British Virgin Islands – like coming home

In April, we crossed the Anegada Passage in an uneventful 90 mile overnight downwind sail from St. Maarten to Tortola. The British Virgin Islands are always a favorite with our family and on Mira. In fact, we started our sailing charter lives in the BVIs. So, it’s appropriate that this would be our last stop in the Caribbean for awhile! Our good friends, Lori and Mark, were coming to visit for a few nights also, and we were excited to show them some of our favorite spots.

Lori and Mark arrived in the late afternoon to our slip in Nanny Cay Marina on Tortola. We were off early the next morning for the bouncy, up-wind slog in the Sir Francis Drake Channel to visit the iconic Baths on Virgin Gorda. Following a leisurely lunch on board, and we headed off to Marina Cay. Happy hour and dinner at the somewhat reconstructed Pusser’s was a perfect ending to our sailing day. Our third day started off with some amazing snorkeling at George Dog. The conditions and visibility were perfect. A quick sail over to Monkey Point on Guana Island ended with lunch on board and another perfect Caribbean snorkel off the boat. We motor-sailed down the back side of Tortola to the palm-tree ringed, white sand beach of Cane Garden Bay for the night and dinner at Paradise Club Sports Bar. The next morning we took off around the southern end of Tortola to snorkel the Indians and settled into our anchorage for the day and night in secluded Privateer Bay on Norman Island. A lazy afternoon was spent snorkeling the Caves off Treasure Point and swimming off the boat. Delicious Caribbean curry chicken on the boat was our last dinner. It was hard to drop them off the next morning for their ferry back to St. Thomas. But, we were so thankful for the chance to hop through the BVI one last time!

Then it was back to reality, full-on ocean passage preparation began in earnest. At the end of April, Mira would make her longest off-shore passage yet!

Pam

Lori and Mark relaxed and happy in vacation mode.

Our favorite picture-taking spot in the Baths on Virgin Gorda.

Our anchorage in Marina Cay

First mate maneuvers Mira to pick up a mooring ball.

Dinner at Pusser’s on Marina Cay

Sunset over Jost Van Dyke

One of the most peaceful, beautiful anchorages in Privateer Bay, and it is right around the boulders from the very busy Bight at Norman’s Island. We spent an entire day and night here – swimming, snorkeling the caves and rocks all along the bay.

Something tells me that Lori will be back for another visit on Mira – maybe in Europe???