Back and Forth in the Virgins

With the kids gone we stayed at Long Bay a couple of days so we could attend an outdoor Jazz concert at Yacht Haven. It was a good time with lots of people and several groups who were quite good. We then decided to go back to the BVI for “Christmas in July” which occurs the week of July 25th! This is a holiday in Puerto Rio and many of the people come over to the BVI in big sport fisherman boats. We were in the BVI for it a couple of years ago and it was non-stop partying with 50’ – 80’ sport fisherman boats moored stern to the beach lining many of the bays. They had sponsors who gave parties on different days at different bays. So we were looking forward to attending the celebrations again this year. We headed off to Cane Garden Bay and there were only a half dozen boats there. We were told there were no sponsors this year so there were not that many boats coming over. Also the crossing from Puerto Rico was very rough so many boats did not want to come. We headed up to Leverick Bay and again there weren’t that many boats. They had music until 3 AM but that was all. The next day we moored off the Sand Box beach  bar and ran into a dozen boats with people from Chile as well as a couple boats from Puerto Rico. We had a blast with them playing beach volleyball and swimming. We were introduced to Mendella beer from Puerto Rico. It is really quite good. They all left the next day but we stayed to hike some trails behind the Bitter End Yacht Club.

Beach Party at the Sand Box

Old Sugar Cane Terracing

 We found areas of terracing that were made back in the sugar plantation days to grow sugar cane. We went back to Leverick for the Friday night Bar B Q and Jumbies. That was fun, but my camera started to act up so the pictures are poor. I had a slight leak in the underwater case when I dove with the kids and got a couple of tea spoons of water in the case.

The Bar B Q pig

The Jumbies

The Party

We decided to sail back to Maho Bay so we had a nice broad reach back to the USVI. It is a great bay so the next day we did some hiking and snorkeling after a dinghy run to Cruz Bay to check e-mail.

Maho Bay Beach

Pretty plant on hike

The next morning we got a call from my son Aron telling us that we need to check our e-mail as old friends of ours, Randy and Erin Vargas, were in the BVI! We went to the Eco-Lodge at Maho Bay and used their computers to check out the e-mail. Sure enough they were sailing the BVI and planned to be in Leverick Bay that afternoon. So we slipped our mooring and headed back to Leverick Bay. Of course the wind was right in our face the whole way up so we had to motor the whole way. When we got to Leverick Bay we contacted the Vargas and ended up taking a mooring right behind them at Bitter End Yacht Club. We had fun with them catching up and meeting the other family  they were sailing with. We also caught up with Travis and Jordan, their son and daughter, and met Tony, their other son, for the first time. We hadn’t seen them in 20 years!

The Group with Randy and Erin in the middle

They are off!

 We ran around in a dinghy taking pictures of them sailing Hobie cats. 

Travis and Tony go off on boards

The competition is tight

Ohh they capsized

 We then moved to Leverick Bay to enjoy the pig roast, Bar B Q, and Jumbies,  they put on each Friday. However, due to rain the Jumbies didn’t show up. There was music and dancing so a fun time was had by all. The next day we all sailed down to the Baths and walked through the boulders ending up at the Top of the Baths Restaurant for Lunch. The time passed to fast and they had to be back to turn in their boats in Road Town so we said our good byes and promised not to let another 20 years pass without getting together. Then we had a great downwind sail together to Road Town where we continued on to return to Maho Bay.

Going through the Baths

August 23rd Isaac slid by to the south of us while we hid in Brewer's Bay St. Thomas with 2 anchors set. It wasn't bad. squalls with 30 Kt winds and one blast of 53Kts. We got through fine.

The end of the line