Tag Archives: BVI

Peace and Love and deserted islands and bubbles – Jost Van Dyke

Considering that we’ve chartered in the BVI twice before and at this point been there almost a month it’s hard to believe there are places we haven’t been. But there are and we found them! We spent our first ever night in Little Harbor on Jost. This was a great place and we were able to dinghy from there over to Sandy Cay (what our friend Greg calls the best example of a deserted tropical island) and then over to the other side of Jost for a hike to Bubbly Pond. Plus we got to see what we’ve been missing all this time at Sydney’s Peace and Love. Our friend Jack is always going on and on about their painkillers! 😛 Well none of it disappointed and it was fun to see something new in a place we feel like we know so well.

The famous Sydney's Peace & Love

The famous Sydney’s Peace & Love

The view from Little Harbor

The view from Little Harbor

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandy Cay has a beautiful beach, some palm trees, a small hill and lots and lots of hermit crabs!! We set off to walk around unwisely leaving our shoes in the dinghy. It was okay at first when the trail was sand but then it turned to rock, and then to mud! And all I could picture was squishing a poor hermit crab with my bare feet! Luckily that didn’t happen and the view from the top was worth a little discomfort.

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After our Sandy Cay adventure we headed back over to Jost to check out the bubbly pond. This was a fun walk and it took us about 15 minutes to get there. It’s called the bubbly pond because the waves come crashing through this small area and make it all foamy in the small pond. Pretty nice and a good way to cool off after that walk!

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The Baths

The Baths are probably the most famous spot in the BVI. On the quarter mile hike you scramble up and over boulders and wade through water and are rewarded at the end with Devil’s Bay. It’s very nice, just don’t go when the cruise ships are in!

You have to swim in from your boat.  It's quite the trek!

You have to swim in from your boat. It’s quite the trek!

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This may just be the most photographed spot in the Baths!

This may just be the most photographed spot in the Baths!

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Is it really just saving Trellis Bay?

Trellis Bay, Beef Island

When we first visited the B.V.I. 4 years ago the cab driver was going on and on about how ridiculous the government hasn’t yet extended the Beef Island runway to accommodate larger passenger jets. I really didn’t give it too much thought afterward even though his rant lasted most of the ride out to Road Town.

Fast forward four years and we are sitting on the beach in Trellis Bay enjoying an amazing meal at the Trellis Bay Kitchen when the proprietor comes out and shows us pictures of the place dating back to the 60’s and offers us his guest book. After some pleasantries he goes on to state that the government is looking to fill in Trellis Bay to add 3000 more feet to the runway so larger passenger jets can land. While this would be devastating to business owners and the small artist community at Trellis Bay it has much larger implications to all the islands.

The BVI are known as “Nature’s Little Secrets” which isn’t necessarily entirely true especially in the sailing community where most folks cut their teeth in bareboating, but they are definitely a world away from the cruise ship terminals in the USVI and Puerto Rico. Most of the islands are sparsely populated and support mostly locally owned business that thrive off of the current tourist model, from what I can see things work well. . . though I’m sure many business owners will state they would love to have more customers, but what kind? The tourists coming out here aren’t your standard cruise ship, fanny pack wearing standard issue US or UK tourist; these folks try and do embrace the island culture and are here to experience it. This will change drastically when it is much easier to access these beautiful islands.

With an influx of standard issue tourists it wont be long until the government is petitioned to allow more outside owned and run businesses. It wont take long for the locally owned and operated restaurants, resorts and service companies to sell out to larger global interests. Do you know anyone that remembers Waikiki 50 years ago? Way before my time, but my understanding is that it was a much different place, now controlled by Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt etc. . . and Marriott has just recently completed it’s new luxury resort on Scrub Island here in the B.V.I.

The other concern is noise pollution, the flight path will go directly over Virgin Gorda and Gorda Sound which is quite the amazing place. Growing up with relatives that didn’t live far from SeaTac International I can say that it’s difficult to relax with jets flying overhead. Take away the premier activity of relaxing and what do you have?

If you agree you can sign the petition at

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Save_Trellis_Bay/

http://www.facebook.com/SaveTrellisBay

Oh and don’t be offended if you are a standard issue tourist. . . there’s still time to change 🙂

Virgin Gorda BVI

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.

The Bitter End.

View of Virgin Gorda

View of Virgin Gorda

Ryana in 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.

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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!).  :)

Ryan holding a starfish (and I think there’s one on his head too!). 🙂

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Out of the water but still a little soggy.

Out of the water but still a little soggy.

BVI Tour with our awesome crew

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.

Docked at Nanny Cay marina.

Dressed up for the party.

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!

Ryan was trying to win a mustache contest (he came in 2nd) which is why he looks so ridiculous!

Father and son

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 Indiana

The Indians

Ryan snorkeling

Ryan snorkeling

Fish

Fish

Graham relaxing on the sail over to Cooper Island.

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.

Kirk serving up dinner.

Russell reading from their drinks menu.

Russell reading from their drinks menu.

Pierre and Heather enjoying dinner.

Pierre and Heather enjoying dinner.

Graham, Tony and Greg relaxing with their drinks.

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

At the Soggy Dollar

Graham finding the tag he previously left at Foxy's.  He only had to look about 5 minutes...what a good memory.

Graham finding the tag he previously left at Foxy’s from “The Virgin Excursion”.

Stanley chasing after a ball.

Stanley chasing after a ball.

Tony keeping an eye on Stanley (or is it the other way around!)

Tony keeping an eye on Stanley (or is it the other way around!)

Stanley on the paddle board.

Stanley on the paddle board.

Stanley gets concerned when we're in the water!  It's okay buddy!

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.

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Enjoying lunch.

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Graham learning about how they make rum.

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Greg holding his new rum “the panty dropper”….

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Stanley dressed up for Graham’s last night.

 

Bye Bye Graham.  :(

Bye Bye Graham. 🙁

Lastly, we headed over to Trellis Bay to bid farewell to Greg and Tony.

Greg testing his PFD.

Greg testing his PFD.

At Marina Key looking at Scrub Island.

At Marina Key looking at Scrub Island.

Prosciutto wrapped melon   (made in Graham's honor) spiced up with some mustaches!

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!!!

 

 

Pictures of our passage from Virginia to the BVIs

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!

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!

Feeling good and not wearing 6 layers of clothing!

Lucky rainbow!

Lucky rainbow!

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Adding more fuel to the tank.

Adding more fuel to the tank.

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Tony getting in some zzzz....

Tony getting in some zzzz….

Stanley asking "Are we there yet?"

Stanley asking “Are we there yet?”

Greg's "Are we there yet pose?"

Greg’s “Are we there yet pose?”

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Greg studying something so that he can then discuss with Graham.  At length.

Greg studying something so that he can then discuss with Graham. At length.

Graham counter studying Greg's studying. :)

Graham counter studying Greg’s studying. 🙂

Relaxing.

Relaxing.

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Land Ho!!!!

Land Ho!!!!

Smiles all around because after almost 9 days we see land!

Smiles all around because after almost 9 days we see land!

More smiles for land!

More smiles for land!

We made it!!!!

We made it!!!!

Arrival in Paradise

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!! 🙂