Being away from family at the holidays is hard. Luckily we were able to enjoy Thanksgiving with friends. We got our turkey dinner at Leverick Bay in an open air upstairs patio overlooking Gorda Sound. It sounds nice but it was no match for my mother’s turkey and stuffing! At least the company was good!
Ryana, Starburst, Andromeda, Te Mana and Tara
After the last of our crew left we headed over to Virgin Gorda for some R&R. It was fun to visit the Bitter End where we got married 2.5 years ago. It still looks the same! When we got over there we saw that a bunch of boats from the Salty Dog Rally that also went from Virginia to the BVI were still arriving. It was nice to meet some of them and catch up with Kalunamoo who we had met in Annapolis.
The Bitter End.
View of Virgin Gorda
Ryana in Virgin Gorda
Over several days in Virgin Gorda our major accomplishments were kayaking around Gorda Sound and snorkeling reef. We were still recovering from the passage so it was nice to take it easy.
There’s a big reef at the entrance to Gorda Sound. We took our dingy over and snorkeled around for awhile.
Ryan holding a starfish (and I think there’s one on his head too!). 🙂
Out of the water but still a little soggy.
Once we made it down to the BVI it was time to relax, drink a few painkillers and snorkel. Well, that was after cleaning, waxing, fixing and reorganizing the boat of course! Since we left a day early on the rally we had a week in the BVI before our crew were going to fly home. That meant a little exploring was in order.
First though we arrived in Nanny Cay Marina on Tortola which is actually quite nice. This is where they held the final happy hours for the Carib1500 rally and the awards ceremony party. We spent a few days just hanging in the marina and enjoying being on land! We enjoyed rehashing the trip with our fellow rally folks and sharing our stories of rough weather and faulty equipment. The final party was fun too and we all dressed up in our matching shirts!
Docked at Nanny Cay marina.
Dressed up for the party in our matching shirts. I think it took 4 tries to get this picture! (ahem…graham!)
Ryan was trying to win a mustache contest (he came in 2nd) which is why he looks so ridiculous!
Father and son
When we got out of the marina (finally!) it was time for some snorkeling. We headed to the Indians and got in the water and splashed around.
The Indians
Ryan snorkeling
Fish
Graham relaxing on the sail over to Cooper Island.
After that we went to Cooper Island to relax for the night. We met up with Te Mana there and had happy hour aboard our boat and dinner on theirs. Our resident bartender Greg went the extra mile by printing a list of drinks our boat offered and serving them up with a smile. 🙂 Then we had a great dinner on Te Mana with great company!
Kirk serving up dinner.
Russell reading from their drinks menu.
Pierre and Heather enjoying dinner.
Graham, Tony and Greg relaxing with their drinks.
Next up on our BVI tour was Jost Van Dyke. We moored the boat in White Harbor, had drinks at the Soggy Dollar and dinner at Foxy’s. Ahh….this is the life. Plus Stanley got to chase balls on the beach and ride on the paddle board!
At the Soggy Dollar
Graham finding the tag he previously left at Foxy’s from “The Virgin Excursion”.
Stanley chasing after a ball.
Tony keeping an eye on Stanley (or is it the other way around!)
Stanley on the paddle board.
Stanley gets concerned when we’re in the water! It’s okay buddy!
After Jost we headed back to Tortola. This time we stopped at Cane Garden Bay. We headed in for lunch, toured the rum distillery and generally just hung out and relaxed. We made a dinner on the boat and in the morning sadly bid farewell to Graham as he left to catch his flight.
Enjoying lunch.
Graham learning about how they make rum.
Greg holding his new rum “the panty dropper”….
Stanley dressed up for Graham’s last night.
Bye Bye Graham. 🙁
Lastly, we headed over to Trellis Bay to bid farewell to Greg and Tony.
Greg testing his PFD.
At Marina Key looking at Scrub Island.
Prosciutto wrapped melon (made in Graham’s honor) spiced up with some mustaches!
It was sad to see everyone leave after a great passage and a fun time in the BVI. You guys are welcome to come back anytime!!!
