Wednesday, December 26th and Thursday, December 27th - Anegada

[caption id="attachment_4207" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Leverick Bay, North Sound, Virgin Gorda"][/caption]

 

Today is Boxing Day, a national holiday here in BVI.  Cutter Loose leaves the protection of North Sound to travel to the island of Anegada, some 12 miles to the north. 

Moderate easterlies in the 12 to 15 knot range taken together with 2 to 3 foot seas make for a delightful close reach to Anegada.  Today is the best sailing day thus far in our winter cruise.  This makes the journey to Anegada worthwhile in and of itself. 

Midway in the journey, a dinghy approaches.  The operator is holding a camera with a long lens, shooting photos of Cutter Loose under full sail.  The logo on the dinghy reads Yacht Shots, an unsolicited commercial photographer that is hopeful of selling action photos to vacationing sailors.  This sales technique reminds us of commercial photographers on western ski slopes, shooting photos of downhill skiers as they whiz by.



Three miles from our destination, the shape of palm and pine trees becomes visible on the horizon.  Unlike the volcanic islands of Tortola and Virgin Gorda, Anegada is a low-lying coral island.  The highest elevation is 28 feet above sea level.  The Spanish named the island “the drowned land”.

A marked channel through the coral reef leads to a ferry dock and a shallow anchorage on the southeast coast of Anegada.  The small harbor is filled with cruising boats and a handful of charter boats.   There is no solitude to be found here in the harbor, at least during the holidays.  This area is known as Setting Point. Three restaurants, a few gift shops and a small hotel are located here.  A wrap-around swell from the southeast creates rolly conditions in the anchorage.  To add insult to injury, there is a Boxing Day party on the ferry dock at Setting Point tonight.  The loud music finally comes to an end at 11 PM.

Since many of the roads on Anegada are unpaved paths, we opt to rent a motor scooter on Thursday to tour the island.   There are about 200 residents that call Anegada home.  There is very little development on the island.  There is one school in the Settlement, covering pre-school, primary and secondary education.  Other than tourism and fishing, there is no evidence of a local economy.  Free range cows and goats roam the island (including the roads) at will.  They appear to be undernourished.  The landscape is sandy with scrub vegetation. 



The gorgeous beaches on the north coast are the primary reason to visit Anegada.  For those seeking to escape to a beautiful white sand beach with emerald water and no frills, this is certainly the place to be.  Of all the beaches on the island, Loblolly Bay is reputed to be the most attractive.  After a stroll on the beach, we pause for lunch at Big Bamboo, the local beach bar and restaurant at Loblolly.  The technique is to arrive early, order lunch at the restaurant and reserve a table for a specific time.  After swimming and snorkeling, your table and lunch are waiting for you.  There is a dive shop and a few cottages on the beach at Loblolly that are available for rent.





A sandy trail along the north coast leads to three other picture perfect beaches.  In places, the sea breeze has deposited loose sand from the dunes onto the trail, making it nearly impassable in our rented scooter.  Now we understand why the rental shop in Setting Point recommended a four wheel drive vehicle. 

Each beach offers a few rental cottages along with the requisite beach bar and restaurant.  We are the sole visitors to the beach at Windlass Bight today.  At Cow Wreck Bay, however, there are kite boarders, swimmers and several patrons at the bar.  The origin of the name Cow Wreck refers to an incident involving a ship with a payload of cattle that sunk on the reef near this Bay.  For many years thereafter, the bones of the deceased accumulated on the beach.



The evening in the harbor at Setting Point is quiet tonight, providing an opportunity to reflect on this unique place.  Anegada is certainly not a glitzy resort destination.  The beaches and sand dunes are relatively undisturbed, fulfilling their function in nature.  It is difficult to understand how its residents can survive economically without tourism.   A glimpse of Anegada 50 years in the future would be most interesting.

