Abtnoski Adventure in the BVI: Day 9

Cane Garden Bay to Little Jost Van Dyke to Little Harbour, JVD to Sopers Hole, Tortola to Great Harbour, JVD to White Bay, JVD

Yeah, the list of where we went is pretty informative. And while it looks like we spent the day frantically traveling, the distances are short enough that it didn’t feel frantic at all.

We started as we always did, early, motoring from CGB to Little JVD. We had developed problems with the water pump, and were hoping to refill our water tanks just to be sure that lack of water wasn’t causing the problem. This had been a recurring problem, and none of our tricks from earlier solved the problem. According to the limited information provided by Footloose/Moorings, there was water to be had at Diamond Cay.

We picked up a mooring off Foxy’s Taboo, a large shack set on a scrubby beach near the passage between JVD and Little JVD. We dinghied ashore with our snorkeling gear and tied up to ‘marina’.

At some time recently, an attempt had been made to provide slips (for med mooring, I think) off the dock. The remnants of fairly new electrical boxes remained. The wind and the surge, however, made the dock a challenge even for the dinghy, and with the eastern exposure, I could imagine that dock would be fairly uncomfortable in the eastern trade winds. And there are almost always eastern trade winds. Water supplies didn’t look likely.

We wandered around the old pilings, large asphalt lots, and other debris that appeared to have once been a waterside development. But maybe it’s just the parking lot used for Foxy’s Taboo in the high season, and has that not-quite-finished and might-be-a-junkyard look of so much of the island developments.

Someone showed up at the bar, and told us there was no water. Maybe at Little Harbour? And they directed us to the ‘bubbling pools’. We followed the other dinghy group, who followed the dog, and eventually ended up at the pools. Which, given that it was low tide, weren’t quite bubbling. And with about 15 of us, there wasn’t even enough room for all of us in the pool at once. But it was interesting, and we then we walked back.

It was hot.

Kevin and I snorkeled over to the beach on LJVD while the others dinghied over. The snorkeling was so-so, and we all got back in the dinghy to look for a better spot.

We found a beach with an old tour boat (think Gilligan’s Island). It seemed everyone had dropped off the flotsam and jetsam they had discovered to create a poor-man’s bar, even though it really wasn’t a bar. (see the picture of Bob in the boat).

The snorkeling here was good. And as we motored out of the bay past Sandy Cay, which now had a bunch of boats moored behind it, we decided we wanted to check out that island. Next time.

Around the point, into Little Harbour and picked up another mooring. Everyone but Bob dinghied ashore. We were supposed to be checking on the water situation and the depth at the dock, and then coming right back. But…there were stores here! Trinkets! Tshirts! Scarves! The girls looked at everything and bought some stuff. Ed played ball with a local boy who looked really happy to have a playmate. Ed, I think, would have been just fine sitting in the shade, but enjoyed spending a few minutes making a little boy laugh. We saw an enormous skate as headed back to the dinghy. Oh, and no, there was no water here. Apparently, there is a drought on the island and no water to spare. We had to go back to Cane Garden Bay or over to Sopers Hole to get water.

As we’d already SEEN (and heard) CGB, we headed to Soper’s Hole. This is the second biggest town on Tortola, after Road Town, and we were expecting SHOPPING. There were lots of moorings as we headed in, and after designating Lydia as Communications Specialist, we learned that we were to pull up to the t-dock, rigged on the starboard side.

Eleven dollars of water later (BVI uses US currency, luckily), we were just waiting on the shoppers. Turns out (surprise) it was a really small community, with a bar, about 6 shops, and a little grocery store.

It was hot.

We left for Great Harbour, where we intended to have dinner ashore at Foxy’s, with everyone wishing we’d had more time at the Hole. I promised we would try.

Motorsailing, we pulled into Great Harbour, which is one of the few notable locations in the BVI without mooring balls. I have not yet figured out why. In addition, it is one of the few locations where anchoring is reputedly ‘difficult’.

On our 505, we had 200’ of chain and a 65 lb Delta. Good thing we had a honkin’ windlass to go with it, or Ed would have been too tired to eat dinner. We dropped the anchor, tried to set it, dragged. Repeat. Repeat. Head to other side of bay, repeat twice.

During the anchoring adventure, a dinghy pulled alongside and a Moorings technician came aboard to help us with the water pump issue. He changed to the backup pump (did we even know we HAD a back up pump) and then explained that if lose the prime and get air in the system, we would need to bleed all the faucets to make sure we get all the air out or we would get exactly what we had—a pump that wouldn’t turn off. The lack of water pressure in the galley sink he solved by taking off the aerator, which was full of gunk. Why didn’t we think of that? Well, these are never problems we’ve had on any of our boats before. But then, we’ve never had FIVE heads on any of our boats either.

Gun, as he was called, also told us that he suggests that charterers use two tanks at once, and rotate every day or two, depending on the length of the charter and the size of the tanks. We had 240 gallons of water, and if the tanks were all of equal size, we would then have used the two forward tanks (60 gals each) for a day, then the two aft for a day, and so on. This would make it less likely we’d run out of any tank, and thus not pick up the crap in the bottom of the tank and not need to bleed the system repeatedly. Anyway, we signed his form and he set out back to Tortola.

After a quick conference, we decided to motor over to White Bay (next door) and pick up a mooring and take a taxi back to Foxy’s.

White Bay is beautiful and shallow. We picked up the mooring in 8 feet of water, watching turtles directly below the boat!

Lydia, the CommSpesh, was detailed to phone Foxy’s to ask about taxis. They assured us that we could just dinghy over! No problem!

And in the end, it wasn’t a problem, but we were dinghying in a very exposed place around a rocky promontory. And we did have a slight engine problem. And we did get pretty wet. But it was just another adventure. Although I should have paid more attention to that engine malfunction…

At Foxy’s we arrived just in time to do some quick shopping, once again keeping a store open almost until it’s posted closing time! There were very few in the bar. And after a quick search, we concluded that the Aquila shirt our friends had hung from the rafters two years earlier had been removed or had just plain disintegrated.

Dinner was good though this was our first encounter with biting insects. Dinghying back in the dark was another adventure, and we were all particularly proud of Lydia for being willing to take on these adventures, when they scared the bejesus out of her. The lights of Tortola and St. Thomas were magical.

The wind died about 2am. But the swells didn’t. So it was particularly hot and without the wind to keep us pointed, at least occasionally into the swells, it was really rolly. I think we were all up for a while. Abby joined Ed and I in the cockpit, sleeping on a float on the floor. And when it rained (as it did most nights, even if just a brief shower), I jumped up yelling at Abby to get up get up (she didn’t awaken, but I think I scared a few years off Ed with my hollering) and tossed my Ipod. Somewhere.

I couldn’t find it, and concluded I must have tossed it overboard when I grabbed the linens to head inside. But I couldn’t sleep until I was sure, and after another shower, and a more searching, and giving up and searching again, I spied it on the counter in our cabin! Apparently, Bob thought I had dropped it in when the rain started and put it out of harm’s (and apparently, my) way.