Looking for the Virgins. The islands, of course. Sailing and diving, the RMS Rhone, Caribbean sunets

    We’re back from another adventure, our third annual trip to the British Virgin Islands, aka The BVI’s. My wife, Robie, and I joined our friends Linda and Larry aboard Reggae, a 38 foot Beneteau sailboat, for a few days of sailing and diving.

 

    The weather. Well, it could not have been better if we had been able order it up ourselves. Eight days of Caribbean water, sun, and summer-time clouds. Picture perfect, you might say, as you’ll see in the photos throughout.

 Windsurfing off Saba Rock

 

    Robie and I flew, again this year, on USAirways. The only conenctions that could have been better would have been aboard a chartered Gulfstream. Leaving from Wilmington (NC) International at 5:25 am for an hour flight to Charlotte, then a connecting flight at 8 am for St. Thomas, USVI, we arrived slightly ahead of schedule at 11:30-ish.  Now, try and beat that connection!
    I really should have bought a lottery ticket that day. Not only was everything going better than we could have expected, I was standing at the luggage turnstile in St. Thomas when, lo and behold, the FIRST two bags out the shute were ours. I grabbed both, and we were off to catch a van to the ferry terminal. And, yes, we were the first two in the van.

These birds entertained us on the ferry trip

 
    Fifteen minutes later, and we were getting our tickets for the 45 minute boat ride to the British side, arriving at Soper’s Hole on Tortola where Linda and Larry awaited our arrival. A quick trip through Customs and Immigration, and we were loading our gear aboard their dinghy, a small rubber boat powered by a 15 horsepower outboard. Minutes later, we boarded our home away from home, got rid of street clothes in favor of shorts, tee shirts and Teva’s. 

 

    Back in the dinghy we went for a quick visit to the supermarket for provisions.

 

    A key ingredient to living for a week on a sailboat is food. And, I am not talking about cellophane sandwiches or Vienna sausages. We eat very well, thank you. Steaks, potatoes, spaghetti, conch salad, and more. Pancakes for breakfast. Fresh fruit with virtually every meal.  And, if you haven’t had fried plantains, you don’t know what you’re missing. And, mangoes.  And…well, you get the picture.

    Robie with galley duties

  Fried plantains

 

 Steak's on the barbie!!!! Try and beat that kitchen setting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    One thing I didn’t miss. Cell phones. Connections, when they’re available, are EX-Pen-Sive. That was ok, ‘cause I get tired of hearing them ring. I did carry along my trusty 2-meter handheld ham radio (that’s a walkie talkie), and I checked in with the local ham radio network most mornings for the latest weather updates. Hams are such friendly and accommodating people. The morning “network control” ham was on St. John, but hams checked in from Tortola, St. Thomas and St. Croix.

 

    Larry and I had the opportunity to dive (SCUBA) the wreck of the RMS Rhone, a British mail ship that sank in a hurricane in 1867. This is one of the top dive sites in the Virgin Islands, and many divers have listed it as their favorite Caribbean wreck site. I can attest to its lure. In case you're not a history buff, but you're a movie buff, you may remember the film The Deep, starring Jacqueline Bissette and Nick Nolte. Yes, that movie. The Rhone was the background for the underwater wreck footage in that film.
     Located at Salt Island, just across Drake’s Passage from Tortola, the Rhone lies in two pieces. The bow section is in about 70 feet of water at the deepest point, while the stern section lies up against the shore. If you’re not a SCUBA diver, you can still take advantage of the stern section, easily reachable by snorkelers. Robie and Linda did just that, and said it was definitely worth their time.

Last known photo of HMS Rhone

    There are many dive sites in the BVI’s. On any given day, under most weather conditions, one site or another is accessible. Depending on wind and wave conditions, some locations are better than others. If in doubt, check with local dive shops. They have charters going pretty much 365 days a year.

