Jost Van Dyke to Norman Island to Trellis Bay

After a great night sleep moored to Sydney's House of Peace and Love in Little Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, we got an early morning start and left docks at 7:30. The girls all sailed on Mary Jewell together for their last day on the water. They made a quick motor over to Sopers Hole to provision at Harbour Market for dinner. After they had provisioned they headed downwind to snorkel the Indians off of Norman Island.

 Provisioning in Sopers Hole. We miss you Delaney

Trimming the jib after tacking

After snorkeling the Indians and making lunch on the mooring ball, we departed for our final destination of the trip, Trellis Bay.

Snorkeling through the swim-through at the Indians

Raising the main sail for the last time as the girls sailed towards their last anchorage

With 15- 20+ knot winds, we made good time sailing up the Drake and the girls entertained Captain Stuart and Lucy with countless songs.

We are now moored in Trellis Bay, with all our bags packed, ready for the 5:00 am dingy ride to the airport. Thank you to the parents, Camp Seafarer, and the girls for making this a great program! If you know anyone who would be interetested in next years program, please have them contact Leigh Longino at (252) 670-7190 or download the 2013 application by clicking on this link. 

Sydney's House of Peace and Love

The girls Mediterranean Moored the boats side by side at Sydney's House of Peace and Love around 6:00 pm. They had the opportunity to get some showers on shore and relax on the dock with the proprietor, Strawberry. Sad to see Delaney go, they wrote a note in the sand for us to email to her while she sat in the Miami airport. We settled in and enjoyed a great meal ashore, our boats tied just feet away. The girls are heading to bed early in preparation for their last day in the BVI. We plan to head around the south side of Tortola and get a full day of upwind sailing in to finish up our fantastic trip.

Sending a Picture to Delaney ...we miss you!

Mediterranean Mooring at Sydney's House Of Peace and Love

 Lizabeth Reflecting on the Trip on the way into Sydney's House of Peace and Love

Putting a Trip Shirt up at Sydney's House of Peace and Love - We put this years shirt right next to the Seafarer BVI 50th anniversary shirt from last year's trip

The girls on the transom of Wind Whisper after Dinner at Sydney's House of Peace and Love

Trellis Bay to Little Harbour Jost Van Dyke

The girls headed to shore to see Delaney off this morning. We enjoyed a cup of coffee on shore and said our goodbyes. We were sad to see her head back for school. We set sail late morning for the southern end of Guana Island to snorkel monkey point and its large schools of bait fish. After lunch on the mooring we set out downwind for Jost Van Dyke and the shelter of little harbour. We practiced our downwind sailing skills and really enjoyed the sail. The girls have learned so much so quickly that it now all comes naturally to them and the sailing has become second nature. The girls docked at Jost Van Dyke in a maneuver called a Mediterranean mooring. The docking is difficult and the girls showed what they have learned and breezed through it. It is great to see the girls applying their newly acquired skills.

Jumping off the boat to explore Monkey Point

Setting the Preventer for Downwind Sailing

Adjusting Sail Trim on the Downwind Sail 

Downwind Jibe just North of Brewers Bay

Spotting Good Points for Dead Reckoning on the North Side of Tortola

Anegada to Trellis Bay Sail

After the service project the girls headed back over to the anchorage in front of Reef Hotel and started washing paint off from they day in the clear waters of the mooring field. Once the girls had finished their ocean showers, they set out from the mooring field and once again navigated the tricky channel out of Anegada. Once underway they strapped into their harnesses and sailed downwind to Beef Island where we are spending the night on mooring resting after a long service project in the sun and a 16 nautical mile ocean sail.

Checking Navigation on the way down from Anegada

Grinding on the Working Jib on the Sail from Anegada

Triangulating our position on the way out of Anegada

Service Project at Methodist Church on Anegada

The girls headed to shore at 8am this morning and headed into the Settlement on Anegada and met up with Romalia Smith, the minister of the church. The girls brought paint up from Tortola that we had picked up prior to their arrival for the project. We helped Romalia paint the new fence that they had just put up at our last visit to Anegada. Romalia told us that she had been praying for help and had been having trouble getting the fence painted. The girls were happy to help her and give back to the community that has been so receiving of them on their visit to the British Virgin Islands. The girls were also able to see how the people of Anegada live in the Settlement, a sharp contrast from their own lives.  After we finished painting, the children we painted with gave a steel drum recital for us in the Church.

