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British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/28/2013 5:45:04 PM   
uphillklimber


Posts: 5531
Joined: 2/17/2005
From: Bryant Pond, Maine
Status: offline
2013-01-27 British Virgin Islands sail Trip

Saturday, January 19. This trip started at 4:45 AM in Kennebunk, Maine, at Captain Dan's house; followed by a stop in Hampton to pick up Jeff. This is a guy's trip. Captain Dan has been sailing since his early 20's, Jeff is his best friend from way back and has accompanied him on many a trip. I am the newbie, first trip for me!

The flight out of Boston (Logan Airport) is uneventful and we get to Beef Island in Tortola in good time. Lunch at the airport was about $20.00 each during the layover for a large burger and fries with drink. The only issue on the flight is that I didn't drink enough and am dehydrated. I was trying to limit the bathroom runs while on the plane, bad idea. So I am taking aspirin and drinking lots of water once we get to the resort. At the airport, a transfer is waiting there, we didn't arrange for it, it was just there from the yacht club, so we accepted the ride. It's an open truck with a canvas roof and no doors. Sure enough, one of my bags goes flying when we round a corner. It's so packed that aside from some scuffing, there is no damage. Transfer charge was $40.00 with tip.


We load our luggage into the boat, fairly nicely appointed. Each of us gets our own room, with our own bathroom. After that, we wash our faces and decide to head to the market to provision the boat. Just about $500.00 later, we are back at the boat with 2 shopping carts. Three way split means about $150.00 for me and $175.00 each for them (because of booze) for the week. Of course we have to buy dish soap, foil, water, toilet paper, seasoning, everything. There aren't many options out on the water. We used my credit card, then I realized this may be my last charge as I have not notified the credit card company. The guys reimburse me in cash, so I have spending money. Next, we each fund the kitty with $100.00 to cover mooring fees and anything that comes up. Captain Dan throws together a nice salad and American chop suey, followed by a trip to the bar. Next up was a shower and shave and bed time. Long day and we are here!

Sunday, January 20. I am awake at 5:30, the sun waits until 6:30. I get a few pictures of the marina.





I return the two shopping carts and get us 4 more gallons of water for the trip, as we only had 8 for the three of us for a week. The boat across from us is unloading and gives us another gallon of water, giving us 13 gallons of drinking water, along with cereal, coke, toilet paper, ginger beer and more.
Captain Dan does up a nice breakfast for us and we get our orientation, followed by loading up rental gear, air tanks and flippers, and soon we are heading out to sea. We set sails as soon as we clear the harbor, but they are weak, so we lower the sails and put her under power. Captain Dan tells us which color ropes to release and which to pull and which to tie. This is actually fun, and learning some of the ins and outs is great. After a couple hours, we moor up in Leinster Bay, St John Island. Jeff snags the mooring ball with the hook, and feed the rope thru it and tie the rope to the cleats on the deck. I am just gonna learn all kinds of sailing things on this trip, I hope I am getting the terminology right. Argh!!!!






We are going to overnight here so we eat the leftover chop suey and head into the water for some snorkeling. After a while, back on the boat, Captain Dan and I decide to visit the Annaberg Sugar Mill.










After walking the ruins and reading the placards, we head down a wooden stairway thru the woods, and surprise a couple small deer! In the woods, here and there are some huge brown balls , termites we think, in the trees. No we do not investigate closely. On the way back to the boat in the dinghy, we head over to the pay station to deposit the $15.00 overnight mooring fee. We meet a very interesting gentleman there and get some stories out of him. What did he do for work? As little as possible! He has lived aboard 4 different boats over the years, each of which he built. He shares some information with us of the area, including how this bay was donate by Rockefeller to the USA for free use forever, similar to Acadia. Generous man this Rockefeller guy was. Thus he pays his mooring fees of $7.50, being a local, in change.
Back on board, Captain Dan serves up a salad along with barbecued chicken over rice. We all add hot sauce to the rice and chicken. We are eating very well on this trip! This is the only meal we let Captain Dan clean up from. He is doing such a great job cooking, we'll do the dishes. Besides, he doesn't recognize a clean sink full of drying dishes when he tosses food scraps from the food prep area. Jeff is managing to get updates via text of the Patriots game, so we keep up with the game, until it is just obvious they are done. Bed time!

