Glady's Journal of the Sailing Trip with Wayne and Sue DeWitt

The Captain lowering sails.
Larry working the sheets.

Thursday, April 22 - The Baths, Saba Rock

Intended to go to the The Baths, so named for huge granite boulders that warm the waters. But we sailed too late, arriving around 11:00 AM. No moorings available. The site had been closed for several days due to north swells, and this was the first day open... looked like every boat wanted to be there. Moored just a short way from the Baths at Spanish Town for lunch aboard. Anchored there was a Windjammer. Would like to go on that some time.

Ran out of water... good timing, as water available for free at our next mooring. Sailed for Virgin Gorda. Skies partly cloudy, but it looks like there's hope of clearing. Saw several nearby squalls and other boats in them. Sailed off Tortola all day - a huge island. Saw a huge couple of buildings under construction on the bluffs at the far southeast end of the islands. Future resort? Sailed northeast, past Peter Island, Salt Island. Sailed for fifteen minutes or so in Atlantic Ocean, prior to tacking to North Sound, Virgin Gorda. Our only time outside of the Caribbean Sea. Noticeably, larger swells there.

Arrived at Saba Rock at 3:00 PM. (Conch Charter's rules were that you were supposed to moor by 4:00 PM. That way, if you were in any kind of trouble, they would have time to reach you before the office closed at 5:00.) The Bitter End Resort, next door to Saba Rock, offered hot showers for $3 each. After three days of only cold showers in swim suits off the end of the boat, we would have paid much more.

Four clean bodies back on the boat in time for rum cocktails. We saw lots of tortoises in that bay, but never got a photo. Dinner at a place Wayne and Sue had been to before, The Sandbox. They had hamburgers, I had coconut shrimp. The only other patrons were a table of eight Parrot Heads from LA. We heard lots of Jimmy Buffett music that night, but also at other resorts and restaurants all around BVI... especially Margaritaville.

Friday, April 23 - Leverick Bay

Got water for the boat. Glady did laundry, and said we looked like the white trash boat with shirts and underwear hanging off all the railings. Went to a beautiful beach at Bitter End for 2 or 3 hours. Just read books and napped on their beach chairs. Nobody there but us.

Motored the short way to Leverick Bay. MORE hot showers! Wayne and Glady went to the store. As usual, the bulk of items contained alcohol. Looking at others' purchases, that was the norm. By cocktail time, Sue was not feeling well. Did she have Wayne's 3-4 day bad belly? Too bad... the restaurant had all you can eat barbecue for $16. Very good food, and cheapest dinner of anyplace.

Saturday, April 24 - Marina Cay

Sailed to The Baths. Again no moorings. Decided to go to Marina Cay, a very small, beautiful island full of flowers and surrounded by reefs. Had lunch with a beautiful view at Pusser's. Walked to top of hill and Glady took pictures. Perhaps her best shot of the trip. Wayne bought a cup and rum-first-aid-kit at the shop. We had planned to just have sandwiches for dinner after the unusual restaurant lunch, but we got hungry for veggies and Wayne dinghyed back to the restaurant to buy salads for us.

Saba Rock. Close to Bitter End.