5. Lots of Balls

I left Trellis Bay and sailed to Peter Island for a couple of nights. I anchored in Deadman’s Bay, behind Dead Chest Island, where Blackbeard marooned some of his crew. It was also the inspiration for Treasure Island. I was feeling more like a pirate. 

As I sailed into the bay I could see Tara, the beautiful yacht  (a Hylas 54) owned by an awesome couple from Oklahoma I’d met in Trellis Bay. Ten times as big, and a hundred times more valuable, it made me feel tiny. Later though, a crewmember on a chartered catamaran called Oliver, dinged over just to complement me on my Elizabethan 31! That made me feel much better.

Sonic Boom anchored

On Peter Island there’s a luxurious resort, and I had breakfast there with Mark and Lisa. After, we walked to the top of the hill and had spectacular views of nearly all the Virgin Islands. We could even see St Croix in the far distance. Later they invited me aboard Tara and we had dinner together. An amazing couple, two of the nicest people I’ve met. It makes single-handed sailing much more fun to make friends like that, although you feel lonely to see them sail off. Hopefully I will bump into them again soon.

Deadman’s Bay was very rolly; I wish I’d anchored in Sprat Bay instead.  Don’t be put off that it looks like part of the resort marina; they have mooring balls there too, but I saw a boat anchored. Most places seem to expect you to use, and pay for, their mooring balls, which seem to be taking over the best anchoring spots.

Mooring balls are much easier; raising anchor is one of the hardest things for me to do, but at around $30 a night, those fees add up, and defeat the whole objective of sailing around the Caribbean for free. Most of the best spots are now full of mooring balls. Even the guidebooks seem to gloss over anchoring spots and push you towards picking up a ball. However, you are always allowed to anchor. I’ve got a 30-pound plough with 100 feet of chain; I plan on anchoring everywhere I go.

Already I’ve learnt (the hard way) that it makes life much easier to anchor in fairly shallow water, and not to try and raise anchor in strong wind. It’s impossible to be at the bow heaving up chain, and at the same time controlling the boat at the helm. At marina Cay I anchored in 40 feet. Lifting a 30-pound anchor and another 60 pounds or more of chain in strong current was too much. Another sailor spotted me and came to my rescue.  In Deadman’s Bay the wind picked up overnight and I started dragging, and again, another sailor, actually two, came aboard and helped me reset.

I’m loosing count of how many times other sailors have said: ‘You’ve got a lot of balls!’