Cruising the BVI: Day 1 - To Norman Island

Click on the image to see a full size version of the photo.  Click on the first thumbnail to see a slideshow of all photos.

Sunday February 27, 2011 - The day started quite busy.  Our boat check out was scheduled for 7:30 am and there was the skippers briefing at 9:30 am.  Besides that we were anxious to get underway.

Everyone awoke pretty early since the docks started bustling around 6:30.  Shortly thereafter I turned on the VHF to check the weather only to learn our boat VHF did not have the weather bands.  I had left my VHF handheld at home so we did not have a source for the marine weather.  We would need to rely on other weather sources for this trip: FM broadcasts, observations and our "8" companions.

Lesson 2: Bring you own VHF.  Not only do you know how to use it but if the boat's radio fails you have a backup

Around 7:30 am "island time" we were greeted by the check-out captain at our transom.  Typically, charter check-outs involve going over all the major systems (engine, toilets, etc.) and locating the major loose items (PFDs, charts, etc) as well as going over some of the charterers policies which may be unique.  I expected a question about whether we had been to the area before and our boating experience so the check-out could be tailored.  What we heard was "The boat next to you has little experience.  I can check you out in 10 minutes or you need to join them in the slow class" or words to that effect.

We were all anxious to get underway so chose the "lite" check-out.  The check-out captain clearly knew his stuff and spurred by our questions the check-out took much longer than the forecast 10 minutes.  The major problem found was lack of equipment manuals.  This plagued us all trip.

After the check-out I went and paid the dinghy security deposit.  This entitled me to a chart, a cruising guide (which I had already purchased) and skippers guide, all which was to be returned upon our return.  The chart was totally inadequate.  It contained the entire BVI on one large sheet and was not much more detailed than the planning chart included with the cruising guide.  The skippers guide contained some useful information, including how to contact Sunsail in an emergency and the procedure upon our return.

Lesson 3:  Bring your own detailed charts.

The skippers briefing consisted of a presentation on the major BVI islands and their anchorages.  It also included places to visit on the islands. It was a very good presentation with a lot of detail.  I wish they would have provided copies of the slides so we could refer to it later.

At Bobby's we could not find bottled water in individual sizes, only gallon size.  I checked the base store and they had it.  $21 lighter I returned to the boat with this precious case of water.

The Fun Begins

After returning to "903", renamed "4's Company", we made sure everything was stowed and started the engine.  "933", renamed "8 is Enough" did the same.  I hoisted the NSC colors and we followed "8 is Enough" out of the marina for our shakedown cruise to the Bight on Norman Island.

The Nockamixon Sail Club burgee flying over the waters of the BVI:

Winds were blowing 20 to 25 kts from the ENE, right down Drake Channel.  Drake Channel is the part of the Carribean between Tortola and the smaller islands to the south.  With winds from this direction the swells build quite nicely.  We saw rollers in the 5 to 6 foot range.  You can see them in the 3rd photo, the one showing the dinghy.

This was a little much for a full shakedown, so we elected to run with the jib only and head directly towards the Indians and the Bight at Norman Island for some lunch and snorkeling.

Day 1 Route

We were actually on a broad reach from Road Town to the Indians.  It was a challenge to keep the boat at a steady heal and true course at this point of sail.  This was partially due to the waves running up the aft port quarter and partially due to the boat being unbalanced with just the jib up.

As we approached the Indians, the seas started to diminish and we could see the mooring balls occupied.  There were several snorkelers visible around these tiny islands.  I could see the seas were probably a little too rough there for those of us who were beginners at snorkeling.  So we decided to snorkel at the Caves.

A word about mooring balls:  The majority of anchorages in the BVI have them, certainly the popular places.  Boaters use them to avoid needing to anchor.  Most anchorages are quite deep, in the 35 to 50 ft depth range so proper anchoring is not trivial, especially considering the crowds during high season.  They also serve to protect the coral from anchor damage and they provide a source of local revenue, since most have a rental fee, usually $25.  In most places we visited the mooring balls began to get scarce around 2 pm.

Lesson 4: During high season plan your day so you arrive at anchor early.

So we started the engine, furled the jib and proceeded directly into the Bight.  We grabbed an outside mooring ball, shut down the engine and reported our position to "8 is Enough".  We made them aware that the mooring balls were filling quickly.

After we consumed the sumptious lunch Liz prepared, we began to get ready to snorkel at the Caves.  The Caves are on the west side of Norman Island, just south of the entrance to the Bight.  It was well protected from the seas of Drake Channel.  By this time "8 is Enough" was moored about 300 yards ahead.

We donned our swimsuits, loaded the snorkel gear and PFDs in the dinghy.  Since it had been a while since I drove a rubber dinghy with an outboard, I took ours for a spin.  It started pretty easy but stalled when allowed to idle, so I needed to keep constant throttle on.  During the test drive I made a run by "8 is Enough" and found out they did not plan to snorkel.

We then buzzed over to the Caves for our first snorkel session of the trip.  The coral and colorful fish along with the grand rock formations made for a stunning swim.  Check out the photos as well as the video below.

Underwater at the Caves:

When snorkeling Liz, Dorothy and I used the PFDs to make it easier.  We neglected to remove the water activated flashing lights before we left "903".  So by the time we were finished snorkeling we had 3 flashing life vests.  After we made it back into the dinghy, we had 4!  It took quite a while for them to dry and stop flashing, which made it easy to identify our dinghy along the dock when we returned from dinner that night.  Ours was the dinghy with the disco lights!

Lesson 5: Strip the emergency lights from the PFDs before using them for recreation.

We then returned to the boat and indulged in a well-needed shower.  After, we again climbed into the dinghy and proceeded to the dock for Pirates Restaurant.  There we met the crew of "8 is Enough" where we had a great meal and shared our stories from the day.

That evening the winds were whistling off the east hills of the Bight.  Since we had moored using an outer ball, we were not well protected.  While the ball held, we swung quite a bit at anchor.  This made for a very restless night.

Summary

It was a great first day.  We finished with the preliminaries then were able to sail.  Our first sail of the year and it's in the BVI!  We had a nice broad reach from Tortola, were able to enjoy the water both above and below.  We had good food and great company.

Next: Marina Cay.

Glenn