BVIs Weeks 1 & 2

Hi everyone,

We're now approaching two weeks in the BVIs so it's time to post!  So far we've spent about half our time at anchor and half on moorings.  The anchorages have been mostly quiet and peaceful.  The moorings have offered benefits such as good WiFi or free water.  The moorings are all US$30/night.

Enjoying another short sail between islands

Our overall plan is to circumnavigate Tortola.  From Road Town we headed south to Norman Island, east to Peter Island, east again to Cooper Island, north to Marina Cay and then north-west to Lee Bay.  Here are (most of) the tracks...

BVI tracks to date

Most of the passages were very short and we either motored or sailed under yankee alone.  The sailing passage east from Peter Island to Cooper Island was outside the islands in an 18 knot E wind with a lumpy sea.  Our tacking angle wasn't quite as bad as it looks since we overstood and then could close reach NNE to Cooper Island.  It was fun to have a brief sail to windward.

Our night on a mooring in The Bight on Norman Island was interesting.  Seeing the many charter boats picking up their moorings was amusing.  Watching them pass close by less so.  The next morning we motored around to Benures Bay on the north coast of Norman Island.  We anchored in 12m over sand in the centre of the bay, clear of the moorings all around the periphery.

Benures Bay on Norman Island

Hurricane Irma devastated many parts of the islands, and not just the built infrastructure.  Many wonderful reefs were destroyed too.  They are slowly coming back to life.  The snorkelling in Benures Bay was good.  We watched a 1m Barracuda 'lurking' in the remains of a small tree blown into the water.  And there were many colourful fish and small corals.

After two nights in Benures Bay we sailed under yankee to White Bay on Peter Island.  We anchored in 8m over sand after finding poor holding over a rocky bottom in 6m.  There were a few other boats in the bay with us, including the 160m ketch sv Ethereal.

sv Ethereal in White Bay, Peter Island

We snorkelled around the northern side of White Bay.  There were few fish but some nice corals, including beautiful blue fan corals.

Anchored in White Bay

The superyacht mv Titania spent a day at White Bay with us.  They arrived, disgorged a substantial 'shore party' which setup beach umbrellas, seats, and small snack/drinks bar.  They were not far from a big sign saying 'No Landing'.  Perhaps they own the place.  The logistical operation was quite impressive.  With the picnic done they returned to the mothership and headed off.

mv Titania in White Bay, Peter Island

White Bay was nice but the gusts coming over the hill were vicious.  Calms interrupted by frequent bullets for the whole two days.  And the wind swung all over the place, appearing to 'roll' over the hills at times.  The anchor watch app on our phones was used!

From White Bay we reached south to the southern point of Peter Island then hardened up onto the wind under single reefed main and triple furled yankee.  Zen Again loved it and we held on.  I hand steered for the first time in ages.  We weren't entirely sure of the current which would only be against us so we deliberately overstood 'just in case'.  On tacking we found we could crack off a little and Zen Again romped away towards the passage W of Cooper Island.

We motored through the short passage in the lee of Cooper Island and picked up a mooring off the Beach Club.  We'd been here in 2016 and it was great to find it still operating and still brewing its own beers.

Cooper Island Beach Club attractions

We stayed for two nights and the US$30/night was well worthwhile for the Coffee Shop's WiFi.  Our WiFi extender could connect to it from our inshore mooring and we spent two mornings ashore enjoying coffee and high bandwidth.  A WiFi extender is a good investment for cruising the BVIs since mobile bandwidth is expensive (US$50 for 6GB).

Enjoying Cooper Island Brewery products!

We spent our afternoons at the bar.  Happy Hour runs from 1500-1700 when their beers are US3.30.  They include lager, Suppin IPA, Carib IPA, Turtle IPA and more,  Turtle was our favourite. 

Zen Again at Cooper Island (again!)

Departing Cooper Island

From Cooper Island we motor-sailed across to Bluff Bay on Beef Island.  We didn't find a good sandy spot and it is a very shallow bay.  So after a lunch stop we motored around to Marina Cay where we picked up a mooring.  When the fee collector visited we discovered the moorings are run by Scrub Island Marina.  We learned that we could buy water at the marina - good news.

Moored off Marina Cay with Scrub Island Marina in background

The next day we dinghied ashore and were offered free water and showers.  Very nice indeed and a very nice gesture.  We dinghied 120 litres of water aboard to give us at least 200 litres aboard.

Scrub Island Marina

That evening we were entertained aboard neighbouring OCC sv Busco Viento II.  They have sailed from the US east coast.  It was interesting learning about some of the places we hope to visit.

Zen Again at Marina Cay from sv Busco Viento II

Yesterday we motored from Marina Cay to Trellis Bay.  It's a very popular bay but is shallow and much of it is filled with moorings.  We moved on.  We were initially thinking to go to White Bay on Guana Island but diverted to Lee Bay on Great Camanoe Island since it looked good as we passed.  And so it turned out to be.  We anchored in 12m over sand with two other boats in the bay.

