Crowne Bay marina, Charlotte Amelie, St Thomas, USVIs. Wednesday 18 May 2016.

After a rather uncomfortable few days in Red Hook as very hot and little breeze, I beat across Pilsbury Sound and inside Great Thatch Island back to Watermelon Bay. My favourite. Picked up a buoy close to the beach and great swim again. The next day I walked up to the ruins of Murphy’s Great House overlooking the bay and west to St Thomas (see http://stjohnhistoricalsociety.org/vol-x-no-6-march-2010-waterlemon-bay-at-the-turn-of-the-nineteenth-century-by-robin-swank/). Deer on the beach and more turtles and pelicans. I was due to arrive in Crowne Bay marina on Friday 13th to get ready for loading. However the idea of sailing on a Friday and the 13th and a full moon was too much. So I pulled the genny out and ambled back down St John’s and through Current Passage (well named) and into the Marina at Charlotte Amelie, the capital, on Thursday. Packed up Pisces with mixed feelings but looking forward to going home for a while. The MV BBC Nile docked just outside the marina entrance on Sunday and I was loaded on Tuesday evening at 17.30. All sails off and the backstay undone. Hauled aboard and into a cradle that was welded to the deck. I went back on to reconnect the backstay and it was all over. I checked into the Island Beachcomber Hotel for the night and took a flight on the 18th May to Fort Lauderdale while MV BBC Nile set sail for Southampton.

My highlights:

Watermelon Bay

Murphy's Great House ruins.

Land crabs.

Dingy and deer on the beach.

Sailing down to St Thomas

At it again!

Crowne Bay Marina

MV BBC Nile

Loading Pisces

Island Beachcomber Hotel

American Yacht Harbor, Red Hook, St Thomas, USVIs. Sunday 8 May 2016.

Tuesday 26 April sailed back down Sir Francis Drake Channel to Nanny Cay for a few days rest, swimming and hoofing about with friends from Viva and AWOL. The marina was full with ARC boats readying for the ARC Europe and ARC US starting on 7 May so I slipped my berth on Sunday 1 May and picked up a buoy in Sopers Hole, Tortola for the night. Dingyed ashore and checked out of the BVIs. Super onboard but had to move at 06.00 because of a close encounter with a neighbouring boat in a dead calm. No harm done but I left early and motored down through the Narrows and anchored off the channel in Cruz Bay. Rowed over and checked Pisces in through customs and immigration. Thankfully a simple process. Then back up the St John’s national park and had a great night and morning in Hawknest Bay off a gorgeous beach. Snorkelled to clean my propeller and was assisted by two very inquisitive blue parrotfish. Watched a large old turtle amble about on the surface a few yards from the boat while a pair of magnificent frigate birds soared above. Fabulous. Motored again across to St Thomas were I had booked a berth in the American Yacht Harbor marina for a week to start preparing for my return journey on the cargo ship MV BBC Nile around 17 May. Rather exposed berth next to the fuel dock and Red Hook a much brasher place than Nanny Cay. I had to spend $200 to buy an adapter to connect my shore power (other marinas supplied them) and felt a bit exposed and wary for a few days then settled in. Several restaurants on the dock, a good supermarket, ATM and next to the ferry dock, buses and taxis. 

Thursday 5 May I took a ferry from Red Hook back to West End (Sopers Hole) on Tortola and shared a taxi back to Nanny Cay. I had been invited to the ARC farewell dinner and could not resist a party and goodbye to my sailing friends. Met up with the guys from Natalie II, my next door neighbour in Las Palmas before the Atlantic crossing. Petra and her crew on Viva were off to the US via Bermuda then up to Nova Scotia to attempt the Northwest passage. So I felt rather tame having taken the soft option to ship Pisces back. No regrets, it is a long way back in a little boat and the ARC Europe would not accept boats under 40 feet. I treated myself to another hotel room in the Nanny Cay Hotel and, after goodbyes in the morning, headed back to West End. My ferry had broken down and no refund for my return ticket. Had to buy a new one and then told that my visa to go back to the US was not valid (but I had already used it twice). After much kerfuffal I was allowed on so arrived back in Red Hook via Cruz Bay in the afternoon. Met up with Mila and Joan for a drink and pizza as they are also shipping their lovely Baltic 52 back to Southampton.

My highlights:

Nanny Cay marina (again)

ARC Europe and USA getting ready to leave.

Drenched in a white out on the way to Cruz Bay. Fortunately had an Otis Spunkmeyers giant cinnamon while so all was not lost!

Cruz Bay to check Pisces into the USVIs

Red Hook, Molly Malones and iguana

World record Blue Marlin at 1450 pounds

Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda, BVIs. Tuesday 26 April 2016.

My 63rd birthday dawned bright and sunny. Took the Road Town Fast ferry over to Anegada, about 20 kms north east of Spanish Town, and checked into the Anegada Reef Hotel. A walk along the beach past the Wonky Dog to Neptune’s Treasure for an early Carib and lime. Hired an open taxi and journey around the west side of the island on the dirt roads to Cow Wreck Bay for a swim, drinks and lunch. Met up with a group celebrating another birthday and played darts and pool in the beach bar (lost). Back to the hotel for a siesta, then a sundowner at the bar and dinner of 2 pound lobster barbecued on the beach and met up with yet another group celebrating a birthday. Lots of messages from family and friends during the day so felt well looked after.

Monday 25 April 2016. Up late and continental breakfast on the beach. Took a shared open taxi the other way around the island with goats and cattle on the dirt and concrete roads. Next stop Loblolly Bay for a great snorkel on the reef, shower, drink in the Big Bamboo and lunch of crab cake salad before going back to the hotel for a rest. Complimentary Smoothy Rum at the bar and back on the ferry to Spanish Town on the afternoon ferry. Great trip.

My Highlights:

Anegada Reef Hotel. Beachside room with air conditioning!

Anchorage and Carib with a hat.

Cow Wreck Beach

Taxi to Loblolly Bay

Loblolly Beach

Snorkeling checklist.

BBQ 50 gallon drums (for the lobsters).