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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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Trip 2/00
The Idea
Having talked about it on and off for years, my wife and I finally
decided to do it - chartering a sailboat in the BVI that is.
Since New Year's Eve 1998-99, our good friends, Gary and Jan, and us,
had been discussing a possible ski trip spanning 1/1/00. But by this
past summer Wendy and I had come to the conclusion, "Why freeze our
butts when
we could be warm?" We are ex-sailors from the 80's (a Hunter 33) so
the thought of sailing a boat was not daunting, but news of Y2K
issues was during much of 1999 - and the idea of a Feb. 2000 trip was
born.
Why The BVI? Wendy and I had spent 4 days in BVI waters aboard a
large power boat out of St. Thomas back in 1988. Did the usual things
like the Rhone, The Baths and 3 nights in North Sound.
Fell in love with the place. For us in 2000, it was a no brainer re
where we'd like to charter a boat in warm weather.
Discussed the warm vs. cold thing with Jan and Gary late last July.
It took them all of 2 seconds to agree with us.
Day 1 minus 3 weeks: Gee. We are just about all packed.
Day 1 minus 2 days: Wendy and I take a late afternoon ferry over to
Cape Cod. Simple dinner out with Jan and Gary and an early bed time.
Day 1 minus 1 day: 4 am alarm wasn't needed. Everyone reports not
being able to sleep 3 winks
the night before. 5:30 am departure from the Cape to Boston for our
8:20 departure on American. Flight is delayed due to mechanical
problems and as we take off 2 hours later, Jan is one very nervous
lady. We miss our San Juan to Beef Island connection but American
Eagle puts on an extra flight to accommodate us and many others in
the same predicament. That is nice but American Eagle's customer
service is abysmal. We are told on the main flight that we'll be met
at the gate. Wrong. We don't know which way to turn once in the
terminal. We get to American Eagle and they know nothing about the
extra flight that their attendant the floor above told us about. For
two companies seeming joined at the hip, American and American Eagle
might as well be Swiss Air and Aeroflot from what we can tell re the
cooperation between the 2.
Finally arrive at Maya's Cove (Sun Yachts) around 7pm together WITH
ALL OF OUR BAGGAGE. HOORAY. Have a nice dinner at Calamaya's there.
Find our boat (name Four Rivers). Gee - does it ever look HUGE. But
what are those 3 dozen lines for :) The Hunter used to have about 5
related to sail shape and handling. We hear the wind howling all
night from our hotel rooms but we eagerly anticipate the next day.
The boat would quickly prove small for the 4 of us. With all of the
goodies under the settees like refrigeration, a water heater, valves
to multiple water tanks, etc. that the Hunter never had, stowage
space was at a premium. And the wheel on the Edson pedestal was more
befitting a 60 footer. But we quickly grew to appreciate her
ruggedness and I'd have no qualms about taking that boat on blue
water sailing.
DAY 1 - Destination Marina Cay
Rise early and a quick something to eat and coffee at Calamaya's. Sun
won't open until 9. Wendy and Jan check out Ample Hamper at the
marina and decide we can do most of our self provisioning there.
While they are spending about $450 (mostly on booze we think) Gary
and I meet up with Glasgow and have a technical briefing aboard Four
Rivers. I'm glad the 2 of us could do it because we'd each remember
things forgotten by the other over the next couple of days as we were
getting used to the boat.
All our gear and the items from Ample Hamper come aboard but the
girl's still need to go to Riteway for a few things not carried by
Ample Hamper. They do that while Gary and I attend the chart briefing
and we all meet up again at around 12:30.
Wendy and Jan report chagrin at not getting everything from Riteway
which has a significantly better selection and prices averaging 20%
to 30% lower. Plus when I asked for an empty box to carry off some
groceries at the end of the trip, the AH proprietess was a real pain
to the point of rudeness and I could not get even one box.
But a real problem develops. After the food is all aboard, there is
darn little room for our clothes. I am embarrassed to say we had 9
pieces of luggage ranging in size from large to small. This was way
too much for this size boat. And despite everyone feeling that we had
already left 40% of our trip clothes at home, at the end of the 10
days we totally agreed we could have left another 40%. For 10 days we
lived in bathing suits for 10 hours a day, shorts and t-shirts for
another 5 - 6 hours. And there was no way these latter were getting
dirty after just 1 wear.
After Sun provided some extra towels and pillows and we had a
sandwich aboard, we finally cast off from the dock at around 1:30 pm.
WOW. Finally we are doing this. But once we cleared the reef, the
reality of 25 - 30 right on our nose sank in. The boat powered though
it beautifully at about 5 kn whereas some of those 6 footers would
have stopped the Hunter dead in its tracks.
