Well, it's official. The Christmas winds are out in full force. Too bad our engine isn't.The engine on Moonshine had been giving us some trouble before we left Nanny Cay on Friday morning. The man from Horizon Yacht Charters assured us that the issue was likely just a short in the engine alarm system, but he asked us to call in at the end of the day if we had any problems. We used our engine a lot yesterday and it got us through some very high, 8-10 foot breaking seas. No problem, mon.After a windy, rocky night at Marina Cay, we woke up this morning intending to sail to our next destination. But before we could put the sails up, we had to motor through the bay and a narrow channel. We left our mooring ball at 10:30 AM.Around 10:45, as we were preparing to turn towards the channel, we lost engine power. Jon finally figured out that he could keep the engine running if he kept the RPMs below 1800. So we fought the wind and the current as we turned back towards Marina Cay.At about 11:30, we were safely tied up to a new ball at Marina Cay. We called the Horizon charter office and relayed the issue. No problem, mon. They would send a guy out to take a look at the engine. At 1:30 PM, we spied a guy coming through the wind and the rain towards "Moonshine." Anil quickly tied up his large, inflatable dinghy, removed his bright orange lifevest, and climbed aboard to save the day.By 3:00, the engine was fixed. I don't really know what the problem was but Anil blew out the gas lines and replaced the fuel filter. And, he fixed the warning alarm system so it would only alert us if there was an actual emergency.By this time, we were starving and it was too late in the day to reach our intended destination. So we motored to another anchorage about a half mile away (with Anil following behind in case there were any problems). We're now actively looking for ways to improve our karma with the sailing gods. Perhaps I start using the term "solstice winds."
Saturday, November 30, 2013
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Friday, November 29, 2013
All I Want For Christmas
Last night, as we were walking back to the boat, I heard Christmas music coming from a shop in Nanny Cay Marina. I think this music was the siren's song for the annual Christmas winds. Each winter (usually in December), the winds pick up in these islands and create some unsettled weather. And they arrived this year, right on cue.
I wish we had a better idea of how strong the winds were blowing today. Unfortunately, the wind indicator on "Moonshine" doesn't seem to work. We were seeing whitecaps all around us and the gauge only showed 12 knots.
Our original idea was to sail all the way to North Sound on Virgin Gorda but it was so unpleasant on the way that we bailed on that plan. Our first backup was Cooper Island. The anchorage there is pretty exposed so it's not usually recommended in high winds. Sure enough, once we got close enough we could see the other boats bouncing around like they were in a rock tumbler.
The next backup plan brought us to Marina Cay, about an hour's ride away. I could lie and say that we sailed the whole way, but we brought the sail down at Cooper and decided just motor for the rest of the day.
When the guys came out this evening to pick up our mooring fee, I asked if they knew how high the winds were today. They were consistently in the 30 knots per hour range - with gusts near 40! The Beaufort scale lists 28 - 33 knots as "Near Gale" and 34 - 40 knots as "Gale" force winds. I think it's perfectly acceptable to use a motor in those conditions.
Oddly, I wasn't really scared. Just very wet and cold. As we were crossing the channel, the occasional wave would break over the bow and spray us with sea water. More expensive boats are built to protect sailors from spray and rain. Not ours. I guess you get what you pay for.
Below is a shot of our new neighbors. I'm guessing they kept warm and dry in today's weather!
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Abroad and Aboard
A last-minute, top-secret video project brought me back to the islands sooner than I expected. No - this is not a joke. I flew and ferried to St. John on Sunday, Jon joined me a couple of days later, and the project wrapped last night. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to do some sailing while we were here, so we chartered a Bavaria yacht for a short, five day trip around the BVIs. Now, instead of spending Thanksgiving with my parents like we intended, we are sitting in the cockpit of this sailboat waiting for a pumpkin pie to be delivered from the local bakery.
Packing and provisioning was a snap for this trip because I took really good notes on the flight home after our last charter. We brought some food with us, had our liquor and baked good delivered, and will do a quick grocery run this evening for our last minute needs. We already had our boat briefing, so we should be able to get underway by 10 AM tomorrow. We have a loose itinerary this time. Our only plan is to go where the wind takes us.
The Bavaria, "Moonshine," is a 33' sailboat. It's significantly smaller than "Tootsie" which was 41' and even smaller than the 37' Island Packet, "Journey's End." It seems like it would be pretty tight for more people, but it seems perfect for a couple. And, it was priced right.
