1500 hours, February 21, 2015, Grand Case Bay, St. Martin: With winds scheduled to blow over 30 nmph on February 22, we headed back to Simpson Lagoon, and the 1700 hours opening of the bridge for inbound traffic. Before leaving we had all taken a swim off the swim step, including Jackie with her vest.
With the sand water color we saw when we were rounding Pointe Canonnier going north, we headed significantly west of the point going south, as the light conditions for reading water color were poor. As we started to round to bring us along the south side of St. Martin we suddenly hit very shallow water. The seas were 4 to 5 feet, we were nearly a mile west of the Pointe and the chart plotter was saying use should be in 50 ft of water. We were getting readings of as little as 1.5 feet below the keel. Scary. We quickly turned west and fortunately the depth increased. When we reached the edge of the bank, we turned and followed the edge until we were well east of the Pointe.
Once inside the Lagoon we looked for a place to anchor in the anchor field immediately north of IGY's super yacht marina. The anchorage was nearly full and it took us three tries before finding a spot that would give us room to swing. Besides the oily water in the Lagoon, the runway for the primary airport on the Island ends at the edge of the anchorage and planes take off directly over head. As soon as they are airborne the planes bank to the south and fly over the IGY Marinas which are also noisy when the planes take off. Our anchorage was 700 to 800 feet off the end of the runway but only a little noisier than what we had experienced at the Marina.
For their last night with us, Allen made fantastic seafood shish kebab on our fly bridge grill. Although the best, this was not the first great meal Allen BBQ'ed for us during their stay. The next day we took Julie and Allen back to the St. Martin Yacht Club where we had picked them up 10 days earlier.
1830 hours February 20, 2015, Grand Case Bay, St. Martin: we landed our small dingy on the beach, and took a few steps up the sand to the middle of the mile long Boulevard De Grand Case, and it's 59 restaurants. Allen and I on our recon mission earlier in the day, and checking out reviews on google, had determined that there was a grouping of four restaurants at this location that appeared to be the best of the 59.
The best restaurant in all the reviews was Bistrot Caraibes. They were booked solid. Two of the four, including Bistrot, were on the other side of the Boulevard from the beach. Of the two on the beach Le Tastevin was the nicest looking and we choose it. They had a fish tank filled with local lobster facing the Boulevard which played into our decision but none of us ended up ordering lobster. The company, the wine, and the meals were all great. The dessert, fantastic.
0945 February 19, 2015, Simpson Lagoon, St. Martin: We cast off the dock at Simpson Bay Marina in preparation for the 1030 hours out going bridge opening. As we were side tied on the port side we could not lift the dingy at the dock. Allen drove the dingy out into the main channel where we worked against a 25 nmph ENE wind to hoist our 1200 lb dingy to the fly bridge level, and stay in the relatively narrow channel. By the time we got close to the 1030 opening there were two super yachts and a dozen others along with us, maneuvering in tight quarters while being blown by the steady 25 nmph wind. To the extent we could we stayed back and let others jockey for place in the line. The north swell that had been running since we had arrived at St. Martin had finally subsisted and the wind and swell were aligned from the ENE returning the leeward side of the Island. We headed west to around Pointe Canonnier and then planned to proceed north along the west (leeward) side of the Island. Although our chart showed a reef extending well beyond the point, the water on the chart 100 meters off shore, was over 35 feet and continued to get deeper further off shore. As we were heading west, and it was now around 1100 hours, the sun was above and behind us providing ideal conditions to read the depth of the water by its color. Notwithstanding ideal conditions, I can say from personal experience this is not an exact science. Turquoise colored water means a sand bottom. I have seen turquoise water from 3 feet to 40 plus feet, depending on the angle. Sand colored water usually means water 5 feet or less but I have seen sand colored water at ten feet or more where a strong current has mixed the sand in the water turning turquoise water to sand colored.As we reached Pointe Canonnier 100 meters off shore the turquoise water heading further west in front of us, was turning gradually more sand colored although the depth sounder was giving us readings consistent with the chart. As we looked further west, beyond the point, the water looked more and more sand colored. We had purchased the latest Navionics charts before leaving for this trip to give us confidence we had the latest information available. The water was more turquoise to our starboard closer to shore so we turned before we had planned to, rounding the point about 50 meters off shore where the water was shallower. During this entire time we didn't receive any depth readings that varied from our chart.
