Soper's Hole to Baths to Cooper Island...Last night aboard

The girls tacked up wind and made their way up the Sir Francis Drake Channel to the southern tip of Virgin Gorda. Once there they dropped sails and picked up a national park mooring ball at the Baths. The girls snorkeled to shore and had some time to relax on the beach before going on the famous hike through the boulders. They hiked from Devils Bay to Spring Bay and then snorkeled back through the boulders to the boats. The weather after the storm could not be clearer and the stop at the baths was well needed after 24 hours of storm conditions abroad the boats. The girls dropped moorings in the late afternoon and headed to Cooper Island. They picked up moorings in Manchaneel Bay. They will pack up, reflect on the trip, and have dinner aboard Aeolus. We will take everyone into the Cooper Island Beach Club for an end of trip treat. We will be sad to see them go tomorrow morning. They will depart the boats via water taxi tomorrow at 9am to catch their flights back to the US from Saint Thomas.

Holding a Steady Course

 Devil's Bay

 Hiking in the Baths

 Snorkeling the Baths

The Cathedral in the Baths

It's Sunny, it's beautiful! And we are going sailing!

The girls are dropping moorings in Soper's Hole and heading upwind towards Virgin Gorda. We are excited for a sunny day with great wind for sailing. 

8pm Update - Storm Conditions ended

As of 8pm all signs of Bertha are gone. The girls had a lovely dinner ashore and are back on boats for a big day tomorrow back out on the water. It's nice to open the hatches and enjoy the fresh air. 

2:30 PM Storm Update - Soper's Hole

The conditions have not yet subsided in Soper's Hole to the point where we can safely get underway with the girls, we are catching some of the trailing bands from the system and still experiencing high winds and rain. The girls are in high spirits and the trailing bands are making leaving Soper's Hole today unlikely. We will plan to get off the boat tonight in lower wind conditions after the storm has passed and have a meal ashore for a change of pace from being aboard and down below all day. We plan to press on with the schedule first thing tomorrow as the weather turns from storm to normal sailing conditions.

Crew of Astrid enjoying a mid day treat in the bad weather!

Pancake Breakfast Aboard Aeolus

Cards below decks on Aeolus

Checking Conditions on Deck on Astrid at 2pm

2 PM conditions in Soper's Hole. The natural shelter of Soper's Hole, the hurricane moorings, and many storm preparations the girls made to the boats are making the high wind conditions quite comfortable and safe in Soper's Hole. The girls are having a blast below decks riding out the storm. With the worst of the storm behind us we are excited to get back on the water just as soon as conditions subside.

Bertha leaving the area at 2pm, we are the blue dot. We are expecting to have clear weather starting around sunset tonight.

11 am Storm Update - Girls Safely Aboard the Boats Making Big Breakfasts aboard boats after sleeping in. Waiting for Remainder of Storm to Pass

The girls took advantage of the poor sailing but safe conditions this morning to make big breakfasts onboard with fresh provisions. The storm bands are still affecting us here in Soper's Hole as of 11am although the center of the storm has passed us and is close to making landfall in Puerto Rico. We will remain in place at Soper's Hole until conditions are safe for sailing. We are hoping to hit the water again this afternoon, weather permitting.

Bertha's Position as of 11am, we are the blue dot

6 am Storm Update - Sail II BVI safely weathering Bertha on Mooring as Dawn Breaks

As dawn is breaking the storm is continuing to pass through the area. As suspected the bulk of the storm passed to our south and conditions are already beginning to improve. We will remain onboard and hunkered down until conditions are once again safe for sailing. Just as soon as they are, we are going to be back out on the big water.

View from the Cockpit this morning, bands of heavy rain are moving through all morning

5am storm positon, we are the blue dot

All Safely to bed on Moorings after big taco night dinner and storm preparation

All are back aboard their boats after dinner. The girls are having devotions and getting settled in to ride out the storms aboard the boats. After spending the afternoon getting the boats ready for the storm, the girls have closed the companionway doors and battened down the remaining hatches for the evening. They will fix a big breakfast as the last of the heavy bands come through and we hope to be back sailing on the water as early as tomorrow afternoon. 

All the girls in the cockpit after a big taco dinner 

Doing devotion aboard Astrid as the first bands of the storm start to come through

Sail II BVI Program Safely Moored in Sopers Hole to Ride Out Bertha

After a beautiful day of sailing our boats made it into Soper's Hole in time to reprovision for the remainder of the trip and prepare the boats for Tropical Depression Bertha. The girls are tying secondary mooring lines, lashing down sails, and buttoning down hatches to ride out the coming wind and rain. Fresh provisions and good company will help the girls pass the time as the storm passes far to our south overnight. Once the storm clears tomorrow and conditions subside we plan to be right back on the water on schedule and sailing.

Securing the Main Sail for High Wind Conditions

Zipping Up the Sail Bag

Path of Tropical Storm Bertha, on track to pass to well to our south. Our location is right underneath the letter "a" in the position "8PM ET Sat 45kts (50mph)". We will catch some of the outer bands of the storm.

