174. Peter Island

Anchored in Deadman’s Bay

I left Soper’s Hole and went to Peter Island for a night. There’s a beautiful beach and a luxury resort. I spent a day in the pool, lounging in beach chairs and watched the champions league final on a huge TV.

Deadman’s Bay, Peter Island

The next day I left and headed to Leverick Bay in Virgin Gorda – my departure point for St. Martin. Sailing to St. Martin will hopefully be my last passage east into the wind and waves. After St. Martin I will be heading south. 

My big worry at the moment is that my laptop is dying. I'm getting a service battery warning and no charge. When it goes I will be in trouble. There's an Apple store in St. Martin but I'm not sure they can do repairs. Having spent all my savings on a new mainsail, I can't afford a new one.

173. St. Thomas

Frenchman’s Cay, BVI

I love being in Soper’s Hole, it’s such a beautiful place. Although it’s nice to have a break from sailing, it feels like I’ve been too busy. I plan to leave here on Friday, go to Peter Island, one of my favorites, and spend some time on the beach. I like going to new places, but it’s also really nice going back to a familiar anchorage, somewhere you’ve been before.

I met with Bob Philips the sail maker for Doyle Sails and he took measurements and was generally awesome – certainly knows a lot more about sails than I do, and genuinely wanted me to have the best sail rather than the most expensive. The main thing I like about Doyle sails is they are specifically designed for the Caribbean – extreme UV and 20 knot trade winds. They’re made in Barbados; so free delivery to anywhere in the Caribbean. I ordered a new mainsail, which I will collect in St. Lucia in a few weeks time, and gave him my jib to be stitched up.

http://www.doylesails.com/lofts/bvi/

I went to Nanny Cay, another very pretty marina, one of my favorites, for a swim in the beautiful pool there and a shopping trip to the chandlery. I had breakfast, bought some boat parts, swam and took a shower, chilled out. I still felt battered and bruised from too much sailing. After I went to Road Town and bought a few more things, got a haircut and bought lunch from the bakery. I managed to hitch rides there and back pretty quickly. Later I changed my oil and oil filter, checked my batteries, cleaned up the cockpit – washed the cushion covers, replaced a smashed speaker, and took down my tatted flag and put up a nice new ensign. Feeling and looking a bit more ship shape.

Daniel and Kayla

On Thursday I took a ferry to St. Thomas, and spent a great day on the beach and by the pool with Daniel and Kayla.