Having rounded the point we headed for Anse Marcel with the thought of anchoring there and using the beach facilities of the new up scaled beach bar and restaurant at the west end of the cove. We entered the cove twice to try to find a place to anchor with some protection from the swell wrapping around the north entrance to the Cove. Water depths were 30 feet. With a 10 ft bow it's 40 ft above the bottom, and with a 5 to 1 ratio for a chain rode it's 200 ft. With a 64 ft boat that's a diameter of 528 feet. On second look, with the other boats in the Cove there was not this amount of room. With hills that surrounded the cove and the land effect causing back winding we could expect at night, we could not rely on the predicted relatively constant ENE wind to keep us swing on one side of the anchor circle. We decided to head back south, around Bell Point to Grand Case Bay where we found calm conditions and lots of room. Allen and I spent part of the afternoon snorkeling around Creole Rock, a popular snorkeling and diving spot just west of Bell Point. Although the water was still murky from a week of the north swell, the fish and coral were beautiful.
0900 hours, February 17, Simpson Lagoon, St. Martin: We picked up a rental car at the Marina Office. We had decided to tour the Island in a counter clockwise direction so we headed over the hill to Phillipsburg.
The town is about two streets wide and a mile or so long, directly behind a wide white power sand beach. The cruise ship docks are on the east side of town. And, the cruise ships were in and the beach was packed. A group of Caribbean dancers and musicians were in a parade on the board walk and the restaurants on the town side of the walk were beginning to fill, even though it was still well before lunch. The main part of town had narrow pedestrian scaled streets with mainly one and two story well constructed shops, with a european feel.
The wind was blowing from the north east at 22 nmh, and our trip along the east shore was windy. As shown on the charts the entry to the bay at Oyster Pond appeared tricky, particularly with a north east wind and seas of 8 ft that were present on that day. The entry is parallel to shore putting the 8ft seas on your beam as you enter a narrow channel. Once inside the bay was well protected. Leaving Oyster Pond we headed north Baie Orientale, Orient Bay as we called it. We had planned to have lunch at Club Orient. Club Orient is a clothing optional resort. After parking our car in the resort parking lot we headed down a path to the beach. The path was along the north side of the Resort. At the end of the path was a beach bar and restaurant to the left and to the right there were 100 of yellow umbrellas, three deep, stretching south in front of the Resort for a half of a mile. The beach was crowed with several hundred totally nude people, except for a few hats.
In the open beach front restaurant there was one couple, besides us and the restaurant servers, with clothing. Not only was everyone naked but everyone we saw had shaved all their body hair. We only saw a couple of nude sun blathers with tan lines. Everyone else was tan all over. These were serious nudists. Most were well over 50 and most were overweight. We didn't see any playmate pin up models. Shucks!
It was noon and the restaurant was busy with nude patrons sitting at the bar and tables talking. Finally a beach side table opened and we set down with nude blathers on a raised sand area beside the table, and nude restaurant patrons eating on tables on the other side of us. Even though we were the aliens, we eat lunch comfortably without anyone starring at us. If any of us had the urge to strip down and jump into the surf with these serious nudist, by the time lunch was done the urge was gone.
