Beef Island, BVI
18.26.919N
64.31.943W
Before we untied from the trees, hoisted our anchor and prepared our sails for the upwind beat to “the Baths” in Virgin Gorda this morning, Nicky and I conducted an experiment. She had told me about making omelets in a ziplock bag and since omelets were on the menu for breakfast, we tried it.
The way its done is, you put all of the ingredients into a ziplock bag, mix thoroughly, then place the bags into boiling water for 13 minutes. Since they didn‘t appear to be completely cooked after 13 minutes, I added another 5 minutes to the cooking time. The result was an omelet that tasted pretty good. We decided that the next time, we should use a bigger pot to boil them in since they seemed a little squished in the pot I used. Anyway, it’s worth trying again as it is a method that allows everyone to eat at the same time.
After breakfast, we sailed. Since there were other boats in Sir Francis Drake’s Channel going in the same direction, we raced. The Palace did well in the 20 kts winds with a full jib and a reefed main. We teased Gerry that he couldn’t complain about not having any wind in which sail on this trip, we had more than we knew what to do with.
Along the route to the Baths, Nicky spotted a run-away dinghy without a motor drifting toward Beef Island. We debated whether or not to drop sails and go retrieve it but a catamaran coming up behind us veered off and picked it up. Most of the dinghies out here belong to charter companies and have identification numbers stenciled on their pontoons. Since it was a charter cat that picked it up, we figured it would eventually find its way back to the rightful owner.
We were lucky in finding a mooring right away at the Baths and moored 2 boats behind MTNest who were showing their guests the same attraction. We dinghied into where we could tie our dinghy off on a line well outside the swim area and then donned our snorkel gear for the swim in the rest of the way.
We stooped through the rock overhangs, waded through the tunnels that flooded with the waves from outside and clamored over the boulders that make up the Baths. Then once we had explored our way through, we pulled on our snorkel gear again and swam around the boulders and coral heads on the outside. I never tire of playing and exploring among these rocks and am so glad we were able to show the kids these sights while they were young and imaginative. I think Gerry and Nicky liked them too.
With Gerry at the helm, we slipped our mooring ball and headed to Trellis Bay on Beef Island. With just the jib out, we were surfing along at 8 kts + crossing between Virgin Gorda and Beef Island. We were definitely in our groove, except for the following seas, which I really don‘t care for.
On the way over, we heard MTNest say that CheSerah had lost her dinghy near Beef Island. We radioed to them our sighting and the fact that a large cat had picked it up. CheSerah picked up the transmission and said that they had in fact lost their dinghy and that after a diligent search, had located it at the back of a large catamaran anchored in Beef Island. They went on to say that the cat was more than happy to relinquish their hold on the dinghy and it was returned to them. They were very lucky!
When we finally arrived in Trellis Bay on Beef Island, every mooring had been taken. We tried to anchor within the mooring field, but the anchor wouldn’t bite. We circled around and started to anchor again between two mooring balls, when a boat we were passing offered us the one that was being held by a kayak. We accepted eagerly and snagged the mooring without further embarrassment to ourselves or our guests. They didn’t offer any explanations as to why they were holding another mooring and we didn’t ask. I was grateful that I didn’t have to worry about swinging into the moored boats around us.
We had a nice dinner at The Last Resort, a restaurant located on tiny Bellamy Cay, an island hardly bigger than the building on it. After dinner, dinghied across the harbor to where the local artisans and craftsmen were holding their monthly full-moon festival.
They had dancers and musicians and crafts of leather, basket, wood sculptures, tin sculptures, beaded jewelry and coconut creations. Then at 10 o’clock pm they set two orbs aflame to top off the celebration. The orbs were made of metal designed into shapes of dancing people all over it. So when the orbs were set ablaze, it looked like people dancing around a fire. We had already left by that time and watched from the Palace. What a sight.
A full day spent with friends completed by an enchanting night.