Thursday, December 20th to Tuesday, December 25th

 

Today, we depart the island of Tortola and travel east to the island of Virgin Gorda.  From Marina Cay, our destination at North Sound lies 10 miles to the northeast.  In light of the easterly trade winds, any destination with an easterly component generally requires us to motor into wind-driven waves.  Today is no exception.  Our course takes us south of the Dog Islands (West Dog, Great Dog, George Dog and Seal Dog), then northeast into the open waters of the Atlantic.  Once past Mosquito Rock, the well-marked channel eases our entrance into North Sound.  Colquhoun Reef to the red side of the channel is defined by yellow-green shallow water and a straight line of waves breaking on this reef. 

Once inside the reef, we are welcomed by the emerald, protected waters of North Sound.  This large, natural harbor is surrounded by steep green mountains and coral reefs.  The harbor extends about two miles from Saba Rock on the far eastern side of the Sound to Mosquito Island on the western side.  There are several smaller cruise ships anchored in the harbor today, shuttling passengers by launch to and from the various shore side resorts. 

North Sound is the prime resort and yachting center in the BVIs.  From mega-yachts to wind surfers, virtually every type of boat can be accommodated here.  We opt to secure a mooring ball at the Bitter End Yacht Club.  From this location, the easterlies funnel into the Sound from the Atlantic Ocean through the narrow opening between Prickly Pear Island and the Bitter End resort.  This is a perfect spot.  The abundant breeze keeps the cabin of Cutter Loose air conditioned while the outer reef provides protection from ocean waves and swells.  From our vantage point, we enjoy a front row seat to observe watersports activity in the harbor, including kite boarders, wind surfers, paddle boarders, Hobie cat sailors, Laser sailors and dinghy races.



Ashore, the resort is eerily quiet. The pool and beaches are empty.  There are few customers at the bars and restaurants.  The first item of business is laundry detail, which is accomplished at Leverick Bay Marina on the west side of the Sound.  As usual, this task consumes an entire afternoon.  In the process, we meet Island Packet 370 owners Richard and Jan on Morpheus of London.  They will be sailing down-island in late January.  Chances are good that our paths will cross again soon.



Within a three minute dinghy ride from our mooring is Saba Rock, a compact resort with views of the reef.  In a late afternoon procession, cruisers shuttle over to Saba in their dinghies to enjoy the outstanding view of sunset during happy hour.  Each day at 5 PM, the staff takes fish scraps from the kitchen to feed the fish alongside the dinghy dock.  As if on cue, the tarpon appear dockside…happy hour for fish!  With high expectations of a free handout, the tarpon become agitated and aggressive.  It is all part of the afternoon entertainment scene at Saba Rock.









Amongst other attractions, North Sound is home to the rich and famous.  Some of the boats in the harbor are truly amazing.  At times, it is difficult to distinguish small cruise ships from private mega-yachts.  Take, for example, the three-masted schooner Athena that we discovered during our visit to the nearby Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.   At 295 feet in overall length, she is reportedly one of the largest privately owned yachts in the world.  She carries 103,000 gallons of fuel and 26,000 gallons of water.  She is currently available for sale at a listing price of $95 million.  If the asking price seems a little too steep and you just wish to admire the megayachts and mingle with the elite, the yacht club is open to the public for a poolside Christmas Day buffet at a cost of $150 per person plus service.



For those who crave a private holiday, there are several options here in North Sound.  Near the entrance to North Sound is Necker Island, a private island owned by Sir Richard Branson. The entire island, including its fully staffed 10 bedroom villa can be rented for the paltry sum of $50,000 per day.  On the other hand, if a sailing vacation is what you seek, Branson’s 105 foot luxury catamaran, the Necker Belle, is docked right here at the Bitter End Yacht Club.  This upscale cat carries its own excursion submarine on deck.  Necker Belle is available for charter for a mere $110,000 per week, which includes the services of seven attentive professional crew members. 