At the north end of Orient Bay is an anchorage behind Ilet Pinel that looked calm. It looked that there was a beach bar on the island. We could see the anchorages at Ilet Tintamarre beyond. The seas in these anchorages were rough. We next headed to Anse Marcel at northern end of the island. This was a beautiful cove with its own marina. The marina and the hotel are operated separately. Although there are two hotels in the cove one is in poor condition and appeared to have few if any guests. The second larger hotel, the Riu Palace has about 250 rooms, a series of beautifully laid out interconnected pools just behind the beach, and great beach. At the south end of the cove is a new up scaled beach bar and restaurant that is not connected to the hotels. In the right sea conditions it looked like a good anchorage. As we were thinking about coming around the island and anchoring in the cove, before leaving we checked with the hotel to inquire how much a day pass would be to use their facilities. The answer was $90 per day per person. The hotel appeared full and there were lots of guests at the pools and on the beach. They didn't appear to need or want outside business.
On the road down the western side of the Island we drove past the 50 plus restaurant on both sides of the narrow road that runs along the beach of Grand Case (more on Grand Case in a subsequent blog) and drove through Marigot, the principal city on the French Side. Marigot Bay includes the man made Fort St. Louis Marina. Although the wind was from the north east the same north swell we had ridden to St. Martin on was still running. The swell was about 3 ft in Marigot Bay and it was causing a significant surge in the Marina. Most boats in the marina were tied off with 2 to 3 lines on each tie to hold the boats against the significant back and forth jerking caused by the surge. One of the boats we saw had one of its two bow lines at one station, severed, surely from the jerking.
0830 hours, February 16, 2015, Simpson Lagoon, St. Martin: We arrived at the docks of Budget Marine, at the south side of the Lagoon. St. Martin has far more marine maintenance facilities than we found on St. Thomas. They are mostly located on the Dutch side where the bulk of the marine activity is located. There are two large chandleries in the Lagoon, Budget Marine and Island Water World. I understand these are the two largest in the Caribbean. Both have catalogs and pricing is similar, if not less than West Marine. The Budget Marine store is similar in size to a large West Marine store, not a super store like Fort Lauderdale, but the next size down. We had come to find a jamb cleat and other hardware to complete the rigging on our boarding ramp, which Allen helped me finish.
I had arranged with Shore Support, located next to the Marina office, to assist me with an oil change. With both engines and both generators we use nearly 50 gallons. They brought a small barge along side and pumped the oil into an empty 55 gallon drum on the barge. Although this is all the work we needed done, for the several days we were in the Marina we watched a parade of tradesman coming and going from the 10 super yachts stern tied, to the other side of our dock.
While I was helping with the oil change Beth, Julie and Allen had gone in search of pizza and to check out the beach in Simpson Baai on the outside just south of the bridge. They had no luck finding pizza and ended up at St. Maartin Yacht Club which overlooks the end of the channel at the bridge entering the Lagoon. As they were finishing, the traffic for the 1500 inbound bridge opening came through the cannel. Venus, Steve Jobs boat, was at the end of the procession.
Venus was completed a year after Steve Jobs died and is owned by his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs. This highly unusual design was created by French designer Philippe Starck who is neither a naval architect or a building architect. He is a very creative and successful furniture and product designer, and interior and exterior building designer with a number of hotels and restaurants to his credit. He was even at one time offered the position artistic director of Pierre Cardin's publishing house.
Clearly the design of Venus was on a fresh piece of paper and does not appear to have been burdened by evolutionary history of naval architecture. Other than the very clean simple lines the design differs from more conventional design in three ways: (1) It incorporates very large glass windows in its topsides. I understand this was possible by using the very strong glass Steve Jobs had designed for the iPhone. (The glass used in the cabin structure design is not unlike several recent Wally designs); (2) It treats "roof top" electronics as a land architect would treat roof top machinery, by screening it with slatted lattice work; and (3) By ignoring functional needs such as a swim step or low stern cockpit to help facilitate docking. Although the stern folds down to create a "beach club" the dock lines come out of the hull below the level of the floor of the folded down transom and approximately 25 ft below the cockpit deck. There is a separate fold down aft boarding ramp, in the center of the "beach club" fold down transom, which could perhaps be used to transfer lines while stern tying. But what about the outside stern line while side tying? What about the condition where there isn't enough room side tying to fold down the beach club? Clearly Philippe Starck missed or ignored the design principle, "form follows function". We have all seen electronic superstructure designs on some mega yachts that are sculptural art where form is handled artistically with out compromising function. This is great architecture. Form with disregard for function may be pretty but it is not good architecture.
