Table of Contents Page 1 - Getting there, Day 2 Page 2 - Days 3-4 Page 3 - Days 5-6 Page 4 - Days 7-8 Page 5 - Days 9-10 Page 6 - Days 11-12 Page 7 - Epilog   (Click on any picture for enlargement.)

Day 9 - Thursday, Jan 18, Soper's Hole, Tortola

We all slept in a bit on a showery morning, then breakfast aboard. It was a relatively windy night and we all needed a little extra time to rest. By mid-morning we were ready to get underway, and we dropped the mooring. We decided to head directly across the channel to Sandy Cay for a day at the beach or for some snorkeling, if it looked promising. A cool day was forecasted with a 40% chance of showers in the afternoon.

Heading out of the channel at Cane Garden Bay, we raised the sails and took up the reach across. The seas were still sloppy from the wind and some spray was flying. As usual, sunny and warm, so the breeze and seas weren't an issue. Sandy Cay is owned by Laurence Rockefeller, and it seems it is or will be maintained as a park for the preservation of a bit of the islands. Undoubtedly, it would otherwise have a dozen mansions on it even though it is a tiny bit of land.

Cane Garden Bay in the distance...

Arriving at the cay, we dropped sails and motored toward it on the leeward (southwest) side of the island. There were two boats anchored off the beach, and they were rocking in the swell bending around the cay. When we got about 100 yards from the beach, we could see that there was really no good place to anchor that would be out of the wave action, so we decided to skip the stop.

We turned south back toward Thatch Cut and raised the jib. We sailed on jib alone on a broad reach to the cut. This was a great ride--a quick one hour trip back across the channel. Slipping through the cut, we furled our sail and fired up the iron jib to motor into the bay at Soper's Hole.

First glimpse at Soper's Hole...

Arriving at the water dock at noon, we discovered that the water was "out" throughout the Soper's Hole area. It seems the pumps were down, or a pipe broke, or the phase of the moon was wrong. The town cistern was dry due to the lack of rain this winter. A water truck had been called, but there was no water yet. So we moved to a mooring ball in the crowded anchorage.

Looking for an available mooring ball...

Soper's Hole is on the main island of Tortola, so there is a lot more "there" there. There are several shops, a full service marina with haul out facilities, docks, moorings, and of course, bars. After a brief rain shower, we jumped in the dink and went over to the marina to look around and have a cocktail. There are lots of little t-shirts and trinkets and some up-scale shops.

Mike and Butch reviewed where we'd been and where we were going. Or maybe this is the time they were counting how many watering holes we'd found. Or most likely, they were following the antics of a local beetle crawling the map...

After awhile, Kelli ran Butch and Lynn back to the boat for a nap at 3:00. Kelli came back to the marina and Mike and Kelli hung out at the dockside bar.

In the BVI, one never gets tired of just watching the comings and goings of the boats, the antics of crews docking, undocking, trying for mooring balls, or wandering through the bars looking for the perfect Painkiller. There was a group of people sitting in front of us who appeared to be American Sailing Association student taking a few classes in the Caribbean, just like we did. It was fun to listen to them quizzing each other and discussing text book topics.

Wandering down the quay, we decided to check on the water situation and noticed a large water tanker truck with a hose running toward the dock. The dockhand said the water was back on, but it was nearly 5 p.m. so we decided that we had had enough for the night and that we'd get water in the morning. But we did buy a bag of ice and headed back to the boat.

Butch and Lynn were up when we returned to Perseverance, so we all cleaned up and headed back in for dinner at Pussers Dockside. The bar and grill is dockside, and the slightly more formal restaurant is upstairs. Mike had noticed that they serve pizza dockside, and needed a pizza fix. The waitress assured us the menu was the same upstairs, so we climbed the outdoor staircase. The restaurant was nearly empty, and the view of the harbor is great. We sat down, only to discover that the menu is the same upstairs and down except for pizza. Mike cajoled the crew into giving up the view and going back downstairs. Mike and Kelli got their pizza fix, and Butch and Lynn had ribs. Sitting dockside wasn't all that bad, but the view wasn't quite as nice. What some people will do for a pizza fix!

