May 20, 2005
Welcome Home!
We made it. It was a long day. Up at 4am, no hassles through US customs, made our connection in Newark, and landed only 10 minutes late in St Thomas. And, our bags made it. We had a cold beer at the airport, then headed off to the ferry dock. We lucked out with an earlier ferry than we expected, and we were back on Platina by 5pm.
She looked as beautiful as when we left her 2 weeks ago.
Provisioning and navigation charts are tomorrow's agenda (plus breakfast at our fav little haunt, Pisces - free wireless if you have a meal).
Posted by dave at 09:42 AM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2005
Map of the Virgin Islands
This is a great map of the Virgin Islands that we found on www.infoplease.com. Platina is in West End, Tortola.
Posted by dave at 05:44 PM | Comments (0)
May 02, 2005
Soper's Hole, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Well, we are tied up tightly at the dock at Soper's Hole Marina, Tortola. We just could not get the marina on St Thomas to commit, so we decided to leave lovely Platina here instead. 2 intense days of getting Platina ready for our departure Thursday. The marina was reluctant to let us leave her unattended, but we prevailed (or was it the US peso?).
We had a lovely day's sail with 20 knots of wind. We went well out of the islands to refresh our skills, and headed back in to tie up in time to wash the boat (and have a cold beer). It was slightly strange to consider this our last sail for 3 weeks! It just had to be right! How would we feel being on LAND! Time will tell...
If you want to see pictures of the marine where Platina is docked, go to www.sopershole.com
Posted by dave at 08:01 PM | Comments (0)
May 01, 2005
Platina Looking Splendid in the BVIs
Proud parents taking photos from a distance! Isn't she beautiful?
Posted by dave at 08:46 PM | Comments (2)
Turtle, Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
We hope you can see this photo. It is a turtle .. there are many around these parts .. almost as many as there are fishing buoys.
Posted by dave at 08:42 PM | Comments (1)
Platina in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
HAPPY MAY DAY!
Many have asked for a picture of Platina, and this could be no more current. She is a little dirty, but happy. Like her owners!
The swim ladder is down, evidence of our commitment to an active lifestyle, even if we are getting a little soft.
Note the aft sail open a smidge,. It helps to keep her pointed into the wind. An advantage of a ketch rigged sailboat.
Posted by dave at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)
April 30, 2005
Unstressing, Destressing, Enjoying the Lapping Waves
Dave may look a wee SICK, but it's just SWEAT!
Posted by dave at 10:28 AM | Comments (0)
Chis in his New UV T-shirt
In Spanish Town, we visited a dive shop where they sell micro-fibre UV t-shirts. Having arrived in Cane Garden Bay, and stumbling on a beach bar, we just had to show off his new svelt pecs and have a cold beer.
Posted by dave at 10:25 AM | Comments (1)
April 29, 2005
N18.3 W64.4 Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Hey, isn’t tomorrow the deadline for taxes in Canada?
We left Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda because it was time for a new scene. We had moved from anchor to a mooring, paying US$25 for the night. A small price to pay for the certainty that the anchor would not drag. Besides, name a hotel you can stay in, be rocked to sleep, and pay only US$25.
We have now taken a mooring in Cane Garden Bay, a picture postcard bay on the island of Tortola. The winds have shifted to the northwest (and wind with ‘west’ in it is generally not good for weather).
Posted by dave at 04:24 PM | Comments (0)
April 27, 2005
N18.3 W64.3 Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
We left Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten at the 4:30pm swing bridge opening, during which we discovered that our spedometer was not working. It is a wee paddlewheel on the bow of the boat, which is removed from inside the boat, while water rushes in. What an experience. It is important because if we loose electronics and no sight of land, it really is the only way to tell where we are (speed plus direction = position). Especially at night.
It was an uneventful trip with little sleep. We had better than expected winds, and arrived before first light. The passage through to the bay where we have anchored is very rocky and narrow, so we sailed for a bit until the sun rose.
After anchoring, we did laundry! Ahhh, we love laundry day. All the rain in St Kitts and Sint Maarten soaked most of our clothes, which lay in a heap on the floor in the forward cabin. So, we left the laundry to dry on the boat and came to shore to check email, etc.
We will return for a lovely snooze in the breeze. And maybe a cold beer, too. It must be noon somewhere?
Columbus discovered the Virgin Islands on his second voyage, when he stopped off St Croix for fresh water. He named the islands ‘The Virgins” after St Ursula and her 11,000 virgins, who, threatened by the marauding Huns in 4th century Cologne, died rather than submit to pagan assault. The islands’ strategic geographic position quickly became important for trade. Annexed to England in the 17th century, the British Virgin Islands became separately administered from the rest of the British West Indies in 1956.
Posted by dave at 12:43 PM | Comments (0)