Marina Cay
Its a pretty place but we made the mistake of picking up the first
mooring we saw. It was at the far south end of the anchorage and on
the east side were the strongest wind was. The rocking and rolling
this night were the most uncomfortable Wendy and I have ever spent on
a boat. For the rest of the week we were much smarter about picking
more inside places away from wind and waves as much as possible - and
every night for the rest of the week was absolutely fine.
We felt badly for Jan and Gary in the forward berth. Jan didn't like
the lack of overhead hatch in the rear berth so they opted for the
one forward. Wendy and I didn't care which one we had. But the
forward berth on this boat had very little stowage room, the bottom
of the mattress was only about 3 ft. wide, and on this particular
night they probably got even less sleep than we did.
The Pussers Triangle at Marina Cay
Had to go for the pennant (free after ordering a painkiller from 3
different Pusser's) since we'd likely be at 3 of the 4 of them, so I
ordered a painkiller and got a certificate and stamp. But mine tasted
harsh and bitter. I am fine with many rum drinks but this one just
didn't taste good. Everyone else agreed so I still have the
certificate with just one stamp on it. For the rest of the week is
was tequila drinks or wine for the girls while Gary and I had to
suffer with vodka, beer and pina coladas.
We had a great meal aboard after Gary was finally able to get the
grill lighted in the wind and we closed the night on the early side
with some of the CD's we had brought.
DAY 2 - Destination is Levereck Bay
First trash run of the week at Marina Cay but it was before 8 am so
no one was around to collect our $2.
Original plan was to go to The Baths and then to Levereck for the
night. But I voiced concern for possible surge at the former given
that the wind and sea conditions were unchanged from yesterday. Plus
with everyone's lack of sleep from the night before, the 4 to 0 vote
was to go directly to Levereck and do The Baths the following day
either by boat or taxi.
Motored for a bit before putting the main up with a reef. The boat
had a roller furling main which we loved all week. When we got in the
lee of Virgin Pk., we let about 2/3's of the jib out. Finally we were
really sailing, motor was off, and going along nicely at 6.5 - 7.
Turned the corner at Mountain Pt. and were directly into the wind
again. But the sailing was so nice we tacked a couple times until we
cleared Mosquito Island and entered North Sound and then doused the
sails.
We arrived at Levereck around noon. Picked up a very inside mooring
from the many that were available. After lunch while Wendy and Jan
were sunning, Gary and I snorkeled a crummy little reef along the
shore. I don't mean to belittle it, but it was like an alcoholic who
hasn't had a drink in a couple of days. "Almost anything will do when
you haven't done it in a while." And we enjoyed it.
At some point in the afternoon, I think the lack of sleep the night
before caught up with everyone and there were zzzzzzzzz's all over
the boat.
4 pm. Gary and I take the dingy to Bucks for ice. The beer in the
cooler is getting warm and there are many margaritas and vodka tonics
to make this evening and the boat has NO ICE. But Buck's has NO ICE.
Bitter End seems too far away, but Drakes appears like a very doable
dingy ride. We get there and the sign says, "WE DON"T SELL ICE." But
the trip wasn't totally wasted. Gary and I see a turtle on the way
and a lovely girl walking freely around her boat who seemed to have
misplaced all her clothes. Maybe the poor thing got them wet and she
was just drying them?
Throughout the week the four of us would give each other MacQuiver
points for coming up with solutions to seemingly insurmountable
problems. Wendy had already gotten one for bringing some bungee cords
which had already been used. Hmm. . . I think. There is a restaurant
here. Restaurants have ice. A $10 bribe later and we have a cooler
overflowing with ice. I think the seriousness of the original problem
merits 3 MacQuiver points for its solution. But I am shot down. Its
just 1 point like everyone else's.
The full moon this night is awesome (although my camera's film speed
isn't fast enough to capture it with the little boat motion we do
have), the sea is quiet and we have another of Jan and Wendy's great
meals aboard, excellently grilled by Gary. So I get Chief Bottle
Washer's duty. Damn, I knew I put the wrong crew designation on my
Four Rivers t-shirt. Go to bed with the strains of Bob Marley in the
speakers. Maybe the BVI is paradise after all.
DAY 3 - Destination The Baths and then Trellis for the Night
Second trash run of the week at Levereck, but it was again before 8
am and no one was around to collect our $2. I wonder how many $ these
places miss by not starting just a little earlier.
Winds have abated to a nice 15 - 22 range. Baths here we come. We
have a great sail and arrive at The Baths around 11, but have to wait
a few minutes for a mooring to clear.
Fantastic place.
We spent about 3 hours there and Wendy was able to replace a Poor
Man's t-shirt lost or stolen from her on one of our Vineyard beaches
a few years ago.
Have The Baths changed in 12 years? I know that people's memories can
plays tricks with them over time but I really remember swimming here
among schools of 1,000 small fish. This time we saw the occasional
small school of fish and a parrot fish around nearly every rock, but
it was not like the memory imprinted within my memory bank. Never the
less, The Baths has to place very high among great BVI snorkeling
spots.
