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The Virgin Islands - Brit StyleFor a week, five of us sailed a 38' monohull throughout the Virgin Islands. What follows is my account of the trip. Any mistakes are mine alone. I wouldn't want to implicate my mates.  Saturday, January 26, 2008Tortola to Peter's Island, Dead Man's Bay I left for the airport yesterday at 8:45 a.m. Captain Rick and I arrived in Tortola at 8:42 p.m. It was eleven hours on the way and hardly any time to eat except on the run through the Miami airport. I have to reiterate - I hate the San Juan airport. But there doesn’t appear to be any way to get from home to here except through San Juan. We stayed in the anchorage in Tortola last night. We woke up to the sound of roosters cockadoodle-doodling. This morning, Jerry and I did the safety check, then Sam from our charter company, TMM, checked out our boat. We were on our way at noon. Sailing out of Road Town harbor, we saw two cruise ships, the Queen Mary 2 and a Celebrity Cruises boat. Those babies are big! The staterooms are probably bigger than ours, too. We’re currently anchored at Peter’s Island in Dead Man’s Bay. While I write this, the boys are swimming. We’ve already seen a sea turtle. I was at the helm when we anchored. I was clueless, but Captain Rick is very good about giving instructions. I should say a few words about our sailboat. We’re on the DavNJoy. It’s a monohull with one fore and one aft cabin. Chris and I are up front. Jeff and Jerry in the aft. The Cap’n sleeps amidships. The cabins are tiny. I’m always amazed at the designed space on these boats. Sunday, January 27, 2008Peter's Island to Green Cay I fixed the boys some breadfast - steel cut oats, whole wheat bread, marmalade, and coffee. We're at the Bight on Norman Island. We should be underway before long. After Dead Man's Bay, we sailed toward Tortola, then tacked over here. I was at the helm most of the day. Captain Rick is very patient (and kind). I can't steer the boat on my own. I haven't a clue as to how to steer into or out of the wind, but I follow directions pretty well. Lessons learned included determining whether another boat was on a collision course with us, then deciding who had the right-of-way, actually, very interesting stuff. The other big lesson is that sailboats don't have brakes, probably an important fact to remember (what a design flaw!). We got to Norman Island around 4:30 p.m. We hung out for a couple of hours. Jerry and I cooked dinner - red snapper, cauliflower, and garlic bread, our "white" meal. It was very good and fun to cook. I like the challenge of cooking in these conditions, and the food is always appreciated. The galley is tiny, two steps, and you've crossed it. The doors for the refrigerator and freezer are part of the countertop. This sometimes presents preparation issues. The other problem with the chests is that it's very difficult to organize the food. You're constantly on an archaeological expedition in the freezer. Inevitably, whatever food you are after, you will find it at the very bottom of the freezer or the refrigerator. After dinner, Captain Rick gave Jerry and me a lesson in knot-tying: bowline, clove hitch, and double half-hitch. He gave us each a piece of rope, and has commanded us to practice in all our waking moments. When I woke up this morning, I spent about a half-hour practicing my knots on the wheel. I felt virtuous. But then, I'm of easy virtue, anyway. Last night, I slept on deck. Chris is apparently coming down with a cold, and sharing a bed disturbed his sleep. The deck is a very uncomfortable place to sleep. Tonight, I'll try the salon and see how that works. I was very stiff this morning. It's now dinnertime. We're at Manchineel Bay, anchored at Green Cay just east of Little Jost Van Dyke. Jerry and I did some sailing but mostly in the words of Chris, "We motored a lot." We stopped at Soper's Hole on Tortola and topped off the water and picked up some supplies so that Jerry can make his famous banana bread. We swam this afternoon, then commenced on dinner, which consists of thrice-cooked, parboiled, barbequed, baked chicken breast (it tastes much better than it sounds) with pasta salad, and steamed broccoli. Mmmm good! We're currently trying to get everyone seated for dinner - beverage call. Tip: The pasta salad is out of a box. Next year, try the pasta salad from scratch. This is a pretty obnoxious Kraft invention. Monday, January 28, 2008Green Cay to Jost Van Dyke, White Bay Today is National Kazoo Day. We haven't left Green Cay, yet. Our big discussions this morning included what an asshole George Bush is. Jerry likes John