I’ve already given my account of our passage (located here) but I wanted to add some pictures too!
If only it had been this calm the whole time. Noone got out their cameras for the first 4 days!
Feeling good and not wearing 6 layers of clothing!
Lucky rainbow!
Adding more fuel to the tank.
Tony getting in some zzzz….
Stanley asking “Are we there yet?”
Greg’s “Are we there yet pose?”
Greg studying something so that he can then discuss with Graham. At length.
Graham counter studying Greg’s studying. 🙂
Relaxing.
Land Ho!!!!
Smiles all around because after almost 9 days we see land!
More smiles for land!
We made it!!!!
Ryan and I love the British Virgin Islands. We spent Ryan’s 30th birthday on a charter boat here and came back 2 years later to be married here at the Bitter End. So, after some hemming and hawing between the Bahamas and the Caribbean we decided (over a painkiller at Pussers in Annapolis) to do a rally down to the BVIs! Now, that goal has been realized and after about 9 days in the Atlantic Ocean we have arrived! Here is my log of our time at sea…
Passage: Chesapeake Bay (Virginia) to British Virgin Islands (Tortola)
Nov 2nd 6:45pm – Nov11th 1:45pm 8 days and 19 hours
Captain – Ryan, First Mate – Diana, Crew – Greg, Tony, Graham, Ship dog – Stanley
Day 1 (Nov 2nd) – Wait for us!!
The decision was made by the rally committee for the fleet to head out a day early at 3pm on Saturday Nov 2nd. The weather was right and I guess it’s true that time and tide wait for no man. Even when that “man” is our entire crew who were flying in at 6pm on Saturday! So, as the fleet rolled out we stayed behind to wait for our crew of Graham, Greg and Tony. Graham and Greg are friends from ski patrol and Tony is Greg’s Dad. They finally showed up around 6:15, got a quick orientation of the boat, and we were on our way. The official starting line was several miles up the Chesapeake so we crossed the start line at 8:10pm, 5 hours and 10 minutes behind the rest of the fleet. It was rough going right away with heavy winds and big seas but we were all excited as headed out!
Day 2 (Nov 3rd) – Sick…
The weather was rough as we headed out and everyone fell victim to sea sickness except the Captain and ship dog. Within our first 24 hours out we entered the gulf stream. The winds had just started blowing from the north so hadn’t had time yet to get too bad. It still was not a comfortable ride. This is one of those times when you need to remind yourself that uncomfortable does not equal dangerous! The rocking and rolling of the boat and the slapping of the waves and the cold winds made for some less than enthusiastic spirits, but we all pulled through our shifts and helped each other out and made it through.
Day 3 (Nov 4th) – Stanley goes potty!
One of the biggest worries we had going on this voyage was about our dog Stanley. On our previous overnight passages he would hold it from shore to shore (up to 36+ hours!). So, we weren’t sure how he would do for 10 days. We consulted the vet who told us that when he’s gotta go he’s gonna go no matter what so that gave us some comfort, but we still were somewhat concerned. So, when about 48 hours into our trip Stanley finally went we threw a little party! Stanley got lots of pets and praise and cheese. I think he liked the cheese best. 🙂 What finally got him to go is that Ryan started playing with him and got him riled up, so instead of just sitting there holding it he was moving around. And all that moving around made him realize that it was time. Phew! One worry off our shoulders.
Day 4 (Nov 5th) – Happy Birthday to me!
And what a great birthday present I received….I finally got my sea legs! No more queasiness! Hurrah!! The seas and winds were also finally calming down a bit. Ryan had planned to make me a cake on board for my birthday, but I decided I wasn’t quite up to that so we held off. Still it was a beautiful and relaxing day.
Day 5 (Nov 6th) – In the groove
Everything has settled down a bit at this point. The crew has settled in and everyone is feeling better. We spent the day relaxing and enjoying the view of the open ocean and the clouds in the sky. The weather is warming up too so we are now able to be on watch without so many layers. All in all things are looking up!
