British Virgin Islands

We have been cruising around the British Virgin Islands for more than a week now. We left the marina at Nanny Cay on Christmas Eve, and sailed the short distance to Norman Island. The harbor there is called "The Bight" and it had changed a lot since our last visit. The whole bay is now covered with mooring buoys. This allows more boats to anchor there, and is also a bit easier for the inexperienced charter boat skippers that teem in this part of the Caribbean.

We spent a couple of nights in The Bight, and then moved over to Peter Island -- another short hop. We stayed in an anchorage called "White Bay," which we had never visited before. It was very picturesque, though the waves curled around the island and made for less-than-smooth water. Like rocking in a cradle to sleep.

We had decided to celebrate the New Year at Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda, so after two nights on Peter Island we sailed to the northernmost and easternmost of the main BVI. This meant a long day's sail upwind, with many tacks, we arrived at the entrance to the North Sound just as a rain squall hit. No difficulties sailing, but David got VERY WET.

We were at the Bitter End Yacht Club for four nights. David and Esther rented a Hobie Cat daysailor for an hour and had a blast bombing around the sound. Esther steered the whole time, and did very well. We had a buffet dinner at the Yacht Club on New Year's Eve, delicious food and lots of variety. David and Gretchen managed to find a couple of numbers we could dance to after dinner.

We're now at anchor at Marina Cay, at the Northeast corner of Tortola. Our plan is to sail tomorrow to the island of Jost Van Dyke, home of one of the most famous bars in the world - Foxy's. A couple of nights there, and then we will enter the US Virgin Islands at St. John.