Edwards. What does the spawn of Heather Poe and Mary Cheney really look like? Captain Rick announced the death of Mormon President Gordon B. Hinkley, We had a long discussion about whether we're going to Sidney's or Foxy's Taboo for dinner (we are SO lesbianic). I think lobster at Sidney's won out. Jeff and Jerry are topside blowing the kazoo and playing the guitar. Jeff rented a guitar from the TMM office, and it's been pleasant being serenaded throughout the sail. After breakfast, we headed over to Sandy Cay. Today, Jerry is captain, and boy, does he know how to give orders! We swam over to the island, and walked around it, rather the boys walked around it, and I walked around most of it. I left my crocs on the boat, and I didn't feel like walking on the part of the path that was formerly coral reef. The cay is full of succulents, lizards, termites, and cacti. Throw in a beautiful beach, some cliffs, and a few palm trees, and you have the makings of Paradise. At the foot of a magnificent tree on the island we saw a memorial stone for Charles Towle. Jeff is going to Google him when we get back to civilization. Note: Edward Towle was the founder of Island Resources Foundation. The foundation is a non-endowed, not-for-profit organization that "provides technical and professional assistance to small island states" and "is a major contributor to global initiatives designed to enhance the development options of small islands." Under sail, we headed to White Bay - a very tight and shallow anchorage; it's very much like me in those respects. We took a mooring, and I rinsed all of the sand out of my butt crack, because I had a dredge-like experience on Sandy Cay, and my cheeks were chafing. Seriously. After lunch we headed out for our final destination of the day, Sidney's at Little Harbor (on Jost Van Dyke). Sidney's offers Caribbean lobster among other things, and that appears to be our menu for this evening. We went to Sidney's around 4:30 p.m. to order our dinners. We saw the actual crustacean cooking pot. I'm rethinking vegetarianism. I went to the shop next door and found an excellent pirate shirt and purchased some additional trinkets for the boys left behind in Maryland. We went to dinner shortly after 7 p.m. All of us had lobster except Captain Rick, who had chicken. I liked the lobster, although I'm no lobster guy (this is third time in my life I've eaten it. The other two were New England denizens). Sidney splits the lobster in half and serves it with butter. Our lobsters were about 1-1/2 lbs which is plenty for dinner. The meat was chewy, but tasty. Sides included potato salad, and rice and beans. Other items on the menu included chicken, barbequed pork ribs, pig roast, and seafood. The food is simple but very tasty. The service is pretty inattentive, which is okay on the beach. We had an enjoyable meal. Sidney's features a self-service bar on the honor system. Yep, you're the bartender, and you keep your own tab. The featured drink is the Painkiller. It's aptly named, but only kills the pain until you wake up in the morning, maybe in somebody else's boat. Tuesday, January 29, 2008Jost Van Dyke to Marina Cay We started out with a gray day. We had a soaking shower during the night. Captain Rick can move pretty fast around the boat shutting all the portholes. Breakfast was cereal and English muffins. Jerry tried to broil them, but every time he lit the broiler, it would blow itself out. Untoasted English muffins are okay if you put enough marmalade on them. We set sail around 9 a.m. Things started out calmly, but the wind quickly picked up from the northeast. Seas were choppy with northern swells. Wind was about 14 knots. I started at the helm, but the boat slowly drifted to shore. We did two tacks, and we aimed for Guana Island and the passage between it and Tortola. That opened up to Great Camanoe and Little Camanoe Islands. Many boats (cats) were taking the passage in front of Little Camanoe, but it's marked as No Go on our charts. We threaded the narrow passage between the two Camanoes, then turned left and headed for Marina Cay. We got to Marina Cay around 1 p.m. We immediately grabbed an open mooring, tethered the dinghy to it, then took the boat to the dock and topped off our water. We pretty much got the last mooring. We returned to our mooring and hung out for an hour or so, then went back to the cay. The island was originally the home of a young American couple just prior to World War II. Now it's a store, bar, restaurant, and mooring. We walked up to the original homestead and surveyed the island. It's very small, but very beautiful. You can understand why the couple thought