Trellis Bay, Beef Island 7.24.09

Sailing to the north end of Tortola, we caught a small tuna which Lloyd thought would be the perfect bait for a larger catch. The kids were fascinated with the fish cleaning process, something I'd seen my fair share of as a daughter of a crappie fisherman. Iain enjoyed this experience the most by far.

What is usually a happening place, we found that Trellis Bay was fairly quiet on this visit. Aragorn's studio had closed up for low season (high season is during the winter months in the US and most close up their storefronts during August and September because of low tourism), and so much of our shopping for local arts and crafts was put on hold. We did explore a bit and let the kids climb the tree house native to this anchorage. We arrived a week ahead of the full moon party, which is a disappointment considering there would be no live music and fireball scuptures! We did however eat dinner at Lloyd's favorite place called The Last Resort. Surprisingly, they have the best BBQ ribs south of our home town. Of course, we are partial to our Memphis rub, but they come in as a close second.

Sandy Spit 7.24.09

Our travels included a day anchorage at Sandy Spit, a tiny island adjacent to a sand bar just southeast of Green Cay (Jost Van Dyke). The snorkeling was good, although the kids cared more for playing in the sand than anything else. Jen, Mandy and I passed the time by hiking around white sand perimeter. Harrison made friends with a sand crab before parting.

Sandollars, Stingrays, and Seaturtles 7.24.09

Marine life is abundant below the sparkling surface of the turquoise waters that we love. Each day is a new quest to find something we've not encountered before. This day was no different and this morning proved to deliver. After coffee and breakfast, the kids and I went snorkeling off the back end of the boat. We immediately spotted a sting ray with a very long tail who swam in tandem with a small fish. I followed them, with kids close behind, until they lead me right to a small sea turtle! This handsome guy seemed to not care that I was in his swimming pool, and he let me get close enough to admire him. Other sea life encountered were small sea snails and another short-tailed stingray. We collected a variety of shells and sand dollars too. Score!

Fishing in Virgin Waters 7.23.09

As if sailing wasn't adventure enough, we brought fishing rods with us, and Harrison was the first among us to catch among these waters. Lucky for him, this little guy wasn't big enough to feed all ten of us, so we let him go.

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke 7.23.09

Patricia Schultz in her book "1000 Places to See Before You Die" devotes a page and a half to Sailing the British Virgin Islands. Of all the places to experience in the BVI, she makes mention of White Bay as a beloved location in yachting circles. White Bay is located on Jost Van Dyke, the island that lies just north of Tortola (i.e. where we pick up the boat). The 3- by 4- mile island is home to approximately 200 people, and it's highway is an unimaginably gorgeous white sandy beach.

Our favorite place on the island is a little place called The Soggy Dollar, which is named for the soggy state of dollar bills used by those swimming ashore. It is the focal point of most who visit the island including us!




What do you do in paradise? We adults relaxed (hammocks are plentiful here) and played "hook" while the kids built a sandfort with shells, coconuts, and coral.

Halcyon III (Our Boat)

The Moorings, located in Tortola, BVI, is the charter base from which we sail each year. Home to many fleets and destinations, the BVI is definitely our favorite. The minute you step on the boat, your shoes instinctively fall off your feet, the steel drums start playing in your head and you begin to understand the island feel that consumes everyone around this place. It most likely is indescribable.

Our boat for the next 12 days would be Luther's 46 foot catamaran, Halcyon III (thank you, Luther!) When we arrived at the Moorings, the kids acted like pros, running through the base as if they knew exactly what to do. It was fun watching them as their excitement grew --full of knowledge of what was to come (this is our second year of sailing together). After finding the boat, within minutes, the kids had changed into their swimsuits, and were at the pool. It was the last fresh water (albeit chlorinated) they would see for a while, and they took full advantage.

Our night ended with Mahi sandwiches and some of the kids' left over french fries. Enough nourishment to last through the first Caribbean night.

Travel Time

Imagine a spend the night party with two 5 year olds and two 7 year olds where you have to try and rationalize why they need to go to sleep at a reasonable hour because 3:30 in the morning is going to come quickly. (Let me know when you find a sucessful approach to this!) John’s Cab arrived at 4:30 AM and we took 2 cars to the airport. Memphis to Miami; Miami to San Juan; San Juan to Tortola…a long day of travel. The kids did great; even the adults made it without too much complaining.

Let me introduce you to our crew-- The Finks: Lloyd, Shannon, Harrison, and Grayson. The Campbells: Glennbruce, Jennifer, Ari, and Iain. And, the Willhites: Andy and Mandy (soon to be a Willhite in October!).

Ten people essentially willing and wanting to live together in tight quarters for 12 days, 11 nights. Why might you ask? I'll tell you our story. An adventure that begins in The British Virgin Islands.