Bavaria's are German-made (hence the name) and it has a nice, warm wood interior. It has two cabins (both are pretty small), one bathroom and an outdoor shower on the transom. We haven't gone anywhere on it yet so I don't know how it sails, but I'll guess that it's pretty rigid based on it's German heritage.
The lovely baker, Julia, just dropped off our order so it's time for our feast!
Friday, May 17, 2013
A Time for Healing
Our final full day aboard "Tootsie" took us to Norman Island, the fabled location in the story "Treasure Island." It was a challenging sail as we were headed into some brisk wind and had to tack back and forth several times in order to reach our destination. But I'm finally getting the hang of it. I was one of the smiling, happy people perched up on the rails that I see in sailboat photos! Too bad we were heeling so much that we didn't even think about grabbing the camera.
We went ashore at Norman for lunch at the one and only building on the island. Then, we hiked up into the hills.
On our first visit to Norman Island a few years ago, we spotted a perfect bay where Jon dreams of buying land. Here he is overlooking his future property...
Later in the evening, we went to the Willy T, a floating bar/restaurant in the bay. People get crazy at the Willy T, and the bartenders egg them on. Photos are displayed on screens above the bar showing young women participating in it's notorious "tops for shots" program. Fortunately, we brought cash - there's a limit to what I'll do for a free cocktail.
This morning, we woke early and sailed back to Tortola and "Tootsie's" home base. This was our fastest sail to date - over 8 knots! What a great way to end the trip.
As we head home, our thoughts and prayers continue for our friend, Jay. He suffered a setback a couple of days ago, and was rushed into emergency surgery to remove two blood clots in his brain. Our hearts are filled with good wishes for his swift recovery.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
On the Hook
We had a nice downwind sail today from Trellis Bay to Sandy Spit, a tiny deserted island. Similar to Sandy Cay, one of our day stops on the last trip, Sandy Spit looks like the quintessential Corona ad. A sliver of sand and a few palm trees - a little slice of paradise.
We didn't stop at Sandy Spit last time because the only way to visit is by dropping anchor. Of course, we know how to use the anchor. We just haven't done it much. The tourism board of the BVIs has installed mooring balls in most anchorages so they've made it very easy to just pick up a ball. But we really wanted to work on our anchoring skills this trip so Sandy Spit was the perfect place to practice.
We arrived just in time for lunch. Once on the hook (at anchor), we took the dinghy ashore and did some snorkeling. My favorite was the fish nursery where we saw baby blue tang bobbing along behind their mother. Back at the boat, we were encouraged to see that our anchoring skills passed the test and we didn't move an inch.
We're spending the night at a mooring in Great Harbor, Jost Van Dyke. There are several boats around us, filled with groups of friends traveling together. As we hear them laughing and toasting the sunset, we can't help but think our friend, Jay Roberts. Jay is the life of every party. One of our best memories of the tropics is the vacation we spent with Jay and his wife Joelle in Key West a few years ago. We can't wait to bring them here once Jay is well and able. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Dead Calm - part 2
Finally got this photo to post! This is what the water looked like for 11 1/2 miles during our trip to Anegada a few days ago. Wow!
Land Ho!
We set off this morning, leaving Anegada for the more centrally located BVIs. We had a GREAT trip - the perfect point of sail and steady, brisk wind. Since we were in open water, we had to deal with some swells but "Tootsie" prevailed.
Our plan for this trip was to reach our night anchorages earlier in the day, so we could have more time to experience these different locations. "Tootsie" has been a good boat to achieve that goal. She is much faster than "Journey's End," the 37' Island Packet we chartered last fall. Our top speed on JE was probably only 5 knots over water. "Tootsie" brought us to Trellis Bay today in sustained speeds of 7 1/2 knots.
Trellis Bay seems to attract hippies of all ages. It's also the spot of the monthly full moon party, and very popular with the charter crowd. Too bad we didn't time it right - we've only seen a little sliver of moon for the past few days. But it's been great for star-gazing. I think we spotted the Southern Cross in the sky last night. Quite extraordinary!
Scootin' Along
I'm writing today's blog knowing full well that I won't be able to post it until tomorrow, at the earliest. Anegada has many charms, but easy access to the rest of the world isn't one of them.
We went ashore today and rented a scooter to take us to the other side of the island. We had high hopes for snorkeling the third largest barrier reef in the world. But, like many other coral reefs, this one is in rough shape.