Left the Baths and had a nice full sail in 15 kn downwind to Trellis.
Surprisingly Trellis was almost full at 2:30 pm.
I've read much good and nothing bad about The Last Resort, but at
Maya's Cove I'd heard that the owner (and star of the show) would be
away for a few days so I didn't push it when the inclination of our
boat seemed to be for another meal aboard. And as it would be for one
other night on the boat, the meal Wendy and Jan put on coupled with
Gary's impeccable grilling was fantastic.
Trellis - I fear for its life. Between boats moored and anchored, it
was by far the most crowed anchorage we visited, as well as perhaps
the most protected from the winter prevailing winds. The reef looked
clean and clear but the rest of the water was the same brown color we
later saw at Village Cay Marina in Road Town. At every other stop
none of us had any qualms about swimming off the back of the boat.
Here, I wouldn't want to do it. An acquaintance had told me Trellis
smelled. We didn't experience that but I could see that it might on
some nights of the year.
We ended a great day with some CD's playing more loudly than they
should have through the cockpit speakers. When a Peaches and Herb
song ended, sailboaters 2 moorings away were still singing to it at
the top of their lungs and we received a round of applause. I think
we may have entertained them for a couple of hours this way. But we
were probably lucky no one tried to drill a hole through the bottom
of Four Rivers during the process.
But we need water, more ice and booze as always, and to get rid of
trash. So we motor over to Marina Cay for all 4 needs. We get there
at 8:30 and finally have to pay for our trash disposal ($2/bag).
We come onto the dock promptly but it still takes an hour to complete
our errands. A funny episode re a power boat trying to dock at the
same time is described later in these pages, but it takes Gary and I
25 minutes at the store to buy our meager needs. Four ladies older
than us are buying stuff in front of us. Between the cashier who
practices BVI time and the 4 ladies who squabbled about this, that or
the other coming out of the boat's kitty or someone's individual
pocket, we're getting ready to go have a full breakfast, come back
and resume our place in line. When they finally decide that 3/4 of
the 5th $2 gallon of water is for the boat and 1/4 is for lady no. 4,
we then go through the, "Who's going to carry it" routine. In total
there were 5 gallons of water paid for and sitting on the floor. The
first lady leaving took 1 gallon. The second thumbed her nose at the
remaining 4 gallons and left the store empty handed. Ditto the 3rd
lady. The fourth lady (who personally owned at least a portion of the
5th gallon) took 2, leaving 2. Fortunately someone's husband showed
up and presumably took the remaining 2 back to the boat.
Advice: Boat chartering is not cheap. If at the end of a mega expense
week you are a few dollars up or a few down with your companions,
don't sweat it. You are there on vacation and to enjoy yourself. If
you constantly worry about who owes what to whom, your fun and
enjoyment are going to be lessened. So loosen up and always try to do
your share. Don't calculate who owes what on a restaurant tab. If you
are plus or minus $100 at the end of a fabulous week for which you've
paid many, many times more than that, I hope that doesn't make any
difference. It didn't with us so I hope you chose your sailing or
vacation companions wisely.
We shove off the Marina Cay dock at about 10 am for what would prove
to be the HIGHLIGHT sail of the week.
Winds were great - about 20 on our port and starboard quarters. Seas
3'. Beautiful sailing.
About half way across the top of Tortola, 2 whales broached about 20
yards off our starboard bow. That was exciting and I had to adjust
course as I wasn't looking for a sinking from a collision with a
whale. But then Flipper and several of his friends decided to play
with us for about 20 minutes.
This is awe inspiring and brings tears to several eyes when it is
over 20 minutes later.
I was too slow with my camera finger to get the many fins and feet as
they cut the water's surface, but these picts capture the spirit of
our 20 minutes with them. These shots were taken while braced against
the bow stanchion and head stay.
A fabulous experience for everyone aboard!
Flipper and friends eventually left, the wind died down by the time
we rounded at Green Cay, it started raining and we doused sail and
motored past Little Harbor and arrived at Great Harbor.
We got in around 1 pm and got to use the anchor and windlass for the
first time. The CQR worked fabulously well and we followed Glasgow's
suggestions to a "t" - don't plow the bottom - cultivate it and allow
the rode's weight and the boat to work it in.
Ashore JVD seems like another world with its totally open restaurants
with sand floors, the cart path that doubles for a main street
through town, and the goats that seem to have the run of the place.
There is even an old Christmas Tree. Who know how many years it has
served faithfully?
The sun returned quickly so it was picture time once again.
Even prior to a great meal at Foxy's we all agreed that JVD was a 2
day place. Gary and I had checked out White Bay in the late afternoon
by dingy and there were tans to work on without the bimini, main or
jib getting in the way.
