Week of Feasts

Back in Soper's Hole has felt like being home. For days it was a reunion with most of our new friends being around for at least a couple of days as they dropped-off or picked-up quests. Most evenings were, again, spent hanging out in “The Lounge”, the gangs given name to the most heralded of our boat cockpits (spacious with comfy cushions) who’s boat name will remain anonymous to protect, well, to protect us all!

As for the feasting, it all started just after most of the gang had departed. It was one of those rare days when we had a rental car to take us into Road Town. This time we went in at night to experience the famed C&F Restaurant, known for its barbeque. We had heard so much, and one among us had been before to confirm that it did indeed rank among the world’s best barbeque. We all hemmed and hawed as to whether we should get the ribs or the chicken. Maybe a mix of entrees we could all share? But as plates were served around us we all caved and ordered a chicken and rib combo. We had to try both and there would be no sharing. I found the decor island kitschy cool and service like grandmother's house. We waited restlessly like children in church until mounded plates were placed in front of each of us. Then aside from the occasional grunt of pleasure, we ate in silence, at one with our meat. It did not disappoint! We departed all smiles with take-out containers in-hand.

Then trauma struck. The Lounge lost its refrigeration at the start of a long holiday weekend. (Commonwealth Day) Repair service was uncertain and ice would extend the life of the freezer's contents for only so long. Their misfortune was my boon, hence the week of feasts. Anticipated evenings of grilled carnivorous dinners consisting of moist tender chicken breast basted with gourmet sauces or large juicy melt-in-your-mouth strip or tenderloin steaks recently hand delivered from prime US cattle country. It was just cause to unearth our finest bottles of stowed wine and forgo with any side dishes.

We nearly ate its contents before the refrigeration was back to normal, but at least it was fixed in time for The Lounge to wine and dine their scheduled paying charter. So I have gone from feasting to fasting. Is not it supposed to be the other way around?

Saba Island

My captain decided we should return to West End, Tortola, my winter neighborhood, since he would again be traveling for his day job. But first we would add a little more distance to our journey to feed my hunger for another island and sail to Saba Island. Our departure was unexpectedly riveting and alarming as we tried to avoid and yet crossed paths with the big-boat fleet racing, each of us sailing at top speeds due to 24kt winds under full canvas.

The passage to Saba (SAY-bah) was fast and breathtaking as we watched her once volcanic peak grow with our approach. Upon reaching Fort Bay the fetch and rough chop prohibited us from safely going ashore to customs and immigration. To buy time we picked up a distant mooring where the winds forced us to have lunch down below. With an uncomfortable sea state and no relief in sight, we decided to take advantage of the wind and set sail for Tortola. Our landfall was not meant to be this time.

It does not take much research to learn that Saba is unlike other Caribbean islands and that Sabans have much to be proud of, including their tolerance of differences. I hope to experience it in person someday, but in the meantime I will share some fun facts. Saba is 5 sq miles and about 1500 people reside here where nearly every step you take is either up or down hill. Five completely separate temperature zones exist (try packing for that!) and visitors come for her village charm, ecotourism, hiking and diving, which is reputed to be the best in the Caribbean. There are no beaches, instead her steep shores fall into the sea in depths often too deep for anchoring, so it may be easier to take a ferry or plane from Sint Maarten.

Now you want to visit Saba too, don’t you?

St Maarten

St Maarten is very popular among boaters so I was eager to experience it for myself. It is the only island in the Caribbean where you find two islands sharing one land mass and it is the smallest island in the world ever to have been partitioned between two different nations. During my short stay I only got to visit Dutch Sint Maarten which occupies the southern part of the island, but hope to return so I may also visit French Saint Martin on the northern side.

We anchored in Simpson Bay, just outside the bridge entrance to Simpson Lagoon, which is known for its excellent marine facilities including mega yacht marinas. Amazing sail and power mega yachts were everywhere. Some yachts had helicopters and boats larger than Event Horizon on their decks. It was unbelievable and among boaters, referred to as boat porn.

