British Virgin Islands - page 3

 

Mitch driving dinghy at The Baths

SATURDAY

 We made a short hop down the western coast of Virgin Gorda to the big rockpile known as The Baths.  These huge granite rocks were somewhat out-of-place here in the Caribbean, where the terrain is generally volcanic.  Geologists suspect they were probably carried here by a glacier.  This was one of the most popular spots in the BVIs.  The cruising guide warned not to even try to visit if a big cruise ship was in port.  By mid-morning, a number of boats were already moored there.  

But what we did not expect was: there was no place to beach the dinghy to load and unload passengers.  Ashore, there were really cool caves and passageways through the boulders and shallows, but there was no practical way to get there.  There was a mooring line for dinghies, but one would need to swim ashore.  And eventually, you gotta get back IN the dinghy, which is never easy, especially for the girls.  (I suppose the alternative was to dock into a marina a few miles up the shore and then catch a taxi or something to here.  Ugh.) 

Regardless, we tied up the dinghy, and some of us guys donned snorkels and explored the dramatic underwater canyons, valleys, and mountains, all full of colorful coral and hoards of fish.

Next, we were headed to Trellis Bay, right near the airport, for the monthly Full Moon Party.  (We missed the full moon last time we were here.)  There, we'd have dinner and some drink called the Moon Punch.  This gathering was reported to be one heckuva wild conflagration. 

When we got to the bay at midafternoon, there were already dozens of boats moored or anchored there.  We probably snagged to very last available mooring ball!  But the boats just came coming and coming, all afternoon.  By nightfall, there had to have been close to a hundred boats there.  Somehow, they all found a place to hole up.  The sky was like a sea of anchor lights.  Even the dinghy dock was so packed you could barely squeeze in.

Left, front to back:  Luke, Janet, Bart, Theresa, Mitch
Right, front to back: David, Joan, Becky, Tim, Mary

Once we were all seated, I offered up a toast.  I said I was anxious about how this crazy endeavor would work out, what with ten people, many who had never before met, living crammed together aboard a small boat.  But somehow, it's working out great!

Bart & Becky party hearty

 

 

The food was amazing, and in enormous quantities.  We ate and drink till we could barely stand.  Then the live band started up and the dancing commenced, and ran all night long.

 

The lovely Flambuoyant ladies at Trellis Bay

 Joan and I wandered down the beach to check out the shops selling crafts and curios.  Joan found some things there she said she just couldn't live another day without.  We talked with a gal who owned a shop that was one of the few survivors of Hurricane Irma, a monster category 5 storm that nearly wiped the BVIs off the map in 2017. 

 

SUNDAY

 

We sailed out of Trellis Bay and headed southwest down the Drake Channel for an 11-mile downwind run to Peter Island, one of the so-called Little Sisters.  This would complete my planned circumnavigation of Tortola.  Music played, drinks flowed, and spirits were high.  Check out this video of Tim letting it all hang out:

One of the things I continually observed that really perplexed me we were all the sailboats cruising around out here with their sails DOWN.  I mean, this is just about the best sailing area in the world, what with the steady trade winds, the warm, deep, crystal-blue water, the gorgeous scenery, and the mild weather.  Yet here were these - I will be blunt - morons, running their noisy, dirty, fossil-fuel engines, rather than taking advantage of this abundant, free, silent, clean propulsion energy source provided courtesy of Mother Nature.  Go figure.

Bart learns the ropes

 

Everyone has there preferred way to pass the time on these longer sails.  The girls tend to lose themselves in their books.  Mitch & Mary, the newlyweds, get into some PDA, or disappear below.  Bart continues to soak in all he can about sailing; he wants to skipper a boat like this some day.  I, of course, am in heaven:  just gimme a sailboat, some wind, and water, and I am absolutely giddy.  

 

 

Fun on the beach

Our destination was Deadman's Bay, on the NE corner of Peter Island.  There, we found a lovely crescent of white sand, and some sort of resort with a pool and beach chairs.  There were dozens of mooring balls, but we were the only boat here.

 

 

beach babes

We drop the dinghy and everyone heads for the beach!  Some of the guys and I don snorkels and check out a shallow reef at the base of a rockpile.  Surprisingly, it had some pretty dramatic underwater caverns, and schools of fish who stared up at me.  All day long, other boats continue to wander into our lovely little bay, moor up, and also have some fun in the sun.

 

 

chilling up on the cabin-top

One of my crew members needs some medical attention, and mostly uninhabited Peter Island is lacking.  So late that afternoon, we untie and make the short hop into Road Town, and tie up at the marina.  Tim, at the helm, was a little anxious about maneuvering backwards into this tight space, but dockworkers rush to grab our lines, and all goes well.  Once secured, the fun, frivolity, and comradery goes on into the evening.

MONDAY

Today we return Flambuoyant back to Sunsail, our chartering host.  Anthony, their customer rep, comes aboard and gets a full report from us on how things went. I was proud to say that we didn't run aground.  We didn't entangle a rope in the prop.  Nobody drowned (or even fell overboard).  We didn't put the wrong fluid into the wrong tank.  We didn't run out of fuel.  Or beer.

All crewmembers, with all their different airline departure times, packed up and got a taxi to the airport. After a layover in Miami, we were back in Houston, and made the one-hour drive back to Coldspring. 

On the way home, Luke gave me a great compliment:  he said that the daily scheduling was "just right", with the proper mix of busy activity, and empty leisure time. 

Will we return some day?  Stay tuned!