But staying in one place two nights meant that no one had to be
prepared the next morning to move the big boat. So we made up for no
painkillers this week with toooo many vodka tonics and margaritas.
DAY 5 - At JVD & White Bay
Just after an early morning blue aspirin swim for some aboard,
Flipper and some of his friends from yesterday came into the Harbor
and were quite near the boat for a few minutes. But alas, my attempt
for a swim with them wasn't successful and they seemed to disappear
after I jumped in the water.
So we load the dingy with all of our stuff and head over to White Bay
where we spent most of the day and probably got too much sun.
Near the beach was a giant school of silversides that the pelicans
were gorging on. Must have been a million of them because while
snorkeling on the top of 6' of water, you couldn't see the sandy
bottom through them. The reef also had decent snorkeling. Not a lot
of fish but there were many different kinds that were quite colorful.
A cruise ship was anchored here this day and the beach in front
of the Soggy Dollar was jam packed with people. But the upper end in
front of the Camp Ground was quiet and we had about 40 yards of
gorgeous beach all to ourselves.
My wife and I had to check out Ivan's Beach Bar. Ivan is a friend
of friends of ours here on the Vineyard and visited here last summer.
It was interesting to look at postcards from Edgartown stapled to the
walls in his beach bar, but Ivan wasn't there that day so all we
could do was leave a note.
Decision Time: Where to have dinner. I leaned towards Ali Baba's but
its a solid 3 for Foxy's again and that is fine. The dinner, once
again, was great. So were the t-shirts worn by some patrons, but I
never did get picts of the girl's "Captain Jan" and "Captain Wendy"
shirts.
DAY 6 - Destination is Cane Garden Bay
We cast off after a trip ashore to the free trash receptacle and a
loaf of delicious smelling bread from Bun & Christine's bakery.
Morning begins sunny and clear and we look forward to going to Sandy
Cay on the way.
For the 2 miles we don't bother with the sails, but by the time we
get to the cay the weather is dark and dreary and after the anchor is
set and motor is off we hear thunder. It rained hard for about 3
hours - much different than the 5 minute showers and then clearing we
had been getting once or twice a day so far. And it would be the
longest wet spell of the 10 days.
I learned that I'd confused the much larger Sandy Cay with the
smaller Sandy Spit off Green Cay about a mile to the north. Sandy Cay
was way too large to snorkel around but Sandy Spit looked a perfect
size.
We hung out for most of the rain but boredom set in and we finally
decided to cast off for Cane Garden. Glad I had the light weight
jacket I wore on the plane trip down because I don't think the temps
were much above the low 60's in that weather front.
Picked up a mooring in front of Rhymer's although with the CQR
working so well, it was probably like throwing $20 away. But this is
a vacation, we'll all be broke in a few days anyway, so might as well
have total peace of mind in the meantime.
Yah - the girls can smell all the small clothing shops, but lunch
beckons first and we go to Quito's. Sat down at 1:30. After 4 beers,
2 cheeseburgers and 2 salads for the 4 of us, we got the bill, paid
it and were able to leave at 3:00. By now we were used to "BVI time"
in restaurants and cheerfully accepted it since we were guests in
another country. But 1.5 hours for our simple lunch nearly strained
my patience until I realized it just meant less time for clothing
shopping.
But at least the sun was out brilliantly, passengers from a cruise
boat from Road Town had been taxied over, and in front of Rhymer's
and Myatt's some of the ladies seemed to have forgotten the top part
of their bathing suit. While Wendy and Jan were shopping, Gary and I
wanted to inquire into the source of these poor lady's plights, but
we couldn't since all we heard being spoken around us was German.
Its hard to imagine prettier beaches than here or White Bay. The
north end has the shops and beach bars, but at the south end you can
have many square yards of beach to your self. And the shade from the
palm trees is great after too much sun.
After a great swim it was a beautiful night and we enjoyed the last
of our great dinners aboard. But we all know our week is coming to
the end.
DAY 7 - Destination Norman Island
The day dawns crystal clear and for our first time this week there is
almost no wind. It took a few days but we finally have approval from
all aboard that if the seas are not rough, there is no reason why the
boat can't get an early start even if all aboard aren't totally ready
for the day and everyone hasn't had their fill of coffee yet.
We motor down to Soper's Hole for watering up and the every day need
for more ice and another bottle of vodka. We think we have become
souses.
Yep. The clothing shops are irresistible for the girls while Gary and
I are doing the water thing. But we managed a couple pictures of the
boat that did us well for a week and 45 minutes later we are on our
way to Norman's.
Once inside The Channel the wind freshened a little (like all the way
to 10) so the sails go up and the motor is turned off. But boat speed
falls to about 3 and then the wind shifts 180 degrees. We decide to
haul in the jib and motor sail, but when the wind totally shifted
again in a few minutes, we said "screw this" and let's get to where
we are going.