Monday, January 21. We awake early today, breakfast of sausage and eggs is devoured and we power the boat over to the Indians, for our first dive of the trip. We snag a mooring right off. Jeff is having issues clearing his ears, but has worked that out! Everyone in the water! Being my first dive, I don't take a camera. I actually brought two water cameras, an old Canon with a case, and a new Sealife SL 330. We swim all around the Indians and thru the arch on the back side of them. Pretty awesome. My first real dive! But... my reg is leaking seawater. Everyone thinks I am not holding it right in my mouth, and I try different things, but it's the reg that is leaking by the diaphragm. I changed to my back up reg. All is well with that one. My 3 mil wetsuit is keeping me nice and warm, and I am never cool in it.





I wear the gloves for abrasion and the boots to make my dive fins fit my feet. The boots give a sense of security as in later dives, I am concerned about walking on sea urchins, careful as I am, the waves can push me . Yesterday's snorkel trip, I tried out some split fins, today was the dive fins. I never try the splits again. They just seem wimpy to me, I'll never strain a leg muscle with them, which, I suppose is one appeal to them, besides the advertising. I want a stronger fin, as I am a hiker, skier, construction worker who has some leg muscle and I want to push myself thru the water. We save some air from these tanks, and this dive is essentially a shakedown dive to get our gear figured out for this water and the conditions.
Next, we head over to Norman Island, to dive and snorkel the caves, of course! We use up the rest of the air in those tanks then proceed to snorkel.





You need to snorkel to get into the cave. One cave is some 50 feet deep, and we go all the way in! This is such fun!!!! We see pretty purple corals and sponges, yellow anemones, and so many different fish.



Life is good! Captain Dan naps while Jeff and I take the dinghy all over the bay and into the Bight. This is the first time I actually operate a power boat, other than a jet ski, in my life. All kinds of new experiences on this trip! Just as an afterthought, we never grabbed any life vests on this entire trip. That comes back on us later on... Back to the boat where we power over to the Bight, a sheltered bay with many moorings and a boat bar. Captain Dan cooks up a curry chicken with rice and veggies. Man, can he cook! We are not lacking for good eats this trip.
Of course, they want to visit the bar ship, named the Willy T, and they insist I have a drink with them. For those who don't know, I don't drink, as it just doesn't appeal to me, but having a drink with the guys is always a good social custom. So off we go. Three rum punches! Only problem, is it is half rum, and half punch. I can smell it at arm's length, and cannot drink it. The bartender makes me another and just as he starts to pour the rum, I holler "Whoa!!!!", and end up with half an inch of rum. He fills the glass with punch and brings my drink over, with a cherry in it and says here you go sweetheart! I can drink this one. They tell the barkeep I am a Mormon...
The Willy T is rocking pretty good, lots of couples here, and some unattached men. As the husbands go to the head (note sailing term used here, argh!!!!), the ladies seek out the Mormon to dance with to keep the guys from hitting on them. I am deemed safe.... but the ladies were very nice, and I couldn't even dance.




