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

Girls Arrive Safely in BVI, settling in onboard

Seafarer Girls arrive safely in BVI and are aboard. The girls will spend tonight on moorings in Trellis Bay getting settled in. We are planning to head out for the Dogs and Cooper Island tomorrow. 

 Captain Stuart Presnell and Crew aboard Mary Jewel

Captain Jim Baker and Crew aboard Wind Whisper

SAIL BVI Trip begins -

The girls left camp and boarded flights to the BVI, they are on their way!