[/b]Hey gang-

First and foremost, as TTOL newbies, Susanne and I just want to thank you all sooo much! We are so happy to have discovered this place and the amazing expertise and generous people here! It made a good week into an amazing week! Woohoo!

The Short Story Itinerary

We chartered a Sunsail 36i this time, Feb 12 to Feb 19. It was just Susanne and I, so all the space seemed truly decadent!

Night 1- Sleepaboard at Sunsail Roadtown
Night 2- At dock at Leverick Bay Resort and Marina, Virgin Gorda
Night 3 and 4- On mooring in Anegada
Night 5- On mooring at Little Harbor, Jost Van Dyke
Night 6- On mooring at White Bay, Jost Van Dyke
Night 7- On mooring at Marina Cay for my 50th birthday with Micheal Beans!

The Full Story- with many many thanks!

[b]Day 1 was our sleepaboard on "Oceanne" in Roadtown. We provisioned that day with Bobby's, who sent their van to pick us up and drop us off. Great folks!

We had been following Windguru.com and the predicted 3-meter swell was expected to peak as we departed Roadtown on Saturday the 13th. At that point we were glad it was just us aboard since we were thinking it might be a rather shaky introduction to the BVI if we had new or non-sailors aboard!

Our destination for Day 2 was Leverick Bay Resort and Marina for a comfy TTOL-special slip deal. We cancelled a planned lunch stop at the Baths since the mooring field was closed and red-flags up due to the swell.

But the payoff was one glorious close-reach from Tortola to North Sound! The unseasonal SE wind had us seeing 7+ kts and laughing at our luck! Woohoo!

How thrilled we were then that as we finished tying up at Leverick, we were paid a personal greeting by none other than Nick Willis! What a gracious host- and in case you don't know it- TTOLers get a slip for 30 bucks that includes 200 gallons of water, a bag of ice, and a nice discount at the amazing Leverick Restaurant upstairs. Thank you again Nick for making us feel very welcome! Then it was off to the swimming pool for Happy Hour!

We had easily one of our best meals ever that night at Leverick! Our thanks to Maitre 'd Luis Samuel and our server Cindy. We split the biggest and tastiest Filet Mignon either of us had ever seen! And if you're a wine enthusisast, be sure to look at the wine list. Amazing!! While we could only look and dream, we imagined what it would have been like to have shared a bottle of their 1994 Chateau Petrus Pomerol ($1,400) or their 1998 Chateau Margaux ($800). Don't worry- they have lovely wines priced for mere mortals like us- and though I didn't do the math, it looks like our TTOL discount was on the order of 20 or 25%. Just a wonderful start to our journey!

Day 3 had us heading for Anegada for the first time! On our way out of North Sound, we did a "drive-by" of megayacht "A", whose presence in the BVI had been well reported on TTOL. We were rather put-out at not being invited aboard, so we sailed on.

The swell was predicted to remain at 2.5 meters, with winds still out of the SE. But again- what a lucky break for us! We sailed one lazy broad reach all the way to Anegada! Thanks here to the good folks at BVIpirate.com, whose "Navigating to Anegada" page and chart (which we purchased from them) made it easy and worry-free!

Almost too soon we were heading down the entry channel at Anegada and picking up a mooring in front of the Anegada Reef Hotel. Since it was Valentines Day, we made reservations for Lobster on the waterfront at their restaurant, and then caught the shuttle to Cow Wreck Beach! We were scarcely prepared to see such an amazing beach, and to have it nearly to ourselves. Painkillers and Caribs at the Cow Wreck bar made up the rest of our afternoon. The only heartbreak was- are you ready??- Cow Wreck had run out of hamburger patties!!! Their legendary burger could not be had at any price! So we will definitely have to return!

And as many TTOLers have said, the lobster dinner and lovely setting at the ARH was wonderful that night. The perfect Valentines! And perfect sunsets aboard Oceanne!

Day 4 we rented a Jeep from ARH and headed off to Loblolly Bay and the Big Bamboo Bar! If you haven't been folks, this stretch of amazing powder sand beach and startling blue water is a must-see, and Big Bamboo was a blast! The only disappointment was that the swell had rendered water visibility quite poor, and snorkeling was quite limited. We swung by Flash of Beauty beach and bar later that afternoon, but were surprised to find it closed. We're told they are open for business as normal, so maybe it was just something that day.

Day 5 and we're up early for the passage from Anegada to Jost Van Dyke! We checked Windguru (thanks to the Wifi at our mooring courtesy of the folks at Neptunes Treasure where we ate the night before) and it looked like the swell would be down to 2 meters or so with winds S-SE.

So, our luck holds! Now it's one continuous beam reach from Anegada to Diamond Cay, Jost Van Dyke! Lots of 7 kts again folks- simply fun fun fun!!!! We had been on the lookout for whales on all these passages, but it wasn't to be. The swell prediction was pretty accurate, and Oceanne handled it smartly!

