6. The Bitter End

Sandbox, North Sound, Virgin Gorda

I had an easy sail from Trellis Bay to Virgin Gorda, the wind had shifted to the south a little and I made it on one tack in just a couple of hours. I hove-to, dropped my sails and motored into North Sound, where I saw Tara again and went to say hello to Mark and Lisa. I stopped to fill up with water and anchored off Saba Rock, next to a beautiful white sandy beach. Behind it, a small lagoon with two flamingos. Saba Rock is a tiny island, a little like Marina Cay, expensive but lovely. 

Flamingos

Later I met Mark and Lisa’s German friends Kersten and Robert on their amazing yacht Trinity, and two of their friends Nicole and Holger. They were all really fun. Real characters, Robert made me think of the Herman Hess novel Steppenwolf. They’re on a round the world voyage of discovery and they’ve got a great blog. 

http://www.trinity-berlin.com

Trinity, and Bitter End Yacht Club in the background

One night, we all had dinner together on Tara, which was fun. Before dinner, Mark and I were on his swim platform and he handed me the shower. Hot water! It was the first hot shower I’d had for weeks. After a couple of minutes I gave it back to him, but my hand didn’t want to let go. It was funny. Kersten said it was like the scene where Woody Allen passes the orb around in his film Sleepers.

The Bitter End Resort is a huge, very luxurious and expensive resort. Actually it’s more like a small village. In fact it reminds me of The Village. The staff ride around in little golf carts, and wave at you as they pass. I half expect them to say ‘be seeing you’. After a couple of nights I moved across North Sound to anchor off Leverick Bay Resort for a while to check it out. I really liked it; there are free showers, Wi-Fi, laundry, a pool. It’s much cheaper than Bitter End, not as luxurious but very friendly.

http://www.leverickbay.com/Leverick_Bay/index.php

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!’

4. British Virgin

I’m sailing around the British Virgin Islands for a couple of weeks, waiting for the boat registration paperwork, getting used to the boat and practicing things like heaving-to and setting and raising anchor. I need to get used to doing things single-handed.

My first solo passage was from Manuel Reef Marina, where the previous owners had my boat moored, round the island to Trellis Bay. It took me just less than 4 hours, but that included 20 minutes of poking my boathook at various mooring balls until Trish, a lovely lady from Tasmania, spotted me and came to help. I hooked up to a mooring ball, took a break, had a cup of tea and then dropped my anchor. Successful passage. Kind of, I got blisters on my fingers.

Trellis Bay

At Trellis Bay there are lots of people who live aboard their boats, so a good place to meet people. It’s also very close to the airport. The best things though are the full moon party and swimming with turtles in the bay. However, there aren’t many facilities, like showers or laundry. Much better is to motor over to Marina Cay, a tiny little island which has a fuel dock, showers, laundry, a great restaurant, free Wi-Fi and good snorkeling.

http://www.marinacay.com

Marina Cay

On Tortola, cheap places to stay are hard to find. Sebastian’s on the Beach is the best I think. It’s on a lovely beach and has a great restaurant. Their garden rooms are some of the cheapest on the island. Walk west over the hill to Smuggler’s Cove, one of the nicest beaches on Tortola. To the east is Cane Garden Bay, another beautiful white sandy beach.

http://www.sebastiansbvi.com/bvi/default.aspx

Smuggler's Cove

Another place I would recommend for a cheap accommodation is Nanny Cay Marina Hotel. Also the best marina, if you need to stay in one. It has a nice beach, lovely swimming pool and one of the best beach bars on the island.

http://nannycay.com

Jost van Dyke is amazing. On a boat, anchor off White Bay. If you’re not on a boat stay at Ivan’s campground, a great place with little wooden huts on the beach. Quite cheap, even cheaper if you bring your own tent. Take a walk over the hill from White Bay to Great Harbor; there are some amazing views. Walk the other way and you come to the Soggy Dollar Bar; a great place to meet other sailors and drink painkillers.

http://www.ivanscampground.com

Hitching a lift from Great harbor back over the hill to Ivan’s one day, I met a lovely girl called Arianna. It turned out her Mum worked at Ivan’s and agreed to give me a ride in her new truck. We waited for her to collect some take away fried chicken, and then just as we were setting off, Arianna threw up into her hands and all over the front seat. I helped her clean her hands and face with a bottle of water I had, while her Mum angrily cleaned up the car.  So we became friends and I spent the next few days, hanging out with Arianna while she was off school poorly, building sandcastles and having fun.

Arianna