Arrived at the Bight in late morning, grabbed a mooring and
immediately made dinner reservations at the Willie T.
After lunch Gary and I are all set to dingy around the corner to the
Caves, but their darkness coupled with the week long need for more
sun keep Wendy and Jan on Four Rivers. But hey - this is vacation and
do what you want to do.
There are 3 caves and 2 are more like small amphitheaters than
caves. The one that truly is a small cave becomes much too dark to do
any snorkeling in.
I've read other reports mention feeding the fish there, but the
Cruising Guide says, "Don't do that - it upsets things," so we
didn't.
The snorkeling on the reef on the south side of The Bight was
excellent. At one point there is a 10' cliff with many colorful
denizens living and eating around it. But discarded car tires and
many wine bottles presumably thrown off the back of boats spoiled the
pureness of the place.
What if every boat, every night, did the same thing?
Got Jan & Wendy to finally go, in dingy only, to the Caves.
But we've got to shower and get ready for the Willie T.
We arrive at our reservation time of 7:30. From what we've read we
are expecting a ribald time and are looking forward to one on our
last night aboard. The picnic tables are 80% full when we get there
but only 4 people are at the bar. We place our order and when it is
served, most of the dinner people have gone and it is now only us and
2 other parties at the tables. In the bar there is the bartender and
2 single guys.
Dinner is OK at best but the place is so unique we do our best to
make the best of it. When we left around 9:30, only 2 tables had
people eating and the bar was completely empty.
Having read so much about big parties and going's on there, I wonder
if we were at the right Willie T's?
Our final night aboard produces many melancholy thoughts, but nothing
ruins our fun. We've all had a fantastic first 7 days and we thank
our lucky stars that we have 3 more nights in this beautiful place
and don't have a plane to catch tomorrow afternoon.
Morning 8 - Destination SYC's base at Maya's Cove
Unfortunately the boat and us have to go back. We had 2 possible
courses. One was a direct run to Sun as soon as we cleared the
western edge of Peters and the other took us more easterly to Salt
for a possible brief look at the Rhone. But the day began with 25+ in
our nose again as soon as we turned slightly to the east after
passing Pelican Island. So forget the Rhone.
Decision Time: We all want to have a final, great sail. But the wind
direction per our destination would have
required a fair bit of tacking. Damn! We need to be back by noon.
Dead reckoning shows that with motoring we'll be there by 11. If we
sail, I can't guarantee when we'll be there, so we motor since that's
a given.
At 11 we get behind the reef, tie up at the front dock and begin
unloading about a ton of stuff. Sun's checkout seemed very thorough
and they really wanted to know our likes, dislikes, and how all the
boat's systems performed. I'd give this boat an A-. Not everything on
it was perfect for the week, but every important thing performed
flawlessly.
Turns out we used 11 gallons of diesel for the week. That's amazing
given a fair bit of motoring and 3 hours a day to charge the
refrigeration system.
Sun got us a Taxi for Marias in Road Town. Their driver, McKensie
Turnbull wouldn't accept any payment since Sun had missed us at the
front end due to the air delays. Never the less, we tipped him well
and made arrangements to be met 3 days later.
Day 8 (continued) - We had booked 3 nights in Road Town at Marias By
The Sea. It was a very nice and very clean hotel centrally located in
the "city". The initial room rate was $115 for a garden view but we
had recently upgraded it to water view for another $15 per room. We
all thought that was well worth the added $.
Had a nice lunch at Village Cay Marina and walked the city. Didn't
know which side of the street to walk on since cars seemed to honk at
us whichever side we are on. The girls found the clothing shops
again, but Gary and I survive it and eventually we return to Marias
for our nightly Happy Hour, after, of course, buying more ice and
more vodka. We were treated to a double rainbow after a short rain
shower but it doesn't reproduce well at 72 dpi for web graphics.
Dinner that night again at Village Cay. As nice as the lunch was we
were disappointed at the choices and the food quality.
Day 9 - Rent a car at ITGO. Since I bought the BVI driving license
for $10, the law says I have to be the driver. Two miles out of town
when I begin to rest easier about driving on the left, I notice the
gas tank is running on empty. We quickly fix that at a local gas
station.
Our immediate goal is Cane Garden Bay, again, via Apple and Great
Carrot Bays so we can at least say we've been to Bomba's. This place
is not to be believed. But we can only imagine what it must be like
at night when it is jumping.
But at 10 am it is closed so we move on to Cane Garden.
By now, with the hairpin turns on mountains, there are continual
shrieks of horror from Wendy and Jan in the back seat. But I
eventually discover what gears 1 and 2 mean in an automatic
transmission and the rest of our hill climbing and descending are
uneventful.
