A Long Trip Without Wind!

Leaving St. Martin for Tortola early in the morning

Back at St. Eustacia's, we debated about going straight to Tortola rather than to Sint Maarten. It was a 120 mile trip to Tortola so it would be an overnight sail again. The alternative was the 40 mile sail to Sint Maarten, spend the night and leave for Tortola at 5 AM the next day.

We sailed past Nanny Cay to Soper's Hole for Customs

We chose the second alternative: sail to Sint Maarten. Looking back, we should have gone straight to Tortola. The wind to Sint Maarten was perfect. There was no wind for the trip to Tortola the next day. We had to motor all 80 miles of it. There was a small swell off the stern that help move us forward. At times, we were moving faster than the wind, which was also off the stern. It was another boring ride. Set the route and put it on autopilot and off you go! (Another good day for reading!)

Soper's Hole was crowded!

Once we reached Round Rock Passage between Virgin Gorda and Ginger Island, we planned to head straight down Sir Francis Drake Channel, passing Nanny Cay, and into either Soper’s Hole, Tortola or Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke.

We were watching the sun as it was slowing settling down in the west. We could have made it to JVD and anchored just after sunset, but decided the safe thing to do was to stop at Soper’s Hole and continue to Great Harbour in the morning. It really did not matter since we could check in with Customs at either place.

I love the beaches on Jost Van Dyke

Actually we welcomed a nice calm night without rolling in swells or the need to get up before the sun! After a relaxing morning, Dennis went to Customs in Soper's Hole. Then we sailed over to Jost Van Dyke. No more schedules to keep!

Once we were anchored in Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke, it was time to vacation. That is, relax and enjoy the view, the sun and the breeze. So that is where I am sitting and writing this blog entry!

Time to exhale before returning to Nanny Cay to put the boat on the hard for a month while we go home. I have to go to Germany for a project and will fly directly to the boat from there. I will only have three days to get the provisioning done for the Atlantic Cup Rally and our return to the USA via Bermuda. Then it will be a trip up the Chesapeake Bay to put the boat up for the summer! All good things must come to and end – or at least, a hiatus!

The original distillery! A neat old place.

However, we couldn't think of leaving Tortola without stopping at Cane Garden Bay for some rum! This is the home of the last rum distillery that still makes rum from cane sugar without adding all of the things other distillers add. Since it is not exported, you can only buy it on the island. We have received rave reviews whenever we have served it to guests aboard Trillium!

So we spent one day and night in Cane Garden Bay on the north side of Tortola before sailing around the west end and back up to Nanny Cay.