As reported earlier this was our third sighting. We first saw Venus was in North Sound on New Years Eve. The second was in IGY's Yacht Haven Grande Marina in Charlotte Amalie during our visit their.
1400 Hours, February 14, 2015, Simpson Lagoon, St. Martin: Allen called to say the cab driver had dropped them off across from the IGY Yacht Club at Isle Del Sol. Julie and Allen's cruise on the Star Clipper had ended that morning in Phillipsburg, the main town on the Dutch side. Julie my sister, and Allen her husband, had picked up a cab from Phillipsburg, which is to the east of Simpson Lagoon. IGY has two Marinas in Simpson Lagoon, the Simpson Bay Marina, where we were, which has a few super yachts and mostly smaller boats, and the Yacht Club at Isle De Sol which has only super yachts. Although the Marinas are across from each other on the water their land entrances are a quarter a mile apart. This was too far to walk with their luggage so we decided to meet at the St Maarten's Yacht Club (a bar and grill overlooking the Dutch entrance to Simpson Lagoon, on the Lagoon side), which was closer and had a dingy dock.
On our way back to Catalina Sunshine we went around IGY's super yacht basin and the 30 plus super yachts docked their. Among those we passed was the 315 ft Limitless owned by Leslie Wexner, an American who owns the Victoria's Secret Brand along with others. We had previously seen this boat that has a 41 ft beam, in Palm Beach. The Bridge into the Simpson Lagoon only has a 56 ft horizontal clearance leaving very little room for a 315 ft boat with a 41 ft beam.
After settling in we all went to the market across the street from the Marina. This was a relatively large store with most the brands we like, a good selection of fresh vegetables and meat, and reasonably priced. As this was Valentine's day we decided to do something special for dinner. The day after arriving in St. Martin I had explored both the Dutch and French sides of the Lagoon. At the north end of the channel that runs from the body of the Lagoon up into Marigot I had found a waterside village with a number of french restaurants on the docks surrounding a small turning basin at the end of the channel. Although these French restaurants were a distance of about 4 miles it didn't take long to get there by dingy on the relative smooth waters of the Lagoon.
The sun was beginning to set as we pulled up along side other dinges, which were tied off on the dock at the west side of the turning basin. We locked the dingy to a dock cleat, and immediately started to interview restaurateurs asking questions about the French and European dished on their menus. They speak French in Marigot, and English with a French accent. With only a 20 minute dingy ride we had arrived in France. With the sun now setting we interviewed restaurateur after restaurateur with our mouths watering as they described in detail each dish they would be serving this Valentine's day. About half way around the turning basin, moving in a clock wise direction, a restaurateur was sautéing the vegetables for Paella in a 3 ft diameter paella pan along the edge of the dock. The aroma made our mouths water even more. By the time we had conducted the last interview we knew we had found a very special place and were faced with a tough decision between many great choices.
We turned the decision over to the girls who picked the third interviewee, Le Galion. We set on the edge of the dock for an outstanding meal which started with French wine and garden fresh garlic snails.
0600 Hours, February 12, 2015, North Sound, Virgin Gorda, BVI: We dropped our mooring line and retraced our path entering North Sound. With our thermal imaging camera we were able to safely navigate around moored boats and buoys before first light. We cleared the entrance to the Sound and had turned on an east course between Prickly Pear Island and Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island, as first light appeared. As we passed Pajaros Point, the eastern most spot in the Virgin Islands, the sun was just beginning to rise behind clouds to the east. We had been protected in the Virgin Island's enclave since we had arrived two months earlier. We were now making a true ocean passage on a course, just south of east, to St. Martin. We had been talking to Chris Parker for more than a week and looking at Buoy Weather twice daly in searching for a weather window. Fortunately we didn't have to wait long. On this day the wind and swell were from the north west at 15nm an hour, and the seas were 5 to 6 ft. An ideal following wind and sea for our passage, which was unusual for this predominantly east trade wind latitude.