Something like 3 1/2 hours later, we're dropping a lunch hook at Diamond Cay for Taboo Burgers and swimming at the Bubbly Pool! The burger and cold Caribs were heaven! The short hike to the Bubbly Pool is scenic and pleasant. When we arrived at the pool, it was very very bubbly to say the least! The surf and swell were breaking almost into the pool, and while I found it invigorating, Susanne was probably the smarter of us and declined to hop in. In truth, it was very nearly too strong that day, and I would caution you if you have little ones and the swell is that large during your visit.

Back to Oceanne and it's a quick motor around the point to Little Harbor. It is, after all, Tuesday and that means Roast Pig at Sidney's Peace and Love! We picked up a ball next to a Mooring's cat, and realized my mistake only after we were secured on the ball and shut down our engine.

RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE. Uh-oh! I got in the dinghy to go pay the folks at Harris's for the mooring, and as I passed the folks on the cat, we exchanged waves and hellos. I asked, "say...nice cat...just curious...does your generator run ALL the time...".

"Why yes it does..."

Sooooo, back aboard Oceanne and luckily we find another mooring at the other end of the field. That really was my mistake, the folks are of course entitled to run their generator, but I made a mental note to always look for generator cooling exhaust before picking up a ball again.

But all is quickly forgotten as we settle in at the self-serve honor-bar at Sidney's Peace and Love. It was one of those island-moments folks! Dangling feet off the dock and simply, absolutely unaware of what day or time it was. Wow.

And before long, it's time for Pig Roast! Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Day 6 and our destination is White Bay. Before we depart, we pull up at the Litle Harbor Marina for fresh water. We'd been a bit decadent with the hot showers, but what the heck! So this is a good stop if you need water and ice.

Moorings at White Bay fill up quickly, so we make the decision to forego sailing that day and make the quick motor over to White Bay. And glad we did- 11 am and we got one of the last moorings!

Now, though Anegada had forever spoiled us for beaches, White Bay is pretty darned good- and what a place to float and swim off the boat! And since we'd never been before, we had the obligatory pilgrimage to Soggy Dollar Bar to look forward to!

A 5-masted Club Med motor sailor was anchored off shore, so the tenders were delivering lots of cruise-ship folks and it got pretty crowded at Soggy Dollar. But it was a fun group and we had a blast- and a great burger!

In case you don't know, White Bay has no dinghy docks, so you'll be beaching your dinghy at the bar or restaurant of your choice. Fun- though with just two of us it took timing and a bit of heave-ho to make it happen. Woohoo!

And Sunset that evening back aboard Oceanne was simply the most amazing of the entire week.

Dinner that night was another TTOL recommendation! It's Wednesday night and that means the amazing, tiki-torch lit beach dinner at Seddy's One Love! Lesson learned though- the dinghy beach landing at night with no moon is guaranteed to be a little wet- at least from knees down plus whatever an untimely wave delivers. So I'd recommend wearing a bathing suit for the landing and launch, and then perhaps changing into dry clothes ashore.

But the torchlight dinner at One Love is like something from Tahiti! We enjoyed a Filet and Lobster combo, and just drifted away in island bliss! A neat treat was that by now the 5-master cruise ship was lit and made for a pretty site from our toes-in-the sand table.

Back aboard Oceanne for nightcaps, we suddenly heard strange, orchestral music. Turning, we see the sails unfurling on the 5-master, and in synch the music rose as the ship set sail (and motor) toward the west. It was perhaps a bit hokey, but in truth we watched in amazement as it sailed out of site. Wow what a day!

Day 7- somewhere overnight I've turned 50. OMG how the he%$ did that happen!?!?!

But the scene in White Bay is so beautiful I quickly forget and after a treat of bacon-and-eggs aboard (and Cinnamon rolls!), we spent the morning swimming off the stern of Oceanne. The water is so clear that Oceanne appears to be floating in air!

The only bad news is that the air is dead still, so looks like no sailing today. But we've been more than lucky so far, and besides, we need to get to Marina Cay! Can't keep Captain Michael Beans waiting you know!!! (OMG I'm listening to his Happy Arrrrr 2 as I write this!)

So, a fun motor along the north shore of Tortola, past Monkey Point, down the Great Camanoe channel, and we arrive! My birthday at Marina Cay and my first Michael Beans show! Thanks again to all of you here at TTOL who recommended this spot for our Thursday night celebration!

Susanne had surprised me on my birthday with a pair of Team USA Olympic ski hats, so we knew exactly what we'd have to wear that night for Beans! And what a show it was! When Beans spotted our hats, he demanded to know whARRRR we be from! And when we answered, gARRRRRgia, well, you know the rest! RUMMMM!

And more RUM when he learns it's my bARRRRthday!! Thank you again Captain Beans for making it one I'll never forget!

Well, Friday morning and Sunsail wants their boat back I suppose... It's all over too soon and we're Road Harbor bound. The nice folks at Sunsail and their waiting pool are happy sites, even if we're very sad to be leaving.

So, there it is. Lots I've missed, so if you have any question on our itinerary or anchorages, post away. I would sail that itinerary again in a heartbeat, though the unseasonal SE winds were really the magic that made it so perfect. But that means that it might be a great itinerary for your upcoming Summer sailings...or will we be in bizarro world and have NE winds for summer now!?!?!

Thanks again so much to all you TTOLers, and especially George Psaros who took lots of time to answer many, many questions!



Warmest BVI regards,