Captain's Log Page 17

Tideline Yacht Sales
17 Lockwood Drive
Charleston, SC 29401

PHONE: 843.813.3711
FAX: 866.467.8840
Email: glen@tidelineyachtsales.com

      After enjoying Anguilla for 3 days we decided to return to St Maarten. It took us about 4 hours to get back, and we just dropped anchor outside the entrance when the skies opened up. The deluge did not last long at all, and it was not long before we were anchored in our old spot. The family had to return to the States, and we were starting to think of what our plans ought to be. Until then our attitude had been we have no plans and we're sticking to them.

The next group of islands is the Virgin Islands. Columbus had named them because he thought they looked liked virgin maidens lying down. We first came to Tortola, British Virgin Islands. This is a very picturesque town overlooking Road Harbour, the main anchorage. It is a main cruise ship destination, and there is a large cruise ship terminal there. It is also the site of the largest Moorings charter fleet in the world. The BVI is a perfect cruising ground. There is always a prevailing breeze down the Drake Passage, and there is a multitude of anchorages at the various islands for cruisers to go to. We dropped anchor in Tortola, and went ashore to clear customs and immigration. The town itself is typically Caribbean, but is also sufficiently developed. It is built on a hillside, and overlooks the bay to Peter Island. The streets are paved, but narrow. Because of the landscape the streets wind up the hillside, and most of the stores and businesses are close to the water. The BVI is one of the many offshore tax havens prevalent in the Caribbean, and it is not uncommon to come across some of the world's biggest names in banking represented in some small building or office surrounded by palm trees.

We decided to go across to Peter Island, home to one of the most exclusive resorts in the world. The Peter Island Resort is obviously one of the destinations on the list of the rich and famous. Being neither, we were able to anchor at Dead Man's Bay in front of the hotel for the day, but had to leave for the evening. The real reason is that the anchorage there is not particularly good, and we were better off at Great Harbour, just around the corner. There is a sanctuary in Great Harbour where boats are allowed to anchor, and the shallower spots are taken early. We ended up anchoring in 60 feet of water, but this was not a problem as we carry over 300 feet of chain. It was interesting to see how the boats shifted overnight, and since there was no current or breeze everybody was facing different directions. It brought home to me the significance of carrying chain rather than line. The boats that had line out were more apt to "drift", and needed more scope than those of us on chain. continue to page 18 >>