This friendly island is a duty-free zone and visitors may stay as long as three months. All welcomed changes for the Event Horizon crew! For only $1 each way I took a bus, well actually a van but they call it the bus (you have to look at the license plates of vans to see if it says bus or taxi), up and over a mountain into the capital of Philipsburg, which is filled with open air kiosks and duty-free shops. My timing was excellent as it was a rare occasion with no cruise ships in town allowing me to have a wonderful experience as I strolled the towns three main and many side streets. I found some men making beautiful baskets from palm leaves which I could not resist. The baskets will gradually turn from bright green into a light brown color as the leaves dry, resulting in a sturdy useful boat item.

This European influenced island is cosmopolitan casual and filled with happy tourists spending Guilders or US$ on the Dutch side and Euro or US$ on the French side. We loved the wide selection of goods, low prices and variety of ethnic restaurants, including Indian which we enjoyed a few times. Most street vendors, shops and bar happy hours sell cold beers for $1 which can be enjoyed inside or on the move. We learned of a new refreshing beer called Amstel Bright (nothing like Amstel or Amstel Light) clearly trying to woo Corona and Carib drinkers. I did a little online research to learn it is “brewed with desalinated seawater and 100% natural Curacao ingredients, Amstel Bright is a light, thirst-quenching Caribbean sensation.” Unfortunately only available in the Netherlands and in the Netherlands Antilles. But Heineken was the beer for the masses as our visit coincided with the 27th Annual Heineken Regatta. Over 200 boats from around the globe racing and a 5-day revolving party all made for an exciting time for both racers and spectators.

Night Swim

Time for us to check-out of the BVI, again. This time we decided to ventured further south to explore another island, St Martin. We opted to leave in the early evening which is common, making the ocean passage at night to enable landfall during daylight hours. With easterly winds forecasted it would be a 75nm dead beat to weather, but this is the way my captain likes it (sick, I know) and I was just happy to be going some place new.

South of Virgin Gorda surrounded by darkness we snagged a line of lobster pots. Unable to free ourselves, we were forced to cut the line. The tangled mess required lots of cutting and yet we were still dragging something. Unsure if we had a line dangerously wrapped around the rudder, prop or both, my captain and I looked at each other knowing that one of us needed to get into the water to check things out.

I was not sure which job would be worse, staying aboard to keep the boat de-powered or entering the black water. Knowing my captain is more skilled at man-overboard rescue than me, I donned my snorkeling outfit. My captain accessorized my outfit with an underwater light (so I could see what I was doing and so that he could find me if I got separated from the boat) and a divers knife. I was too busy trying to avoid a concussion from the pounding transom to even think about anything lurking in the water. I found a float on a long line caught between the rudder and the hull, which I eventually cut free, and luckily the prop was fine.

No damage done and the beat goes on…

Sweethearts of the Caribbean

On Saturday, February 17th I had the honor of crewing aboard Schooner Heron (our friends from Rockport, Maine) in the 29th Annual Sweethearts of the Caribbean Regatta sponsored by the West End Yacht Club. It was a fun race because the lead positions changed often due to frequent changes in wind direction and speed, including a wind hole in the middle of the course allowing the trailing boats to catch up. The last leg had two Alden designs fighting for the lead, the outcome remained uncertain until Heron crossed the finish line a tail feather ahead to receive first place in the annual schooner race. The awards ceremony and continued celebration took place at the Jolly Roger restaurant, which is also the home of the yacht club. You can check out regatta photos at http://www.digiproofs.com/ecom/page_view.pl?p=E9ABgKF .

Island Hopping

Some call it island hopping but bar hopping is more accurate! Gradually but surely we are sailing to other parts of the BVI, including Jost Van Dyke and Norman Islands. While all of the BVI is a sailors paradise, each bay or cay is often identified by its bars.

For example, on Jost Van Dyke, White Bay is best known for the Soggy Dollar Bar, (home of the Foxys. Yet main street that's a beach or its six square miles of palm trees, steep hills and white-sand beaches.

