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

Prickly Pear to Bitter End Yacht Club

The girls dropped Moorings this morning at Prickly Pear and headed across North Sound to the Bitter End Yacht Club. At Bitter End the girls are beginning their US Sailing Basic Keelboat class at the Bitter End Sailing School.

Pulling Secondary Mooring Lines off the Mooring at Prickly Pear

Starting Class at Bitter End Yacht Club

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