We made it to the BVIs! After three years of trying, we finally made it! We left St. Kitts without too much ado and made our way over to the island of Saba to anchor for the night. We decided not to stop at Statia because checking into a country for only one day can sometimes take your entire day and we had an amazing weather window we did not want to miss. We spent a bouncy night in Saba but it calmed a bit on Tuesday so we could rest and prepare for our overnight jaunt to the BVIs. We left at 8pm and the further we went, the more amazing the trip became. The water was like glass and Galt chugged along beautifully with just a little encouragement from Bill every so often (we still can’t figure out the air bubble that causes the engine to bog down but Bill has figured out a system that is working for us). Bill went to nap around 1am and I sat up on watch. A large cruise ship passed a few hundred yards off our port bow which was exciting! I also spotted what I thought was a UFO. Bill popped up to check on me and he said, “It’s a plane” to which I responded, “Just watch it.” As the object began to dart side to side and up and down, he said, “Not a plane. Just call me if they come for you.” After a few minutes, I looked behind the boat and there were dozens of the UFOs in the sky….like an invasion on War of the Worlds! It was at that time I realized I was witnessing the eighth wonder of the modern world….Starlink! It was quite the sight to see! Bill then took over watch while I slept for a few hours. I am not usually one that is up for a sunrise, at least not happily, but it was a beautiful morning. We had sunrise to the back of the boat and a full moon setting to the front of the boat. The water reflections were absolutely beautiful. To finish off the trip, a whale surfaced and rolled just as we were entering the main channel into Virgin Gorda. Bill expertly pulled Galt into the marina and we both happily crawled into bed for a few hours rest.
We decided to stay in the marina a few days due to the evil westerly winds. Every anchorage in the Caribbean is set up for the usual easterly trade winds. Therefore, west winds tend to wreak havoc on anchorages and wave patterns. Rather than fight the rolling, we just stayed tucked into the marina all nice and cozy. The main event on our list for Virgin Gorda was a national park called The Baths. The Baths are huge rocks that line the shore and you can swim and snorkel along a path in the rocks. The first day we were going, it rained a bit so we decided to go get some provisions instead. We walked into “town” which consisted of two grocery stores, a few restaurants, a school and a broken ATM. The entire island has a population of only 4000 people so not much action here. After dealing with getting yet another SIM card for internet at our not so favorite Digicel provider, we headed to eat lunch at a place recommended by the Digicel gal. We approached the restaurant to find at least 30 teenagers taking over the restaurant. Evidently, the restaurant provides lunch for the school kids if they need it at discounted rates. As the door opened, the smell of marijuana flooded over us and we figured the kids would definitely have the munchies! The owner walked us out to the deck into another cloud of weed and as he gave the kids a menacing “I am going to kill you” look, they all scattered inside. We aren’t sure what age they start smoking but I am guessing the afternoon classes are pretty quiet at the school. Since we have not been able to locate the air bubble in the engine, Bill wanted a diesel mechanic to take another look. We had two guys show up to look at Larry and both of them said the set up should work. Neither saw an air bubble in the filter area and all the fasteners seemed snug but the both agreed, “You have an air bubble”. So, the mystery remains but the guys gave us a few ideas to try to determine possible areas where an air bubble may be lurking so at some point, we will try some of those ideas. Until then, Bill will continue to sweet talk Larry and we will chug right along. The next day, we were going to head toward The Baths. Then, we were told they were “red flagged” due to rough waters so no swimming was allowed. They were red flagged the next day so we figured by Saturday, things would have calmed. When we arrived, the Baths were red flagged again so we hiked down to the water which was very rough and definitely ‘red flag worthy’ and then made our way along a trail that was a combination of crevices, wading in shallow water and sand paths. Bill slipped and tore up his only pair of shoes so now he has duct taped them back together until he can find a new pair. Quite the fashion statement! The winds are supposed to shift back to a more normal pattern on Sunday so we will head out of the marina to explore the islands. This week’s current plan is a bay on the north side of Virgin Gorda for some nature and snorkeling and then on to Anegada Island which has flamingos! Until next week, figure out which of your shoes will look the best with duct tape added…..Bill is starting a trend! **All pics from St. Kitts and Nevis posted on pictures tab...finally!
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AuthorSally Miller Archives
May 2024
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