Eustatia Island is another private island and villa located on the reef near Saba Rock.  It is owned by the Queen and leased to a corporate entity, the owners of which wish to remain anonymous in order to protect their privacy.  To us, the gorgeous beach on this island is an open invitation to enjoy a white Christmas, Virgin Islands-style.  We consider landing the dinghy on the dock, but the greeting is intimidating…“Private Property – Do Not Dock”.   Under BVI law, everyone has the right to land the dinghy on the beach, which is considered a public access area.  However, the employees have clearly taken note of our presence in the dinghy.  Their job is to protect the privacy of their guests.  On second thought, perhaps we should forgo the exercise of our landing rights.  Although no definitive information exists on the leaseholder of this island, most locals believe it is Larry Page, co-founder of Google.



Christmas Eve is a day for relaxation and people-watching.  Each day, more and more pleasure boats have arrived in the harbor.  By noon on Christmas Eve, all of the moorings at Bitter End and Saba Rock are in use.  Dinghies filled with recent arrivals crisscross the harbor. The ferries are like busy bees, returning to the hive again and again, loaded with more tourists and their mountains of suitcases. 

Some visitors to the Bitter End Resort seem oblivious to the watersports opportunities and the incredible natural beauty that surrounds them.  They opt instead to congregate near wi-fi hotspots, fixated on their electronic devices.  ‘Tis the season to stay connected.







This scene above is reminiscent of cover art on a recent edition of The New Yorker.

Friends Ken and Laurie host a quiet Christmas Eve dinner in the cozy cabin of Adagio.  With thousands of miles separating us from friends and family at home, it is comforting to be in the company of like-minded buddy boaters here in the BVI.  We certainly appreciate their warmth and hospitality.

Christmas Day is a time of relaxation, including listening to carols on the stereo and watching the activity in the harbor.  In the afternoon, we cast off our mooring at Bitter End and travel the short distance west where Cutter Loose is anchored in Leverick Bay.  Ken and Laurie join us for Christmas dinner ashore at Leverick Bay Resort on the west side of North Sound.  It is an altogether pleasant evening with good company and good food.  We have thoroughly enjoyed spending Christmas here in North Sound.

Monday, December 17th to Wednesday, December 19th

[caption id="attachment_4136" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="South coast of St. John en route to Red Hook"][/caption]

Back in Red Hook, one software patch after another from the geniuses at the Raymarine factory fail to render our chart plotters operable.  The news from Neal is not good.  We must remove both plotters from Cutter Loose and send them to the gurus at Raymarine in New Hampshire for rebuild.  No one can say exactly how much time this will require.  But one thing is certain.  Cutter Loose will remain in the Virgin Islands for as long as it takes for the repaired plotters to arrive back in Red Hook. 

[caption id="attachment_4139" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Neal from TropiComm, the Raymarine repairman in St. Thomas"][/caption]

With our plan to sail to St. Maarten on hold, we settle into the reality that we will remain in the Virgins for most, if not all of January while the chart plotter dilemma is resolved.  Our freedom of movement has been curtailed by the failure of an electronic device, albeit a very important electronic device.  While this constitutes a change in plan, it is not a dire circumstance.  Equipment failures and delays of one sort or another are a normal part of boating, and the Virgin Islands are amongst the most desirable cruising destinations on earth.  While the plotters are being repaired, we will use the backup Navionics charts on the Ipad to continue our exploration of the Virgin Islands.  We are fortunate to be here in paradise and determined to enjoy every minute of this experience.

[caption id="attachment_4143" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="nav station sans chart plotter"][/caption]

By noon on Tuesday, Cutter Loose is underway from Red Hook, bound for the West End of Tortola to clear BVI Customs.  We opt for the solitude of Leinster Bay as an overnight destination, just a few miles from West End.  While snorkeling here about a week ago, Pat grasped a mooring buoy for a respite.  An unknown organism residing on that buoy caused a nasty-looking rash on her arms and legs.  Tomorrow, we will seek the advice of a physician to diagnose this malady.

