Bareboat sailing day 8: British Virgin Islands, BVI, returning the boat to Horizon at Nanny Cay

It's the morning of our last day on the boat and it's been raining all night. I woke Adam up in the middle of the night because it was raining really hard and we needed to close all the windows. He must have forgotten where he was because he sat straight up and hit his head on the underside of the cockpit. I made him sleep on that side, because that's the side he sleeps on at home. He shared his opinions about that and then rolled over and went back to sleep. I managed to get the windows closed, and it was still raining hard when we woke up.

Maria's flight was early that morning, and we waited as long as we could to allow the weather to clear  enough to take her over to the dock in the dinghy. While waiting, we were listening to the weather station on the radio. Since we were so close to Puerto Rico they give the weather report in spanish and english, so Maria was translating for us. The forecast didn't sound good, but the weather cleared and we were able to get Maria dropped off and return to the boat. More heavy rains came, and we continued to listen to the weather report. We needed to cover about 4 nautical miles today to get the boat back to Nanny Cay by noon. The original plan was for me to sail the boat as the helmsman the whole way, but with all of the rain that was out of the question.

The rain ahead and Beef Island on the right

Not only was the forecast for more rain with a small craft advisory, but also winds of 18-20 knots and 4-6 foot waves with a northern swell. The boat had to be turned in by noon. We waited as long as we could and even made ourselves some more bacon, egg, and cheese english muffins.

Driving in the pouring rain

At 8:30 AM it sounded like the last of the rain had cleared. We decided it was time to make the trip. We head out, and starting out it's not bad at all. Not as rough as the day before, but it feels like it takes us about 2 hours to get around Beef Island and into the channel. Our fuel gauge hasn't worked this entire trip, and we have no idea if we have enough fuel to motor all the way back. Half way around Beef Island, we see the rain, heading straight for us. Of course we didn't pack any wet weather gear, so I made Adam wear his hoodie because it was chilly and would keep him a little dry. I rode on the steps heading into the cabin protected from the rain. I figured it didn't make sense for both of us to get hypothermia. The boating was rough in the rain, but not too bad. We finally made it into the channel and the rain clears. That's when the swells and the waves showed up. Our 35' monohull is all over the place, right rail in the water, then the left, then the right, and so on. The waves were moving faster than us and we were pseudo surfing them. I was never so glad to have a 10,000lb keel on a boat in my life. I headed down below and got life jackets, not because I thought we would capsize, but we were rolling so much, that I was concerned one of us could go overboard. It wouldn't be easy to tread water in those 6' waves. Meanwhile not one, but two Catamarans blow past us. One of them is under sail! Yes, sailing in the rain and rough waves like it's nothing! The other catamaran motored past us, and looked like they were barely moved by the rough seas, meanwhile I'm thinking if we die today, at least we will die on the last day of our vacation and not the first. 

Nanny Cay Marina

Then we see it, a harbor full of masts, Nanny Cay! Hallelujah! We just might make it. We have settled into a nice groove with the waves, and they aren't as high as they were. We were heading down wind and decided to let out the jib and try to get there a little faster. I was able to set up the furler and jib sheet so I could reach both from the same spot an let out the jib myself. As we approached Nanny Cay I set out to getting the lines and fenders ready for docking the boat at the fuel dock on the starboard (right) side. We pulled in the jib, and motored up to that dock like pros! Then they wanted us to dock on the port (left) side. Adam had to turn around in the narrow marina while I am quickly untying and moving all of our lines and fenders. Good thing I was a pro at bowline knots by then! We refilled the water and fuel on the boat, and we still had over half a tank left which would've been nice to know... We called Horizon Yacht Charter and an employee came and drove the boat over to the Horizon docks which are extremely narrow. Of course he spun the boat around and backed it into the narrow space like it was nothing.
It felt good to be on solid ground. It was like a totally different environment inside the marina. The sun was now out, and the winds were lighter. You couldn't tell the water was rough at all. It was almost like that trip had never happened.
We checked into the hotel, and headed to the beach where we did a little swimming, and mostly spent the afternoon relaxing under a palm tree. We saw a large group of people that were dressed very nicely headed our way. It was a church and they were there for a baptism. It was pretty neat to watch, but we felt a little underdressed.