it was paradise. We did some shopping (curiously, ground cinnamon is nowhere to be found in the BVIs, but nutmeg is pretty much everywhere) and returned to the boat. Jerry and I made a banana bread, and we're cooking dinner on the boat tonight - lasagna, Stouffer's. It doesn't get much better than this. Jerry's Banana Bread1-1/2 c flour Butter and flour a loaf pan. Heat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, soda, salt, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, peel and mash the bananas. Add the orange or lemon peel, nuts, and raisins. In a large bowl, cream the butter. Slowly beat in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat well. Alternately, stir in the 1/3 of the flour mixture then the 1/2 of the banana mixture into the butter and eggs. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture. Pour the batter into the loaf pan, and bake for 40 - 50 minutes. Wednesday, January 30, 2008Marina Cay to Virgin Gorda, Leverick Bay French toast and fresh pineapple for breakfast, but Aunt Jemima's Lite Pancake Syrup (I'm not recommending it. Jeff's Maine Blueberry jam is a better option.) We're under sail with lots of wind. We're headed straight for Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda, but we'll tack toward the Dogs. Jerry is at the helm. We are heeling dramatically. Death-defying? The tack from Spanish Town to the Dogs was something else. All of the rail meat, Jeff, Chris, and me, have been hanging off the upper side of the boat. I feel like a Life photographed bathing beauty, or something. The swells and white caps are quite dramatic. It's like a three-hour roller coaster. The swells appear to be six or seven feet. Lots of boats are out. It's a great day to be sailing - a little too much wind, but lots of fun. We headed over to a small beach on George Dog, but it had only one mooring, which was already taken. We're now on the engine backtracking to Great Dog to see if we can find a mooring for snorkeling and lunch. We didn't find a mooring, so we anchored about a hundred yards offshore. While the other guys snorkeled, I fixed some sloppy joes and another abominable pasta salad (from a box) for lunch. Lunch was okay. Sloppy joes disguise a lot of culinary sin. We cleaned up and battened down quickly after lunch and headed toward Leverick Bay. We did four or five tacks over the course of the afternoon - from Great Dog to nearly Spanish Town, back to the Seal Dogs, back to Virgin Gorda, out to Mosquito and down the channel to Leverick Bay. It was a very windy, and somewhat rough sail. We were heeled the whole day. It was a little scary for me, but exhilarating at the same time - a monohull sails very differently than a cat. We moored at Leverick Bay around 5 p.m. All of us went ashore to the store, then Captain Rick and I came back to the boat. I put the potatoes in the oven to bake. The others returned shortly. I fixed some sautéed mushroom (out of a can) and onions. Chris opened the canned peas and corn, and Captain Rick masterfully grilled the t-bone steaks (this time we had enough charcoal!). We had a very tasty and satisfying meal. Then it's time for the bathing ritual. You strip down and jump off the boat. You get back on the boat and soap up. (It's not easy because seawater doesn't cooperate well with soap.) Jump back off the boat and rinse off. Clamber aboard again, and rinse off with the boat's water. Sneak in a shampoo every two or three days. It's just that simple. Jerry's going to fix an apple brown betty tomorrow. Right now he's preparing the bread crumbs. I'm curious. Thursday, January 31, 2008Virgin Gorda, Leverick Bay to Virgin Gorda, Biras Creek Today was a shore day on Virgin Gorda. Breakfast was quick. Jerry grabbed the boat cell phone, and we were headed to the dinghy dock at Leverick Bay. Norwell, our taxi driver, met us behind the store. Captian Rick returned to the boat and the hearty band of boys clambered into the taxi to be dropped off at the trail to Gorda Peak, the highest hill on the island. We were to call Norwell when we needed to be picked up. The climb is definitely up, but not too arduous. The mountain is covered with a low canopy. The forest is a rain forest full of succulents and thick-leafed trees. The rocky trail is volcanic. The forest is quite thick and very shady. There isn't a lot of understory in the forest, itself, but around the edges are some grasses. I saw air plants and plants higher in the trees growing in the crotches that had been covered with organic detritus. If there is a rock crevice and sunlight, there is something growing in it. At the summit is a wooden tower and observation