[caption id="attachment_4137" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Cutter Loose at anchor in Road Town Harbor"][/caption]

The first stop on Wednesday morning is at Nanny Cay Marina to pick up our new cockpit sun shades from Don at Quantum Sails.  Then it is on to Road Town to visit a drop-in medical clinic.  For the tidy sum of $120 in exchange for a five minute consultation, Pat’s rash is diagnosed as an allergic reaction to a fungus.  With medication in-hand, the anchor is up in Road Town Harbor.  Since it is already mid-afternoon, our destination for the evening is an anchorage at Marina Cay on the east end of Tortola.  Tomorrow, it is a short ten mile run to our next destination, North Sound on the island of Virgin Gorda.

Thursday, December 13th to Sunday, December 16th

Don and Julia from Quantum Sails at Nanny Cay visit Cutter Loose at her slip early on Thursday morning.  They announce their arrival by rapping on the deck and shouting “CUTTAH LUZE, CUTTAH LUZE”!  They are here today to take measurements for mesh sun panels that will provide additional shade in the cockpit, particularly in the early morning and late afternoon when the sun is low on the horizon.  We agree to return to Nanny Cay next week to take possession of our new shades.

Cutter Loose is underway from Nanny Cay at noon on a downwind sail to Francis Bay for a rendezvous with friends Cary and Tom aboard Dragon’s Toy, one of our buddy boats in the Bahamas last winter.  Californian’s Tom and Cary arrived in the BVIs about 10 days after our arrival.  There is lots of catching up and planning to do.  Like us, they are sailing the Leeward and Windward islands this winter.  In a few days, these folks will be aboard the silver bird to the west coast for the holidays. We bid them a safe journey and agree to meet again at Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke in observance of New Year’s Eve.

Friday morning calls for a return to Red Hook.  Another session with Neal has been scheduled on Friday afternoon to coax the chart plotters to display the Navionics nautical charts that enable us to navigate.  The software update is a success.  But in an unanticipated outcome of the process, these two computers are now having a spat.  They are pretending that the network to which they are both connected does not exist.  They have ceased to communicate.  Only the geniuses at the Raymarine headquarters in New Hampshire can write the code that will reunite this partnership.

Our friends Tom and Cindy agree to meet us at the local Italian restaurant for dinner on Friday night.  This establishment is staffed almost entirely by Pennsylvanians.  In fact, our waitress is from my childhood town of West Mifflin, PA.  Red Hook is a lively place on a Friday evening.  The restaurants are full and Main Street is laden with traffic.  Live music wraps up at about 3 AM at the waterfront bars.  At 6 AM, the morning shift announces its arrival on the jobsite with loud conversation.  Recorded music wafts over the marina from the local breakfast gathering place.  It is anything but a restful night at American Yacht Harbor.

To his credit, Neal arrives promptly at 9 AM on Saturday to install the new masthead anemometer.  He announces that the weekend began early for the geniuses in New Hampshire.  The factory’s software fix for the communication breakdown on Cutter Loose must wait until Monday morning.  In the meantime, we have 48 hours of freedom before the next repair session. 



Rather than remain at a noisy marina in Red Hook for the weekend, we opt instead to enjoy the relative solitude of the south coast of St. John.  The wind today is less than 10 knots, which makes for a perfect opportunity to visit Salt Pond Bay.  At the entrance to the Bay are some nasty-looking rock outcroppings protruding above the brilliant aquamarine water.  Once inside, however, this spot is delightful, but only in very settled weather. 

Cutter Loose is one of only three boats anchored in this picturesque bay.  The snorkeling here is excellent with an abundance of large and small fish feeding in the cracks and crevices along the reef.  Donkeys graze on the white sand beach that encircles the bay.   From our anchorage, the mountaintops of St. Croix are visible 40 miles to the south.  The relative absence of wind is an open invitation for tiny flying insects to share our anchorage.  After a fiery sunset, the insects force us to retire below reading books and listening to Garrison Keilor’s A Prarie Home Companion. 



