Captain's Log Page 18

Tideline Yacht Sales
17 Lockwood Drive
Charleston, SC 29401

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

      The Virgin Islands are very popular, and understandably so. They are easily accessed from the USA, and the climate is always favorable there unless they are experiencing a hurricane. We decided to see as much as we could, as everything was in close proximity and there were numerous anchorages at each island.

We spent a week in Virgin Gorda, which is home to the world famous Bitter End Yacht Club. The island itself is stretched out in a length, with Gorda Sound on the northern side. On the way to Gorda Sound we anchored off the Baths, which are famous for the large boulders and the snorkeling. Get there early or be ready for a long swim or dinghy ride in!

We could not take the shortcut through a pass into Gorda Sound, as our depth made it dubious as to whether we would make it unscathed. I felt that since we did not have a schedule we did not need to risk anything, and even if we did it was not worth it. There is a mooring field in the southwestern corner of the sound, but we decided to drop anchor.

We went ashore and enjoyed walking around the resort and environs. There is a Pusser's restaurant and bar there, and the chain was actually started in the BVI. The main restaurant is in Tortola. They were most accommodating of cruisers, and we were able to swim in the freshwater pool there. This was an unheard of luxury!

The US Virgin Islands are adjacent to the BVI, and we decided to spend some time there. It was also time to renew our permit for the BVI, which one could do by leaving the country and then returning after visiting somewhere else. It was handy having the two territories so close to each other.

Our first stop was St John. We cleared in at Cruz Bay, but had anchored around the corner. Cruz Bay is a harbor for the ferry, and it would not have been peaceful. We spent time at various anchorages around the island, but the most memorable was Leinster Bay. Two thirds of St John is national park, and overlooking Leinster Bay are the remains of Annaberg Sugar Plantation. This Danish plantation was established in the 1700's, and the remains of the molasses processing facilities are still clearly visible today.

In 1917 the US bought St John from Denmark for $25 million. In the 1950's Laurance Rockefeller made huge land grants to the federal government, and this has ensured the pristine nature of the island. This includes over 5600 acres of marine offshore areas. The town of Red Hook is on the East side of St Thomas, and has a very attractive anchorage. The distance between St John and St Thomas is probably not more than 4 miles. While crossing to Red Hook we were fortunate enough to see some whales. Luckily they were close enough to see but far away enough to present no danger to us or the boat. continue to page 19 >>