Anchored in Lee Bay, Great Camanoe Island

The two other boats left later yesterday leaving us alone in the bay.  The wind comes over the low neck on the island and isn't particularly gusty.  We've enjoyed watching the local wildlife including various birds and goats ashore.  The island is privately owned with only a few buildings visible from the anchorage and none close to it.

We've learned to anchor in deepish water here.  The chances of a sandy bottom appear much higher.  Snorkelling around the shallows it's clear that the bottom is rocky debris with a little sand but that gives way to sand in deeper water.  Or so we've found so far!  Many moorings are over sand of course!

Sunset from Lee Bay

Trust all's well where you are!

St Martin to British Virgin Islands

Hi everyone,

We had a great 90nm passage from Marigot Bay in St Martin to Road Town in the BVIs.  It was an overnighter and we arrived yesterday just before noon.  At present the only clearing-in ports in the BVIs are Road Town and West End.

Approaching the BVIs

We had submitted our arrival documentation on SailClear and had Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Tests on the day of departure.  The SailClear online arrival form caught us out by asking for a Health Declaration Form, but skipping it didn't cause a problem.  Clearing-in officials expect SailClear to have been used and want your Arrival Notification ID number.

Here are our overall track, arrival track and graphs.  The overall track shows us gybing downwind as usual, through Necker Passage then down the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Road Town.  The graphs show it was a pretty quick passage with a steady 20 knot wind with gusts to 30.  We had several rain showers, one of which was quite heavy.

Overall Track

Arrival Track

Graphs

Here are the vital stats for the passage…

    • Distances/Speeds

        • Route Distance = 94nm

        • Logged Distance = 96nm

        • GPS Distance = 103nm

        • Duration = 18h45

        • Average boat speed = 5.1 kt

        • Average speed over ground = 5.5 kt

        • Minimum boat speed = 4.5 kt

        • Maximum boat speed = 6.3 kt (surfs to 8 kt)

    • Weather

        • Minimum wind speed = 7 kt

        • Average wind speed = 20 kt

        • Maximum wind speed = gusts to 32 kt

        • Apparent wind angle range = 120 to 160

        • Seas up to 1.5m

        • Swell up to 1m

        • Bands of clouds with patches of scattered cloud.  Rain showers.  3/4 waxing moon.

    • Engine

        • Total = 1 hour, mainly manoeuvring in Road Town harbour

The passage overnight positioned us at the entrance to Necker Passage at dawn.  From there we sailed around Necker Island and down the Sir Francis Drake channel to Road Town.  It was fun to again see the islands we visited in 2016.  Sad to know the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda is no more - destroyed by a hurricane and not rebuilt.  We hung a FSC burgee in their bar and wonder where that is now.

Approaching the Necker Passage

On arrival we called Road Town Port Control on VHF ch 16.  They moved us to ch 17 and advised we could pick up a white mooring ball.  At the time it was blowing 20+ knots straight into the harbour with seas to match.  As the track shows we had a look at the anchorage area further north but the boats there were pitching heavily.  So we picked up a mooring buoy as they looked in good condition with much bigger boats on some of them.

Approaching Road Town

After sorting out the boat and ensuring the mooring was holding we prepared the dinghy.  The instructions were to dinghy ashore to Dock D at the Ferry Terminal.  We did so but found the dock had a nasty sea running.  We bailed and returned to Zen Again.  An hour later when conditions had improved a little we tried again.  A ferry came in while we were en route and it provided a very nice lee for us.  So the 'big tip' is go in after a ferry docks!

Once alongside the jetty the Port Officer had us walk the dinghy right to the foot of the jetty.  From there he directed us into the Ferry Terminal to the Port Authority desk where we paid US$34 ($1/foot) port fees then the Health desk where our vaccination and test certificates were checked.  Next it was the immigration desk where we filled out arrival forms, requesting a 30 day stay.  From there to the Customs desk where we paid US$10/person environment levy plus $10 customs fee.  Finally back to immigration to collect our stamped passports.

Zen Again moored, from Conch Charter marina

This morning weather conditions had improved and we dinghied in to the Conch Charters jetty who own the moorings.  Apparently they never go out to collect the US$30/night fee, but donate any fees collected to a local charity.  Their toilet and shower facilities aren't available to mooring users.

From there we dinghied to TMM Charters which allowed us to leave our dinghy there for free.  They also said we could use their toilets and showers for free which was very generous.  Ask nicely!

Adjacent to Conch and TMM is a small but well stocked supermarket.  It is clearly aimed at charter boat provisioning and seemed expensive.  But it's close to the moorings and avoids dinghying around the long cruise liner jetty into town or lugging supplies from town.

From there it's a 10 minute walk into Road Town.  Half way there is the Ferry Terminal.  The photo below shows dock D.  You're NOT welcome there unless clearing in!

Ferry Terminal D dock - secure dinghy at foot of the jetty

Road Town turned out to be surprisingly small.  But it's colourful and lively with street stalls selling fresh produce and tourist stuff.  There's a cruise liner dock and their passengers are well catered for.  After exploring the town we walked down to the Village Cay Marina/Hotel where we had brunch at their restaurant.  Good food and atmosphere with a view over their marina.  The marina charges US$60/day for a 34 footer.