As for Norman Island, boaters flock to The Bight, a well sheltered bay that is home to two popular drinking establishments, the Pirates Bight and William Thornton, a floating bar often called the Willy T. But what is best about this area is the snorkeling (and diving), especially at "The Caves" and "The Indians”.

By now I should have acquired an extensive t-shirt collection as proof of my bar-hopping-by-boat adventures yet I have refrained, opting to keep the money in my cruising coffers. After all there is much more hopping to be done.

Update in the Virgin Islands

Too much time has passed since my last blog. After I last wrote we spent a week sailing around St John, USVI exploring her beautiful beaches and snorkeling reefs. The following photos were taken of Event Horizon as we rounded the west side of St John. http://www.digiproofs.com/ecom/page_view.pl?p=G0r5e1O

Most of our time has been spent in Sopers Hole, West End, Tortola where we have good internet connectivity for doing our day jobs and all important amenities nearby. Each day holds much of the same, great weather, daylight hours spent doing boat chores and web work, and fun-filled evenings thanks to the company of sailing friends. On the occasional day one of the sailing friends will rent a car and then several of the gang will happily join the road trip, usually to the big town of Road Town to visit all of the chandleries and favorite provisioning shops, including a fantastic bakery I discovered in Road Town that is part of the New England Culinary Institute.

Every 20 plus days we do the cruising dance. This is when we must check-out of the BVI (the maximum stay is 30 days, which we have yet to be granted). We typically sail to nearby St John, USVI and check-in at Cruz Bay. (Since we are a USA documented vessel and my captain and I are both US citizens, we do not need to check-out of the USVI. Plus, on our last visit to U.S. Customs and Immigration we were able to sign-up and secure id cards for a local boaters option program that allows us to check-in by telephone the next time we arrive to the USVI or Puerto Rico.) Partial to the British side, we usually check back into the BVI the following day.

USVI

Technically my captain and I returned to the US this weekend when we entered the US Virgin Islands. At the request of every sailor we know, we checked in with customs and immigration in Cruz Bay, St John before continuing west to St Thomas where we have been checking out marinas for future reference. The first couple of nights we anchored in Honeymoon Bay, which is on the west side of Water Island near Charlotte Amalie, where to our delight fellow RI cruisers on Queen of Hearts were also enjoying the beautiful palm tree lined cove.

Full Moon

On January 3rd I attended my first full moon party at Bomba Shack. This well known surfside shack is located on the white sand shores of Capoons Bay on the north shore of Tortola. It was a unique outing (ladies panties and bras dangle from the roof, and signs offer free T-shirts if you get naked) but the overall experience seemed over hyped. Perhaps things would have been different had I drank their famous mushroom tea, but then hallucinating is not my idea of fun. Instead I opted for the tasty Bomba rum punch. At least I was among entertaining company, the band was good and we got to hang out with Naz who was on holiday and celebrating the success of his latest CD Hip Hop is Dead.

Days Of Our Lives In BVI

Our intended one night stay in Sopers Hole quickly turned into six days of fun thanks to several new friends. There were beachside gatherings (always in front of Patricia, who offers some of the best blender drinks and jerk chicken we have ever experienced), evenings at the Jolly Roger and boat invites.

We hoped the fun would continue as we tidied the boat in preparation for our first guests, three friends flying in from Boston.

Our friends arrived via Jet Blue to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cape Air to St Thomas, USVI and then ferry to West End, Tortola. The days flew as we back tracked to our favorite BVI locals, as now my captain and I were also on vacation and ready to play. We started at Smugglers Cove, then sailed to Virgin Gorda for a night ashore in Spanish Town were we visited one of our favorite night spots, The Rock Cafe, followed by a day at The Baths. Then we sailed north to Gorda Sound where we snorkeled more, frequented Saba Rock, hiked to Biras Creek and welcomed in the New Year at the Bitter End Yacht Club. We ended our holiday with a race, sailing friends with a 51ft Hinkley and a 62ft Little Harbor, back to Sopers Hole in West End, Tortola.