As we approached St. Martin we were met by a school of dolphin. These dolphin were smaller and much faster than the Florida and Georgia dolphin we were use to seeing. St. Martin, Sint Maarten is one Island with two countries. St. Martin is the name for the French side which is the north part of the Island. Sint Maarten is the name for the southern Dutch side. Most, as I will, refer to this two nation Island as St. Martin. Even though these are two countries, we were able to check into customs on the Dutch side and travel freely back and forth between the the two countries, by land and by sea, without having to check in or out of one or the other country.
Much of the boating activity on St. Martin occurs in Simpson Lagoon which is a large body of salt water incapsulated by a peninsula that wraps around it on the west side of the Island. The boundary line between the two countries runs through the middle of the Lagoon. There are two entrances to the Lagoon, one from the main city on the French side, Marigot, to the north of the Lagoon, and the second from Simpson Baai, a cove on the Dutch side to the south of the Lagoon. Both entrances are blocked by bridges which are normally only opened on specified hours. The seas from the north east which were giving us a pleasant ride to the Island would be rolling directly in Marigot making an overnight stay their unpleasant. Because of the shape of the Island west of Simpson Baai I suspected the north west swell would cause a significant surge in this Bay as well. We were planning to enter the Lagoon knowing northern swells were predicted for several days. The last bridge opening on the Dutch side was 1700 hours. I was under the impression that we could not go into the Lagoon until we cleared customs and if there was a significant surge we would not want to stay on the outside. With this in mind our goal had been to reach Simpson Baai by 1500, which we did.
As we entered the bay we could see 300 foot plus super yachts anchored in the bay rolling in a five foot surge that had rapped itself around the west side of the island and was coming in from the south west.
After being cleared through customs (I found out we could have cleared customs after docking) I had to stand in a second line to pay the harbor fees so long I almost missed the bridge opening. Finally the lady at the desk said we could settle up when we left and I went back to the boat to get in line for the bridge. Before arriving we had decided to go into IGYs Simpson Bay Marina. This Marina was much more reasonably priced than their Yacht Haven Grande Marina in Charlotte Amalie. Not knowing where we would be in the Marina and if we would have room to lower our tender (which lowers on our port side) we left it down and pulled it through the bridge. A Marina boat which guided us through the bridge took the dingy and gave us instructions on placement of our fenders. We side tied, stern in backed up to the super yachts on A dock, which were med moored facing out into the Lagoon.
After watching the sun set from our bow, which was facing west, we had drinks and dinner at Jimbos, an open air tropically decorated restaurant just outside the Marina Security Gate. Their margaritas were outstanding and their food reasonably priced.
1045 hours, February 10, 2015, North Sound, Virgin Gorda, BVI: Jim, Kim, Jackie and I landed on the Biras Creek dock to hike up the hill to the west of the castle like stone restaurant we had eaten in the night before. The trail raises quickly with granite rocks providing unorganized steps. Because of the steep climb the views back into the Sound and out over Anegada Passage, which separates the Virgin Islands and the Leeward Islands to the east, became more magnificent with each step. On the way down Jim stopped on a rock ledge with Jackie to pose for a picture.
Our next stop after lunch on board, was to lay on the wooden chase lounges under a thatched shade structure on the south Bitter End Beach and then snorkel around Rat Point. The same fish we had seen at Trunk Bay and Norman Island were here, but unfortunately because of the wind, the water was murky.
