Yo ho ho and a bottle (or two) of rum

I have to say, it’s been rather a pleasant few days here in the British Virgin Islands. I could even get to like this cruising malarkey.

Dawn at The Baths, Virgin Gorda

The final night at Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda, we invited Thorpe and Nicole for drinks aboard and discussed the regatta we’d been coerced to enter. Nicole was meeting her friend – both are aerialists (agile performers who do gymnastics whilst hanging from ribbons) – and were impressed by Elizabeth’s strength and agility. However, we greeted Thursday a little jaded, surrounded by too many empty bottles. Fortunately the weather was kind (it is always kind in the sheltered BVIs) and we toddled round to the north east side of Tortola to snorkel.

How the mighty are fallen - flying a red ensign after losing the defaced blue at sea

 We spent the night in the security of the Pusser’s Rum Marina Cay reef, where the entire establishment is in colonial style, complete with 1900’s style fuel dock and more recent red telephone box at the end of the jetty. The kids snorkelled on the house reef whilst we sipped virgin cocktail at the bar.

Spanish Town beach, Virgin Gorda

Friday saw us move to (Mrs) Trellis Bay – home to “Aragorn” and his fabled full moon fire parties and metal new-age sculptures. A true gent, he put us in touch with a wood turner regarding fashioning a new ensign staff from oak whilst the children hung off ropes in the palm trees.

Sculptures by Aragorn, Trellis Bay, Tortola

We then sailed gently round Tortola to Nanny Cay where the weekend regatta would be held. James was still half-hearted until lour arrival. The marina master, Brendan, met us to take our lines and had allocated us a hammerhead. He introduced us to the facilities. Nanny Cay is basically a fie star hotel complex with marina berths instead of rooms (they also have a hotel for those who prefer a land bed). It backs onto a private beach, next to a wonderful swimming pool, adjoining a beach bar, next to a restaurant. The hotel provides luxury modern shower units to all berth holders and there is free wifi throughout as well as PCs, printer and scanners for berth holders’ free use. There is free ice (blocks and cubes), laundry, chandlers, yacht services and more.

Liming on the beach at Nanny Cay, Tortola

We registered for the 35^th Caribbean Sweethearts Regatta with James intending to enter the single handed race tomorrow and then sail the same course on Sunday with us in the Classics race. We received a second set of Mount Gay Rum (coveted) red caps and more liquor as a result, then retired for an early night after polishing off the complementary pizza. The only thing that would make this marina better would be free air conditioning units dockside for visitors.

The marina swimming pool, Nanny Cay, Tortola

James intends to enter his first official single-hander race seriously tomorrow. Not only is he kicking us off, but I have to remove ALL my camera gear and he is leaving spare sails, sun awnings, dinghies etc on the dockside. However, he read the local “racing round the beer can” rules carefully and has the minimum required number of cans aboard in the fridge.

We can see ourselves staying for the next Full Moon party and maybe the Anegada race in early March. The weather further north is still colly changeable and it is very pleasant here with numerous islands and inlets to explore, all in sheltered water with steady breezes and balmy temperatures.