THE BATHS AND HOBIE CATS

1000 hours, February 9, 2015, The Baths, Virgin Gorda, BVI: We picked up a mooring at the Baths on the southern end of Virgin Gorda. Winds were blowing from the east in excess of 20 nm per hour and a 3 ft surge was rapping around the southern end of the Island making the anchorage uncomfortable. A red flag was up on the Beach signaling the danger in the baths with the surge rolling in between the large granite boulders that form this amazing place. 

Given the surge and the fact that Beth and I had visited the Baths a few weeks early we decided to stay aboard while Jim and Kim went ashore. Jim and Kim took the small dingy which was easier to deploy and retrieve from its davits overhanging the stern, with the rolling surge. As the BVI Park Rangers who manage the Baths won't let you land a dingy on the beach they tied the dingy off on a buoy supported line for that purpose and swam ashore. While waiting for Jim and Kim to return the fleet of Hobie 16s we and seen the last two days, were tacking back and forth as they approached us sailing upwind from Peter Island. With the strong breeze several had their captain and crew standing out on the rail supported by trapeze wires from the mast top and their harnesses. This brought back memories. 

The first boat Beth and I bough after our marriage 43 years ago was a Hobie 16. Seeing both captain and crew on a trapeze remained me of a spring afternoon when Beth and I were tacking back and forth on the Potomac River just below what has since been named, the Reagan Airport. The spring wind was from the north and brisk. We were flying a hull, both standing on the trampoline rail supported by trapeze wires, on our tack from the Virginia to the Maryland side. Completing a tack from the Maryland side, I noticed the Sequoia making its way up River. The Sequoia was the presidential yacht at the time. We had no idea who was on board but couldn't resist the opportunity to fly a hull, standing out on our rail, across the stern of the presidential yacht. This was 1972 and we had one of the first Hobie 16s. Flying a  hull then, with both of us standing on the rail, was a sight few had seen. 

We luffed, waiting for the right moment to tack back across the River. Our timing was perfect. By the time we came within a few feet of the fantail, we were flying the port hull at about 45 degrees, both standing straight on our port rail. As we approached I could first see a semicircle of occupied deck chairs, with the open end of the semi circle facing aft. As we approached closer I could make out President Nixon's unmistakable facial profile. What we had not calculated was that the Sequoia would block our wind as we passed her. She did. Just as we were passing we lost wind, and before we could react by scrambling back on the trampoline, the hull came down. I was on the aft wire holding the tiller extension.  As the hull came down I lost traction on my feet and swung into Beth. The port hull buried and the starboard hull lifted, capsizing the boat in the cold spring Potomac water. At this point my concern was rescuing Beth from under the trampoline and helping her unfasten her trapeze wire, so I missed the opportunity to see the reaction to our show which was more eventful than we had planned. 

The BVI Park Rangers would not let the Hobie Fleet land on beach at the Baths, forcing the fleet to land on a beach to the north of the Park. As the Hobies were landing Jim and Kim returned and we headed for North Sound.