On the beach at Nanny Cay

Bareboat sailing day 7: British Virgin Islands, BVI, Trellis Bay, Tortola

It's time to head all the way from White Bay, JVD to Trellis Bay, Beef Island. The time has flown by, but it's been an amazing trip. The forecast is calling for high winds and heavy seas. We had originally planned to sail on the outside of the channel around Scrub Island to Beef Island, but we changed our minds after we heard the weather forecast.

We motored from Jost Van Dyke to the channel where we started sailing with two reefs in the sails. Maria and I aren't big fans of heeling so far over that the rail is in the water… So we took it nice and easy for a few hours. We weren't covering much ground, so I used more of my ASA 105 skills and determined that we were only going about 2 nautical miles an hour towards our destination. In the BVI they want you to be moored or anchored by 1630 if you are bareboat sailing. We were sailing into the wind so we were zig-zagging inside the channel on a close haul at about 4 knots, which wouldn't get us to Trellis Bay by 4:30pm. We then reluctantly fired up the motor and made it to Trellis bay at about 4:00.  It was a pretty nice ride, a little rough with the northern swells that began rolling in. Our sea turtle friend came by to say Hi.







We went to The Last Resort at Trellis Bay for some appetizers, then we checked out the shopping. There are art shops with some interesting local artwork, and the biggest hammock I've ever seen. We went back to the boat to get in some more time on the floaties. Then we had tacos on the boat, and one last night of fish watching by flashlight.

Trellis Bay

Bareboat sailing day 6: British Virgin Islands, BVI, White Bay, JVD

I love waking up to a beautiful island morning! Today the plan is to just make a quick run over to White Bay, home of Ivan's and Soggy Dollar Bar, so we have more time for snorkeling and relaxing. Plus, this is a popular destination for ferries full of tourists from cruise ships and other Virgin Islands. We head over first thing in the morning, and there was only one mooring ball open. Awesome! We head out for more snorkeling, and my underwater camera quit working… The snorkeling was the most amazing snorkeling of the entire trip. We saw stingrays, beautiful coral, and a rainbow of fish.




We had our wraps for lunch on the boat then we rode the dinghy to Foxy's at Great Harbor. We saw a real pirate ship on the way, and spent some time relaxing in the hammocks. Next was a dinghy ride to the beach (there is no dinghy dock) at White Bay to spend some time at Ivan's and Soggy Dollar Bar. Ivan's has expanded some since we were there last. They just added a building that they serve some pretty amazing barbecue out of. We headed over to Soggy Dollar Bar, and it was packed! The only place in the Islands where we had to wait in line. It's become quite the tourist attraction.

Ivan's

We went back to the boat and spent some time in our floaties before we cleaned up and headed back to Ivan's for the barbecue dinner. It's not easy to take off on a dinghy from the beach, but we managed to make it work. (Refer to my previous warning about the dinghy)

Mic at Soggy Dollar Bar

Trail from Soggy Dollar Bar to Ivan's

Soggy Dollar Bar is where the famous Painkiller drink was created. It's named Soggy Dollar Bar because of the soggy state of dollars used to pay for drinks after patrons swim ashore from an anchored vessel. Ivan's Stress Free Bar is Kenny Chesney's favorite, and it is not uncommon to spot him there. The Virgin Islands have inspired a few of his songs.




You'll need your  Eating and Drinking Guide  at all three of these stops.

Bareboat sailing day 5: British Virgin Islands, BVI, Soper's hole, Diamond Cay JVD

The morning of day 5, we wake up, reorganize, and straighten up the boat. After our breakfast of bacon, egg, and cheese english muffins made on the stove, we sailed from The Bight to Soper's hole on Tortola. It's a fun place to do some shopping and eat lunch at the famous Pusser's. It's very good, but on the pricey side. We restocked at the grocery store, and then set off for Diamond Cay and the Bubbly Pool on Jost Van Dyke!

Pusser's at Soper's Hole

Outside of Foxy's Taboo

After a smooth sail, we motor in to Diamond Cay only to discover that there are no mooring balls open (binoculars help when you are looking for an open mooring ball). We don't trust our anchoring skills enough to do it without our instructor… So, we decide to head over to White Bay. As we are motoring out of the bay, I take one more look at the mooring field and I see a boat coming out. After a quick check with the binos, I see an open mooring ball! Yay. We were able to turn around and grab it. Lesson learned… get to Diamond Cay early, or hang around to see if someone leaves. There are only 10 mooring balls in this bay, and it's a popular stop because of the Bubbly Pool. It's also a challenging bay to anchor in.