The girls carrying the paint down the dock at Anegada Reef Hotel

Painting the fence with the local children from the Church

The girls with Romalia Smith and the children after painting

Steel Drum Concert in the Church

Delaney Reflecting on the Service Project

Kaite and Shaina painting the base of the fence 

Katie  Reflecting on the Service Project during the 16 nautical mile ocean sail 

Reef Hotel for Lobster Dinner, Girls help clean the Lobster

The girls headed to shore at the Anegada Reef Hotel as the sun was setting behind them. We relaxed on the beach and enjoyed a lobster dinner cooked over driftwood on the beach in old oil drums. The girls helped the Reef Hotel Pull lobsters for Dinner. It literally doesn't get any fresher....

 Pulling Lobsters with the locals

Excited for Dinner!

Grills Burning Down Driftwood to Cook the Lobster

Whats your favorite thing about Anegada?

Freshly Cleaned Lobster from 50ft away Grilled Over Driftwood......Perfection

Snorkeling Cow Wreck Bay, Exploring Anegada

Once we picked up mooring balls at Anegada, we went by the church to arrange the morning service project, saw the endangered Anegada Rock Iguana, and snorkeled at Cow Wreck Bay. Tonight we are heading into the Anegada Reef Hotel for a Lobster Dinner.

Ready to Explore the Island By Truck

Snorkeling in Cow Wreck Bay

Relaxing at Cow Wreck After a long Sail

Sail from North Sound to Anegada

After closely monitoring the weather breakup through the night the girls set out from North Sound, Virgin Gorda bound for Anegada. The girls setup jack lines and donned harnesses and PFDs in the early hours of the morning and motored out of North Sound. They raised sails as they entered the Necker Island Passage bound for Anegada. The girls watched the squalls blow through the passage and   the southern Anegada Reef as we approached the anchorage at the north end of the island. The girls navigated the challenging approach with ease and were settled in at Anegada before lunch. After a quick rest, the girls headed to shore to explore the island.

All strapped in and ready to head north to Anegada

Underway leaving North Sound, Entering the Anegada Passage

Grinding in the Jib in heavy wind conditions

 Harnessed in for our Open Ocean Sail to Anegada

The boats sailed side by side on the passage to Anegada. The girls are adjusting sail trim to match speeds on the way up. 

Videos from our Sail to Anegada:

Celebrating a Job Well Done At The Bitter End

The girls enjoyed dinner at Fat Virgin Cafe, Named after the island it sits on, Virgin Gorda and danced the night away to Monday night's DJ at the Bitter End Yacht Club to celebrate passing the US Sailing Basic Keelboat Course.

Dinner at Fat Virgin Cafe, Named after the Island it sits on Virgin Gorda

All dressed up for a night out at Bitter End Yacht Club

All Girls Pass US Sailing Exam with flying colors!

We just graded the US Sailing Tests and all of the girls passed. They not only passed but did very well. They are enjoying a rainy afternoon at Bitter End and we are going out to a celebratory dinner at Fat Virgin Cafe and going to Monday night's DJ at the Bitter End Yacht Club to celebrate.  Morale is high. Our US Sailing instructors were very impressed with how well Camp Seafarer had prepared the girls for the course.

 Relaxing after a passing the US Sailing Basic Keelboat Course

Weather rolling through on a rainy BEYC afternoon

Wrapping up a Great Course. Thank you to Bitter End Yacht Club for all their hard work making this a very successful course. 

Girls Begin Strong on Second Day of US Sailing Course at BEYC

After our late night of reviewing course material, the girls slept in a little this morning before their final day of the US Sailing Course. The winds are up and some weather is moving through and it is 

 Reviewing Course Material before heading back out to North Sound

The Bitter End Sailing School is the perfect setting for a US Sailing Course

Rigging the Rhodes 19's for the last day of the course

Day One of US Sailing Course Complete

After lunch at the pub, the girls headed back down to the classroom for more land training. The girls breezed through the course material and were quickly back on the water on the small boats. After class the girls came back to the boats for dinner aboard, studying, and some down time. After some rest we made it back to shore to catch movie night at BEYC.

Afternoon Classroom Session

Heading back up to BEYC

Tacking back up wind in North Sound, Virgin Gorda

Girls head out in the small boats in North Sound to begin their US Sailing Basic Keelboat Course

After a session in the classroom, the girls hit the water to begin the practical section of the course aboard the small boats. The girls practiced tacking, jibing, and man overboard procedures with our US Sailing Instructors. the are furling the boats and heading in for a pizza lunch before resuming the course.

Girls Begin their US Sailing Basic Keelboat Course at Bitter End Yacht Club

The girls weighed anchor at Prickly Pear Island early this morning and made their way across North Sound to the Bitter End Yacht Club where they started their US Sailing Basic Keelboat Course. The girls are beginning the morning with classroom instruction and are planning to get out on the water this afternoon. 