Christmas Day 2006

I hung stockings and a small wreath, had presents for my captain and opened special edible treats for the occasion but it still did not feel like Christmas. With the sun shining and no plans, we packed our snorkeling gear and hiked back to Smugglers Cove. As before we were greeted with clean soft sand and two beach bars. The crystal clear water beckons even non-swimmers and there is a reef on each far side to entertain any snorkeler. I also enjoy watching the Pelicans dive-bomb for fish often alongside snorkelers. It may not have felt like Christmas but it felt good.

Fun fact. Smugglers Cove was the location for the 1990 movie re-make, adapted from a novel by Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea starring Anthony Quinn.

West End, Tortola

With a long Christmas weekend approaching, we decided to explore the BVI further and departed Virgin Gorda. Friday evening we anchored in Great Harbour off Peter Island for a quiet night. The next day we sailed to the West End of Tortola where we settled into Sopers Hole, a picturesque harbour with great amenities. We had spent little time ashore since Bermuda so the first action item was to go for a hike. We found a dirt road and pondered, is it a driveway or a road? We took a chance and started to climb the steep hill. The hot sunshine made us question our route but we continued on. After what seemed like a long distance we rounded the hill to find welcomed shade in our path. We trekked on and were rewarded with a view of Jost Van Dyke Island to our left. Parched beyond belief we encountered a fellow walker who assured us that there was a beach ahead with liquid refreshments, so we carried on. As we headed down the other side of the mountain, now on the north side of Tortola, we caught a breath taking view of a beach in the distance. Our pace increased. Hot, muddy and fearing hallucination from thirst we found paradise. Smugglers Cove. We had stumbled upon what many claim is the best beach in BVI.

Walking backwards in awe of the view, we approached a beach bar for fruit smoothies. It would turn out to be one of many tasty concoctions created for us from a blender connected to a car battery for power. As surprising as our surroundings we also met fellow sailors huddled around the make-shift bar, who for some reason or another had also found there way to Patricias Beach Bar on this hot Christmas Eve afternoon.

The Office

After locating the proper cable and Norseman fittings in Road Town, Tortola and several days of planning the underwater operation, the event horizon dive team successfully replaced the centerboard cable without any problems. (I am still in awe of my captains ingenuity.) So we are back to business as usual. Speaking of which, the view from our office has been changing daily as we continue to search for a reliable internet connection.

18 30 N, 64 30 W

After a good night sleep, I spent most of the next day in the water, just outside of Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour. It started out as a reconnaissance mission for the injured centerboard but turned into a day of underwater exploration. I saw an amazing array of sea life around and under the boat including several sea turtles, a sting ray, a barracuda, and endless schools of beautiful fish I have yet to identify. (Must buy a reference book!) It has felt good to stretch the muscles, and I do believe the water is calling me again.

Bermuda to BVI 2006

Upon nearing landfall in the early morning hours of Friday, Dec 15th, a tall gray mass began to appear on the horizon. Eventually a volcano mountain took shape and kept me entranced for miles. We reached the British Virgin Islands in less than 5 days thanks to steady 20-30 knot northeast winds that allowed us to sail 955nm on a one-tack beam reach. As recommended by many sailors, we cleared customs and immigration in Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda where all important services and amenities surround the harbour area.

I am happy to report it was a relatively bruise-free passage. I also thought we avoided any breakage but on the last day we realized the centerboard was down because its cable had broke. So despite our beautiful surroundings we (especially my captain!) are preoccupied with acquiring the necessary parts to fix the problem. Meanwhile we now have about a 14 foot draft, which is too much for most of the harbours so we need to anchor outside in less sheltered areas, which also means longer dinghy rides to shore and limited internet options. But the main thing is that we have finally arrived safely to the Caribbean where it is warm, beautiful and there are endless areas to explore.