Now the Willy T has a dock tied off to it, rather loosely, with 10" fenders holding it off the boat. There are concrete decks all over, a kitchen and bar. We had turned the engine on to charge the batteries on the boat, figuring we wouldn't be there any more than a couple hours. Right..... It rained a couple times and it turned into 4 hours, along with a drink to match every drink on Captain Dan's drinking shirt, as well as a never ending shot of Peach schnaups. Finally we decide to head back to boat. I, being the only sober person on the boat, make sure the bill is correct and give Jeff's 2 new t-shirts to Captain Dan to carry, who goes to the end of the dock and lies down to wait for us. I guide Jeff to the boat, but.... he half steps onto the dock and falls in between the Willy T and the dock. I holler Jeff, Jeff!!!! while grabbing his hand before it disappears with him into the water. Immediately, Captain Dan has tossed the t-shirts and come over and grabbed his other hand. Jeff is just a big ole teddy bear about now, weighing just a biscuit over 200 lbs. Right away, the bartender sits on the boat and pushes with his feet against the dock so that Jeff is not crushed, while another man helps us pull Jeff from the water.
His legs and torso are scraped up, his knee is banged up, and we have to get him back to the boat. We manage to get him into the dinghy, with a gravity assist. I am wondering just how getting on the boat will work... I have Dan sit across from Jeff and keep him on the dinghy, while I drive the boat. At our boat, I tie the dinghy tight to the rear of the boat so that it acts as a landing pad, should Jeff not be able to negotiate the climb into our boat, the Walls Treat. Captain Dan is trying to help push while I pull Jeff in. Jeff tells Dan to leave him alone, so it's just me helping Jeff up into the boat. Captain Dan figures it would be a great thing to grab the engine and turn the dinghy. Now I have Jeff halfway onto the Wall's Treat, no dinghy under him in case he falls, no life vest on him, and to top it all off, now that Captain Dan has turned the dinghy, he has trapped Jeff's leg under the rope that ties the dinghy to the boat. I get him to release the throttle and push the rope enough and give a big oomph. That along with some help from Jeff and he is on board. Captain Dan comes on board and I put up the rear gate and cables.
They want the t-shirts now. And they seem intent on going to get them, right now. I talk them into staying put, Jeff assuring me he can't move anyways, so I go back with flashlight and find the shirts in another dinghy a short ways away from where we were tied on. Back at the Wall's Treat, they are very happy to have the shirts. Next adventure is getting Jeff down into his cabin. I help him lift his feet over the bulkhead, and guide him down the stair, his butt on my shoulders. In his cabin, I help him out of his wet clothes and he goes into the head, where he was to remain some 2 or more hours, making the next day's clean up a bit easier. Finally, we all hit the hay, but I lock the boat shut to keep them inside for the night. This is gonna be a great story, and hopefully Jeff is just bruised up and not seriously injured.

Tuesday, January 22. I am awake early, not sure what today has in store, Dan is also up, while Jeff is sleeping in. After breakfast of eggs and bacon, I motor around a bit in the dinghy, taking pictures and goofing off. We leave in a hurry to get a mooring at the wreck of the Rhone, and snag the last one. Captain Dan seems okay, so we gear up and hit the water. Jeff is sore but okay. The water is a little choppy, but not so bad. We see the crow's nest and hull clearly, visibility is great. We swim all around, joined by angel fish and all kinds of fish swimming amongst the coral and sponges. Captain Dan wants to swim thru the ship, but as I have again switched over to my back up reg (the main one still leaking water) I feel I have used up one safety protocol and do not want to swim thru. No problem. We continue swimming and locate the propeller. I do swim below the aft portion of the ship, being perched up on a rock. Argh!!!! Soon enough, it's time to surface. Captain Dan asks me to stay close, as it is his turn to chum the waters, from last night. Yeah, I'll stay close but up current. He feels better now and we get back on board and power to the bitter end, a nice bay to harbor in overnight.






On the way, perhaps a mile and a half from the Bitter End, the engine dies. First thing, we let out the jib so that we are under some control and power. Then we raise the main sail 3/4 of the way and life is good. We are sailing away a bit slower than we were powering, but we are okay. We use the cell phone Moorings provided and we get a rescue boat to tow us into Prickly Bay, it not being recommended that we sail without power into the bay. He tows us from a mile out or so and we moor up in the channel. Shortly, a mechanic comes out and blows out the fuel line and the engine is running like a charm. All is well.
For dinner, we are heading to Hog Heaven, up on the hill on Virgin Gorda. We start to dinghy over to Gun Creek, but it is too far, so we turn to the Jetties to take the ferry. There we meet Willis, the local bartender awaiting the ferry. He directs us to the bathrooms, and tells us some of the goings on in the area. Once across the bay in Gun Creek, Willis asks us if already have our taxi. Nope. He says no troubles, I'll lift you. Of course we invite him for a beer at Hog heaven, and even dinner. He accepts the beer, but declines dinner. He eats at home but has promised to pick us up at 8 PM and take us to a local bar, then back to the ferry later. Dinner was a very memorable rib dinner, with a tasty sauce. Willis arrives shortly after 8 and we head to a local bar, where we meet up with a nice bar owner and a local excursion captain who gives us a lot of history of the area. Soon enough, the evening is winding down and we head back to the ferry, but not before Dan buys a round for everyone as the locals have been nice and informative. Dinner was about $20 per person, total bar tab was $20 with tip. And all of us are still remembering how good those ribs were.

Wednesday, January 23. Right after we eat the breakfast Captain Dan cooked up for us, we head into the jetties to get the air tanks refilled and my reg repaired. He finds nothing wrong with the reg and asks is it leaking around my lips. I suggest that if he were to take the reg into the water and use it, he'd find the problem. So he grabs a tank and heads right in. He experiences the same thing I have been. He takes the reg apart and we can plainly see the diaphragm is folded over the seal, just slightly. A quick flip with his fingernail and the reg is never a problem again. We load the tanks back on the boat and Captain Dan has a call to attend to, giving me about an hour to snorkel before we leave for the dogs to do some more diving.
I misunderstand that Jeff wants a shell for his daughter (he meant his soon to be girlfriend), and I would love to find something for me also. I swim from the boat to the shore of the island we are next to and walk the shore towards Asbestos Point for a little snorkeling. I see two conch shells up in the mangroves on dry land and figure I'll grab them on the way back. As I round the corner, I see a huge dumping ground for conch shells, I can take my pick of the litter. Interesting thing about conchs, they are in season and you can take 2 per day from the ocean in the shell and cannot dispose of the shells in the ocean. Anyways, I decide to snorkel right off and find a sea cucumber, a sting ray and a trunk fish, along with several of the usual suspects. I keep an eye on my watch and when the time is up, I grab 4 nice conch shells, 2 to take home, one for Jeff and one for Captain Dan.
Soon we power off to the Dog islands, intrigued by the landscape as well as the diving. First off, I do a reconnaissance snorkel and walk the beach, looking for a way to climb the island's peak. No dice, it's just too steep. Back to the boat and Captain Dan has the barbeque fired up for the rib eye steaks. And he has made up a salad! We are just eating real good on this trip. After eating some of the best steak this side of Virgin Gorda, he figures we ought to cook up the wings on the charcoal to eat later. You all gotta know how that worked out. We had to be sure they were cooked just right before we dumped the coals...
Our bellies full, Captain Dan and I don the dive gear and dive on down. Loads of fish here and canyons to swim thru. Real nice!!! Saw a barracuda, but it was shy and I couldn't get it on camera. From there we sail over to Trellis Bay on Beef Island. We moor up here and figure to grab a roti in the harbor for dinner. A roti is meat in sauce wrapped in a Caribbean wrap, very tasty. While in there we see a long canoe made from a single tree and sailed from many islands away, as a way for the locals to experience their ancestors lives.


And we see fire balls, which are 5' diameter buoys, taken out of service. They drew a pattern on them and cut them out with a plasma torch with a large hole in the top, thru which they would load up fire wood and set them ablaze for an island bonfire party!


We chat with the locals for a while and eat up, then head over to Bellamy Cay where they have the Last Resort, a bar on a very small island. We chat with an adventurous young man from Camden Maine, then head back to the boat for the evening.

Thursday, January 24. Cereal for breakfast today. We leave the Bitter end early and set sail shortly after leaving the harbor. First stop is at the Baths at the other end of Virgin Gorda, a collection of boulders strewn around the shore that make up many pools to explore and swim in. It is loaded with people and in several places you have to crawl on your belly to squeeze thru the openings. I wander around them, camera in tow, while Dan heads back to the boat. People are milling around and getting around is difficult, so I swim thru the Baths and ocean to get back to the beach. I locate the path again, but this time go the other way. This trail is wide enough for one or two people and they are taking a step, take a breath, take a step.... I want to explore and go see what's at the end of this trail. I pass a bunch, then see a trail leading to Stone bay, and no is down there, so I head thataway, jogging away and see some nice sights, lizards and cactus. I jog back to the main path, and head to some place called the car park. I again pass a bunch of slow moving barefoot people and make my way to the car park, a large parking lot with cars parked in it.... along with bars and restaurants. They are doing a landmark business, so I continue on the trail back to the baths, essentially, this is one long loop. I get to the baths again and swim in the ocean back to the beach, where I sit on a rock and wait for Captain Dan to come get me.









We now sail by Mancheel Bay but decide to forgo it and then sail on back to Norman Island, with me at the helm! We moor up and I snorkel around, seeing a turtle and loads of fish. Again we snorkel as a group and head into the caves, finding yet another cave to explore! On the way back I locate a green moray eel, about as big around as my lower leg, hanging out of the rocks, as well as a pair of large groupers. Back at the boat, down deep (camera fail) are a small school of lemon(?) sharks, 3-4 feet long. Shortly, we head back to the bight for the night ($30.00 mooring fee) and we forego the Willy T this time. It's early to bed and it kinda doesn't matter where we moor up as about every 6th boat is just a rocking in the harbor tonight. Sleep comes easily for me tonight, as it has every night. I am getting 10-11 hours of sleep every night and am well rested, adventured and relaxed.






Friday, January 25. Breakfast today is egg, bacon and cheese sandwiches. Another early start to get to the Indians for another dive around them. We snag the last mooring (it very much looks like people stayed there overnight, as they were shaving and brushing their teeth on deck.). Just so much fun diving everywhere and we played around for a while in the arch, taking multiple pictures. When we finish up, there is a boat looking for moorings and we tell him we are outta there in 10 minutes. He is grateful and waves.
We opted to visit Coral bay in the US virgin Islands, just because. We motor over there to visit and check out several inlets within the bay. At the main area of Hurricane hole, we see all kinds of moorings but every one of them is a private mooring. A boater tells us that this one has packed up and is gone for several weeks. Use it and leave it like we found it! So we head onto land, look around and decide to get ribs and steak at Reggies. He asks how I want it and I say medium, but otherwise cook it like YOU would cook and season it. He did not disappoint. Did I mention he can really cook up some fried plantains?



Very tasty meal. Back to the boat after some shots of the yacht wrecks scattered about in the bay, and offer up much of our overstock to a couple living on a boat. They are very happy to hear we have a case of toilet paper for them (it was given to us by another boater the day we left). From there we head over to the other side of Hurricane hole, which is very pretty, but seems to be lacking in fish.




So we head out, and opt not to look at Coral Bay, instead just going to Cane Garden Bay on Tortola, where we are guaranteed snorkeling and diving. We are powering over to here as this is the last full day and we want to make the most of the day in regards to diving. Only thing is, just about at Leinster Bay, the engine cuts out again. Send out the jib and get her under sail and call for rescue, again.....

We are somewhat successful re-starting the engine, but it keeps cutting out. At this point, none of us trust the boat, and we really want power for mooring, as well as assuring we get back on Saturday in time for our departure. So we decide to head to port and the rescue boat catches up to us and finally tows us in. Captain Dan was able to a one day credit on the boat for a future trip as a result of the engine issues.



Back at the dock, folks are talking about a big guy they saw fall off the Willy T. Captain Dan brings them over and introduces them to Jeff!!! What fun we had! I sure hope Jeff will be alright, he seemed to get better as the week wore on.

We still have pasta and some salad veggies for dinner, so I volunteer to walk to the grocery store to hamburger for the pasta and some tomatoes. I wanted some garlic bread also, but they were out. It was okay, as we all gorged ourselves on the pasta.

Saturday, January 26. This is it, We pack up and empty the boat. We take a cab to the ferry, which has a high speed cat to take us to St. Thomas. We can't get the early boat, so we schedule the 1 PM boat, after rescuing our bags. So we wander around the local town visiting some shops and eat lunch at Pussers. It all happens fairly quickly afterwards. Just enough time after the boat to get to the airport, the layover in San Juan is about enough to get to the next plane. At Logan, we get our bags quickly and head on home. Funny thing is, the cold air actually feels invigorating!




< Message edited by uphillklimber -- 2/14/2013 3:10:39 PM >


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Bob
Post #: 1
RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/28/2013 5:45:36 PM   
uphillklimber


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Joined: 2/17/2005
From: Bryant Pond, Maine
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I'll try to post pictures tomorrow, into the report.

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Bob
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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/28/2013 6:11:48 PM   
Bosco


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From: Another day..another seedy hotel
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Sounds like a fun trip, uphill.

I cant imagine being drunk on a sailboat

I have walked that Leinster bay trail many times.

Looking forward to pictures.

Bosco

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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/28/2013 6:43:51 PM   
Cabin Boy


Posts: 1992
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From: A place that GPS does not work
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Thanks Bob.... Did you do any fishing???? Sounds like you had a great time. Fond memories are brought back. The caves at Norman Island are rumored to have been the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson book Treasure Island.
I guess you never got to Bombas or the Soggy Dollar Bar. I guess you have to go back some day and do a couple of weeks.
Looking forward to your pictures.

Cabin Boy

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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/28/2013 7:53:49 PM   
MARKHNH


Posts: 2157
Joined: 5/20/2006
From: New Hampshire
Status: offline
Welcome back Bob.
Looking forward to seeing your pictures.
Let's try and get together some time.
I suspect that you have some stories and pictures that can only be shared in person.

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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/28/2013 8:29:56 PM   
barata


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From: a few degrees north of Akumal
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Thanks for the report, have some fond memories of sailing in the BVI's. And drinking rum on the Willie T - mix is more expensive than rum down there so they do tend to be on the strong side. Were there any gals doing the "whipcream" thing?
My motto for the trip was "I never fell out of the dinghy, but I did fall into it "


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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/29/2013 4:21:37 AM   
uphillklimber


Posts: 5531
Joined: 2/17/2005
From: Bryant Pond, Maine
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quote:

I suspect that you have some stories and pictures that can only be shared in person.


Ummmm.... yup!

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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/29/2013 7:15:45 AM   
crunch


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From: Dreaming of my next vacation to paradise......
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What an adventure! Looking forward to your pictures.


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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/29/2013 7:16:17 AM   
Jamie

 

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Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Southern California
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What a great trip report, thanks so much and look forward to the pictures. Always wanted to sail the BVIs.
My late husband and I and another couple did a bareboat charter in The Abacos (Bahamas) about 18 years ago, got two weeks for the price of one as it was in November, only bummer is we had 1.5 days of solid rain and were not able to get to Green Turtle Cay (only place in the chain where you have to go outside the reef), but fortunately the boat was well stocked with lots of paperbacks. Sure remember eating lots of conch on that trip
Glad to hear Jeff is OK from his fall off the wharf.
Thanks again.
Post #: 9
RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/29/2013 8:15:10 AM   
KAFOKA


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From: MASS
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Sounds like a great trip - can't wait for photos !
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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/29/2013 8:46:50 AM   
sandinmypants


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From: Iowa
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Wow, what a neat trip!

Would love to see pictures. Thanks for sharing your trip report.
Post #: 11
RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/29/2013 5:55:33 PM   
uphillklimber


Posts: 5531
Joined: 2/17/2005
From: Bryant Pond, Maine
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More pictures located Here:

http://s1336.beta.photobucket.com/user/uphillklimber/library/

http://s1336.beta.photobucket.com/user/uphillklimber/library/The%20Baths%20BVI

http://s1336.beta.photobucket.com/user/uphillklimber/library/British%20Virgin%20Islands%202013

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Bob
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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/29/2013 6:02:29 PM   
uphillklimber


Posts: 5531
Joined: 2/17/2005
From: Bryant Pond, Maine
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quote:

Were there any gals doing the "whipcream" thing?


Whip cream??? I don't think anyone remembers the whip cream, everyone was too drunk!

































































Except me

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Bob
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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/29/2013 6:06:45 PM   
dona0706

 

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From: northwestern connecticut
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Sounds like a great trip ..... good for you ! Pictures are wonderful -- you did a good job !!

Thanks so much for sharing.....

Donna

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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/29/2013 9:12:25 PM   
Cabin Boy


Posts: 1992
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From: A place that GPS does not work
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Thanks Bob, for getting this trip report up so fast. Next time we meet i'll bring my photos and we can compare them and see what has changed.
Stay warm, think snow......

CB

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We do the best we can with what we have,
and the rest we just wing.
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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/30/2013 7:07:31 AM   
crunch


Posts: 25710
Joined: 2/23/2005
From: Dreaming of my next vacation to paradise......
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Really enjoyed your pictures Bob.



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Nothing wrong with me that a margarita on the beach wouldn't fix.......................
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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/30/2013 8:14:41 AM   
Jamie

 

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From: Southern California
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Wonderful pictures, thanks so much
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RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/30/2013 2:40:07 PM   
sherrys07


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Joined: 7/15/2005
Status: offline
Great report and pics! Love the BVI, we enjoyed diving the Rhone.

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Sherry
Post #: 18
RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/30/2013 8:22:25 PM   
barata


Posts: 4134
Joined: 4/11/2006
From: a few degrees north of Akumal
Status: offline
Thanks for posting, the pics are great! Lots of reminders of our trip a couple of years ago.


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barata, PI and catering service inc


Post #: 19
RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 1/31/2013 6:05:30 AM   
uphillklimber


Posts: 5531
Joined: 2/17/2005
From: Bryant Pond, Maine
Status: offline
Hmmmm.... having a time locating some of my pics on Photobucket, but here is a sea cucumber:

[image][/image]

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Lovin life,
Bob
Post #: 20
RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 2/1/2013 5:14:36 AM   
uphillklimber


Posts: 5531
Joined: 2/17/2005
From: Bryant Pond, Maine
Status: offline
Just a little more information here:

We did plan to do some fishing, but were surprised to learn that in addition to rod and reel rental, there was a $60.00 per person license fee, as well as bait costs. So opted out of that. We really wanted to, but the cost was just more than we really wanted to pay.

I learned quite a bit on this trip about sailing. I never before operated a power boat, like the dinghy. A first! I actually piloted the sailboat, while way out in the open water, far from rocks! Another first! I did some rigging of the sails, grabbed to mooring ball and tied us up. Flushed out the heads while at sea, and plenty of dishes. Learned that when you leave the boat, you close the hatches, regardless of how warm it is, because rain comes in a moment while you are gone. You need to manage the batteries, the charge while under power, for 2 hours twice a day. Laundry, forget about it on boat. Bring enough, or give it a seawater bath. Surprising how well the seawater kept you.

I think I would insist upon more of the orientation. Captain Dan was very familiar with all items on the boat, and could show us along the way, he was anxious, as were we, to get going. Only thing is, what if, for some reason, he becomes incapacitated. Didn't happen, but what if?

< Message edited by uphillklimber -- 2/1/2013 5:15:17 AM >


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Lovin life,
Bob
Post #: 21
RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 2/1/2013 5:25:59 AM   
uphillklimber


Posts: 5531
Joined: 2/17/2005
From: Bryant Pond, Maine
Status: offline
Another interesting custom is that at the end of your trip, you invariably have extra supplies. Tends to happen that you oversupply, as there are very few options when out on the water. At the dock, you are giving away excess supplies to folks getting ready to depart. We gave half a liter of left over rum to one of the dock hands who was very helpful. Language was a small barrier, but he gave a quick smile, acted slowly and buried the rum beneath the BCDs and air tanks. He was taking this baby home!

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Lovin life,
Bob
Post #: 22
RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 2/1/2013 12:38:35 PM   
travelon


Posts: 3171
Joined: 9/21/2005
From: NC
Status: offline
AWESOME report and adventure! Gracias!!!!!

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Post #: 23
RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 2/1/2013 1:48:11 PM   
minnjim


Posts: 7615
Status: offline
Just fond this.
Great report Bob.
Always wanted to try that type of trip.
Post #: 24
RE: British Virgin Islands Sail trip - 2/1/2013 6:26:04 PM   
KmbRN84

 

Posts: 124
Joined: 1/26/2013
From: Dayton, Ohio
Status: offline
Nice trip report, sounds like a great time. May have to investigate the BVI a bit more...

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Post #: 25
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