We actually snorkeled twice today. Our first trip into the water was a disappointment. Most of the coral was bleached out and broken. The highlight was the baracuda patrolling the reef. Jon took his go-pro camera encased in a protective housing under the water with us. "Barry" was very interested in the camera and the pole it was mounted to. We snorkeled for about a half hour and he followed right along with us the whole time.
After Barry drove us out of the water, we picked another spot further down the beach to try again. This time, we were able to see a healthier underwater ecosystem. Giant coral caves hid large snapper, a flounder shuffled along the sand and a strange looking creature that looked like a poisonous snake slithered along the bottom (I quickly swam away).
Anegada is an interesting spot. It reminds me a lot of the Abaco islands where Jon and I spent our honeymoon and other subsequent trips. I'm fond of the desolation. But the anchorage is pretty exposed and very shallow so you feel pretty vulnerable to the elements. At low tide, we have probably less than a foot of clearance from the tip of our keel to the sand below.
Tomorrow, we head back to the civilization of Tortola, the largest island in the BVIs. Tonight, we are sleeping in the aft cabin on our boat to check it out for future guests. We want to make sure that it's a comfortable spot for those who decide to join us on our next adventure!
P.S. Charles Barkley has not embarked on a singing career since his retirement from basketball. My earlier post about the music on our iPod was in reference to Charles Bradley, not Gnarls Barkley, which would be the obvious assumption ;).
Scootin' Along
I'm writing today's blog knowing full well that I won't be able to post it until tomorrow, at the earliest. Anegada has many charms, but easy access to the rest of the world isn't one of them. And, I still can't get my photos to work!
We went ashore today and rented a scooter to take us to the other side of the island. We had high hopes for snorkeling the third largest barrier reef in the world. But, like many other coral reefs, this one is in rough shape.
We actually snorkeled twice today. Our first trip into the water was a disappointment. Most of the coral was bleached out and broken. The highlight was the baracuda patrolling the reef. Jon took his go-pro camera encased in a protective housing under the water with us. "Barry" was very interested in the camera and the pole it was mounted to. We snorkeled for about a half hour and he followed right along with us the whole time.
After Barry drove us out of the water, we picked another spot further down the beach to try again. This time, we were able to see a healthier underwater ecosystem. Giant coral caves hid large snapper, a flounder shuffled along the sand and a strange looking creature that looked like a poisonous snake slithered along the bottom (I quickly swam away).
Anegada is an interesting spot. It reminds me a lot of the Abaco islands where Jon and I spent our honeymoon and other subsequent trips. I'm fond of the desolation. But the anchorage is pretty exposed and very shallow so you feel pretty vulnerable to the elements. At low tide, we have probably less than a foot of clearance from the tip of our keel to the sand below.
Tomorrow, we head back to the civilization of Tortola, the largest island in the BVIs. Tonight, we are sleeping in the aft cabin on our boat to check it out for future guests. We want to make sure that it's a comfortable spot for those who decide to join us on our next adventure!
P.S. Charles Barkley has not embarked on a singing career since his retirement from basketball. My earlier post about the music on our iPod was in reference to Charles Bradley, not Gnarls Barkley, which would be the obvious assumption ;).
Monday, May 13, 2013
Dead Calm
One of Nicole Kidman's first movies took place on a sailboat floating off the coast of Australia (in the pre-surgery days before Tom Cruise). The title of the movie, "Dead Calm," describes the sailing conditions - perfectly flat water in all directions. Sounds idyllic, until the villain (Billy Zane) shows up and poor Nicole is stuck without the ability to sail away.
This sounds like our day. Jon obsessively kept watch for Billy in a life raft - though maybe he was just bored. And, I'm clearly not tall enough to be mistaken for Nicole.
We set out this morning for the island of Anegada, roughly 12 miles straight out to sea from last night's anchorage in Virgin Gorda. Anegada is nicknamed "the drowned island" because it's flat, unlike the other mountainous islands in the BVIs. This is the only destination where line-of-sight navigation isn't possible.
Winds were predicted to be 7-12 knots out of the southeast. That would have put us on a great course for Anegada - slow and steady but the wind at an ideal direction. Instead we found ourselves in 3-4 knots (if that). So we ended up having to motor sail all the way. But it was beautiful to see such clear, teal water for miles. We could even see the bottom for a good part of the trip.