Cane Garden Bay again proves to be one gorgeous beach. 2.5 hours of
sunning and swimming evolve into a late lunch at Rhymer's which is
great.
Then its on to Brewers Bay. Finally found the road with some great
help from BVI'ers but the dark clouds are back, rain is threatening,
and any desire to snorkel the many reefs there is squashed.
We headed back to Maria's and had our typical happy hour.
"I left my bvd's in the BVI."
As we had a car, we went to Pusser's at Sopers Hole for dinner. We
had liked the look of Sopers from our brief water stop and this
Pusser's was one of the nicest meals of the week. Too bad the
SunSailor who took the picture had had too many painkillers. But pina
coladas are great for picture taking.
Day 10 - Explored the north side and went to Josiah's and Lamberts
Bay beaches. The surf was up and the crashing water on the cliffs at
the ends of the beaches made both of them picture postcard pretty.
Stayed at Lambert's for a couple hours and played in the surf.
On to de Loose Mongoose at Trellis for lunch. Have to ask 3 people
there where it is. Darn near got the car stuck in one deep mud puddle
and when we encounter another one to negotiate that's about the size
of half a football field, Fat Hog Bob's near Maya's Cove becomes the
lunch destination.
Met an airport acquaintance there from the trip down and during the
usual wait for our simple lunches, some extra catsup, and finally the
check, we enjoy swapping our BVI stories for an hour and a half.
Stopped at C & F on the way back to Road Town to make dinner
reservations, but it was closed at 3:30 pm when we got there. Maybe
it was the lack of lights or the plastic table cloths, but it didn't
excite some of us so we checked out the Prospect Reef Resort. Made
dinner reservations there but we found Prospect reef to be over
priced for average to good food.
Day 11 - Alas, all good things must come to an end so we return the
car, generally get everything packed and check out some larger boats
at The Moorings and Footloose. Everyone has had a fabulous time and
we talked about doing this again - here or elsewhere in the Caribbean
- on a somewhat larger boat.
The flights home are uneventful and on time and we begin the arduous
process of trying to get back into the swing of real life.
Katitche Point Villa is a masterpiece of architectural design and luxury. When I first saw this towering pyramid shaped structure sitting atop a pyramid shaped slash in the hill above Mahoe Bay, I recognized it as a new landmark - which can easily be seen from miles away and anyone sailing along Virgin Gorda's western shore in Sir Frances Drake's Channel. Katitche Point Greathouse is aptly named, being a great house on a point high above Mango Bay Resort and Mahoe Bay. Everything about this villa is spectacular - the rooms, the location, the endless panoramic vistas! Much thought and planning went into designing and creating this wonderful villa - the owners discovered the location and the pre- existing foundation which had been abandoned years ago before a house was built on it. Michael Helms, the architect, envisioned remarkable ways to design the Greathouse upon this setting so that views could be seen in every direction and so that rooms could freeflow into each other and pivot around the central patio-garden area. The breathtaking pool and surrounding deck appear to be suspended in space above gorgeous Pond and Savanna Bays. Each room has large expanses of glass doors and windows to take advantage of the views - indoor areas flow into outdoor patios, verandahs, and terraces. Deck railings are cleverly made of almost invisible cables to give totally unobstructed views, rather than obtrusive wood. The villa has four bedrooms, identical in size and amenities. One pair overlooks Mahoe Bay and the northern section of the island while the other pair have views of Savannah Bay and the southern part of Virgin Gorda. Each bedroom is spacious with a large bathroom area containing a huge shower on one end (with a view of course), lavatory on the other with a watercloset and bidet in between. Glass doors lead to a shaded porch filled with lounge chairs for relaxing and enjoying the vistas. The villa also features a huge master bedroom complex which has a kitchenette, king bed centered in the room with views through large glass doors, and a fabulous bathroom complex created around a koi pond. A large soaking tub sits at one end of the pond which is embellished with tropical plantings and incredible views across Drakes Channel and nearby islands of the BVI. The Greathouse holds a formal living room flowing into a classic dining area with a exquisite teakwood table large enough to seat 14. A wide covered terrace extends the full length of the dining-living room area and has several seating areas - a round table in one corner with chairs - perfect for a oceanview gathering or lunch, and my favorite - a corner nook with two long benches suspended over open space with two wooden swings facing them. A long marble bar with comfortable stools separate the living room from a vast kitchen filled with the most modern and latest cooking equipment - cooktop, ovens, dishwasher, and commercial sized refrigerator. A utility room with washer drier is nearby. Stairs near the kitchen area lead past