Day 6 (Nov 7th) – Spirits High
We are all having a great time. We caught 2 small fish today but they were so small we threw them back. Too bad because some fresh sushi would have been nice! We had great sailing all day in 15-18 kts of wind and are cruising along. Dinner was a success and we topped it off with cookies and pumpkin pie. We even had music on for the first time this trip! The crew really got into it and started singing along!
Day 7 (Nov 8th) – Doing it old school
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be out there on the open ocean only navigating by your compass and the stars? I’ve wondered, but never thought I’d get to find out! Around 1am when Graham and I were on watch we lost all our electronics and autopilot. We kept our cool, picked out a star that fit our course and sat tight while Ryan went to work diagnosing the problem. A few hours later Ryan had figured out the problem, but not a solution yet. Around that time Greg was coming up for watch and was able to help Ryan with going through the options. The problem was that the power source for our electronics had quit. After several hours Greg came up with the solution of wiring the electronics into the lights! And just like that we had our chart plotter and auto pilot back! Woohooo.
Day 8 (Nov 9th) – Stars all around us
Based on our experiences the night before Graham got very interested in the stars and broke out the book on celestial navigation. He kept our watches very interesting with studies of the stars, identifying the constellations and watching as the stars moved through the heavens. It was a wonderful way to pass our night watch and we all had a blast. At this point the weather is warm enough that we’re all in short sleeves at night and the seas are calm and the winds fair. What a great way to pass the time.
Day 9 (Nov 10th) – Cabin Fever
A 40ft boat is not that big. Especially when you’ve been on it for 9 days. We were starting to dream of those rum punches and white sandy beaches. We passed the day chatting and relaxing and ready to see the BVI!
Day 10 (Nov 11th) – Land Ho!!!
We made it! We made it! We crossed the rally finish line about 10am and then headed on in to Nanny Cay. We were all thrilled to make it and even flew our spinnaker for 20 minutes just because we could. We were met on the dock by Claudia who caught our lines and gave us a rum punch. We all got checked in through customs without hassle (including Stanley). Stanley got his first walk in 10 days and I have never seen his tail wag so fast or him smile so big! We are all excited for our first meal on land and spent the evening relaxing.
Now that we’re here it will be boat work for a few days and then hopefully some swimming and snorkeling!! 🙂
We are about to start the next phase of our journey and head down to the Caribbean! We leave Virginia and hope to get to the British Virgin Islands in about 10 days. Track our progress here: http://worldcruising.com/
The rally is leaving earlier than planned! Our crew of Greg, Graham and Tony will be arriving around 5pm today so we will be getting a later start than the rest of the fleet. They will arrive, jump on the boat and we’ll be off!
We are excited and just finishing up some last minute things and then away we go….
This is the final post from my family’s visit to the East Coast in early October. I had a great time seeing everyone and hope they’ll all come visit again!
We decided to spend one day in D.C. even though everything was shut down. We figured we could at least see the monuments and walk around. All the monuments had caution tape put up around them but we were happy to see that no one paid any attention to that and just went right in anyway. We were able to do the walking tour of D.C. monuments starting with the White House and then going down to the Lincoln Memorial. We were even able to see the new MLK monument which I hadn’t seen before.
All of us in the Oval Office! 😉
After a nice walk around we got hungry so headed to Old Ebbit’s Bar & Grill. Ryan and I had frequented this place when we were in D.C. and my Mom had been before when she was in D.C. with her friend Gina. Lunch was delicious and then we went to Steven & Rosemary’s friend Ben’s apartment to check out the view from his roof. Ben’s got a pretty sweet place and the view is awesome.
The next day Steven and Rosemary came to Annapolis to see our boat and walk around town. We had a lunch where Steven got a pretty epic fish sandwich and then we walked up Main St and visited the William Paca house and gardens.
What a great way to end their visit. Steven and Rosemary went back to their friend’s place in D.C. and the next day I took my Mom and Kay to the airport. It was sad to see them all go but we had an amazing time and I’ll be looking forward to the next visit.
My Mom (Sally) and her friend from the library Kay came out to visit in early October. Halfway through their trip my brother Steven and his wife Rosemary came out to stay with a friend in D.C. so we were able to spend time with them too!