Geography lesson. The Virgin Islands are an archipelago comprised of several small islands and cays that are considered two groups of islands, the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) and the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The USVI consist of 3 larger islands (St Thomas, St John and St Croix) and over 50 smaller islets and cays. The total area of the USVI is 133 square miles. The BVI (which lie to the north east of the USVI) are made up of 4 larger islands (Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke and Anegada) and 32 smaller islands. The total area of the BVI is 59 square miles.

Caribbean Bound

Finally, we are off to the Caribbean! We are leaving early tomorrow morning on the back of a cold front that has just passed over Bermuda, providing good NE winds to take my captain and me south to the British Virgin Islands . We expect the 830nm passage to Virgin Gorda to take about 6 days. During this trip I will celebrate my first birthday at sea, turning 39 years young for the sixth time (you do the math). I was hoping to be on land for the occasion so that I could have a cocktail in hand (we never consume alcohol while at sea) but that is not to be. Instead I will look forward to celebrating two things in Spanish Town, my birthday and a safe passage.

Southbound

Our stay in Bermuda has been longer than intended (over a month!) but rewarding thanks to our Bermudian friends.

The once steady flow of boats stopping here for respite, fuel or repairs has slowed to a trickle. St Georges Harbour, recently dotted with lingering boats awaiting parts and repairs, has nearly emptied. Both are signs that the traditional southbound passage for a Caribbean winter is closing. It is time for us to depart.

So, we are in squirrel mode again, provisioning, storing and stowing in preparation for the next good weather window for passage to Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda, which is part of the British Virgin Islands.

Wickford, RI to Bermuda 2006

It is hard to believe we have already been in Bermuda 12 days. Long enough for the trips bruises and unpleasantries to fade. Our passage was 720 nautical miles from dock to dock and completed in less than 4 days. It was a very fast trip thanks to steady southwest winds and our determination to out run an approaching storm towards the end of our trip. Most of the voyage was made under a double or triple reefed mainsail and storm staysail creating an average speed of 8 knots.

It was also a wet trip where the occasional wave caused the inflation of a lifejacket as shown in the photo.

With each trip lessons are learned and improvements are identified. The fast passing days in Bermuda have been spent applying our new learning by making assorted repairs and alterations, cleaning and organizing everything from lockers to ourselves. (Luckily our damages were minimal compared to most boats passing through this season.) And when not doing this fun stuff, my captain is steadfast with his engineering work and I am gradually getting back to my web clients and a normal day to day routine.

All Aboard

As of August 31st my captain and I became full-time boat dwellers. We thought we were moving aboard gradually (I thought I had moved aboard last year!) with weekend car loads yet the last load required precision packing and our body weight to close the doors. It has taken days to unpack, organize and further cull our belongings because not everything fits as things should on a cruising vessel. And despite hauling bagfuls of stuff off the boat, she is still too heavy! We are floating right on her waterline and have yet to provision for long term cruising. Therefore everyday is a contest where each of us tries to find something that is not important or we take one for the team and part with something personal. We are nearly there, but the game continues.

A Lifting Experience

While in Maine we decided to take advantage of our time and the reputable facilities at Rockport Marine to have Event Horizon hauled to replace the PYI shaft seal which required removing her shaft. Normally getting lifted is a nerve-racking event where something inevitably gets damaged. After too many bad experiences, we now carry a photo showing her in the travel-lift straps and Styrofoam padding, plus we remove the head stay before lifting. We had the usual nausea as the process began but the haul out ended with smiles. Despite this being a simple job, no less than 8 people came in direct contact with us and the boat. Each person (who first introduced themselves) specialized in one step of the process. From escorting us to the dock, lifting, cleaning her hull, the job at hand and launching, the Rockport Marine team was professional and flawless. A few hours later we were safely back in the water and incurred costs less than what most comparable New England boatyards charge.

We also had our baby weighed. She came in at a whopping 46,000 lbs (and not yet provisioned for long term cruising!)