We had planned to visit Anegada when we were aboard "Journey's End" last fall. But, we decided to skip it. I'm glad we took the time on this trip. This island is surrounded by the third largest barrier reef in the world. Quite a treat for those of us who enjoy snorkeling. We're staying two nights so tomorrow will be a day spent in the water - not on it.
Stupid technology won't let me post any photos now. Will share when I have a better wi-fi signal!
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Rock and Roll
For every major occasion (holiday, vacation, etc.) Jon puts together a playlist for our iPod. Past iterations have included "Fall into Frost," "Avante"' and "(there was a) Girl from Natucket." Our playlist for this trip is titled "Tootsie Roll." A fitting name.
Our current playlist includes some new artists (Alabama Shakes, Charles Barkley) and some oldies (Paul Simon's "Kodachrome"). The great thing about these playlists is that I can hear them again months - or years - later and the music brings me back.
Our experience for this current trip will be colored by the rock and roll of last night. In my previous post, I mentioned that we were moored at Cooper Island, a notoriously "rolly" anchorage. And since we got there late, we had to pick a mooring ball on the north end of the anchorage.
We had a nice appetizer dinner at the Cooper Island Beach Club, and then headed back to "Tootsie." (FYI - I'm the dinghy caption on this trip. More on this in a later post). Minutes after we safely arrived onboard, a big squall hit the Cooper anchorage. Well, we thought it was a squall. Turns out, it was a major weather event!
One boat lost it's mooring and ended up on the rocks (not good) and most of the islanders lost power and had to deal with some major flooding. After the downpour of rain, the winds picked up to almost hurricane levels (we heard - not confirmed). We had a restless night sleep at Cooper. My dreams were filled with safety rescue efforts!
But, the day dawned bright. We were up early (or just never really slept), so we left Cooper before 8:00 AM (VERY early for us). We had a wonderful sail up to the North Sound of Virgin Gorda and arrived at our current mooring before 11 AM.
We took off in the dinghy and did a lot of exploring this afternoon. Then, we headed back to "Tootsie" for a relaxing cocktail hour. Jon is listening to Ray La Montagne and smoking a cigar. Life is good....
Swifty Sails Again
It seems like such a short time ago that we sailed all over the British and US Virgin Islands on our 37" Island Packet, "Journey's End." But setting sail on "Tootsie," our 41' Beneteau for the week, was a whole new experience.
Since we are late in life sailors, we need to maximize these opportunities. Jon and I want to get as many sea miles under our belts as possible in the shortest amount of time. So, we are once again taking advantage of the sailing playground in the Virgin Islands, to learn some good lessons...
Provisioning - buying the food and liquor that we'll consume for the next week - was a breeze. Since there is only two of us, we don't need a lot. It doesn't make sense to make big meals, but we decided to get charcoal and food to grill during the week. It's much cheaper to go ashore the happy hour drink and appetizer specials, and then make dinner on the boat. I could live for a month on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (as long as there are small potato chip pieces to go with each bite), but Jon wants a little more variety in his food options. Burgers and hot dogs will have to suffice this time.
The check out process was also so much easier. "Tootsie" has many of the same boat systems as "Journey's End." Lighting the stove, flushing the toilets, starting the engine - these are all quite similar. But, "Tootsie" has some new features that have been fun to explore. My favorite is the drop-down transom!
When the transom is lowered, it gives us about 15 feet of decking just above the water line where we can dangle our feet in the water and look aft (aka - over the back of the boat). This is also a great place to sit while taking an outdoor shower. I will take a photo tomorrow to share - it's AMAZING! (Not me - the transom).
We're spending the night at Cooper Island, the destination of our first trip to the islands for Jon's birthday a few years ago. This spot is notoriously "rocky" so we'll get our sea legs tonight!
Here's a shot of our neighbors at Cooper...
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Back to the Islands
"Back to the Islands" is a great tune by The Baha Men, and is our unofficial theme song. We arrived in Tortola, BVI, two days ago after a long but uneventful trip. For the past few days, we've been staying at a small inn perched high above the water on the northwest side of the island. Here is the view from our patio - a great vantage point to watch the fun down below...
Jon has been actively checking NOAA, windguru and other websites to try and predict the weather we can expect for our second sailing adventure. The last few days have been rainy and dreary. It looks like we're caught between two different pressure systems - high and low - resulting in some unsettled weather patterns.
We'll board "Tootsie" in the morning, our home and transportation for the next week. I see glimpses of a red sky in the distance. Let's hope the riddle holds true and tomorrow brings a "sailor's delight."