The Virgins
The Virgin Islands were discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493, his second trip. He named them for the 11,000 virgins that killed themselves instead of a fate worse than death with the Huns. The 80 mile sail across the Anegada Passage was exciting, in a good way. Strong winds and big waves (14′) were going in our direction. We averaged over 8 knots (9 mph) which is great for a sailboat.
The first landfall was Virgin Gorda (fat virgin :). They are famous for the Baths, a jumble of huge granite boulders. They are placed in such a way that you can walk under, around and over them as the waves splash at your feet. The sunlight filters in to form beams that are truly unique and beautiful.
Next we went to Trellis Bay for the Full Moon party. I expected to see drunken people howling at the moon. Instead it was more family oriented with some artsy twists. The photos show a steel drum band that was fantastic, stilt walkers that were just as comfortable up there as on the ground, huge iron fireballs that lit up the night and a delicious cook out. So all of us danced, ate and drank the night away without any howling. David Stone headed home so the 3 remainders (Steve, Lou and Tim) visited 4 more islands and went on 4 more dives. The most interesting was the wreck of the Rhone. It was declared unsinkable in 1862 but sank in a hurricane in 1867. The British should learn never to declare anything unsinkable. Over 200 people onboard perished. It was eery to swim inside the huge hull thinking about the unfortunate passengers. The captain was the first to go since a wave swept him off the deck while drinking his rumtea.
Now we are in St. Thomas and Tim Harris just left. My daughter (Nicole) and her boyfriend (Kevin) get in today at 4pm. I am excited since I have not seem her since the Halloween party. We will sail around for a week. Retracing our steps back to the BVI and do lots of snorkeling. Probably will not make any new entry before we head home the day after Christmas. Hope all of you have a wonderful and happy Holidays. Steve