We went back to the boat to clean up and then to the Costa Smeralda Yacht Club for drinks. This remarkable high end club facility is the Caribbean out post of the Costa Smeralda Yacht Club in Spain. As we had discovered on our previous visits the facilities and the view from the restaurant level over the super yacht docks, with the Sound and Bitter End in the background, were breath taking. The view this day included Alfa Nero a 269 ft super yacht which was med moored at the end of the main gangway with the waterfall on its aft deck infinity pool centered on the gangway which led up the hill to the Yacht Club. Alfa Nero, which has a 47 ft beam and crew do 26, is owned by Theodore Angelopoulos a Greek businessman involved in the steel and shipping industries.
Leaving the Yacht Club we went across the Sound to a restaurant on the water at Bitter End for an outstanding buffet as the sun set. The next morning at 0700 hours, I took Jim and Kim by dingy to Gun Creek which is the end of the road to Spanish Town and west of Bitter End. The resorts we had been visiting in North Sound are accessible only by water. From Gun Creek Jim and Kim took a cab to Spanish Town, then a ferry to Road Town on Tortola. Here they had to check through customs to clear out of the BVI. Then they took a ferry to Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas where they had to check through Customs to enter the US. Then they took a taxi to the airport where they again had to go through customs, and of course, the TSA. As this was a cruise ship day (cruise ships were in port at Charlotte Amalie) the lines were packed. We understand that it was fortunate their 1330 flight was delayed as they would not have made it through the lines in time.
1330 hours, February 9, 2015, North Sound, Virgin Gorda, BVI: We blasted our horn twice as we passed the Star Clipper Ship anchored in North Sound just off Vixen Point on Prickley Pear Island. The Star Clipper is a large sailing cruise ship that my sister Julie and her husband Allen were touring the Northern Caribbean on. Although we did not see them as we passed, we learned later they were on lounge chairs at Vixen Point and had waved.
We continued north and picked up a mooring in the Bitter End Yacht Club Mooring Field. We pick up the same mooring we had picked up when we first arrived at North Sound before Christmas. While eating lunch on the aft deck, Allen sailed by in a sunfish, tied off on our stern, and came aboard for a few minutes. He confirmed that Julie and he would be able to join us for dinner at Brias Creek. Jim, Kim, Beth and I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the facilities at the Bitter End Yacht Club. Jim had previously been here with his and Beth's Dad, on a sailing bare boat they had chartered. This was Kim's first visit.
Julie and Allen joined us for a drink on board before dinner. Beth and Kim had picked up Nutmeg from the Emporium at Bitter End while we were wandering around earlier in the day. This was the last remaining ingredient they needed for Beth's version of the Painkiller. Although we believe we are using the same ingredients they used at the Blght, Beth' version tastes smoother to me. Perhaps it's the 10 year old rum we are using from Cane Garden on Tortola.
The Restaurant at Biras Creek Resort did not disappoint even though our expectations were high from our first trip in December. The sunset and night view was spectacular looking back down into North Sound from the hilltop, castle like, stone, open air building the restaurant is in. The food was equally outstanding including the assortment of deserts we choose, than passed around for everyone to sample.
I took Julie and Allan back to the cruise ship before their 2130 curfew. The ship was gone when we woke in the morning.
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.
1015 hours February 8, 2015, Great Harbour, Peter Island, BVI: We picked up a mooring tucked back into the south east corner of Great Harbour on Peter Island.
The primary attraction on Peter Island is the Peter Island Resort. We spent most of the day strolling through the Resort's Deadman's Bay Beach and it's other amenities. This high end resort can accommodate 50 guests and they ask that men wear a coat and tie to dine in their Tradewinds Restaurant with its service with french silverware and Italian crystal in their stone walled dinning room.
Their Deadman's Beach is crescent shaped with white power sand, and reasonably dense palm trees. Behind the beach is a paved path for walking and golf carts. Both the steep hill side behind, and median between the beach and the golf cart and pedestrian path, are lushly landscaped with tropical hedges and colorful plants. There is an open air restaurant and bar in the center of the beach with service to wooden chase lounges with upholstered cushions under shade structures, along the beach. At the west end of the Beach, resort suites opened directly on the sand.