After a peaceful night’s sleep, a beach landing in the dinghy followed by a hike through rugged terrain leads us to Café Concordia for Sunday morning brunch.  We are rewarded with a delicious meal, some mellow acoustic guitar melodies and an outstanding view of Cutter Loose anchored in the bay below.





A few miles to the west is Little Lameshure Bay, which beckons our attention.  Cutter Loose shares this remote anchorage with one other boat on Sunday afternoon and evening.  The snorkeling here is not quite as productive as Saltpond Bay, but the surroundings are spectacular.  The past two days on the south coast of St. John have been the perfect antidote to unresolved boat issues.  Being here is a vivid reminder of the delights of cruising. Tomorrow it is back to American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook for yet another day of problem solving with Neal.

Saturday, December 8th to Wednesday, December 12th

After a week of attending to a variety of boat issues, Cutter Loose is finally underway from her slip in Red Hook, St. Thomas.  Our plan for the next few days is to cruise the south coast of St. John.  As we enter Pillsbury Sound, a 20 knot breeze is blowing from the east-southeast.  Transiting the south coast of St. John under these conditions will make life uncomfortable.  Instead, we decide to pursue the path of least resistance, seeking shelter in the lee of St. John.

Our first overnight stop is Hawksnest Bay on the north coast of St. John.  In an effort to escape the northerly swell, Cutter Loose is tucked into the northeast corner of the Bay.  For an afternoon outing ashore, we head to the western shore of Hawksnest Bay, landing the dinghy on a pristine white sand beach that is part of Caneel Bay Resort.  We drag the dinghy above the tide line, carefully securing the painter to a tree.



Caneel Bay is a highly manicured resort complete with tennis courts, restaurants, gift shops and, of course, a gorgeous beach.  Eager for exercise, we spend hours walking the cart paths and grounds of this lovely facility.  In the middle of the afternoon, most of the guests are comfortably clustered near the beach, sipping on tropical beverages.  At the Caneel Bay ferry dock, there is also a space for visiting boaters on moorings to tie their dinghies.  We decide to explore the dinghy dock for future reference. 

We notice a dinghy very similar to ours tied to the dock.  Wait a minute.  This IS our dinghy!  Obviously, we have violated a resort rule by landing our dinghy on the beach.  Presumably, a staff member at the resort has taken the liberty of moving our dinghy from the beach to the dinghy dock, a distance of about two miles from Hawksnest Bay by water.  Everything is intact.  Nothing is missing.  There is no note of explanation. We decide that this might be an excellent time to conclude our tour of Caneel Bay Resort and return to Cutter Loose in our dinghy before we are discovered. 

It is a clean getaway.  Back in Hawksnest Bay, conditions are slightly rolly, but not uncomfortably so.  The northerly swells are remnants from distant storms that may have occurred hundreds of miles to the north.  We will endeavor to select our anchorages more carefully in the future.

On Sunday morning, we move a few miles east to Trunk Bay where Cutter Loose is tied to a National Park Service mooring.  Trunk Bay features a long, white sandy beach and several snorkeling opportunities, including an underwater snorkel trail. From an NPS dinghy mooring near the beach, we don our fins and snorkels to explore the reef.  The snorkel trail consists of a series of submerged plaques on the seabed in ten feet of water that identify types of coral and the fish that inhabit the reef. 

While Trunk Bay is the perfect spot for swimming, snorkeling and a walk along the beach, it is not a suitable place to remain overnight due to the presence of northerly swells.  After lunch, we move Cutter Loose a few miles further east to Francis Bay, the site of our Thanksgiving rendezvous with Caribbean 1500 friends.  Here we select an NPS mooring in the northeastern corner of the Bay that is well-protected from the swells.  The skies become dark and cloudy by mid-afternoon, signs of an impending shower or squall.  Here in the tropics, we are accustomed to brief rain showers followed by sunny skies.  But for the remainder of the day and throughout the night, one squall line after another brings gusty winds and moderate rain to Francis Bay.   