deck. It provided a beautiful view of the island (and Spanish Town) and all of the islands we've been to on this trip. We could make out the coastline of St. Croix, and could also see Anegeda. The view is quite a panorama. Chris lent us all his binoculars. We could make out Marina Cay, Jost Van Dyke, and the Camanoes. The sea was a beautiful blue, and we were on top of the world. We took a different trail down from the summit. Chris spotted a Banana Quit on the trail. He also showed me a nest of some midget (Pastafarian, perhaps?) wasps. I took a picture, but didn't want to get too close. We saw another nest further down the trail. Jeff spotted a termite's nest. These nests are several feet across, composed of dark brown organic matter. Little trails extend from the nest along branches to the trees around the nest. It's like an Interstate Highway system for termites. We got back to the road and called Norwell to come pick us up. Jerry kept getting voicemail. We continued walking down the road - a winding, twisty affair - keeping far to the right because people here drive on the left. We called Norwell a couple of times with no success. In the meantime, Jeff chased a herd of goats, an interesting sight. We paused at a turnout and another taxi stopped for the view. Jerry asked the taxi driver if he knew Norwell (it's a small island), and if the driver could call him. He called the number that Jerry gave him, and Jerry's phone rang. We'd been calling ourselves, which explained why Jerry kept getting voicemail. So that's how cell phones work. If somebody gives you a phone, find out the phone's number.... We called Norwell's real phone number, and he picked us up in a couple of minutes. He'd been looking for us. We headed through Spanish Town to the Baths. The Baths are some remarkable rock formations at the end of Virgin Gorda right on the beach. They are hundreds of massive boulders and rock slabs that look like they've been dumped on the shore. The formation is composed of relatively soft volcanic rock that has been eroded by the wind and ocean. And they are a lot of fun to clamber over and around. We took a hike through the Baths to Devil's Cove. It's not wheelchair accessible, but less than badass difficult. Hiking through we came upon caves and grottoes. Above us were boulders weighing tons. We were wading through water. I felt like a part of a strangely modern pirate (of course) band. And I saw evidence of the FSM everywhere. It's a verifiable fact! The rocks were literally covered with marks and stains that looked like noodly appendages and meatballs. We didn't go into the water. The surf was very rough, although that didn't stop one old guy on the beach. He was really being pounded by the surf and enjoying every minute of it. His shorts had worked down so that some of his crack was exposed. When the water would come up the beach, a spume of sand and salt water would shoot under his butt and into his crack. It looked like a gritty experience. We made it back through the rocks to the little café on the beach. Jeff, Chris, and I slammed down a rum libation. We got back to the parking lot, and Norwell whisked us off to Spanish Town for lunch, over which we had some additional rum libations, two bushwhackers for the price of one. After lunch we headed back to the boat. We met Captain Rick on shore. He had come to Leverick Bay for a shower. He smelled better than we did. Back on board, we moved the boat to Saba Rock, but the mooring was extremely windy. We then moored off of Bitter End Yacht Club, but again the wind was a problem. We sailed up the cove to the Biras Creek Resort moorings (right across from the Fat Virgin Restaurant). It was a blessedly quiet mooring. We called the Saba Rock restaurant, and its launch picked us up at the Fat Virgin dock. Saba Rock is an acre of rock in the middle of Leverick Bay. It has a dock, a restaurant, a boutique hotel, and that's about it. They have a nice buffet that featured lots of seafood. I came away from the experience gratified. When we got back to our boat after dinner, Jerry made his apple brown betty. I'm hoping it's for breakfast. Then it was lights out. Jerry's Apple Brown Betty4 medium apples, pared and sliced Mix bread crumbs, butter, grated peel, sugar, and cinnamon (or nutmeg). Place half of the sliced apples in a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 the raisins. Cover with 1/2 of the crumb mixture. Add remaining apple slices and raisins. and cover with remaining crumb mixture. Moisten with the fruit juice, and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Friday, February 1, 2008Virgin Gorda, Biras Creek to Cooper