Reflection on Sailing - Videos from Sail - Anegada to Sopers Hole

Sailing Interview

View from the Bow

View from the Companionway

Anegada to Soper's Hole

The girls dropped moorings at Anegada after breakfast and are downwind sailing to Soper's Hole. Soper's Hole is on the main Island of Tortola and is a very protected. It was used by Blackbeard the pirate as safe harbor for many years. Once there we plan to provision the yachts and check on the latest a forecast for Tropical Depression Bertha. In the meantime we are getting as much sailing in as we can before the rain sets in. As you can see from the photos below, it is still beautiful today! We are expecting some heavy winds and rain from the outer bands as the storm passes to our south. We will ride out the weather in the safe harbor of Soper's Hole, just like our fellow North Carolinian Blackbeard the pirate did over 200 years ago. We will take advantage of the rain by teaching some advanced navigation and going over US Sailing exams and reviewing any deficiencies.

Open Ocean Sailing between Tortola and Anegada

Checking her Course

Video of the Dinghy Dragging behind the boat on the Sail from Anegada to Jost Van Dyke

Sailing Downwind from Anegada to Tortola

Reflections on Community Service

Interview 

Interview 

Service Project Anegada Methodist Church

In keeping with our long standing relationship with the Anegada Methodist Church the girls will once again work with the Church for their service project. 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. We helped Romalia clean up the church yard, playground, and school yard.  We picked a good day to do the service project, we could see squalls blowing through the lower BVI all day. We focused on the area inside the new fence that had been painted by a previous SAIL II BVI service project on Anegada. Romalia's grand children played a steel drum concert for us during one of the squalls throughout the day. 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 our service project we headed to the East End of Anegada to get some ice cream at Loblolly Bay as the squalls finally made their way northward to Anegada. After the rain cleared we grilled hot dogs and burgers off the back of the boats in the Mooring field and prepared for a big day of sailing tomorrow.

A Song from the Steel Drum Concert by Romalia's grandchildren

Posing for a picture with Romalia from the Anegada Methodist Church after a day of hard work

Cleaning up the Church yard

 Enjoying the steel drum concert in the church

 Romalia's Grandchildren lend a hand 

Cow Wreck Bay and Lobster Dinner At Reef Hotel

After resting on the mooring ball for the remainder of the morning, the girls ate a quick lunch aboard and headed into shore. We boarded a truck and headed over to Cow Wreck Bay for a few hours of snorkeling and relaxation. Cow Wreck Bay is truly one of the most beautiful beaches on earth. The girls left Cow Wreck Bay to head back over to the Anegada Reef Hotel to learn how the cooks harvest, prepare, and cook Caribbean Rock Lobster. As the girls prepared for dinner, an evening squall blew over the island and left behind a beautiful double rainbow. Words can't describe and photos don't do justice the beauty of the day we just experienced.

Walk up to Cow Wreck Bay

Drinking Coconut Water at Cow Wreck Bay

About to head out for a snorkel at Cow Wreck Bay

Harvesting Lobsters

 Evening Squall

Lighting Driftwood Fires to Cook Lobster

Anegada Dock Panarama

 View from our dinner table

Night Navigation Sail to Anegada, All boats safely at Mooring in the Anegada Mooring Field

The girls set out from North Sound, Virgin Gorda bound for Anegada long before sunrise this morning. The girls strapped in to their harnesses and clipped into the boats jack lines to put their previous night's navigation work to the test. They used the lighted aids to navigation to maneuver their 50 foot sailboats out of the mooring field through the Bitter End Channel. They regulated their boat speed and timed their turn precisely to line the boats up with the channel out of North Sound, careful to avoid Colquhoun Reef. They raised sails as they entered the Necker Island Passage bound for Anegada with a beautiful Caribbean Sunrise backlighting the sky. After several hours and 5 navigation legs the girls safely picked up mooring balls in the Anegada mooring field and are taking some time for some much needed rest.

Video of Astrid Pulling off Docks for the Night Sail

 Sunrise over Anegada

 Adjusting Sails at first light. 

Harnessed into the Jack Lines for Limited Visibility Sailing

Securing the Secondary Mooring Line in the Anegada Mooring Field

Preparing for Night Navigation Sail to Anegada Sail At Bitter End

The girls set out from North Sound, Virgin Gorda bound for Anegada. Planning an early start, the girls setup jack lines and reviewed navigation. All the girls are planning to don harnesses and PFDs in the early hours of the morning and motor out of North Sound. They plan to raise sails as they enter the Necker Island Passage bound for Anegada.

Group Navigation as the Sun Sets in North Sound

Working Through Tomorrows Navigation the night before the big sail

All Girls Pass US Sailing Basic Keelboat Exams!!!!!!

We just graded the US Sailing Tests and all of the girls passed. They not only passed but did very well. We are going out to a celebratory pizza dinner at 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.

Taking the Written Final at the Bitter End Yacht Club

Beautiful Last Day On Docks at BEYC

Strong Second Day of US Sailing Basic Keelboat Course at Bitter End Yacht Club

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

Beautiful Day on the North Sound for US Sailing Basic Keelboat Practicals

The Girls Begin their US Sailing Course At Bitter End Yacht Club

The girls started their US Sailing Basic Keelboat Course at The Bitter End Yacht club. The girls are beginning the morning with brief classroom instruction followed by a morning and afternoon session out on the water on the small boats.  

Beginning the US Sailing Basic Keelboat Class

 Arriving at Bitter End!!!!

At the Bitter End Sailing School

 

Rounding the Mark

 Downwind Sailing

 Have a great day out of the water!

 Upwind practice

Heading in after a great session on the water