On Monday morning, we move Cutter Loose to Leinster Bay, a few miles further to the east.  The eastern corner of the Bay is buffered from Sir Francis Drake Channel by Waterlemon Cay, which serves the dual purpose of protecting us from the northerly swell while also being a good snorkeling opportunity.  The coral reef at Waterlemon Cay is filled with colorful fish.  The yellowtail snapper busy themselves feeding on tiny bait fish that swim in schools near the surface, darting left and right to confuse their predators.   Angelfish and grunts are also in abundance.  The water is crystal clear and warm.  There is no need for a wetsuit here in the Virgin Islands.

Besides being relaxing, cruising from one anchorage to another provides a laboratory setting to field test Neal’s fix to the solar panel controller.  What an improvement this fix has made!  Between the solar panels and the D400 wind generator, the vast majority of our energy demands aboard Cutter Loose are now being met through passive means.  We have not used the generator since departing Red Hook, and the diesel engine has been used only sparingly.  The trade winds cascading down the steep hillsides that surround our anchorages are especially strong at night.  As such, they serve a dual purpose.  They keep the cabin cool while the wind generator works efficiently to insure that the house battery bank is fully charged come morning.

[caption id="attachment_4084" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The lastest bread creation from Pat's galley"][/caption]

On Tuesday, we depart USVI and clear BVI Customs at West End.  It has been almost a month since we arrived in Tortola.  We are told that we must visit the Customs office in the capital city of Road Town to request an extension to our 30 day cruising permit.  Since yet another squall is bearing down on Soper’s Hole, we decide to take a mooring for the night in West End and sail to Road Town in the morning to attend to this important item of international business.

During the past few days, the weather has been windy and squally here in paradise.  Wind speeds have been in the 20 to 25 range with gusts to 32 knots in squalls.  These easterly trade winds create lumpy conditions in Sir Francis Drake Channel.  However, when the immigration man commands us to "go to Road Town”, we follow instructions.  But Cutter Loose is clearly not happy with the decision to plow into 25 knot easterlies.  She bucks and pounds into the waves, spraying seawater over the bow and across the deck and dodger. 

By mid-morning, Cutter Loose is anchored in Road Harbor.  The designated anchorage area is quite small in size, 35 to 40 feet in depth, crowded with boats (some of which are derelict) and exposed to the full force of the easterly trade winds.  These factors plus the wake from ferry traffic passing nearby make this a most undesirable anchorage.  We reach the Customs and Immigration office by dinghy.  Apparently, there used to be a dinghy dock at this location, but it has been removed.  We are forced to scale an unfriendly five foot concrete ferry dock wall with huge rubber tire fenders in order to gain access to the pier.  The immigration man informs us that there is no need to request a 30 day extension to our cruising permit.  Apparently, every time we re-enter the BVI from the USVI, a new 30 day clock begins on our cruising permit.  As it turns out, our visit to Road Town today for customs purposes is unnecessary.  We wonder whether the next interpretation from the next immigration man will be in any way consistent with that which we have heard today.  No worry.  This is part and parcel of the cruising experience.

We make the best of the situation by strolling through town and sipping cold glasses of fresh lemonade at the Village Cay Marina.  A cruise ship is in port today and the shops are filled with tourists. Road Town has clearly been busy developing its waterfront since we last visited here in the mid-1990s.  It has evolved into a major urban center with financial institutions, government office buildings, new shopping kiosks for cruise ship passengers and the resulting traffic congestion. 



By early afternoon, Cutter Loose is underway from our Road Harbor anchorage and bound for Nanny Cay Marina where we first made landfall on November 12^th.  Luckily, we arrive in time for a Caribbean 1500 reunion with friends Ken and Laurie on Adagio.