We are experiencing very erratic Internet connections. It takes hours to load and reload pictures, etc. It is now Friday 2/13/09. We are in Nanny Cay on south side of Tortola, BVI doing some boat and people repairs. Because of the paucity of Internet access we are way behind in blog posts. Due to the screwy nature of this blog site, we are forced to load from the bottom up, rather than from the top down as we typically write and read. So forgive the screwiness. Doubly difficult given the week or so of updating to do.

Phone texting seems to be the most reliable means of communication. FYI.


If you want to follow this post chronologically, then start with the bottom pictures ( the associated captions and commentary usually follow), and then read up.


NANNY CAY, TORTOLA


...my foot slipped on wet deck, and stepped down onto the end of a deck cleat, tearing thru my 3-4 toe interspace about 3 cm on plantar and 1 cm on dorsal surface. Luckily neurovasc intact, no fracture, and minimal bleeding. This was a deep wound, and though I toyed with the idea of self-treatment, opted for professional help.

We weighed anchor and motor sailed past Cane Garden, Sandy Cay and around Steele Point, past Soper's Hole and then a hard beat to windward up Drake's Passage to Nanny Cay. To add insult to injury, our dinghy motor got bucked off the dinghy into the water in the rough seas, and took a major effort to get it loaded back on board. Will need to visit the small engine mechanic today.

Anyway, I cabbed over to Peebles Public Hospital in Roadtown. I walked up to front entrance, filled out a brief registration form, no I.D. or health insurance needed. Paid my $30 for a consultation, waited maybe 5-10 minutes, and taken into treatment room. VS, O2 sat, and removal of my Telfa dressing and Bounty paper towel and duct tape bandage, and then met the ER doc. From Nigeria, some Ortho-surg post grad in UK, then few years in Grenada, now here. Used a nice laceration pack, lido local, and multiple nylon closures w/o absorbables. Dressed, and walked out on my own steam a few minutes later to be picked up by Kathy in a cab coming back from Bobbies Market after another $450 grocery run. We have a very full fridge. Our taxi driver took me back to the boat in a marina cart...that's gotta be a first.

Anyway, I am doomed to a few days of dry non-weightbearing. I must say, however, that I am really very grateful that this all happened in the time and place that it did. Timing actually very good (we were due to be in Nanny Cay anyway today for some boat maintenance, good and kind medical care, and a chance today to blog, finally, with my foot up. Kathy is arranging for a bunch of laundry to be done, and she and Pete now at the pool.




GUANA ISLAND



Thursday Feb 12th dawned bright, sunny, warm, full of promise. I got up alone and went for a kayak ride over to Monkey Point, tied off my kayak on a ball, and enjoyed some amazing snorkeling. Saw tarpon, baracuda, yellow snapper, and large schools of small fish. The pelicans were diving. A little spooky swimming thru clouds of prey fish so thick you can't see the predators out there. Then began a slow paddle back to the boat, for the kayak sprung a leak, many of them actually. These must be old kayaks, and lots of sun exposure has weakened the plastic, for it split multiple seams top and bottom, and the kayak swamped just as I got back to OneLife. This kayak is headed for the junkyard. We still have a 2-man kayak on board.

Back on board I was putting the paddle away on the foredeck, and then...


FYI Mark, dinghies can swamp here also, just as on Cypress Island, if left unattended. Nevertheless, a stunning afternoon.

We anchored in 30 feet of water over sand on the north side of White Bay on the leeward side of Guana. Good snorkeling here, lots of fish. There was a little excitement this night. We started hearing lots of dinghy engine noise close by, then some Channel 16 chatter about a Footloose boat ? adrift in White Bay. Some locals found the boat and towed it onto a mooring ball near us. San Juan Coast Guard station was involved.


This picture of Peter just sort of says it all. What a glorious day.


So after spending two nights at Anegada, we motored out thru the reef line and into open seas, where we raised the main and jib and set off on a blistering broad reach toward our next destination, Guana Island, named after the iguana shape of one of the rock outcroppings on its western side. What a ride we had! We had 4-6 foot following seas in 30 knot winds, gusting to 35 knots. We were doing 10+ knots S.O.G. Here a picture of me and Bryan.


