Month: May 2015

Ready, set, sail

It’s been busy here in the BVI since we arrived back. Spending time with our fellow Salty Dawg Rallyers we’ve had pizza parties, treasure hunts, swims, hikes, dinners at Fat Virgin and the Bitter End Clubhouse. The highlight of the week was the TV crew from the travel channel who filmed parts of the Michael Beans show at Leverick Bay which we were part of. We even had to sign releases so our faces could be shown on TV when the show airs. If I find out when it airs, I’ll let you know.

It was fun to reconnect with people we’d met on the rally down, and as usual we made some new friends. Charlie enjoyed his times at the beach playing with his girlfriend Zoe from Sapphire. He also enjoyed his walks along the paths a Bitter End.

As I write this we are sitting in Little Harbour, Peter Island. Yesterday P and I snorkeled and saw a flounder that while swimming is purple and when it lands on a rock or sand it turns the color of the object it’s on. A very cool sight indeed, but where is the camera when you need it.

About half the rally boats departed today for the US or Bermuda, a day earlier than planned. We are in the other half that plan to depart tomorrow. Paul has completed the oil and filter changes on one engine and has the other one to complete. I have deflated our kayaks and need to finish stowing away a few more things.

Meanwhile, Charlie has his head on my arm and is begging for a trip ashore. He likes to remind me that we are still in paradise and we need to embrace it before we go. So with that I’ll get myself ready to paddle him ashore on the paddleboard for a bit of a walk and throwing of his ball in the water to give him a swim. Then I may even take a swim/snorkel again myself.

To follow our trek as we make our way from BVI to Hampton, Virginia you can go to this link http://www.hawketracking.org/saltydawg/files/tracking.htm and you will see us appear once we depart. Fair winds everyone.

Passage Antigua to BVI

We had a perfectly delightful downwind sail from Antigua to BVI departing on the morning 28th of April and arriving on the afternoon of the 29th. Winds ranged from 12-16 knots for majority of it making it a perfect opportunity to break out the Parasailor. These are the times we are thankful we have one as it allows us to get up to 8 or 9 knots of speed in light winds.

Antigua to BVI under Parasailor
Antigua to BVI under Parasailor

The wind did die off enough during the night that P was able to take it down on his own and we had to motor for about 6 hours. It was during these shifts that we delighted in seeing the bioluminescence again in the water. Some were the little ones that looked like fireflies in the water and others were like big blobs of up to a foot round which I believe must the jellyfish type. Along with the clear skies to see the stars made for a wonderful night passage.

We grabbed a mooring near the ferry terminal and cleared everyone in at customs and immigration. Once that was done we motored around the cruise ship dock and discovered a slew of new moorings in the place where we used to anchor. Oh well, we knew we wanted to get propane in the morning so we took one for the night. The bonus for us was we were the only ones there for the night and at around 10pm we saw a fireworks display put on by the locals to celebrate their new cruise ship dock, along with much music and partying. What a treat! (P – the only downside was the amount of ash we found on the boat in the morning – consequence of having a front row seat downwind.).

Road Town fireworks shot from Blue Sky
Road Town fireworks shot from Blue Sky
Road Town fireworks shot from Blue Sky
Road Town fireworks shot from Blue Sky
Road Town fireworks shot from Blue Sky

The following morning we all went ashore. Paul and Charlie took on the task of refilling two of our propane tanks while I went to the big Rite Way grocery store and bought fresh produce and a few other necessities. Once done we had a quick sail over to North Sound, Virgin Gorda.

Happy to be back I quickly got the kayak down and took Charlie ashore for a walk along Bitter End. I had hooped to use their pool for a quick dip, but was told ‘no dogs allowed near the pool, restaurants, or beaches’. Okay, no big deal, I returned to the boat and swam off the back.

May 1st we get free use of the mooring balls at Bitter End as part of being a member of the Salty Dawg Rally, one of the many perks. We also watched several other Dawgs start to arrive here to begin to prep for the return rally back to the U.S. We joined again this year for the return. So we are here in North Sound until the 12th of May, then will make our way over to Tortola prior to the 15th of May. On the 16th, weather permitting, we’ll be making passage back north.

Lastly, in follow up to my previous post, Paul’s mother recovered from her virus during her children’s visit. We hope she stays well so we can visit her again in late June.