Thursday March 18
It was gray, threatening and blowing as we had breakfast. I went ashore to the Internet Café to get the latest NOAA weather forecast and it was 9:30 before we headed off in search of the legendary Foxy’s. We picked up a mooring at Monkey point intending to snorkel, but the water was rough, the sky cloudy, and the ocean uninviting so we upped sails, and, with the clouds breaking up, had a fabulous down wind run to Great Harbour arriving early enough to anchor in close, just off Foxy’s dock. The afternoon passed poking around ashore, buying Foxy tee shirts and generally limin about. We picked up bread at Christine’s Bakery that was wonderful, and sipped away the last bottle of TMM champagne before heading to Foxy’s for yet another memorable dinner.
Friday March 19
I dinked into shore to drop off garbage and pick up ice from the Icehouse while MJ got breakfast together. The anchorage had become quite crowded as yesterday afternoon progressed. As the boat ahead of us was lying over our hook I stooped on the way back to ask them when they were leaving. As it turned out they were just getting ready to weigh anchor so I returned to the boat for another stellar breakfast but this time with a textbook lesson in anchoring etiquette!
Anchored next to us was a 50-foot (+-) boat flying German colours that had come in early the previous afternoon. Slightly ahead of it was a small Sunsail boat that had arrived later and squeezed out a space slightly ahead of the German boat. So close in fact, that the German boat had rigged fenders in anticipation of things going bump in the night. The German boat started raising anchor but their anchor became fouled with the Sunsail boat which it also picked up and what ensued was a terrifying 45 minute tango through the anchorage with the two boats, not more than15 feet apart, trying to untangle from one another while not colliding with the other anchored boats. Fortunately the German boat had several muscular gentlemen aboard and they eventually, after several close calls, managed to disengage. In retrospect I consider that both boats contributed to the problem, the Sunsail for anchoring too close in the first place, and the German boat, being aware of the hazard, for not consulting the Sunsail before weighing anchor.
Shortly after the action ended we upped anchor bound for Sandy Cay, Sandy Spit, and finally, Taboo about which we had read so much on this board. The Sandy Cay anchorage was quite rolly and we found our old neighbour, the German boat anchored there. It was amusing to watch them wave off an unsuspecting boat that wanted to anchor ahead of them! We took the dink ashore and walked the path around the Island noting that the Sandy Spit anchorage looked calmer. After a swim off the beach we raised anchor and headed for Sandy spit for a calmer lunch spot. We called Taboo for reservations and happily passed the afternoon snorkeling and limin about.
There were four boats in at Taboo that night and the anchorage was calm. We had time, after our arrival to dink over to Little JVD where some people were fly-fishing. We explored along the shore for a bit before it was time to head back for dinner. The other anchored boats went in early for dinner so, by the time we arrived for our 7:30 reservation, they were leaving and we were alone. The meal was excellent in every respect and I’m sure Taboo will take off once word gets out. I was interested to see shore power hookups along the dock, and noted that the Mooring receipt said Diamond Cay Marina. Makes me think that Foxy has big plans for this development and that the secret of the Bubble Pool will be lost forever.
Saturday March 20
Our vacation is winding down and it’s time to head back to the Sir Francis Drake Channel side of Tortola. The wind is up 21-25 knts, the sailing is great, but it’s kind of gray so we decide to stop at the West End for lunch arriving to a full anchorage in the middle of a rainsquall. The squall is short lived, however, and immediately, several boats leave and we are able to get a good mooring close in. A little shopping ashore, a bite to eat aboard, and we are on our way again under clearing skies with the wind kicking up as we head out into the channel for the upwind beat to Road Town. We have decided to avoid the Sunday morning rush and head in today spending the last night at the TMM dock. The winds are now consistently in the 21-25 knt range with the highest gust I noted at 29 knts. The sky has turned blue and the spray is flying as we speed along under reefed main and jib. This is what we came for and our spirits are high!! At 4:00 we round the channel markers into Road Town. We receive our docking directions and proceed into the harbour. Now I have never backed a 40-foot yacht into a slip, but it appears there is a first time for everything as the TMM staff politely decline my invitation to dock the boat themselves. Instead, I am expertly coached from the shore as we gradually bring the stern around and lay the Trade Winds of Emsworth gently along side, stern to. It has been a wonderful trip, but for me, this is the crowning achievement. (Well, next to getting married).
That night we dined at C&F, which was wonderful. Check in the next morning went smoothly, TMM was great to charter with, and, as our flight home tracked north we began planning our next escape even as we felt our suntans beginning to fade.
...and they all lived happily ever after!