At the east end the crescent shaped Resort Beach is interrupted about two thirds of the way around the cove, that creates the Bay, with an out cropping of rocks. Beyond the rock out cropping at the far east end of the cove is a second beach designated for cruisers. As we walked onto this second beach, the crew of a chartered 185 ft super yacht, anchored in the cove, was setting up a tent over twelve captains chairs and a long table, for a late lunch service. Sitting in front were the charterers on portable beach chairs and chase lounges with two small puppies that looked like Jackie. After the two stopped barking Jackie was quick to make new friends, chasing the other two puppies and being chased in circles, as they played. Along with the jet skies, kayaks, and a small sail boat tethered behind the super yacht were the two devices they had on the beach, that you laid on to power you through and under the water.
As we were leaving the "Cruisers Beach" we saw a fleet of Hobie 16 catamarans with matching multicolored sails
landing at the north east corner of the beach. This was the same fleet we had seen the night before on the beach
at the Blight on Normans Island where they had erected tents on top of their trampolines.
At happy hour we came back to the Resort's Deadman's Bay Beach Bar for drinks and then wandered back over the hill to the Resorts main buildings in Sprat Bay which is their private harbor. From here they ferry their guests back and forth to Road Town on Tortola. They also have some limited docking and three moorings in this private Harbor they rent for overnight stays. When we came down the hill into Sprat Bay we saw Jackie's new super yacht friends had backed into the Harbor, with an anchor forward, tiring up to the Resort's one large dock. We ran into the "parents" of Jackie's friends while touring the open air lobby, pool area, the entry to the Tradewinds Restaurant and the gift shop, all with elegant architecture and interior design.
In all, Peter Island Resort is first class.
0945 hours, February 7, 2015, Soper's Hole, Tortola Island BVI: Dropped anchor, lowered the dingy and headed for customs. Normally the captain is the only one allowed ashore until the captain has cleared customs for all crew and passengers. It can be a problem for the boat when checking out of customs on departure if the same passengers that were on board at check in are not on board when checking out. As Jim and Kim would be leaving us while we were still in the BVI's, I brought them along to check in. The were able to check in independently and were not included on the boat's manifest.
After checking in we picked Beth up at the boat, and had a late breakfast at one of the restaurants in Soper's Hole. We then headed south to the Blight on Norman's Island. We picked up a mooring on the north side of the cove toward the entrance. After settling in Jim, Kim and I header around Treasure Point at the south west entrance to the cove, to the caves. We tied the dingy off on a buoy supported line for that purpose, close to cliffs between the caves. We donned scuba gear and splashed into the the 82 degree water to search for pirates treasure.
Visibility was much better than it had been at Trunk Bay. The fish were more plentiful, and with the clearer water, more colorful. Coral, as the colorful fish, were everywhere both inside and outside the caves. This beautiful sea life was spectacular. We had found the pirate's treasure.
Back on Catalina Sunshine we witnessed a amazing semicircular rainbow looking back through the entrance to the Cove, toward Tortola.
As this was Saturday night we had made reservations for dinner at the new Pirates Beach Bar and Grill, reserving a table along the Beach. On the way in we passed the Willie T as we had on our previous trip. This was a more rowdy group than those at at happy hour on our previous trip. As we passed one couple had just took a leap of faith inspired by chanting from the pirates quenching their thrust aboard the Willie T.
Happy hour was still underway when we arrived at the Pirates Beach Bar. With the two for one pricing we stocked up on Pain Killers before the bell rung to end happy hour. A Pain Killer includes orange and pineapple juice, cream of coconut and rum with nutmeg on the top. It slides down smoothly successfully killing all pain. I was the only tea totter. The waiter, who had become our best friend by this time, wanted to know why I had no pain. He immediately understood my explanation, that I was the cause of their pain. Pain free, we all enjoyed the dinner and a gorgeous sunset from our table on the beach.