Dinghy rescue

While we were settling in, and getting ready for our trip to the bubbly pool, Adam noticed a dinghy with about 8 people paddling towards their catamaran. He and Maria jumped in the dinghy to go help them out. They were relieved to see them, and appreciated the help.





A sea turtle came up next to our boat to say Hi. I just love them. We headed off to the bubbly pool! When the trail makes it's first left turn, if you go straight, and then up you will see some very pretty views. We made it to the bubbly pool past the poisonous trees. It was much more bubbly this time! We found another trail to the right of the bubbly pool that provided some of the best views so far. On the way back we stopped in at Foxy's Taboo for our Eating and Drinking Guide Drinks.

Mangrove tree on the way to the Bubbly Pool

above the Bubbly Pool

The Bubbly Pool!

Next we headed out to do some snorkeling. It was a bit far of a swim for me, so when Adam took off from the boat, Maria and I headed towards the shore in the dinghy. When I hit the bottom with the motor (oops) I decided we should probably just anchor it :-) We met up with Adam who had just seen a nurse shark and we all did some snorkeling. Another one of my favorite things to do, then we spent some more time in our floaties.

Dinner was hamburgers on the grill. It almost fell off and we had to deal with a grill full of hot coals that was barely hanging on and threatening to dump it's dangerous contents down the side of the boat and into the water. After searching, we finally found where the toolkit was. Next time, I'll be sure to bring a multitool or two. By this time the sun was long gone. Time to break out the flashlight, and check out who is swimming under our boat. There were a ton of Tarpon under there, which is a little creepy because their eyes glow orange when you shine the light on them. Then the nurse shark swam by. That was really cool, and made for some interesting home videos.

"Fishing"

Bareboat sailing day 4: British Virgin Islands, BVI, The Bight, Norman Island

During the night our breeze booster fell into the water. No big deal, it's only 13 feet down to the bottom, I got this, right? uh wrong… I tried four times to swim to the bottom with my snorkel and fins on and couldn't get close. Julian wakes up and jumps in with goggles swims over to the breeze booster, down to the bottom, grabs it and swims straight back! Did I mention that he is 68 years old and getting a hip replacement later this year? I really need to work out more! Julian saved the day, and this is his last day with us.

Pirate's Bight 2014

We set out on a quick sail across the channel to Nanny Cay Marina to drop him off then on to my favorite stop, The Bight! We are on our own! Since our last trip to the BVIs, Pirates Bight the restaurant and bar, burnt down after a spontaneous combustion from the materials they used to refinish the floors. Nobody lives on Norman Island, they only go there for work. The restaurant was a total loss and was completely rebuilt. The old one had a college bar feel to it with an old swing in the back and a jumbo sized jenga. The new one is very elegant and much more of a country club feel than the beach club vibe it once had. Don't get me wrong, it was absolutely beautiful and I will go back, it just isn't the laid back, relaxing island hang out that I prefer.

Pirate's Bight 2012

We finally broke out our class 6 PFDs*, our sit n floats! That's probably my favorite thing to do. Just chill in the water and take in the amazing views.
*when our instructor saw these he said you brought your own personal floatation devices? Without missing a beat Maria called them our Class 6 PFDs! Haha I think they are just recommended by the ASA, but they should be required.

No visit to The Bight is complete without a stop at Willy T's, a floating restaurant. It can get a little crazy on this boat, but it's all good fun. They have the best fish n' chips in the BVI!

Willy T's 2012

Bareboat sailing day 3: British Virgin Islands, BVI Deadman's Bay, Peter Island

Early in the morning, we looked for the hiking trail that goes between BEYC and Biras Creek Resort. We didn't find it, but we were able to see some amazing views from the staircases that go up to some of the villas. We later found out that they are past the pool to the left with a sign pointing you in the right direction. We'll try again on our next trip.

Maria sailed us all the way to the Baths. The Baths are a beautiful formation of gigantic granite rock boulders. We anchored, ate some wraps for lunch, and rode the dinghy to the rope tie off point about 75 yards from beach. We then had to swim ashore (not an easy task) to be able to explore the trails among the granite rocks and then ascend to the top of the island where the view is amazing! After the long swim, the hiking was a breeze!

