny and I got our jobs done. The longer we've
been away, the less we've liked marinas. You miss the peace and quiet and
fresh air of being at anchor.
![]() Tamarisk in a crowded Bight, Norman
Island
![]() Anna and Rachel from Kosh Long get ready to jump at
Willy T's
![]() Someone jumping - maybe Tim?
![]() Anna and others wait for a jumper
![]() Leslie, Trond, Camilla and Colin of Coconut.
This was just before they
went back to Antigua.
![]() Egrets nesting near the marina in Road Town,
Tortola
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