Back to the BVI

Since returning home from the BVI in 2014, I've been anxious to return and share the experience with my wife, June.  She's not a sailor. Doesn't like it when 6KG heels more than 5 degrees. So, I began thinking that a catamaran cruise might be the ticket.

Our son's father-in-law, Peter used to own a Catalina 30 and now he and his wife, Elaine, divide their time between their home in the Florida Keys and their cabin the NC mountains.

I asked them if they would consider chartering a cat with us in the BVI. They said that they belonged to a club called Festiva Sailing.  They joined years ago and had a fistful of trips that needed to be used before they expired.  We gladly accepted the offer to join them for a week of sailing in the BVI for the cost of airfare and provisioning fees.

We met in St. Thomas, USVI, in February and took the Roadtown Fast Ferry to Tortola, BVI, the next day.

Pete & Elaine check out 'Valerie'

We sailed out of Hodges Creek Marina aboard Valarie, a brand new Lagoon 450 with a Aussie Captain Fiona O'Connor and lst mate Jason.   It's 25' beam pretty much assured that June would have little issue with heeling.  We were joined by a couple from Brooklyn, Sergei and Gala.  Each couple had their own air conditioned cabin with private head and enclosed shower.

Day 2
The first full day aboard, we sailed to North Gorda Sound on Virgin Gorda and picked up a mooring ball off Saba Rock, a terrific little bar/restaurant that occupies a 1/4 acre island near Bitter End Resort.






We checked out Saba Rock and took the shuttle over to Bitter End Resort where Rick, Richrd and I stayed for two days aboard Lakota on my previous visit.

It was Super Bowl Sunday and at my request, Capt. Fiona had arranged for us to watch the game on the beach at Leverick Bay Resort at the other end of the Sound.  The arrangements were great but the Panthers - not so much.





Day 3
The next morning, Fionna arranged to have a driver take us to the other end of the island to visit the Baths, while she and Jason brought Valarie around to Spanish Town.

THE BATHS - located on the south end of Virgin Gorda is the BVI's biggest tourist attraction.  A long section of beach is littered with huge granite boulders stacked on top of each other. The boulders form natural tidal pools, tunnels, arches and scenic grottoes that are open to the sea.

June's bad knee didn't keep her from crawling over and under the boulders. 

We met Valarie in Spanish Town and set sail for Cooper's Island, We picked up the last open mooring ball in the bay before showering and going ashore to Cooper's Island Resort for drinks and dinner.

Day 4

We headed off on a NE course for the Annegada, a long, low coral atoll on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.  This island is known for miles of white sand beaches and the 18 mile long Horseshoe Reef. the largest barrier coral reef in the Caribbean.   

Day 5

Our longest sail was from Annegada to Jost Van Dyke.  We dropped anchor in Great Harbor and that night visited Foxy's Tamarind Bar.  

Day 6

The next morning we sailed around the point and dropped in on White Bay and the Soggy Dollar Bar, before heading over for a short stop at West End on Tortola and Soper's Hole for fuel and water.  

Fiona had promised us the Norman Island would offer some interesting snorkeling and it didn't disappoint. First, we hit the Caves and then around the island to a bank called the Indians.