After dinner we headed back to the boat for the next chapter in the now cutthroat Phase 10 card tournament. Kelli ran away with it, leaving the score Girls 3, Boys 2. Much grief was returned to the boys. To bed at midnight.

Butch declared again that "it really can't get any better than this!"

Day 10 - Friday, Jan 19, Cooper Island

It was a relatively quiet night in the protected anchorage. Very nice. All were up around the usual time - 8:30 or so. After coffee and cereal, we lolled around for awhile, watching the ferries come in. A car ferry arrived with a couple cars and supplies. I guess they bring some supplies by boat rather than overland.

After a mid morning shower, we moved the boat back over to the dock for water. We took 50 gallons forward and 45 aft. So we had dumped some 45-50 gallons ($14US) into the bilge again. It became clear that the boat had a leaky aft water tank, not just a small, leaky hose at the transom shower. We were leaking fresh water badly from the aft tank. However, we had just a couple days left, and we knew we would be fine with just the forward tank.

While at the water dock, Kelli and Lynn went ashore to the upscale, megayacht grocery store for a few items. They came back describing a store that sounded out of place for the islands. But the megayachts have to provision somewhere. Mike bought another bag of ice.

When all the crew returned, we cast off at 12:10, better than at the BEYC (no damage to the charcoal grill this time!), and motored out of Soper's Hole.

We had decided to spend the last two nights in the islands south of Tortola. Tonight we would go for Cooper Island, and stop for some snorkeling at Salt Island.

It was a very nice reach across the Sir Francis Drake Channel. The winds were just right, and we all enjoyed the sail.

Off the southwest point of Salt Island, a mail freighter went down in the 19th century. The RMS Rhone lies on the bottom, easily within diving depths, with part of it visible at snorkel depths. We picked up a day ball nearby so we could go take a look. Butch, Lynn and Kelli donned their gear and snorkeled the quarter mile over to the wreck. Here are some shots of the sunken ship Kelli took with her underwater camera. The sky was overcast so the lighting wasn't perfect most of the time...

Some additional shots by our intrepid underwater photographer on the way back to the boat...

After relaxing and snacking for awhile, it was time to head over to Cooper Island and check out the scene. We motored around the point since the whole trip was such a short distance. We picked up a mooring ball once again.

As a sidebar, it should be noted that all these mooring balls were costing us $25 per night. Anchoring is free. So the choice is up to the crew of each boat to decide how to secure the boat for the night. On the mooring ball, there is far less chance for the boat to drag than with an anchor, especially in the rolly anchorages. So we ended up on a mooring ball all but one night.

It was nearing dusk when we shutdown. We did relax for awhile before we decided to start the card game since it was raining. After a few hands, since the hour was getting late for dinner, we decided to suspend the game and go ashore.

We took the dink in to the Cooper Island Beach Club for a cocktail.

The bar was busy and the bartender was backed up. Service was really slow even though the bartender was working as fast as she could. There is a small resort there, and several people were apparently staying at the Club. After one drink, we decided to go back aboard for dinner.

As we motored back to Perseverance, schools of small silver fish jumped out of the water along side the bow of the boat. We had seen this type of fish jumping in other places during our trip.

While making dinner, Lynn went up on deck to cool off and noticed that there was a boat behind us seeming to be looking for a mooring ball. The boat kept going around and around a mooring ball. It dawned on Lynn that the boat was tied up to the mooring ball. The crew had turned on the boat's motor to recharge the boat's batteries, but had put the boat in forward gear. Lynn was able to get their attention and they remedied the problem.

The wind picked up after dinner.

While Mike and Butch were washing dishes, the aft water tank ran out. And the #1 water pump died.

With only two nights left for cards, the pressure was really on the Boys. If they lost tonight, there wouldn't be time to recover. But fear not, the Boys pulled it off and tied the tournament with only one more game to play! The World Series doesn't get any better than this! Boys - 3, Girls 3.

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