Subtropical Ridge (7.18.12)

The weather forecast didn't look good for us making it to Anegeda. Neither did the look on everyone's faces when we tried. Apparently, we had something called a subtropical ridge that brought quite the winds and seas with it.  We abandoned our mission north fairly quickly and re-routed toward Beef Island.  But, not before we took advantage of the breeze.  Get that main sail up, guys!  With the winds kicked up, we had no problem reaching 8 knots in a hurry.

Generator S.O.S. (7.19.12)

I'm not sure how he knew, but, Riann came to our rescue on our first morning out.  What a charming guy.  He was a Moorings captain on another boat with Chilean passengers (who weren't yet awake). He must have noticed that we were having trouble with our generator and he paddled over in chivalrous fashion.    After coaxing our generator to life, he left almost as quickly as he came. But not before he shared some coffee and breakfast.

Double Rainbow (7.18.12)

Waking up to a rainbow is pretty special.  Waking up to a double rainbow is extraordinary.

Skewers (7.17.12)

Careful planning is required when you need to feed 9 people on a boat.  Lloyd makes fun of the spreadsheet that I spend hours manipulating before we leave.  In most circumstances, though, it keeps me organized, and I know right down to the last ingredient what we've brought with us to stock our pantry and what is left to buy.  I thought that we'd covered everything; but skewers somehow didn't make it on the boat.  That's a big deal when you have kabobs on the menu.   Lucky for us, the chef at Soggy Dollar didn't mind sharing.

Overboard (7.17.12)

One advantage to being on a boat is that when you're ready to get wet, all you have to do is jump overboard.

Tool Kit Needed (7.17.12)

This happens every year.  Sometimes it happens more than once.  One of the kids will find a coconut and expect it for dinner.  The biggest problem, though, is getting through that shell!  Todd, Lloyd, and Bailey took turns working their way through with a screwdriver, a wrench, and a kitchen knife.  Not the best instruments for the task, but, we had no choice.  If only the locals were around... they'd have a machete in their tool kit.



A lot of work went into this fruit snack!

Ring Ting (7.17.12)

Our time at White Bay was the perfect opportunity to introduce two of our family favorites:   the Ring Game at which we all had our turn (Shelby turned out to be the best hook.) and the second, well, we were thirsty, and Ting hit the spot!

Soggy (7.17.12)

Soggy's not the state of our sandwiches (we managed to keep those dry), but, the state of our swimsuits once we'd arrived.  We made it to Soggy Dollar just in time for lunch.

Clear Blue (7.17.12)

White Bay evokes for me a certain feeling.  It's not exactly pin-pointable, but, its a freedom for exploration that begins with the crystal clear waters and sandy ocean bottom.  A sea turtle was sighted, and all of the kids looked and dove for sand dollars.  Could one ask for anything better?

Sails to the Wind (7.17.12)

There are people who "get it" and there are those who enjoy it, but don't quite catch the magic.  The first time we put up the sails, Todd and Leigh Anne could feel it.   They were hooked.

This being his first sailing trip, Todd had studied for literally hundreds of days, and could recite any website or book on knot tying or sailing theory.  He passed the test.

Headed East (7.17.12)

With sunscreen lathered and swim suits donned, nothing could stop us from heading East toward White Bay.

Beautiful Mornin' (7.17.12)

Nothing like waking up in the Caribbean fishin' for coffee while your 10 year old is already fishing!  

Night Lights (7.16.12)

After a long day's travel full of adventure, we were ready to say goodnight to the world.

Provisioning at Bobby's (7.16.12)

While Lloyd and Todd were watching kids and Leigh Anne was reuniting with Vincent, I took the older girls to Bobby's with me. Only AFTER we'd shopped there was I was told that our usual grocer had changed ownership and had gone downhill.  (The girls and I could have told you that almost immediately.)  Nevertheless, after 3 shopping carts and almost $450 later, we'd provisioned for the week.  The only thing that Shelby could say about the entire experience was "I'm thankful for my Kroger".  Indeed! 

Vincent (7.16.12)

Of all places to find a friend… Leigh Anne and Vincent (a native Virgin Islander) went to college together at Freed-Hardeman in Henderson, TN (back in the day).  She and her family sort of adopted Vincent when he was in the States, and so you can imagine it was like a family reunion when they reconnected.  Vincent welcomed all of us to his country with pride, and introduced Leigh Anne to everyone he knew on the base as “his sister”.  They talked for hours…a sweet reunion it was.     

The Moorings (7.16.12)

It’s so funny to me to notice the difference between boys and girls.  Usually, when we have boys join us on this trip, the first thing they do is hunt for the boat so they can get out their fishing gear.  In great contrast, Maddie and Grayson had one goal in mind as soon as we got to the Moorings base…. to find the pool. 

Welcome Aboard (7.16.12)

With bittersweet hearts we saw the sign that together Lloyd and I have seen each trip for the past twelve years.  There will be more time for reflection and remembrance of Luther in the days to come, as each island holds a special memory of him for us.  Luther, we can’t thank you enough for your love and generosity toward us.  It is because of you that we have these lovely memories and hold this place so dear to our hearts.  

A Meat Locker (or two) (7.16.12)

The inside cabin of the BVI Patriot was so cold that it must have been kept at 60 degrees.  This felt really nice at first (since none of us were acclimated quite yet to the island warmth).  Both Maddie and Grayson curled up underneath their blankets (Grayson is under the red and Maddie the pink) and quickly fell asleep. I admit, I fell asleep too, but, I was frigid when I awoke and couldn't stand another minute inside.  

I found Lloyd outside chatting with another group of families from Miami who were also chartering a similar boat from the Moorings.  I caught him volunteering his opinion that I bring too much food with us from the U.S. when we sail.  To explain, most of the provisioning in the BVI is 3-5 times that what you would pay in the States, and we often take much of our dry goods down with us to save money on provisioning.  Lloyd was on a roll, of course, until this guy admitted they do the same thing PLUS bring a cooler full of meat with them when they sail.  Vindication was mine! Customs, here we come (with our crackers, cheeses, and peanut butter-- we'll bring our own meat locker with us next time).

BVI Patriot (7.16.12)

After patiently waiting, we were finally able to board our ferry, the BVI Patriot, at the ferry docks in St. Thomas (USVI).  This vessel would take approximately an hour to carry us to Road Town (BVI). Some of our time was spent inside (air conditioning!), but, for the most part, we wanted to be in as much Caribbean air as possible.

  

An "Island Time" Fast Ferry (7.16.12)

When the sign tells you what time the Fast Ferry leaves, there is a slight margin of error.

You have to understand that this is island time, and, with that, comes an understanding of grace (a few minutes on either side of 4:15). Along with that comes some other rules and regulations, some of which I'll have to explain later.  

Up to this point, there was nothing fast about this Fast Ferry, but, we spent our time in watchful anticipation.

Well, at least, part of the time.