an extra bathroom and up to a TV lounge room filled with comfortable couches and tropical furniture. One side of the room overlooks the living-dining rooms below, the other has a large window. A steep metal ladder leads to a floor suspended in the top of the pyramid and has views through windows - vistas of blue Caribbean waters in the day, and star studded views at night. A sign on the ladder warns that children should not be allowed to climb it or access the high deck... I totally agree (in fact, I am uncomfortable with heights and didn't go up it either, however, my husband loved being on the high deck and looking through the windows. The pool area is breathtaking. A spacious deck includes a large gas grill and sink, lots of lounge chairs, and the horizon pool which visually flows into Savannah Bay far below. Guests have easy access to the perfect white sand beach below the villa. Thick stands of coconut palms line the shores protected by tropical reefs full of fish and coral. Snorkeling is outstanding. Katitche Point Greathouse is a perfect destination for groups or families of up to 10 or 12 people who want pure luxury in one of the most outstanding locations in the BVI, if not the whole Caribbean. The villa is rented two ways - with four bedrooms only, or with five including the master bedroom complex. The upstairs lounge and kitchen bath provides extra room for guests. Nearby Mango Bay Resort provides full service to the Villa - a housekeeper and gardener are included in rates; a cook or chef can be arranged at extra charge. Mango Bay's staff can also arrange day trips to other islands such as Tortola or Anegada, scuba diving, snorkeling adventures, and deep sea fishing trips to name a few optional activities. The central location is perfect - a quiet area of Virgin Gorda near spectacular Mango Bay beach, and only a 15 minute drive from the famous Baths in the south part of the island, and 20 minute drive to the North Sound. Guests can enjoy dining out at one of the nearby restaurants in Virgin Gorda, and a beach-side restaurant is conveniently located directly below the villa, easily accessible by foot or by car. If you've been looking for the perfect villa, consider Katitche Point. It will provide an outstanding vacation experience. More info is available at their website www.bvigreathouse.com or www.katitchepoint.com
Lucayan, Caribbean divers/ Seajets/ Bell Channel Inn Summary: Grand Bahamas is a nice get away for 4 nights, especially if you are as lucky as we were weather wise. Grand Bahamas is very affordable if you avoid Taxis. Stay around Lucaya, The Lucayan Hotel is recommended, our original reservations were at Bell channel inn . . Gran Bahama Island is a good place for about 10 dives. You will see many Sharks and sting rays Caribbean divers is a small operation which gives a great value for money . Details: Getting there : Our kids were on spring break, and went to the grand parents, so we decided (a little late) to go on vacation.. We live in D.C Baltimore area and Laker air (LB) / Grand Bahamas vacations was sold out. Destinations Locations sold through Apple vacations such as: Cozumel, Turk & Caicos, Dominica Republic, were also sold out. Through a dive travel organization about the Sea jets. Sea jets goes from West Palm Beach to Freeport harbor located in the West End of Grand Bahama, twice a day at a cost of $110 per person + $25 taxes. It takes about 100 minutes each way, and can carry up to about 250 people. Leaving April 16 , returning April 21, we had about 60 people. Most of the people using the Seajets are from Florida, and some other desperate people from the East coast with last minute plans. Taxi fair from Airport to Seajets runs about $15. Overall Seajest was a very good experience, if you drive to West Palm Beach you don't have to deal with the 24 hours "no fly after dive". The major draw back of Seajest are that it is a little un predictable: 1. It does not in high Seas , It did not go out Three days prior to our trip due to storms. 2. It is a delicate machine , The day prior to our arrival they had mechanical problems and had delays, 3. It does not leave on time, In Grand Bahama you wait for arriving passengers to clear Bahamas customs before you board. In our case the in coming vessel had 250 people so we left an hour late ad barely made our connection at the airport 4. There is not much to do in West Palm Beach at Seajets office. On the positive side the crew at Seajet (Go Calvin) were great in rushing us through customs and getting us to the airport . The ride is smooth and fun. Accommodations- Two major Locations to stay are Freeport and Lucaya. Lucaya is the "in" place. It has the beach , a market place where you can eat and shop. At night at the squre they ply music and poepl adnce ( gets old after a while). Port Lucaya is close to dive sites , UNESCO and Caribbean divers are located there. Taxi are pricey , about $8 from Lucaya to Freeport( went once to Casino and Intentional bazaar) and $16 to West End. Our reservation were with The Bell Channel Inn Located in Port Locaya. When we got there we were disappointed. Bell Channel Inn is a Motel which is located in Port Lucaya but on the wrong side of the "tracks" (or wrong side off Bell Channel) . It is a small old