BVI's # 3 Jost Van Dyke

Jost Van Dyke
After an evening of celebration, we awoke to another breezy but sunny day in paradise. With a couple of cups of coffee to clear the cobwebs, we upped anchor and headed to White Bay with its magnificent white sand beaches, turquoise waters and the famous "Soggy Dollar" bar, birth place of the famous "painkiller" cocktail.

The Soggy Dollar supposedly got it's name years ago when sailors would anchor in the bay and swim ashore to enjoy the magnificent beach and a painkiller. As a result of their short swim, the money in their pockets was usually soggy.

We enjoyed lunch at Soggy Dollar, washed down with painkillers.
The first time we tasted a painkiller was at our marina, Boundary Creek Yacht Club, Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba Canada. Dean, the marina manager visits the BVI's often and introduced painkillers at the club bar. I must say, Dean could teach some of these establishments in the BVI's how to make a great painkiller.

White Bay, and especially the Soggy Dollar,  is a funky place, well known to cruisers from all over the world. We had heard many stories about the Soggy Dollar, especially from years gone by before bars cropped up all over the beach. As cruisers, we wanted a photo  with our AGLCA  (America's Great Loop Cruisers Association) burgee. 

Here the crews of Lamb Chop and Kaos pose outside the Soggy Dollar with their well travelled AGLCA burgees.

The bay offers a few mooring balls, which are always occupied, meaning the rest of the boats must anchor in this busy and frequently rolly destination. The cruise guides suggest that most overnights spent here will be uncomfortable, depending on wind and swell direction.

We elected to anchor for a few hours, enjoy the beach and move back to the anchorage in Cane Garden Bay, a short jaunt back to Tortola.

Over the years, many funky beach bars have sprung up along the waterfront, and White Bay is accessible by both water and road.

We enjoyed a pub crawl as we walked along the beach. Today was Alison & John's last full day aboard so we maximized our day last day. 

February 9, today,  is Alan’s birthday. We departed Cane Garden Bay, hoping to get our beach day at Sandy or Green Cay, just three miles away, enroute to Manchioneel Bay on Jost Van Dyke. Once again, the seas were to active for a comfortable day at anchor off the beach, so we continued on to the calm of  Diamond Cay anchorage in Manchioneel Bay and dropped anchor.

Foxy’s Taboo restaurant, a more upscale and newer version of the famous Foxy's Tamarind at Great Harbour on Jost. Mooring balls are available and there is a new dock at Foxy's for dinghys and those wishing to be on terre firma, but no services appeared available. There is some skinny water on the approach to the dock so a exercise caution.
Moorings were all occupied upon our arrival, so we dropped anchor and took the dingy ashore for a walk to the bubbly pool, about a mile trek from the dock.

As the tide rises, sea water is forced through the opening in the rocks and creates a bubbly whirlpool effect. When we arrived, the tide was still quite low, but we enjoyed the effect inspite of a cloudy, cooler day. The floor of the pool is quite rocky so water shoes are a good idea.

The trail has been marked and so have the few poisonous trees along the route. I believe that these are manchioneel trees, but not certain  Apparently the bark can cause significant skin irritation.

Diamond Cay and the anchorage are clearly visible from parts of the trail.

After a dip in the bubbly pool and the walk back, we stopped at Foxy's for lunch. It was busy, but the service was good and friendly, albeit a little slow, but since we weren't in a hurry, we relaxed and enjoyed Alan's birthday lunch in the gentle breeze, overlooking Manchioneel Bay.

A rib feast was enjoyed aboard Kaos  by all later that evening, complete with Jan's birthday cake. Tim's birthday is the 13th and since we will not all be together on that date, tonight's celebration was for both Alan and Tim.

Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
After visiting the Baths on Virgin Gorda, our next planned stop was an afternoon on the magnificent sand beaches at Sandy or Green Cay. Once again, seas were to rough to leave the boat and the swell made beaching the dinghy ashore to dangerous. As a result, we crossed over to Cane Garden Bay, in the lee of Tortola. It seems that many others had the same thought; all the moorings were all taken when we arrived, but there was room to anchor at the south east end of the bay.
From the boat, Cane Garden Bay looked like a happening kind of place, with numerous beach side bars and restaurants.
Following a refreshing shower, we dinghied ashore to the public dinghy dock, below Quitos (the bright yellow building toward the north end of the beach). We walked the white sand beach in search of a happy hour cocktail or two. As we explored the beach front, we came across Stanley's restaurant, advertising a lobster special that evening. We didn't need much coaxing, enjoying sunset on the beach followed by lobster dinner.
The next morning we had breakfast ashore at Rymer's. Not the greatest, some orders were incorrect, some were cold, and the waitress had a lousy attitude. No warm and fuzzy's here.
Cane Garden Bay can get very busy with bus loads of cruise ship passengers arriving from Road Town for a day at the beach. Every waterfront establishment adorns the beach with lounge chairs and umbrellas, all available for a fee. If you like tranquil, remote beaches, Cane Garden is not the spot for you on cruise ship days.
A good grocery store is just a short walk from the waterfront and there are two laundromats in town.
Breakfast ashore in Cane Garden Bay. Attempted a beach day at Sandy Cay, but conditions were to rough.

BVI's # 2 Virgin Gorda

The Baths, Virgin Gorda

Finally, winds have diminished and we are off to the famous "Baths" on the southern tip of Virgin Gorda.

 

The Baths comprise unique, large boulders stacked up to six storeys high, with tidal pools , caves, grottos and hidden beaches interspersed.

They are one of the world's most famous rock formations, and certainly the most visited, and often the busiest sight in the Virgins, but well worth the visit. As busy as the anchorage appears with visiting boat traffic, there are many more visitors arriving by car or bus.

Violent volcanic events many millions of years ago formed the beginings of the Virgin Islands. Earthquakes followed millions of years later, pushing the granite formations above the ocean floor, forming some of what we see today. The smoothness of the boulders we see today is created partially by weathering, but mostly by the reaction to carbonic acid, when rain water is mixed with naturally occurring carbon dioxide.

There are mooring balls available, if you fortunate and arrive early, but the majority of boats anchor and dinghy ashore.  The dinghy mooring area is clearly marked, and like most folks,

Alan disembarked passegers on the beach and returned the dinghy to the mooring area, then swam/snorkelled ashore to join us. The surge was still strong, requiring that dinghy operators be strong swimmers.

As we explored the rock and pool formations, we arrived at Devil's Bay beach, which on this particular day was much calmer, and easier to land a dinghy on the beach for drop off and pick up.

We enjoyed a glorious day exploring this magnificent treasure, followed by a dip in Devil's Bay to cool off before reversing the trek and heading back to the dinghy.

The trail through the rocks and grottos is well marked, and narrow at times, necessitating single file traffic at times. It is pretty straight forward, and safe, but having to climb a small ladder and scale up a rock using the rope rail to pull one self up means that this part of the trail is not handicap accessible.

Previously I have written of the nudity here in the BVI's, and the Baths were no exception. As my sister and I emerged out of one of the grottos, into one of the  pools, a man ("Willy Wanker") emerged from behind a rock (somewhat younger than the bathing beauties at Gorda Sound)  but still not what I expected to see here in busy paradise.He was proudlysporting just his sun hat and a "woody" as he exited from behind a rock. Not sure what he was up to and certainly not wishing to find out, we continued through to the next grotto.

Before heading back to the boat, we visited Mad Dog's for a libation.



Other than Mad Dog's beach bar, T shirt and hot dog vendors, there are no services ashore. The Top of the Baths restaurant is a walk/climb above, but we did not make the climb.

Gorda Sound and Bitter End Yacht Club (BEYC)
Waiting for winds and swell to disipate, we spent the next two days in Gorda Sound, and once again witnessed the bathing Beauties......I mean old boys. This time one was wearing a bathing suit, but dropped it around his ankles as he cleansed his parts with the hand held shower. Note to self, when chartering a rental boat, disinfect the shower head. You never know where it has been!
Super Bowl Sunday commenced with a tasty breakfast buffet.

We later toured the resort grounds in an effort to walk off some of the excess calories consumed.

As members of AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruising Association, we proudly fly our burgee. While relaxing aboard, we heard someone calling Kaos from the dinghy. Upon further investigation, it was Mike and Jeannie Linden from Jeannie Marie. We met them in 2007 while cruising the "Loop". They were chartering a boat with friends and recognised the burgee and the boat while on a shore excursion for provisions. It is always fun to catch up with fellow cruisers, and this once again demonstrated the benefits of flying an association burgee.

