Monthly Archives: February 2015
Back to Tortola
Wow, I am having a hard time believing that January and most of February are already finished! They disappeared in a blur of temperatures soaring and plunging in true Texas style. One day it’s shorts and flip flops only to be replaced by winter gloves and layers of clothing to protect us from those whipping winds.
But instead of suffering the cold we are enjoying some beautiful scenes in the British Virgin Islands like this one when we were taking the ferry from St. Thomas to Tortola:
On the ferry, we had a welcome escort along side the ferry for most of the trip:
It’s nice to be back in the BVIs and climb aboard Let It Be.
Winds and Waves and Rain, Oh My!
The spirit of the “Christmas Winds” were upon us during parts of our BVI visit in December. The Christmas Winds are expected in the Caribbean and usually means wind speeds of 20-30 knots. Thus, the sailing can be spritely, to use a Christmassy term, during the holidays.
One particularly gusty day, we were anchored off of Sandy Spit when a fairly ominous looking storm approached:
The sun highlights Sandy Spit like a favored haven.
The usually blue waters took on a more menacing green cast and the waves built out in the channel. Luckily we were a bit protected by the reef that runs between Sandy Spit and Green Cay. Though the storm didn’t last long, the winds and waves remained throughout the night.
We were very happy that we had invested in a heavier Spade anchor at the Annapolis Boat Show and that TMM had already installed it for us:
As a precaution we let out a little more anchor chain, set an anchor alarm, and had a very restful night. We are really glad there weren’t many boats anchored nearby because the boat that was anchored parallel to us on our starboard side? Well, the next morning it was at least three boat lengths behind us!
I’m really thankful for a good anchor, a solid hold and an anchor alarm to let us know if something goes awry.
Norman Island
I’ve been a little slow about posting as I’ve been focusing on whittling away our possessions. But my thoughts keep returning to our last visit to the BVIs….
We have enjoyed Norman many times usually snorkeling the caves, paddle boarding, etc. But this trip we decided to have a leisurely lunch at Pirates. Of course, the view was fabulous and we lingered over the food and simply soaked up the beauty.
After consuming a few extra calories and generally sitting about like bar lizards, we decided to explore Norman by foot.
As usual in the BVI, the road led upwards, but the rewards were immediate. Here is an early view as we ascended the island.
Of course, Cappy was with us and enjoyed walking the trails. She was disappointed that no goats were found, but I was quite happy about it!
Looking south from the top of Norman is a breathtaking view… but it is also a sobering one when you contemplate the vastness of the ocean and the power of the sea.
Somehow we managed to loose the well worn track and ended up making our own route down a steep slope. The slow decent through this unusual, long grass afforded us a different view of The Bight.
I especially love the texture in this picture; I can feel the sway of the grass, see the ripples of the wind across the water and observe the lengthening shadows as the sun fades in it’s evening decent…
Ticket to Ride 