Village Cay Marina dinghy dock in 'downtown' Road Town

On our way back to the boat we bought 1 lb (0.5 kg) of root ginger for US$3 at a street-side stall which Nicki tells me is super cheap!

This afternoon we sailed out of Road Town in bright sunshine, heading south for Norman Island.  Road Town was soaked shortly after by a heavy rain storm.  In turn we were soaked and wind-blown as we entered The Bight on Norman Island to anchor.  There is very little room to anchor in this bay and we again gave up and picked up a mooring, soaked to the skin!

Our plan is to sail around the BVIs in a leisurely manner anti-clockwise over the next three weeks.  We'll end up at Sopers Hole (West End) where we can clear out for the Bahamas.  Here's hoping we get better at arriving in less dramatic conditions!  Great to be back in the BVIs!

Trust all's well where you are!

St Martin

Hi everyone,

We've now been in French St Martin for over two weeks.  It's one of those places that's hard to escape.  We've explored much of the island, including the Dutch side Sint Maartin.  Once cleared-in individuals can travel between the two parts without limit.  Boats must clear out and clear in to move between.  We've kept Zen Again in Marigot Bay on the French side and used the busses to explore the island.

Street art in Marigot

It's been a very social stay here.  We knew Mark and Marjorie of sv Sea Life were here.  We met Scott and Debbie of sv Expedition soon after arriving.  And we again met Nico and Kylie of sv Kynic.  Last but not least we again met Mike and Terry of FSC sv ReVision II.  All of them are Aussie boats and crews.  Great to spend time with them all.

St Martin was severely affected by a hurricane a few years ago.  Much of the damage has yet to be made good.  Apparently land ownership uncertainties are part of the problem.  It's a shame it is taking so long to resolve.  Everyone we've met has been very friendly and cheerful.  The street art around the island is amazing.  Some decorate entire walls of buildings, some of which are otherwise derelict.

More street art

More street art

The anchorage in Marigot Bay is over sand in 3m with very good holding.  Swell sometimes penetrates the bay which then makes it a little rolly.  Anchoring SE of the marina can help.  Yachts can go into the lagoon but it is mostly shallow, poorly marked and littered with wrecks.

Zen Again with ReVision II on left

Marigot Bay lagoon channel with bridge on right

Marigot Bay lagoon bridge in action

There are two main dinghy dock locations.  One is on the bay, in front of the market ESE of the marina.  The other is at Marina Royal in the lagoon.  Marigot has a number of good supermarkets.  The biggest is the Super-U which is excellent for reprovisioning.  Rubbish can be disposed of in any of the big orange topped bins found around the town.

Marigot and Marigot Bay from the old fort

Invasive goanna atop the fort

Native ground lizard

There are two chandleries in Marigot - Ile Marine and Island Water World.  Both provide clearing in and clearing out facilities.  Both are quite small.  The big chandleries are on the Dutch side - Island Water World and Budget Marine.  They both have dinghy docks and car parks.  They are well stocked and duty-free.  Best prices we've seen for a very long time, nearly as good as the big US chandleries.  We dinghied through the lagoon to visit them the first time, then switched to using the cheap busses.

Causeway across the lagoon, separating French and Dutch sides

Approaching Island Water World - wallets at the ready!

After hitting the chandleries for the first time we joined the Sea Life's and the Expedition's for happy hour at the Sint Maartin Yacht Club.  It is beside the lifting bridge between Simpson Bay and the lagoon.  Big vessels squeeze through here, sometimes not getting it quite right.  It's a spectator sport at the SMYC.  From there we went on to the Soggy Dollar bar.  The super yachts moored behind the Soggy Dollar are impressive.

Happy Hour at SMYC with lifting bridge behind

A small yacht squeezing in

The Sea Life's took us and the ReVision II's for a tour of the island, explaining the buses etc to us.  We visited Grand Case in St Martin which is a popular tourist spot, a local museum and Philipsburg in Sint Maartin.

Entering Grand Case

The beach at Grand Case

Tourists in Philipsburg

Philipsburg Court House

Philipsburg street scene

We took the buses with the ReVision II's to Maho Beach.  This beach is famous since it lies at the end of the main airport runway.  Aircraft arriving pass very close overhead.  Aircraft departing blast the beach with avgas-laced hot exhaust.

Flight details are in the bar!

All kinds of aircraft

Business jet on short final

Lining up

Rolling!

Climbing out

Yesterday the Sea Life's, Expedition's, ReVision II's and Zen Again's walked from Marigot to Grand Case.  It's about a 2 hour walk along the coast.  Good exercise and nice views.  At Grand Case we had a good, cheap lunch at a "lo-lo" - a local food place.

The goannas like to be on top!

Eight Aussies go lo-lo!

We're now preparing to leave St Martin.  Next stop the British Virgin Islands which are just 80nm away.

Trust all's well where you are!