George Dog to Prickley Pear Island

The girls left the dogs after a great snorkel and sailed out into the Anegada passage. Winds and seas were perfect for open ocean sailing. They took advantage of the sailing time to brush up on topics for their US Sailing Course scheduled to begin shortly. Under a setting sun the girls came into the channel marking Colquhoun reef and moored as the light faded in the lee of Prickly Pear Island. A sunset over Mosquito Island and dinner aboard Aeolus will round out a beautiful first day in the BVI.

Sailing In the Anegada Passage

On a Close Haul on the way into North Sound

Depart Norman Island upwind sailing to The Dogs for lunch and snorkeling

The group woke up on the moorings in The Bight, Norman Island, just east of the USVI Island of St. John. 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.

Sailing Upwind to George Dog

At the helm

We practiced tacking upwind and snorkeled Bronco Billy, one of Jaques Cousteau's favorite dive sites  on the west end of George Dog Island. Bronco Billy offers a meandering course of coral ridges and corresponding canyons. Two coral archways lead into the canyons. Follow the canyons and the bottom topography around the tip of George Dog into a large steep-walled box canyon and boulder field. Swing a little wider around the tip of the island on your return trip, and you should find the other coral canyon that will lead you back to the second archway. Large pillar coral formations grace the site, but the highlight is the arches. The brilliant reds of the encrusting sponges and the oranges of the cup corals, combining with the lavender of other sponges and the lacy frill of hydroids, makes for a Technicolor extravaganza.

Group Shot at Bronco Billy

Great Visibility Today!

After eating lunch on the mooring, we plan to sail up wind to the North Sound for the evening. 

YMCA S.A.I.L. II BVI Girls arrive in the BVI. - Norman Island

Seafarer Girls arrive safely in BVI and are aboard. The girls will spend tonight on moorings in The Bight, Norman Island getting settled in. After a much needed dinner the captains of the day briefed their crews on the next days plans. We are planning to head out for the Dogs for a mid day stop and then on to North Sound for the evening.

 Captain Stuart Presnell and Captain Matt Curtis and Crew aboard Aeolus

Captain Jim Baker and Crew aboard Astrid

Sail II BVI girls are on their way down to the BVI

We are excited for a great trip and a great crew! The girls are on their way! 

Anxiously Anticipating the YMCA S.A.I.L. II-BVI Arrival in the British Virgin Islands

Lundy Charters and YMCA bring you the Sail II BVI Program July 26 - August 4, 2014

S.A.I.L II-BVIs, is designed to reinforce the traditional values that permeate all of Camp Seafarer's programs. The development of character and leadership skills will be the goal of these activities. We believe that this island/sailing experience will have a lasting impact as new challenges are explored,new skills are learned, more self-confidence is developed, and each crewmember becomes a team player on the voyage. 

The crew for this summer's British Virgin Islands voyage will consist of Lundy Charters' Captains, three female administrative sailing staff counselors, and campers (you!). Seafarer's captains and sailing counselors are talented, highly skilled and seasoned people with wide-ranging credentials. Lundy Charters' Captains have experience sailing in the British Virgin Islands and posses the teaching skills to make this a very safe, educational and fun experience for the crew. Lundy Charters staff members (former counselor at Sea Gull/Seafarer) have demonstrated capable leadership ability, commitment to the mission of camp, expertise in navigation and sailing, and an understanding of the needs of adolescent girls.

The adventure begins at Camp Seafarer in Arapahoe, NC, when the crewmembers arrive. We focus our time at camp on getting the crew ready for sea: reviewing and learning knots, anchoring techniques, and big boat sailing, as well as preparing for cooking and sleeping in close quarters. In addition, we work on team building activities develop trust and self-confidence among each other.
We then Fly from North Carolina to Tortola, BVI. Upon arrival, campers and counselors will meet their boats in Road Town. The sailboats are 50-foot monohulls, which come equipped with snorkeling gear, and all the provisions that we will need for a safe and fun excursion. We will eat, sleep, play and learn on our 50-foot homes on the water—a truly unique experience for anyone who loves the water.

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.