Beautiful granite rock formations

You aren't allowed to overnight at the Baths because it is a National Park. So, after we finished our exploring and sight seeing we sailed over to Deadman's Bay on Peter Island. There are no moorings here, so it is anchor only. It was on a very pretty beach with a five-star resort on the island. A small marina was in the next bay. We took the dinghy over to resupply our ice. We had to buy more everyday, it even melted in the refrigerator on the boat. We had a very up close encounter with a sea turtle! He was checking out the vegetation in the marina. Dinner was grilled chicken, baked beans, and corn on the boat. We shined a light into the water and saw a few tarpon fish with their orange, glowing eyes!

view from the top of the baths

We spent some time getting to know more about our very interesting sailing instructor Julian Putley, Author. In addition to spending two years sailing around the world he has also written several caribbean fiction and non-fiction books. His most popular book is The Drinking & Eating Guide to the B.V.I. He told us to buy it on our first day because it is full of drinking and eating deals at many of the bars and restaurants. It was easy to find because it is sold at every gift shop in the islands or you can purchase it here. Then he told us to look at the author page! He autographed our copies for us. I must warn you that using this book can lead to a face plant front flip into the dinghy, or at least that's what I hear.

Deadman's Bay is named so because "folklore has it that the infamous pirate Blackbeard marooned fifteen men on the cay with nothing but a bottle of rum. Some apparently tried to swim the half mile to Peter Island's eastern cove but didn't make it." Julian Putley, "The Virgins' Treasure Isle," the story of the daring piracy and subsequent burying of it on Norman Island in the BVI.

Bareboat sailing day 2: British Virgin Islands, BVI North Sound, Virgin Gorda

We decided to put our ASA 105 (coastal navigation) skills to the test and plan our route from Trellis Bay, Tortola to North Sound, Virgin Gorda. We set sail in the morning and anchored for lunch at Long Bay, then continued around Mosquito Island to North Sound where we practiced docking the boat different ways, and practiced picking up mooring balls. We called Bitter End Yacht Club on the radio to make dinner reservations once we were within range. After we were safely anchored for the night we went to Saba Rock to enjoy their amazing views. The Toucans and Parrots that used to be there have been moved because they were being harassed by some guests :-( 

We returned to the boat to clean up for dinner. The shower in the head wasn't the best, so we all used the shower on the transom until we discovered that it was really difficult to control the temperature. It would get so hot that it would scald you! We then started using gallon water jugs that we filled up in the galley because the temperature was more reliable. Dinner at Bitter End Yacht Club was amazing! We ate at a table right next to the water. We watched the sunset, and we all had a great evening. 

Another very successful day!

Saba Rock/ BEYC

Our instructor, Julian Putley

ASA 105 Coastal Navigation homework in February

Bareboat sailing day 1: British Virgin Islands, BVI Marina Cay

We flew to and spent the night in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Friday. We had an amazing dinner and took a late night stroll on the beach. I would love to go back and spend more time in Puerto Rico, it was gorgeous. Very early Saturday morning we arrive at the airport via cab. He drops us off at American Airlines, but our flight was on Cape Air. After walking about a mile we managed to get checked in for our flight on a Cessna 402! I put my scopolamine patch on the night before so I'd be ready in case things got bumpy. It was a beautiful flight with amazing scenery, and surprisingly smooth.

Our 9 passenger plane!

We made it to Beef Island Airport on Tortola, BVI, but one bag didn't. No biggie, because we were picking up our friend from the airport that evening… The cab that we ordered through our charter was waiting for us, and after an exciting 40 minute cab ride on the wrong side of the road we arrived at Horizon Yacht Charter at Nanny Cay Marina! It was just as pretty as we remembered. We checked in with Horizon, completed more paperwork, paid the rest of our money, and picked up the "boat phone". The boat wasn't ready yet, so we took a stroll through the marina to the beach to wait. Forty-five  minutes later we were on our boat, "Shortcut" a Bovaria 35 foot monohull.
Our instructor, Julian arrived while we were unpacking. He was an older gentleman originally from England who had been teaching sailing for over 30 years and spent two years sailing around the world. Now he's on our boat certifying us in ASA 104? Wow, we were excited to have someone with so much to teach us.
After our provisioning (groceries we ordered ahead of time) showed up three hours late we were finally off sailing! Our first destination was Trellis Bay to pick up Maria. We motor sailed to make up time, and made it there in about two and a half hours. We anchored in the bay, took the dinghy, and made it to the airport in time to be there when Maria came out of security! We grabbed our bag, headed back to the boat and motored over to Marina Cay where we anchored for our first night. We got in some snorkeling, but the water was pretty cloudy. We cooked spaghetti on the boat and then went to shore to check out the live music.
A very successful first day!

A live conch shell