Beautiful BVIs

Sunset at Virgin Gourda

After beating upwind through square seas yet again we arrived in US Virgin Islands (USVI). We motor sailed to make better time and sailed past St. Thomas and into the more sheltered area of USVI and as soon as we turned in it was like being in a different weather zone completely! The seas level out and the wind direction is constant. We learned this is a serious highlight about sailing in the Virgin Islands - you can actually sail! My experience with sailing has been somewhat intense with bad weather, tricky passages, and long, long journeys between ports. Thus I wondered why chartering a boat you don't know was so popular? Now I see why it's the charter capital of the world - the sailing is so easy it's enjoyable and doesn't feel like such bloody tiring, hard, scary work!

The other great thing about having thousands of boats in the area means you can get any kind of boat service. We were able to get our genoa repaired in the same day thanks to Doyle and the snubber we've been trying to replace since The Bahamas, Goldenhind Chandlery was able to make for the next day! We quickly grew accustomed to having a dingy dock everywhere and having everything catered to people being on a boat! 

The islands are all so close together that we got to do short little sails each day and see most of the islands. We spent one afternoon hiking to the peak of Virgin Gorda and were rewarded with spectacular views and burgers and fries at the top :) 

After our hike and burgers

Views from atop Virgin Gourda

We spent another afternoon snorkelling the caves at Norman's Cay, seeing quite a few fish and getting a good workout with the current against us in every direction. 

One of the other highlights was that we got to meet up with my friend Hayley and her husband Bob and their friends who were chartering a boat for the week. We spent the afternoon clambering around the incredible "Baths" (picture 40ft granite boulders balanced precariously and surrounded by fine white sand) and had dinner on their brand new swanky boat and swapped sailing horror stories!

Hayley & Kate

Inside the Baths

One of the things we liked best about the BVIs was that it finally afforded us an opportunity to relax.

First Americano in months!

We have been covering a lot of ground with no auto-pilot in fairly high winds and rough seas and I don't think we realized how tired we were! While we were still in DR we felt like we had to so much ground to cover and so many degrees of latitude to put behind us before the start of hurricane season that our boat was a total mess, we were eating boring quick meals and motoring all day. BVIs really let us relax, sail and cover short distances. We enjoyed beaches, swimming, walks, snorkelling and beautiful sunsets and feel rejuvenated enough to tackle our last long passage - the Anegada Passage.

The Anegada Passage is known to be rough. There are swells coming in from the Atlantic meeting the opposing swells from the Caribbean and when the two swells collide it's like being on a tilt-a-whirl: the boat pitches and rolls at the same time. Add in strong east winds and it can be a long and uncomfortable passage. We'll wait out a good weather window and then head either to St. Martin or Anguilla depending on wind direction. 

The Baths

How to Tell a Cruising Boat from a Charter - Observations by James

BVI has the perfect recipe for sailors and non-sailors to get on a boat for their vacation. So here’s how to distinguish those fine folks from cruisers like ourselves.

1. Charters are clean (and so are their boats). Getting a weekly or daily freshwater washdown works wonders for boats and people. Cruisers just don't have the same luxury and are often a little stinky and more than a little dirty.
2. Check for skin colour. On charters it's either bright white or bright red! 
3. If there are people at the bow dressed in khakis and polo shirts, it's definitely a charter. These snazzy crew members are paid to drive, moor, and clean the boat, make drinks and snacks, get out and put away the toys, hang up clothing and towels, etc. Cruisers have to do all of this themselves - imagine!
4. If the people on the boat are having showers with fresh water that last longer than 60 seconds, it's most certainly a charter.
5. If every light on the boat is on with no sign of a solar panel - charter.
6. We've noticed that charter boats love to get up close to the attractions like snorkelling or the Baths. In fact they will circle around for ages until that convenient mooring ball is free as though they were looking for the best parking spot to do their Christmas shopping. Cruisers will take what is free, as in $0, even if it's a couple miles out of the way.

All this said, chartering has helped to make BVI into a very convenient and boat-friendly country. It's absolutely beautiful and chartering a boat there would be a splendid alternative to the usual March Break destinations.