We watched the game aboard, with about half of the group happy with the outcome.
A breezy morning greeted us as we unhooked the mooring ball, at Cooper Island, and heading off to the famous "baths" on Virgin Gorda. Wind continued to build, causing uncomfortable short chop on top of the ocean swell, making for a less than comfortable ride. Conditions made a visit to the "baths" untenable, and since one of our guests was turning slowly green, we decided to cruise the coast looking for a calm bay. After cruising numerous bays and upscale resorts, it was determined that North Sound on Virgin Gorda was the only area of shelter in this part of the islands. As we entered the Sound, our ride and comfort improved dramatically, and passenger John began to feel human again.

As we secured our mooring line, we were greeted with more nudity. Two older men on the sail boat directly in front of us appeared naked and proceeded to shower off the stern of their boat. Not a sight I choose to remember.

Justice Prevailed

March 23, 2011 Justice Prevailed, St. Thomas, USVI

This morning, we experienced an event that most visitors to the US Virgin Islands are spared; a morning in Federal Court, to defend a citation we received for illegal anchoring in Hurricane Hole, on the south shore of the St. John National Park.

We certainly would not have anchored there had we known it was illegal. No restrictions were indicated on either our electronic Maptech charts, NOAA charts or our Virgin Island Cruise Guide, and there were no buoys or signs posted anywhere in the area. In fact, there were two other vessels anchored in the same area. The law enforcement Parks Ranger was not interested in any explanation, only issuing a $275 citation! Those of you who know Captain Kaos, will know that this certainly did not sit well with him, nor in our opinion was it reasonable. Following several phone calls, and being shuffled to many National Parks departments, we were eventually given a number to contact the Court Clerk in Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. Lydia was professional, courteous and very helpful in expediting a court date, so as not to delay our departure for Puerto Rico and the commencement of our long voyage back home to Florida.

We consulted a local lawyer, who wanted $300 for a phone consult and $800 - $1,000 to represent us. Alan opted to take his chances on defending himself and spent the next few days gathering facts and information from many sources and building his defense.

We arrived at the court house for our 9:30 appointment with Judge Miller, and due to schedule conflicts with lawyers and other courts, the docket got shuffled around and our case was not heard until about 11:30. As we sat through some of the prior cases, it quickly became evident that Judge Miller was a very knowledgeable, diligent, and understanding human being, we felt confident that she would be fair and unbiased.

Our expectation was that we would have a five or ten minute audience with the Judge and present our situation and facts and she would rule….wrong!!. It was just like you see on TV. The District Attorney outlined his case and called Ranger Smith to testify. Alan then had the opportunity to cross examine him, followed by Alan testifying on the stand and being cross examined by the DA. Court process and procedures are not something that we are familiar with, and thankfully Judge Miller guided Alan through this; on occasion suggesting how he might want to phrase a particular question. She acted almost as our lawyer.

After almost 90 minutes and Alan’s presenting numerous documents, regulations, copies of maps and charts etc. into evidence, it was time for summation by both sides.

The Judge disagreed with the DA, stating that he had not proved his argument and the case dismissed. She suggested that the Park consider signage to inform boaters of the anchoring restriction, and advised Alan that the US Virgin Island Parks are governed under their own particular guidelines, which he should become more familiar with. Upon conclusion, the DA shook Alan’s hand and said “you sure that you are not a lawyer?”

Whew! No fine, the wine budget remains intact for another month.

As we departed the court house, we stopped at security to retrieve our cell phones and the security lady asked how we made out. She had been on duty at the court room entrance for a while and said Alan was doing well when she left.

All the locals that we encountered in the court were very courteous, professional and friendly.

We celebrated success with a nice lunch and walk through the colorful historic waterfront of Charlotte Amalie.

Anegada, The Gem of the BVI's

Anegada, truly the gem of the BVI’s!

Anegada,  is the most remote of all the BVI’s and is located about twenty (20) miles northeast of Tortola. A haven for beach lovers, the island is home to about 250 permanent residents. Unlike the other volcanic rock islands, which can be seen from miles away, Anegada is a coral atoll, with a height of only 28 feet above sea level, meaning that one has to be within five miles of shore before sighting land.