Island Today is the last full day of the trip. Tomorrow, Jerry, Christ, and Jeff return, and Captain Rick and I leave on Sunday. We started this morning at Biras Creek in the Gorda Sound on Virgin Gorda. We sailed the complete length of Virgin Gorda to Coopers Island. We sailed some downwind using wing and wing. Later we sailed using only the jib because you can get downwind without having to do any tacks. The downwind sail certainly is a lot quieter and easier than an upwind sail. I spent some time at the helm, bringing the boat into the Coopers Island moorings. In the middle of the afternoon. It was much easier sailing just aiming the boat at a point, rather than having to sail with the wind. It was a pleasant way to end. Chris, Jerry, and I went out swimming and snorkeling on some rocks just offshore. I made a spectacular graceful plunge into the ocean while trying to board the dinghy. I seem to be blessed with coordination this trip. I've just been swimming with a mask rather than snorkeling because I don't have it down very well, and I drink lots of seawater. Jerry pointed out a rock and said I could catch my breath on it, but watch out for sea urchins. After catching my breath and adjusting my mask, I looked down, and the rock next to the one I was on was covered with them. Watch you step.... We saw lots of fishes, some of a pretty big size. I marvel at the colors. It's a beauty that you never see, unless you go where the fish are. The coral off the rocks appears to be mostly dead, but fish still use it for cover. I saw one larger fish (maybe twelve inches) and about an inch and a half thick. It was a beautiful translucent turquoise blue, and it looked like I could see through the fish, a little weird. After swimming, we took the dinghy out to take late afternoon photos of the boat. Jerry and I also made another banana bread. Then it was dinner at the Cooper Island Beach Club and back here for vespers. Just kidding. Tomorrow we pack, return the boat to Road Town, and say good bye. Saturday, February 2, 2008Cooper Island to Tortola Today, we all got up early. Even the captain got up a bit early after Jerry dropped a plate on the galley floor. Those Corel® plates can really clatter around on a Saturday morning. We had a big breakfast of fruit salad, pancakes, bacon, and coffee. We were trying to use up our provisions. We finished breakfast and were on our way across the Sir Francis Drake Channel by around 9:30 a.m. or so and were refueling at 11:15. I packed before breakfast. At Breakfast, Captain Rick presented us all with CDs of the pictures that we had all taken on the trip, and gave us our sailor certificates. There was not a dry eye in the house. After refueling, we headed over to the TMM Marina, checked in the boat, and debarked. We cleaned up the boat a little, returned our linens, and dumped our garbage. It was pretty painless. Christ, Jeff, and Jerry headed to the airport, and the skipper and I checked into the Fort Burt Hotel. The Fort Burt Hotel sits on a hill overlooking the Road Town harbor. It was originally a Dutch fort. It's had a couple of reincarnations. Captain Rick and I hailed a cab, and first went to Sopers Hole, where we checked out some catamarans for some future sailing trips. They did not come up to the elegance of the Hotel California, a TMM boat. These boats charter for $10,000 or more a week, something a bit more pricey than what I can afford, but they are really beautiful boats. I wouldn't mind sailing on one. From Soper's Hole, Captain Rick and I headed over to Cane Garden Bay. It's on Tortola's north side, and is very picturesque. We walked along the beach taking pictures and had a drink at Rhymer's on the beach. From there, our taxi took us over the spine of the island and back to Road Town. We saw a good part of the western side of Tortola. We showered and ate dinner at the Pub, which is directly across the street from the hotel. I had conch fritters and island potato soup; both were very tasty. I'm now just about ready to fall asleep, and call it a night. Sunday, February 3, 2008Tortola to Wheaton I'm sitting in the Fort Burt Hotel dining room. It's a bright Sunday morning. I've been up for a while. Skipper s getting himself together in the room. He's heading out at 11 a.m., and I may go with him to the airport. My flight is quite a bit later than his. I'm not sur what my lans are exactly - but probably the airport. There's a cruise ship in the harbor. We're overlooking the TMM Marina. We were woken up by crowing roosters. Pelicans are flying overhead. It's a beautiful place to have breakfast. |
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