ANEGADA ISLAND (anegada da veeda, baby)

On Feb 9th we sailed out of Drake's Anchorage through North Sound out past Necker Island. This is a private island owned by Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic and adventure flying fame. How would it be to own an island? Anyway we sailed a comfortable close reach 14 miles north to a low-lying coral island called Anegada. Kathy and Peter are gaining good experience navigating. They are routinely getting fixes, doing dead reckoning (why must they call it that?), obtaining electronic fixes (lat/long). We have an excellent, new, GPS chartplotter, and together with our paper nautical charts and cruising guides we feel we have very good nav capabilities.


Anyway, Anegada is ringed by an extensive reef, good for lobsters, harder for boaters. There is a well marked entry channel however, and we found a good anchorgae over sand in just 8 feet of water. With 150 feet of anchor chain out we weren't going anywhere. Which was good because we were in the midst of a moderate to fresh breeze of 20+ knots. Over the side for a swim/snorkel and to check the anchor holding. No fish here.

The next morning we dinghied to shore, tying up at Potters by the Sea, a small restaurant where we hung out wth the dreadlock locals for a while (they say they are speaking English, maan, but mostly I'm clueless. Think we had a better go of it in Spanish Panama). Anyway, then rode bikes around. After a while we decided to permanently shake the scooter monkey off the Williams' backs, and rented two 50 cc scooters. Pretty safe and gutless (highest point on the enire island is 30 feet). We started out in mixed skies, and ended in a downpour. After just a few minutes we were freezing wet. Pulled off to the side of the two-lane concrete road under some tall bushes. The squall passed mostly and we drove into The Settlement (sounds like an M Night Shyamalan movie) and stopped at a small bakery run out of her house (Dotsy's). Then off again north over rough unpaved roads to Loblolly Bay, where there was supposed to be excellent snorkeling. Unfortunately, still raining, rough surf and current and lots of coral damage, so we stayed just briefly. Kathy got smart and bummed a ride back to Potters with some other boaters on a taxi while Pete and I rode the scooters back (we felt like Lloyd and Harry in Dumb and Dumber riding to Aspen on mini-bikes). Then a very wet dinghy ride back to OneLife and tacos for dinner. Unfortunately not many photos of this place, but got some cool video.

In the evening after dinner we have developed the habit of playing Rummikub, UNO or watching movies on Pete's lap top ( the promised TV w/ DVD player on the boat never materialized, along with several other promised and advertised items, like watermaker, satellite email, and life raft ( the life raft we are picking up in St Thomas in 2 days). But Bryan has been wonderful, very experienced, calm and pleasant demeanor, loves to teach, handy fixing things around the boat. Of note, water has not been an issue. We're just reasonably frugal and no problems. We have hot water, freezer, and a microwave that sometimes works (not always enough on-board amps to run it). We have a satellite phone if we ever need it. I removed and cleaned the boat speed transducer which was non-functioning...vinegar and a toothbrush works great, and I helped Bryan up the bosun's chair to replace a steaming light.


VIRGIN GORDA ISLAND



Here is a great vista looking east out the Anegada Pass, which we will sail in a few days. This will be our longest sail of the trip, 100 nautical miles, to St Martin. We will need to choose our weather wisely. This trip can require up to 20 hours, often motoring due to traveling almost wind on the nose. We will start the trip in the evening around 7-8 PM so as to arrive in St Martin during daylight hours where daylight is crucial for entering the harbor safely and clearing Customs.



Isn't this just a classic Tropics/ Corona beer commercial? Kathy lounging on a chaise on a pelapa over the water under a breezy blue sky. What could be better? Except that she was suffering from an acute crab bite on the palm of her hand. Who'd have thought that little crabs could be so vicious. Even after being dropped 4 feet. You should have heard the shriek. I have not heard that sound in 31 years. I expected the local authorities to come running assuming an assault in progress.


We hiked past Biras Creek through some cool mangrove trails. I hiked 525 feet up to the top of the local high spot up on the northern tip of V.G. called Alvin's Height (I felt right at home...my grandfather's name was Alvin). Easy climb past great vistas of the Atlantic, past wild goats, unique cactus ( turban cactus with sweet, small, pink cactus fruit..."don't eat that, Keith. Sweet doesn't mean safe"). Wouldn't you know it...the moment I arrived at the top to enjoy the view the heavens opened up and I got wet and my view quite limited by the squall. The rain was warm so no problem a few minutes of sunshine wouldn't dry out. After the rain though the colors seemed so intensified. Even the lichens on the rocks were fluorescent. Saw some very cool bromeliads growing right out of rocks.