Much of this low lying island is surrounded by the extensive Horseshoe Reef, which provides shelter from the ocean swell for the magnificent stretches of sand beaches along the north shore of the island, and snorkeling for the so inclined. The harbor in Setting Point offers mooring balls and plenty of room to anchor. Moorings are generally full by 2pm each day, meaning arriving boats must anchor, as we did. The bottom is mostly sand, and deep draft vessels will need to exercise caution. Most evenings during our five day stay, there were 25 – 50 boats in the harbor.

Lobster is certainly the specialty here in Anegada with five or six restaurants lining the shore around the harbor. Most just serve dinner since the majority of visitors head to the north shore for a day on the beaches, where lunch is available at both Big bamboo’s on Loblolly Beach or Cow wreck Bar and Grill on Cow wreck Beach.



Cow Wreck Beach



The Reef Hotel provides shuttle service to your beach of choice for $10 round trip per person. We opted to rent a car from L’il Bitz, just outside the hotel gate. Cost was $60 per 24 hours. We rented noon to noon, and for an additional $10, we extended the car until 6pm. This gave us flexibility and allowed us to travel the island. Many of the roads are rock and sand, so travel is slow going at times.

Following a tasty breakfast at the Reef Hotel, we strolled the local community and gleaned the lay of the land. We picked up our little rental car at noon and set off on another adventure with friends Tim and Jan. We visited several beaches on day one. The first beach was Cow Wreck, which got it's name hen a ship carrying cow bones to a fertizer facility floundered on the reef and sinking. Cow bones washed ashore, hence the name.
All beaches were great, but we selected the stunning Loblolly Beach with Big Bamboo bar and restaurant as our favorite spot.





Lobster is the house specialty, and since we skipped lunch, we decided to enjoy an early dinner at Bamboo’s, where we listened to the rhythm of the surf and watched the sunset, while feasting on the best lobster yet.



Bring on the Lobster



Sally, our waitress took great care of us and serenaded us with her songs as she worked.

Aubrey, the owner of Big Bamboo said it all with his quote “Anegada is the place to rinse your soul”.

We enjoyed Loblolly so much, we decided to spend the entire next day on the beach, swimming, soaking up the sun and "rinsing our souls".

Our experience was that much of the reef at Loblolly Beach is in distress, suffering from UV damage, but it was still a wonderful relaxing day that we will remember for a very long time.

 

The annual “Dark and Stormy Regatta” was hosted by the Reef Hotel during our visit, and the additional 25 or so sail boats added to the activity and enjoyment with a dance and DJ at the hotel on Saturday evening and a live band on Sunday evening.

It was quite a sight to watch the boats depart on Monday morning.

Small community outside the hotel with local gift and souvenir shops, clothing, basic groceries and some fresh produce, Laundromat and car and jeep rentals.

Supposedly, there are flamingoes on the island, and if you are lucky, you may see some in the salt ponds.  Although we searched diligently, it was not our lucky day.

Potters By The Sea

Reef Hotel and Potters

Fellow "Loopers" (America's Great Loop Cruising Assoc) Neil and Peggy, aboard "Early Out" arrived in Anegada. We re-connected and swapped sea stories and lies over  happy hour at Potters by the Sea, located next door to the Reef Hotel. Dinner reservations appeared brisk if the number of lobsters being pulled out of the pen, submerged at the dock were any indication. As previously stsated, lobster is the specialty here in Anegada, and all restaurants have their own holding pens at their dock.

Next morning we walked along the beach, past Neptunes Treasure, another quaint seafood restaurant. Later we took the dinghy to explore and check out the damage incurred from the hurricanes of 2010.

The rental cottages located out on the point were built on the sand, which appeared to wash out during the storms, leaving the cabins with no foundation, and susequently breaking apart with some falling into the sea.

Pam's Kitchen is a bakery/deli, located behind Neptune's Treasure, and most evenings prior to sunset, Pam visits the boats at anchor, offering her home baked goodies. We purchased a couple of scrumptious cinnamon buns and a fantastic loaf of multi-grain bread.

Later that evening, we dined aboard while watching another spectacular sunset. A wonderful end to ourlast day here in paradise.



Sunset in Anegada

Tomorrow morning depart Anegada for Tortola, having "rinsed our souls" and rejuvenated our bodies.