Motel, neighboring a ware house. It is a Long working distance to Lucaya Market place and the beach. Taxi from Bell To Market Place is $4. For the same $75 you can stay at the Bahamia (Princess resort). Once we saw the Bell Channel Inn we canceled our reservations and headed for the Lucayan Hotel. The Lucayan is a new hotel and most upscale on the Island. It is a resort with a lot of activities. It is not a quiet place. The Lucayan is located on the beach across from Port Lucaya. The beach is narrow (especially at high tide) and the sand is white and soft. The hotel has a big pool with a slide , for kids it has a "camp" (baby sitting). The Lucayan runs $125 a night + $12 Tax PP. The Lucayan is expanding and will have a Casino. Food : Breakfast and lunch - Zorba cheap and good. The Lucaya market place also has a Dunkin dounut, Domino Pizza and Subway . Food on the beach, The Lucayan has a pricey ( $10 a hamburger) grill on the beach, across at Papa Bahama makes fresh Conch Salad for $7 ( also ahs hamburgers). Dinner- We ate at Port Lucaya 4 times , later we found that 3 of the restaurants: the Pub, Fatman Nephew and Luciano's are described in Frommers travel Guide. Luciano is the best restaurant on the Island.( a little pricey). One night we went to Pier One ( also mentioned in Formers) at Freeport Harbor (Seajets docking area) in the West end (expensive taxi ride) This is a great romantic restaurant to see the sun set. at 7,8,9 PM They feed sharks. The owner rings a bell and 5 large Bull Sharks come to feed . Very unique experience Diving- Most of the dive sites are 5 minutes boat ride from Port Lucaya. Xanadu is located in Freeport an the boat rides are 20 minutes . The Choice Between UNESXO and Caribbean divers. Caribbean dive is small with personal service. UNESXO has uniforms. Caribbean is cheaper. .Caribbean divers picks up at the hotel for a two minute ride ( saw some folks from my hotel hauling scuba equipment through Locaya Market place to UNESXO. You get the point Presley , the Owner of Caribbean divers, ahs been a dive master for 20 years , 10 of which as with UNESCO. He runs a small operation with one boat. The best deal is the 10 dive package which comes to $20 a tank ($40 a boat ride). With Caribbean divers you do the same shark dive as UNESCO for $20 . They run 5 tanks a day, 2 tanks 8 am ( deep), 10 O'clock shallow 20 feet( Snorkel , Beginners), and a 2 tank PM ( usually some thing to do with Sharks). The dive schedule is posted on the web ( www.portlucaya.com/carib). Two minor draw backs were : the second morning dive was a little rushed ( Short surface interval, less bottom time) as he had to back for the 10:00 O'clock. Second, with one boat and many new divers you can wait for 10 minutes for divers to show. This did not bother me as being alone for a while is fine, the sharks get to know you and follow you the entire dive. A group of 4 Italians and myself purchaes the 10 dive package . The rest of the divers showed up for a day or two. Max divers was 8. On my last two trips we had 3 and 4 divers. Water temperature was 74f and visibility was 50- 80 feet. Dives sites A good description of the sites can be found in the Bahamas guide book in the hotels .Monday Morning ( 2 tanks) : Tunnels finger coral at 70 feet. This dive was typical of dives to come. The Coral was not ver pretty, Reef Shark , Big blue and stop light parrot fish, some angle fish and grouper. No school of fish and no eels, Turtles, sea horses. Second dive- Jose Wreck, also known as Papa Doc's wreck - A tug boat. Coral heads in sand. Sting rays and skates. The two resident eels were not found (per Presley they have not been there for a while) Tuesday - 2 tanks Plate reef and ?. Water was rough . Wednesday- Am , Theos Wreck - Nice wreck in 100 feet. Big Stop light Parrot fish (4 feet), many grunts in the hull , Jacks Barracuda. This dive number 199 for me. Second dive Shark Alley- 45 feet, Coral heads in sandy bottom. Here UNESCO does the shark dive. Big jacks (4 feet) great you on the descend line. A resident big Sting ray . A Caribbean Reef Sharks follows me the entire dive from about 10-15 feet away, two more Sharks show up every now and then. While hanging on for safety stop who else but "jaws" is still around to celebrate dive number 200 PM- 3 divers on the boat. SPID ( Self Contained Portable Inhabitable Dwelling)City, similar dive to Shark alley Shark Encounter- UNESXO performs this dive every day at 3 PM in Shark Junction. We moor on Orson Wells wreck ( one buoy away from shark junction). UNESCO arrives at 3:00 to shark junction. We swim towards Shark Junction. Kneel down. UNESXO and two dive masters with sticks divers begin showing up. The UNESXO divers kneel down across from us. The shark feeder comes down with a container of food, surrounded by grunts, 15 sharks follow him. He kneels between us and the UNESXO divers and feeds the sharks. We sit for 25 minutes, I wave good bye to the UNESXO feeder and head back to the boat. Thursday - Pygmy caves (My favorite), 80 feet. 4 advanced divers on the boat. swim through and tunnels, a fun advance dive. The coral is nice here. Not many fish a few grouper, oh did I mention Shark, and shark on safety stop ? Second dive SPID (see above).
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