Still in the BVIs

The wreck of the RMS Rhone is supposedly one of the best dives in the entire Caribbean. The Rhone was a postal ship caught in a hurricane in late October 1869. She and another ship had been anchored off the southern islands in fine weather and noticed ‘the glass fall rapidly’. As the hurricane season was over, they only suspected ‘a norther’ – the very weather that’s preventing us from moving on. One ran for Road Town and the other stayed put. The weather was in fact a strong hurricane. One ship was lost before she reached Road Town and the RMS Rhone snapped her anchor hawse in Great Bay. She tried to run out to clear water to ride out the storm but was smashed on rocks off Salt Cay. She split in two and was lost with all hands.

Her stern lies close inshore and the family were able to snorkel over her immense rudder and propeller.  The prop shaft runs out to her steam engine. The bow section complete with main mast still attached lies in deeper was and is surprisingly intact for such an old wreck. The site is hugely popular but highly protected and is now home for a thriving reef community.

We then headed to Road Town to visit the Royal BVI Yacht Club who had kindly agreed to collect some mail for us. The ensign was waiting but the cruising guides were stuck at DHL. Sue from the office brilliantly offered to drive round to DHL to collect our delivery for us whilst we enjoyed the club bar and even gave us a complimentary Royal BVI ensign. The view from their bar was stunning, looking over low mangrove reef to Sir Francis Drake Channel and Peter Island.

Road Town was too uncomfortable to spend a night so we sailed over to Little Harbour, Peter Island. The pilot says this anchorage is only large enough for six or seven boats, but all the visitors were neatly arranged around the cove with stern lines ashore so we became boat number seventeen. We were again next to a superyacht, which encouraged James to adhere to formal flag etiquette. We lowered our ensign at sunset and were closely followed by the superyacht, acknowledging that we were the Senior Club (we are still flying the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron burgee and red ensign).