Passage Hampton, Virginia to Tortola, BVI

We did it. We sailed 1,440 nautical miles on the open ocean. It took us 11 days and nights of 3 hour shifts. Yes, this means that with only two of us, we slept no more than three hours at a time for 11 days straight. Surprisingly, the body adjusts.

We left Hampton, Virginia near noon on Nov 6th. The day was sunny and warm. Charlie,our dog got sea sick just after dinner and was sick for about 24 hours. We started experiencing heavy seas as soon as we departed the mouth of the Chesapeake. This continued to get worse which followed by me getting sea sick for the first time in my life (Gwyn). I still mannaged my shifts, but could not fathom food for the next 48 hours.

We hit an unusual storm as we crossed the Gulf Stream. I can describe the experience as feeling like you were in a giant washing machine. Being tossed around constantly. This eventually ended with us feeling lucky, as we heard radio reports of boats being demasted, losing props, etc. Those of us that made it through, felt blessed for sure. After this it wasn’t completely smooth sailing. We experienced squals, wierd wind shifts, etc. There were also a few days of sun and mild enough weather to sit on the foredeck and savour the moment.

We approached the BVI in 20-25 knot winds. We were double reefed and had the genoa down and were still going 6 knots. It was the middle of the night and we wanted to arrive after sunrise.  We managed to go slow enough to arrive around 6 am.

Paul went ashore after 8 to check us in. He had to return to the boat to bring Charlie ashore. The vet wanted to see thedog to ensure he had faired the trip okay. You’veneverseen a dog so happy to go in the dinghy. He loves his boat, but he knows the dinghy means he gets to walk on land.

So we have another passage behind us, and now we begin to enjoy the sun, the sea, and the sand for the next 6-7 months.