    Let me tell you about one other dive. Santa Monica Rock, a really cool spot about a mile off Norman Island, is on the Atlantic side. Deepest part is about 75 feet, and the rock comes up to within a dozen feet of the surface. Now, if that doesn't make for a good dive, the only things I'll add should set your fins a-tingling. A 2-3 pound spiny lobster looking out from it's hole, a nurse shark about three feet long under one ledge, a green moray eel in the 4-5 foot range lounging peacefully under another, and some of the prettiest reef structure I've seen in a while.
    This, along with the Rhone, are two must-dive places to get wet in the BVI's.

   Diving Pirates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                The Caves. A popular snorkel site.

 

    Now, for some good refreshments and what I described as the absolutely bestest pizza I’ve ever had. We sailed into Virgin Gorda, in the BVI chain. We moored up in front of Saba Rock. Known, apparently, worldwide for its Painkillers, a tropical rum-punch-concoction, the setting is drop dead ideally suited for anyone who wants to spend a little time on dry land. At sunset, large tarpon show up for free handouts.

 Saba Rock

 

    Oh yeah, the pizza. That was at The Bitter End. A couple hundred yards, by dinghy, from Saba Rock. A cool resort, unto itself, in a beautiful setting, and a restaurant that just beckoned us. Ramon is the head chef. He dropped by our table because I wanted to know why our waitress said his pizzas would win any pizza competition, hands down. He didn’t brag, but he said he attributed the claim to the crust. Oh, and the brick oven, kept at the precise temperature, helped ensure the perfect crust.

 

Bitter End

     Robie and I settled on the special. A tuna pizza. Yep, and we would go back at ANY time for another of those. It was purrfect. And, as Ramon said, the crust was just like I was promised.

 

R&R (Robie and Raeford) just chillin'

    I have talked enough. Time for more pictures. After all, one is worth a buncha words. Should you get lucky enough to sail the BVI’s, be sure to take a camera. And, I don’t mean that little cell phone camera. Get a real one. You won’t be sorry.  

Time for a bath. The Baths on Virgin Gorda are accessible by boat (via your dinghy), or by taxi. Makes for a nice little hike. You will be amazed at the size of these Big Rocks.

 

 

 

 

 

 Linda takes a turn at the helm.

 I swear. That barracuda was this big.

 A happy skipper, Cap'n Larry 

 Larry in the rigging.

 

These sailors are looking for an overnight mooring ball.

 Did I tell you to bring a camera? Questions?

 Robie's getting into this snorkeling gig.

 I think I like sailing.

 

On Saba Rock.

Saba's beach,  complete with hammocks.

Is it ahhh time yet?

 

 You betcha. These are real pics.

 Color even looks good in black and white.

This is what sailors live for.

 Shall we say Seal Team Reggae

 Soper's Hole.

 Sailboats, power boats, kayaks.

 Another camera reminder

 Want real comfort? Complete with air conditioning. It will never replace Caribbean breezes, let me tell you.

 The famous Willy T. Ok, just Google it.

It's the party central location in the BVI's. Doesn't look like much, but the younger folks have a blast, they say, after the sun sets.  

 This is the ideal flip-flop setting

 Just an interesting picture, I thought.

 Hitching a ride on our dinghy.

 Nature's florist shop.

 

This is how they generate power to keep the batteries charged. Works great. And, of the thousands of these small windmills on the sailboats all over the place, I did not see one decapitated bird, nor did I hear anyone complain of the noise. If it's good for sailboats, why isn't it good on land?

 Yep. They call these Mega Yachts. Mega Bucks are required to buy AND operate these almost ships. 

 

Not a mega yacht, but Deliverance goes from boat to boat in the mooring fields, collecting trash (for a fee, of course), and selling everything from fresh fruits to ice. A floating supermarket, you might say.

 

These are our ladies. Left to right, Robie and Linda.

Talk about overkill. A cruise ship shares our waters as she pulls into Tortola.

 

 

 

Linda keeps a sharp eye out for other boaters, rocks, shallow water. Lookouts are as important today as they were in the says of Christopher Columbus.