Some of these islands have natural salt ponds where commercial salt production has occured for centuries.

As soon as we hit land Peter made a beeline for the local pub for a burger, some fries, and an Internet connection.

The weather continued very breezy with numerous showers. Here is a picture from land looking out past the dinghy dock into the harbor. Many boats, some of which are immense, beautiful motor yachts 200 feet long. We saw one yesterday at Soper's Hole with it's own helicopter on the poop deck. What Hollywood star or Kuwaiti sheik owned that one, we wondered. Kathy and I took a dinghy ride around the harbor (again while Peter was eating). We tied up at Saba Rock and watched several neon green morays in a tank, along with the cannon and anchor from The Rhone, a Royal Mail steamship sunk off Salt Island in 1867 in a hurricane. We motored over to Vixen Point on Prickly Pear Island...only Kathy was qualified to go ashore. Swam and bought Cokes here. Ate a lousy, expensive meal at the restaurant at Bitter End Resort that night...don't ever go there.


We did a little hiking here to get a vantage point. Just beautiful. Interesting plant life. Despite tropical nature, the plant life seems mostly scrubby even on the windward side. So far very few palm trees.

On the 7th we motored upwind again to the east. This was a beautiful spot on the southwest side of Virgin Gorda called The Baths. Not sure where the name came from. There are several hundred yards of these beautiful large granite boulders at waters edge. Supposed to be great snorkeling here, but water very rough and poor vis due to weather conditions, high winds and high seas, so just a quick snorkel and off again for 3 hours of close haul north to Gordo Sound. Kathy motored us past Anguilla Point...there could not have been more than 6-12" under our keels, but an incredible white sand beach was here. We motored into the protected waters of the bay and tied up to a mooring ball in front of Bitter End Yacht Club.


After spending a relaxing, warm day snorkeling in The Bight and Treasure Caves on Norman Island, and after the rather speedy return of Seabbatical and Bryan after repairing their starboard engine starter back at Nanny Cay, on Feb 6th we high tailed it upwind (iron spinnaker) to Manchioneel Bay on Cooper Island, where we tied up to a mooring ball and barbequed steaks on the back deck. The charcoal grill took some getting used to, and required finishing off the meat in the oven broiler to avert a crew mutiny. We were all hungry ! Kathy made a fantastic lemon cake despite a rather crummy oven. We dinghied over with the cake and had a delightful evening with JF and Babs and Tom on Seabbatical.


The boat galley where Kathy does her magic. We have been eating very GOOD!. The work space is small, only room enough for one person unfortunately. Bad for cooking, good for doing dishes. We have had to purchase many items for the galley...dishes, bowls, microwave, etc. Everything is very expensive here. We have spent $2000 on food and boat items in the past 10 days, but should be less expensive from here on (we hope, otherwise we will be home sooner. Can you be homeless on a boat?)


Our home for the next 2 months, One Life, sitting at the dock in Nanny Cay on south side of Tortola, BVI. It's nice having marine services so close...shops, grocery, land showers, swimming pool. Not so nice...mosquitoes, some marine head (toilet) smells. Surprisingly, here in Caribbean holding tanks are not used, even in marinas, and everything goes immediately overboard into the water. Makes for easy use of heads, but bad for the nose, and even worse for water quality at times. We definitely do not swim at times near the boat, and generally try to anchor apart from others.

NORMAN ISLAND


One Life sitting on mooring ball in The Bight, Norman Island, Feb 6th.

There are three sea caves on the west end of Norman Island just above Carvel Rocks. Robert Louis Stevenson based his book "Treasure Island" on this location, so the rumor goes. Caves really are spectacular. You tie up your dinghy to dinghy floats outside, then snorkel in. Pete and I took our dive lights into one of the deep caves...very creepy due to high turbidity. We had no idea what sea creature was waiting for us in the shadows. OK. I'm not quite the Dirk Pitt I thought I was. One of the caves was truly beautiful, multiple compartments, spotty light shining down (like in the Yucatan cenotes) and tree roots streaming down, lots of fish, etc.

There is a local boat here, Deliverance, which visits all the boaters in the bay offering ice, booze, trash pick-up, baked goods, etc. Nice service and quite the racket. Boat name appropos.

Keith