Friday, August 5, 2011 docked at Scrub Island Marina/Resort. I awake at 0630 and prepare a pot of coffee, I’m used to the drip style pots, or Starbucks <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> but I actually really liked the percolator coffee, just like Mom used to make! Don’t bring very fine ground coffee though! With the crew asleep I walk to the nice showers with coffee in hand. There is nobody around this early in the morning and I’m digg’in it! Walking back to the boat I find my wife sitting peacefully on the travertine steps looking out over the marina. We sat quietly, soaking it all in, great sunrise. Folks are starting to stir, employees are moving about, everyone nods and says the customary good morning. A dive boat is gearing up for a great day, man I’m in heaven!. Walked back to Sail Pending and found our friends awake and preparing breakfast. The kids soon awake and begin jumping off the boat and taking morning swims at the pool. After breakfast I carry yet another case of Presidente to the boat, put ice in the coolers and fridge. I made everyone put on our custom Team Sailing shirts for a photo op. I have an easy check out at the reservations desk, say thanks and farewell to Kurt and off we go to the Baths on Virgin Gorda.
Fortunately or unfortunately we departed Scrub late and didn’t arrive at the Bath’s until @1300hr. Nice sail over to the baths, maybe 7-8 knots. I rigged up ballyhoo and tried my luck again, but the fish didn’t like my presentation I guess. As we arrive we couldn’t find a mooring ball so we “attempted” to set an anchor, when all of a sudden the chain released from the windlass and I couldn’t tell you how many feet went out until it stopped, but I can tell you it was loud! Scared the liv’in sheet out of me. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> After a deep breath, I got the chain back on and brought the anchor up. Can someone tell me what happened there? The chain looked aligned when I released the lock and when I pressed the down button, but away it went. Used the anchor prior to and several more times after that without an issue. Anyways, that hiccup allowed enough time for a ball to open up and there we went. The Bath’s are beautiful. This was my wife and daughters first visit, and my last visit was in the late 80’s so it was nice to see it again with my family this time. Some of the gang snorkeled in, 2 kayaked in and the rest via dinghy. After exploring, my daughter and I shared a burger from the beach bar and it was actually very tasty. Everyone started heading back to the boat, as I untied our dinghy I notice someone yelling and waving at me from the beach, he’s probably 70ish? I cruise in closer and he asks if I can give him a ride to his dinghy, we say sure hop on in. He said he could swim to it, just not able to pull himself in it hahaha remember guys you need to be able to get back into the dang boat <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />
We released from the ball and off we go to the North Sound. By the way, thank you to whoever told me to place the hook behind the penant instead of through the eye of the penant, that may seem basic to some, but I think I would have tried for the eye if you hadn’t told me that, it worked everytime, my friend said she always hooked the eye, not anymore!. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> We decided to motor straight up to the North Sound because we had to meet the Footloose mechanic at Saba Rock by 1630hr. One disaster along the way, my buddies daughter let his UVA hat fly off her head. I made a quick MOB maneuver and well…the hat was lost at sea. My wife is a Hokie from Virginia Tech so she laughed her azz off <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" />
We made it to Saba Rock with time to spare. The mechanic was there and helped us dock. He had our A/C issue fixed in 15 minutes, very satisfied again with Footloose! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> We grabbed a Caribe from their bar and walk around a bit. Their grass felt great under our feet! I had made reservations with Nick at Leverick for this night so we needed to head there. I was up wind of the Saba dock so another nice guy came over, without being asked, and assisted by holding the starboard bow line to help me off that dock, can’t say enough good things about you sailors! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />
We arrived at Leverick Bay Marina and couldn’t raise anyone via radio, it was after 1700hr. So we grabbed a ball and dinged to the dock. I met a Captain Andrew from a Moorings charter on the dock and he said nobody was around. I said I made a reservation thru Nick and Andrew said standby, grabbed his phone, dialed and patched me straight through to Nick who was not at Leverick. Nick said grab an open slip and see him in the morning. He also made us a reservation for the last Jumbie BBQ of the season yahooo. Thank you Captain Andrew for another great act of kindness! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> My buddy docked the boat and we plugged in and had all A/C operational, nice!
Kids immediately hit the pool area and we relaxed with drinks on the dock, then headed for the showers. I met a super nice lady named Bubbles, NO not in the shower! she took care of our reservation and showed us around a little. Nick and Bubbles if you’re reading this thank you very much for one of the great highlights of our trip, Nick your wife is very nice also!. The BBQ buffet was fantastic, smoked brisket, chicken, mahi etc our whole crew enjoyed it. An outstanding reggae band named “Hard Core” started playing and everyone was dancing, then we were surprised by a Mako Jumbie group performing on stilts. They must have danced for over an hour and wanted everyone to dance with them. The kids dancing thru their legs was priceless! Back to the boat around midnight to enjoy our last A/C for a while, we will be on a ball for the next 4 nights.
Saturday morning, yep up at 6’ish and a little foggy <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> Prepared a pot of coffee, then I took advantage of the washer and dryers at Leverick and another nice shower. My wife soon joined me, NO not in the shower, but outside by the pool. We watched the marina come to life, beautiful light for my camera. Nick and Bubbles I hope you don’t mind but we walked through the fine dining restaurant to check it out even though it is closed for the season. Great looking place with a HUGE wine cellar, large hardwood bar, incredible view and with what I think were four 4 foot tall handcarved mermaids on each corner of the bar? Maybe that was just my hangover? We got to meet so many nice folks at Leverick, one in particular was Roberta (owner/chef) on Ayacanora, beautiful 72 ft sailing vessel. After breakfast we head off for Biras Creek to grab a ball. There would be only one other boat with us there. Kids loved, jumping off the cat, windsurfing, and riding the dinghy around. My wife and I dinged over to Fat Virgin Café to look in the shop then hiked around the resort and checked out a beautiful pool with an outstanding view of the Atlantic. We continued to hike out to their private beach at Deep Bay, it was only us and what a spot! Someone in a previous post asked about white horses?, well they had a few in a coral. We liked the hike so much we went back and had the whole gang check the resort out with us. Homemade spaghetti dinner on the boat that night then off to bed, GREAT DAY! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />
I’ll continue with day 6 later.
BEERMAN <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />
