Friday, February 4

Many months of anticipation and planning came to a reality when Jodi and I finally boarded the plane for Minneapolis. We were headed for Chicago to catch a connecting flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico. From there we would catch an American Eagle flight to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The other six in our party, Brad and Dee, Nick and Carol, and Daryl and Nancy left that same morning out of Omaha, Nebraska. We all met in Chicago and shared the same flight to Puerto Rico. This was the same group of eight that had sailed with us in 1991 in the Saint Martin area, so we knew each very well.

Vacations are funny, you wait in anticipation all year long for those few short days when you get to sleep as long as you want, wear what you want and go to bed when you get tired.

We arrive in Tortola about 7:30 PM. We were about an hour behind the other six who had an earlier flight out of San Juan. Jodi and I landed and grabbed a taxi for Roadtown. By the time we arrived at the Village Cay Marina, they had everything checked out and were waiting for us to go to supper. Roy and Karen Olsen were also waiting for us at the bar. We had talked to then a week before we arrived and planned to meet and talk cruising. They were spending the next year cruising in the Caribbean, just the two of them. We threw our gear on board Moonshadow and went and had a bit to eat at the Fish Trap. The place did not look like much, but the food was great. Our waiter was named Zeus, like the Greek God he said. He was a very entertaining young man and he loved all the attention the girls gave him. The swordfish, mahi-mahi and their shrimp were excellent. With our bellies full and a few toddies under our belts, we headed back to the boat for the night.

Saturday, February 5

The next morning we had breakfast with Roy and Karen who gave us some helpful ideas on where to go and what to see. We then had to do a little procurement of food and beverage for the week. Village Cay is located very close the food and liquor stores. We had brought all our meat down in coolers so all we needed were the perishable items and booze. Daryl, Nick and I went to the liquor store and rang up a $400 dollar bill. We just picked up a few essentials. Liquor was almost halfprice and beer was about double the price. We took on a selection of fine wines, rum, vodka, gin, Becks, Heinekenand all the ice we could carry. Looking back on it, we did not need to purchase so much, the other islands had stores for purchasing both food and liquor. Our spouses went to the Rite Way food store down the block. They found some good deals and only spent $140 dollars on the remaining food items. Everyone pitched in and things went smoothly. The plan was for each of us couples to cook one night during the week. Jodi and I had chicken stir-fry, Nancy and Daryl brought Iowa pork chops and Brad and Dee brought steaks. We ate like kings every night.

Brad, Daryl and I went to the briefing given by Peter of Catamaran Charters. He told us about a few areas to stay away from and some of the formalities in handling the boat. It was my brother's boat and he and I had spent two weeks on it the previous summer taking it through the Bahamas so we felt confident we would be able to handle it. It was about 11:30 when we pulled away from the docks. We stopped and filled both tanks and topped off the water tanks also. We hoisted sail as we passed the breakwater and set a coarse for Norman Island. We had planned only a short six-mile sail over to a bay called the Bight on Norman Island. We had lunch when we arrive and relaxed the rest of the afternoon. That night happy hour started way too early. We had all the world's problems solve before supper. We dined on steaks and potatoes, what a meal. We watch the stars come out and were all very thankful that we were in this special spot on that night.

Sunday, February 6

The next morning we dropped the mooring early and moved up to the caves on Treasure Point. We picked up a mooring right in front of the caves and had breakfast. The caves were historically noted for being the place where pirates hid their treasure back in the 16 and 1700s. It was also noted as being the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevensen's Treasure Island. We all snorkeled about, feeding the fish and looking for our treasure. One cave was very large and went back 50 to 75 feet. No treasure was found, but it was a great snorkeling spot. We had lunch dropped the mooring and headed for Machineel Bay on Cooper Island. In the middle of the Sir Francis Drake Channel I spotted what appeared to be a log floating in the water. This seemed a little odd. In a few seconds it became apparent that this was no log but a mother whale and her calf. They swam ahead of us and spouted a few times before it dove out of site.

After a few more tacks we arrived at Machineel Bay and picked up another mooring ball. The island is home to the Cooper Island Beach Club. The bay is named for the machineel trees on the island. The fruit is very poisonous so don' mess with it. The island is home to a small resort with a few guest cottages. There is a beach bar that caters to the sailing crowd and a small gift shop. Jodi and I cooked stir-fry that night for supper. We drank some more wine, rum and gin and laid on the deck till midnight looking at all the stars that filled the sky.

Monday, February 7
The morning came and it was evident that we were all getting use to "island time". We all were getting use to sleeping in. The Privilege 39 catamaran was very comfortable. Each couple had their own cabin with queen-size bed and head. All heads had showers, which was nice for privacy. The real cruisers got naked off the back of the boat with a bar of soap and washed up there. The cat was also equipped with a fresh water spray nozzle on the transom steps. This allowed us to rinse off after getting out of the water.

This day we all tried to sleep in, but Captain Brad was up early. He wanted to get to the Baths on Virgin Gorda before the crowds arrived. We motored in about 8:30 and picked up a mooring ball right in front about 50 yard from the beach. We had a quick breakfast and made our plans for the day. The Baths are a strange and wonderful spot that you must visit if you are in the Virgin Islands. They are located on the southeast point of Virgin Gorda. Nature somehow rolled hundreds of huge boulders on top of each other to form many caves and grottos. A hiking path has been made through the baths complete with bridges and catwalks. It is a must see. After the hike through the boulders you end up at Devils Bay. It is a sugar sand beach that is on the list as one my ten best beaches in the world. Snorkeling the Baths is just as interesting as hiking through them. Underwater the boulders formed caves where thousands of fish and eels hang out. It is one of the most beautiful spots in the Caribbean.

We spent some time on the beach and took many pictures of the awesome scenery. Just behind Devils Bay is another hiking path up the hill to the top of the island. It takes about 10 minutes, but is also worth the walk. At the top is the neatest little restaurant and bar which also has a dip pool. You can take a dip and enjoy the view of neighboring Tortola.

We left the Baths as the day crowd started to show up. We were on our way the north sound of Virgin Gorda. We took the Anguilla pass entrance that is only seven feet deep. It should only be attempted if you have a catamaran and if it is a settled day. We motored through and took a little jog to the right around the reef and were on our way to Leverick Bay. We pulled into Pusser's Dock and filled our water tanks and took on more ice. We picked up a mooring ball for $15.00 and had some lunch. The mooring balls are put out and maintained by a company in the BVI's. The moorings keep the anchors from beating up the reefs and we felt safer knowing we were tied to something pretty secure. It is always a good idea to back down on your mooring to make sure it is going to hold you through the night. Leverick Bay was owned and operated by Pusser's. They have a nice store and restaurant and a fresh water pool which feels great after the salt water. We ate ashore that night in the restaurant on the second floor. The service was slow but the food more than made up for that. We retired to the boat for a night cap and some more deep discussions about what a great time we were all having.

Tuesday, February 8

We decided to further explore the sound, so we dropped the mooring and headed for the Bitter End Yacht Club. As soon as the resort came into view, we knew that this was the place for us for the next couple of days. We picked up a mooring and headed ashore to check things out. This resort had a full compliment of stored, restaurants and beach activities. We again migrated to the end of the resort where we spotted a pool. We all grabbed a lounge chair and tanned our bodies under the tropical Caribbean sun. They charge five dollars for the use of the pool that included a towel. If you eat lunch there the five dollars goes towards your tab. Can't beat a deal like that. If you eat there they have the most awesome lobster salad. The Painkillers are super too.

As the sun worked its way toward the horizon we decided to check out Pirates Pub on Saba Rock. It is a little private island owned by Burt Kilbride and his wife. The island is so small you could walk around it in a minute. Burt has his home there and a bar. We met Burt and talked to him about his pioneering days in the Virgin Islands. He was one of the first to bring SCUBA diving to the Virgins. I first saw him in Island Magazine years ago. They featured him in the back of the magazine as an Escape Artist. He moved down here from Miami 50 years ago. He worked on boat and developed a resort on Mosquito Island and eventually sold that because it got to be tool much of a management headache. He bought Saba Rock and made it his private home. He was noted as one of the pioneers in the dive industry. He was the first to develop the resort course for SCUBA diving. It's a one-day coarse that teaches the basics of diving to beginners and gives them an idea if they want to pursue getting certified.

He said that he was a friend of Jacques Cousteau and had been on the Alcyone many times. Burt had even taught Hugh Down and Heralado Rivera how to dive for a 20/20 episode. He was an interesting old guy who lived life the way he wanted. It was not your average lifestyle, but we were all envious of him. We went back to the boat ate supper and went to bed early. We were off to Jost Van Dyke in the morning.

Wednesday, February 9

We could have stayed at the Bitter End Yacht Club a few more days except there were a few other spots we had to see first. We went back to Pusser's took on more water and ice and headed out for Jost. It was a short 24-mile sail along the north shore of Tortola. We past the Dogs, the Caminoes and Sandy Cay and made our way into Great Harbor on Jost. We had a fun sail until an afternoon storm blew up. We had some 30 knots at one point, but they did not last long. We took two reefs in the main and reduced the jib to settle the boat down. We were doing almost 12 knots at one time. We arrive at Great Harbor about 3:00. There were no moorings on Jost so we anchored out. We went ashore and checked out the strip. Jost is a more remote island with no big fancy resort. There is a bakery, a few restaurants and bars and that is about it. It is home to one of the best shack bars in the Caribbean. You have to go to Foxy's and check out his afternoon shows. Foxy is world famous for sitting around and makes songs up about people in the crowd. We came back after supper and things really picked up. We met people from all over the world. It was a blast dancing barefoot in the sand with my wife till the wee hours of the morning. I felt so free.

Thursday, February 10

We had just a short hop over to Cane Garden Bay on the north side of Tortola. On the way over there we stopped by at a small island called Sandy Cay. It is correctly named for obvious reasons. It has a gorgeous beach and is uninhabited. If you wanted to get naked in the BVIs, this would be the spot. We did see a few sunbathers who were taking advantage of the situation. We stayed for lunch then pulled anchor and headed for Cane Garden Bay. Making the entrance to the bay is easy in good light. The reef extends almost across the entire mouth of the bay. The entrance is marked with buoys, that are not easily visible until you get fairly close. Once in the bay there is a good sandy bottom all over.

One thing I like about Cane Garden is that the beach is lined completely with the most perfect coconut palms. It looks like a little Tahiti. No large resorts exist there, but many shops and restaurants are available to take care of your every need. We spent the day swimming and lounging around again. Check out the tire swing at the end of the beach hanging from the perfect island coconut palm. Cane Garden Bay is also a must see when stopping in the BVIs.

Friday, February 11

We woke up to our last morning out on the water. We planned to get back to the Village Cay Marina in Roadtown early so we could get the boat cleaned up and give everyone a chance to do a little last minute shopping. Jodi and I were not leaving until Sunday so we stayed on board the boat an extra night. The other six were flying out on Saturday morning so they stayed in the hotel rooms that night. We spent the day doing some shopping and sitting by the pool trying to soak up the last rays of sunshine before heading back to the great white north. Jodi met a girl named Joanne while at the pool. Imagine that my chatter wife making new friends. Joanne was a hostess and cook on board on a 91-foot power yacht out of Florida. The boat was named Sirius. Jodi gave here a tour of the Moonshadow and Joanne gave Jodi and I a tour of Sirius. We met the captain of the boat and boyfriend of Joanne. Mike was his name. He was a jovial guy who grew up in Grenada. He had sailed boats for years and done many yacht deliveries and worked his way up to larger boats over the years. The plan for Saturday was to tour the island. Mike and Joanne had a car so we could go and do what we wanted. As it turned out Mike and I ate and drank our way around Tortola.

Saturday, February 12

Saturday we had breakfast with our crew for the last time. We saw them off about 8:00 AM. They were headed back to reality a day sooner. We planned to make the most of our last day in paradise. We met Mike and Joanne, filled the cooler with ice and beverage and started our adventure around the island. We proceeded up these steep single lane roads with switchbacks every couple of hundred yards. We finally reached the peak of Tortola at this restaurant called the Sky Top. We had a couple drinks and continued on our way to Cane Garden Bay. We drove up many driveways also to check out the private villas and home in the area. We eventually came down the other side and took some beautiful pictures of Brewers Bay and Cane Garden Bay. We decided to cool off a little so we bellied up to the Paradise Isle Bar for a couple of rum and coca-colas. Mike was hyper and could not sit still. He went down and talked with the watersports manager. He was wheeling and dealing and before we knew it I was out water skiing around the bay, zipping in between boats and cutting it up. I drove next while Mike skied. After that he decided to go for a sunfish sailboat ride. The winds were light, so we decided to go windsurfing. I tried it first and I was doing pretty well. While zipping around the bay I notice that some people were all gathered on the bow of their boat. I sailed over to see if I could lend a hand. I found out that they had their anchor rapped around a rock in the bay. The boat was named Shoehorn and was from Rhode Island, they were down for the winter. They threw me a mask and snorkel and I dove in and untangles their anchor line from the rock. They asked me if I wanted anything for my trouble, I told them all I needed was an ice cold beer. I popped my brew, jumped on the windsurfer and sailed back to shore. I sure they all were wondering, "Who Was That Guy"?

Mike and I had tried every watersport imaginable so we decided to pack up and finish our tour around the island. Mike knew of all the local spots, we stopped at Strugglin Man's Place. It had two tables and one cooler for beer and drinks. Mike had some pig's feet or pig's knuckles, I wasn't sure. I had some conch fritters and a beer and we were on our way. The next stop was for a roadside steel drum band concert. There were a bunch of teenage girls who were just jammin. Mike made his way to the refreshment stand and bought some Johnny Cakes. They tasted like deep fat fried corn bread. Joanne drove us safely home to Village Cay Marina.

Jodi and I checked into our room and took a very, very, long , long, hot, hot shower. It felt great. We had plans to go our t dinner with Mike and Joanne. The choice was the Treasure Island Resort down the road. When we arrive we found out that we were in the middle of a Valentines Day party held by the BVI Kiwanis Club. It cost us $50 a piece to join the festivities. We were so hungry we joined then. After an hour of listening to the program, Jodi got sick, she was pregnant. I went ahead and ate, it turned out to be a total disaster. Mike had too much to drink and was cussing every other word. The two people we were sitting with were named John and Brenda. In the course of the conversation I found out that John was a part time preacher. It was a memorable night.

Sunday at seven thirty we had breakfast. Joanne joined us and gave us T-shirts. We said our good-byes and headed to the airport for the long flight home.

Another successful vacation!!!!!