Cruising the BVI: The Journey Home

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In the previous installment of the series of blog posts "Cruising the BVI: Day 6 - To Peter Island" we described the trip from Jost Van Dyke to Peter Island.  We made good use of the Resort and prepared for the journey home.

Saturday March 5, 2011 - We awoke to light winds and mostly overcast skies.  The plan was to have a quick breakfast and get underway early.  This way we could get to the Sunsail base in plenty of time to have lunch and get to the airport with time to spare.  Our flight was to depart at 2:30 local time.

Route from Peter Island to Road TownThe passage across Drake Channel was about 5 nautical miles and the trek into Road Town Harbour to the base another 1 mile, so it should only take an hour or two to complete the last of our water legs.  This depends on how busy the base becomes and the wait involved.

This is pretty much how it played out, except for a short detour when we went to the wrong side of the Cruise Ship dock.

We radioed into the base as we drew close and were given some instructions which were indecipherable.  Eventually we figured out they would meet us outside the fuel dock and drop off a pilot who would take command during the docking operation.

They arrived at our point of transfer aboard a 50 footer which they expertly maneuvered along side.  The pilot was a young man, probably in his early twenties.  He asked for permission to come aboard and once granted, introduced himself and began to organize the lines and cockpit for docking.  He clearly knew what he was doing.

Jim and Liz were on the foredeck and he went forward to give them instructions while I tried to stay out of the way in the cockpit.  He then returned aft and throttled up.  We approached the same dock we left 7 days earlier.  I did not see an open space.

We aimed for a spot about the width of a Flying Scot, not a space that could accomodate a Flying Scot but one the actual beam width of the Flying Scot hull!  ...And we were in a Jeanneau 36! 

He backed in as Jim attached a bow line.  As we crept in, the hulls of adjacent boat squeezed the bumpers tight.  As this happened, the pilot shoved the adjacent boats wide and crept in more.  This process continued until we were about 6 feet from the dock.  Then one of the dockhands let us know we had to back out so the dinghy 2 hulls down could be removed.  (We apparently crushed the dinghy between two adjacent boats.)  So we did and once the dinghy was removed the next attempt resulted in us able to get the transom to the dock.

Now the water portion of our travels for this vacation was finished.

We were instructed to leave the garbage on the dock and unused supplies in the cockpit.  It was hot and with little wind the offload was uncomfortable.  It took about an hour but we emptied the boat including putting our gear in a large dolly.

The dockhand reviewed the checkout list with us and we let him know of any problems.  Our only complaint was the lack of manuals.  He signed us off.  I then returned the chart and cruising guide and my dinghy deposit was returned.

We then showered and changed into clean clothes.  Next, lunch at the base restaurant was in order.  We were early enough that Dorothy could still get breakfast.  The rest of us had lunch while our appointed time for the cab ride to the airport came.

The rest of the trip was uneventful.  We arrived early at the Beef Island airport and had enough time to check-in to both our upcoming and connecting flights.  The thought was checking-in to the connecting flight would save us another pass through the security screening.  This was not to be since we had to take our bags through customs.  Nonetheless both flights went smoothly despite the long wait to clear customs and the additional screening in San Juan.

Summary

These 7 days cruising the British Virgin Islands was a joy.  It is not something we will ever forget and it will certainly echo in our minds when the next winter season arrives. 

It is a place every sailor should visit.  If you are a beginner it is an easy place to do a first cruise.  Even if you are experienced the beautiful clear water and warm winds should not be missed.  Many return to the BVI over and over again.  I cannot fault their judgement.

Glenn