Beginning the US Sailing Basic Keelboat Class

Video shot from the beginning of US Sailing Class

Baths, Virgin Gorda to Prickly Pear Island, North Sound via VGYH

The girls left the Baths after their afternoon cookout and headed over to Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor to reprovision for the trip. After a quick stop into the local market the girls planned out the meals for the remainder of the trip. Leaving VGYH, we headed upwind to North Sound, Virgin Gorda. The girls came into the channel marking Colquhoun reef at sunset and anchored as the light faded in the lee of Prickly Pear Island. The girls grilled fish for fish tacos and prepared for a big day in North Sound tomorrow.

Exploring the rigging during a break

RMS Rhone to the Baths

After leaving the RMS Rhone, the girls set sail for the Baths on Virgin Gorda. On the upwind sail we worked on sail trim and the girls worked on speeding up their rigging, furling, and tacking. Once we arrived at Virgin Gorda the girls picked up a mooring ball and swam to shore. We hiked to Devils Bay and snorkeled back to Spring Bay for an afternoon cookout at the Baths

 The Girls in the Cave on the hike to Devil's Bay

 The Girls on the Trail to Devil's Bay

 The group getting together before the Snorkel to Spring Bay

 Relaxing in Devils Bay

 Underwater Pics in Devils Bay

Thumbs up after a great snorkel. 

Depart Cooper Island Snorkel RMS Rhone

The girls woke up early and took advantage of the great sea conditions and headed over to Salt Island to Snorkel the RMS Rhone - The girls were able to snorkel the RMS Rhone guided by Captain Stuart and Captain Jim who guided the tour from below the waves on SCUBA. Here is a quick video from their dive.

The Royal Mail Steam ship Rhone was commissioned for the Royal Mail Packet Company in 1865 to carry mail and passengers from England to the Caribbean. More than 300 passenger cabins were included within her 310 foot length. Its design was unique, for it had both sail and steam power with one of the first steam-driven cast propellors. Captain Woolley, the Captain on the day, decided to anchor in Peter Island's Great Harbor due to an outbreak of yellow fever in St. Thomas.

On the morning of October 29th, 1867 he awoke to barometers falling fast and dark black clouds over Tortola. As it was October and hurricane season was thought to be over, he assumed it was just an early winter storm. Captain Woolley told the crew to fire up the boilers just in case and when the storm hit he needed full ahead even at anchor to hold position. The fearful roar of the hurricane blew howling winds from the North Northwest. A lull came - or as we know it today "the eye of the hurricane". Captain Wolley tried to make a break for open water away from the rocks and land. He headed out between Peter and Salt Islands. Most people onboard couldn't swim so crew were ordered to tie in all the passengers (sealing their fate). The second part of the hurricane hit with black skies and huge seas. Captain Wolley like all good English Captains had a cup of tea with a dash of rum, stirring it with his silver spoon as he navigated his ship through the channel past Salt Island. The rain was blinding so he tried to get a better look outside when a big wave washed him overboard off the bridge. He was never to be seen again.

Rhone was slowly pushed toward the rocks and finally hit Black Rock Point. The cold water hit the hot boiler causing a big explosion splitting the Rhone in half. The stern sank in 35' while the bow drifted slightly deeper into 80'. The vessel now rests in two main sections off Salt Island, near Black Rock.

Today the Rhone is considered to be one of the world's best wreck dives.

The Girls Snorkeling at the RMS Rhone

Great Visibility on the RMS Rhone this morning

Upwind sail to a Snorkel at The Dogs, a downwind sail to Cooper Island for the evening

The group woke up on the moorings in Trellis Bay, just east of Bellamy Cay. After a quick breakfast aboard they dropped the mooring ball and headed into the Sir Francis Drake Channel. The day began with an upwind leg to the Dogs. We practiced tacking upwind and snorkeled the Chimney on the west end of George Dog Island. After eating lunch on the mooring, we sailed down wind to Cooper Island and practiced jibing. Once arriving at Cooper Island, we headed over to Cistern Rock for another snorkel trip around the rock, followed by dinner aboard the Mary Jewell.  The girls are heading to the Cooper Island Beach Club to enjoy a refreshment and the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games. The girls are learning the boats and excited for another big day on the water tomorrow.

Captain Jim Bringing the Girls back from Snorkeling Cistern Rock

Enjoying the Snorkeling at Cistern Rock

Alexa and Lucy relaxing before going to shore at Cooper Island Beach Club

Lizabeth working the main sheet on the Sail to Cooper Island