It was a rainy wet day at Mt Vernon, but we didn’t let that stop us. We decided to not only do the house tour but one of the behind the scenes tours as well. My Mom was the only one who had an umbrella, but strong winds kept that from being very useful! The rest of us got a little soggy, but were able to dry out during lunch were we tried peanut soup (verdict….meh!) and had some hot tea and chicken pot pie.
Mt Vernon
The useless umbrella!
A little soggy…
Back of Mt Vernon
Onsite at Mt Vernon they have George and Martha Washington’s grave that you are able to visit as well and several outbuildings that recreate life at Mt Vernon. They also have a really great museum that we spent over an hour going through. It had all kinds of interactive exhibits and movies to watch. It also had George Washington’s dentures!
Steven and Rosemary in front of GW’s grave.
An old carriage.
My Mom taking the oath of office! Is this binding?? 🙂
We all had a great time and planned to meet up in D.C. the next day!
My Mom (Sally) and her friend from the library Kay came out to visit in early October. This is the continued saga of our adventures… 🙂
Annapolis was our home base while they were visiting because we needed to get some boat work done before our trip to the Caribbean. Ryan and I also love Annapolis and think it’s a great town so it was fun to show it to them. Kay had also heard good things about Annapolis from her husband who had visited before. So with expectations high we set out to explore! It just so happened that they planned their trip over the Annapolis boat show which draws thousands of people to come gawk at boats and get good deals on boat supplies, so the town was a little more active than I’d seen it before.
We took a fun trolley tour around town to get acquainted with the sights. And we strolled the picturesque Main St. I visited the boat show while Mom and Kay toured the Naval Academy. It turns out that was the most thorough tour they’d ever been on, lasting 2 hours and walked 2 miles!! We also had some nice meals in Annapolis going to some of my favorites….The Rams Head Tavern and the Chart House.
Dinner at the Chart House
Relaxing on the boat
On Main St in front of the Rams Head Tavern
Enjoying a lunch overlooking the boat show.
At the Naval Academy.
My Mom (Sally) and her friend from the library Kay came out to visit in early October. This is the continued saga of our adventures… 🙂
We spent a couple of days in Baltimore checking out the sights and enjoying the beautiful weather. First stop on our itinerary was the Baltimore Aquarium. My Mom had heard this was one of the best aquariums in the US! We went in and first thing you go on this tour up through one of the building enjoying all kinds of fish as you go up these escalators and then walk through each level. It’s a pretty cool building as well as having lots of interesting fish and animals to look at.
They also had dolphins there and we got to watch a dolphin training show!
The Baltimore waterfront is actually quite nice and we spent some time walking around. There are also a number of old ships that you can tour. We did a tour of the tall ship the Constellation. We were given an audio tour and were able to visit all four decks of the ship. It was interesting to see how the sailors lived aboard!
My Mom steering the ship.
Ring Ring! All hands on deck!
Kay sporting her new Baltimore Aquarium shirt!
We were able to get a birds eye view of the Baltimore harbor by going up in their trade center. That was fun to be able to see out over the whole city.
Since there wasn’t much going on in D.C. at this time (thank you government shutdown :S ) we spent another day in Baltimore touring the sites. This time we stopped at the Conservatory of Flowers. We have a wonderful conservatory in Golden Gate Park in SF that I have fond memories of going to with my family so this was a fun stop. We took in the flowers and different climate rooms they had. They even had a lovely orchid room! I wish I could keep orchids but I have a purple thumb!
The Conservatory from outside
Enjoying the pretty gardens
Orchid room!
We also were able to visit the Baltimore Museum of Art. They have some very nice exhibits; we all agreed we like the classic paintings the best!
Art!
After driving around some trying to find some lunch we finally found a great french bistro in one of the picturesque neighborhoods. They had beautiful churches nearby and a huge monument to George Washington. They also had a very good museum that we visited. They had a lot of information on the civil war and how Maryland was divided between the north and south.
After another fun filled day we returned to our home base in Annapolis. Dinners on the boat were fun and we were able to relax and enjoy the ambiance.