This is actually a sailing story with some kayaking included, but I had to get this past the Webmaster, so that you could read about it. I'm one of four brothers who love anything to do with the ocean. We have always been boaters and waterspouts fanatics and now live in California, New York, Rhode Island and Arizona (Arizona?). I had my first boat before my first bike and rowed boats, paddled canoes and operated powerboats since early childhood, when we lived on the waterfront on the South Shore of Long Island, NY. Mike and Steve were in the Navy and Coast Guard respectively and both currently hold Coast Guard Captain's licenses. I am now Commodore of a fleet of kayaks. Steve owns and operates a fishing charter boat on Block Island, Rhode Island. Doug is a fanatical windsurfer, swimmer, surfer, diver, as well as a talented sail maker. Steve and Mike are avid fishermen. Steve and Doug both grew up in Freeport, NY and Luquillo, Puerto Rico, a small beachside resort town. Carol is a sea kayaker and Mike is also a whitewater kayaker. Participating were Mike and his girlfriend, Vicki, Steve, Doug, our mother, Marie, my wife Carol and yours truly.

Equipment

Mike had initiated a bareboat sailing charter/family reunion, with Voyage Charters, based in Frenchman's Cay in Tortola, BVI, starting 8 March,. He reserved a big Voyage sailing catamaran, accommodating up to 10 people. We ended up with seven. The Voyage is designed especially for charter use in semi-protected waters. It has very husky rigging, small diesel engines, is moderately equipped and designed to be low maintenance and forgiving to weekend sailors. It came equipped with a fast, rigid bottom inflatable tender which became everyone's favored toy.

We also rented two kayaks- a Dagger Edisto and an Ocean Kayak Malibu 2 S.O.T. (you have to take what you can get there). The Dagger had a very ocean friendly hull, but no watertight compartments, poor deck rigging, a leaky spray skirt and inadequate float bags. The promised paddle float and pump were never delivered. We had a couple of windsurfing rigs. Everyone had snorkeling gear, to take advantage of the warm water, beautiful reefs, warm water and abundant marine life.

Getting There

Mike and Vicki got in a day before we did to get things set up. Carol in I flew in on Thursday, 7 March via Ft. Lauderdale, San Juan, PR and Beef Island. As is common, American Airlines' plane broke down in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and got to San Juan quite late, disgorging us and our luggage there, after causing us to miss our island connection. AA partially redeemed itself by putting us up in the very nice Condado Plaza oceanfront hotel, with casinos, restaurants and views galore. We reluctantly left Friday morning to brave the perils of AA's naughty little sister, American Eagle. We arrived at Beef Island, sans luggage, which was to become standard practice for the rest of our flights. We hung around at the ramshackle airport terminal most of the day, until Carol's bag showed up. We then took a taxi on a scenic 45 minute drive through Beef Island, the main island of Tortola and Frenchman Cay, to our destination at the harbor of Soper's Hole, where we immediately boarded the good ship Kina Hu. Marie and Steve arrived later on Friday, without Doug, who had a passport problem and ended up hiring a Puerto Rican lawyer to produce affididavits and oaths of fealty to apple pie and the flag, before he was allowed to go. Since 9/11, a guy without paperwork, who also looks like a cross between John Lindh and Charles Manson, must tread carefully.

Starting Our Voyage- To Jost Van Dyke

After provisioning for the trip and becoming familiar with boat and equipment, we had a nice dinner at Pusser's on Frenchman's Cay, spent the night on the Kina Hu, and on Saturday morning, set sail for Jost Van Dyke, an island north of Tortola, around the other side. It was windy and a little stormy, but the big catamaran was extremely stable and comfortable, so there was no seasickness all week, not that anyone would ever have admitted to it. Things went surprisingly smoothly, since we had lots of sailing talent aboard and even one Rolex Cup winner's circle sailor, Doug. Vicki and I became sailing apprentices, hoisting mainsails, tacking, jibing and trimming. Mike mercilessly drilled Vicki, who was to become 1st mate in a diving/sailing voyage the following week.

We anchored off the island and enjoyed swimming, sailing and kayaking in protected waters. I got to practice rolls in 80 degree water, which is certainly less inhibiting than our cold, California coastal waters. The Dagger's leaky spray skirt let it fill up quickly. With no compartments, small float bags and no pump, it had to be emptied on shore regularly, a pain and an inhibition to do riskier paddling. Others paddled the Malibu 2, guaranteed to build muscles and put hair on your chest.

After a nice home-cooked dinner and conversation, we called it a night quite early, a trend that extended all week. Being out on the bounding sea in the sun and wind all day does that to you. Most of the planned nightlife never occurred, because we were all highly focused on daytime ocean activities.

It became apparent that the freezer wasn't working, jeopardizing most of our week's cold provisions. We traced the problem to a malfunctioning electronic "black box," which was not serviceable. So, on Sunday morning, we returned to the base at Frenchman's Cay for repairs, which they couldn't do either. So we just stuffed it with ice periodically and plowed on, coping with that and other non-show stopping malfunctions along the way. Sailboats are simple compared to the big powerboats with complex systems that I'm accustomed to.

On to Norman Island, Caves and Food

We next sailed Southeast along Tortola and the fabled Sir Francis Drake Passage, to Norman Island, the site of noted sea caves and diving. While nice, they can't hold a candle to our own local Sea Caves at Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands. But, the warm water, reefs and abundant sea life more than made up for it. We saw numerous sailing vessels and cruise ships along the way there. Steve constantly had fishing line out when we were underway and sometimes at anchor. He, Steve and Doug caught a number of fish, most of which failed to met their high standards for size and species and were returned to the sea, fairly intact. We did eat some excellent fresh fish. We located abalone, but were legally off-limits to us.

After diving and kayaking, we all took to the boats- tender, kayaks, windsurfers-- to explore the island in up to 30 knot wind gusts, which left us unfazed! There was a good sized harbor with scores of boast anchored or moored, from 16 to 160 feet. I joined Carol for a trip in the big Malibu 2, a real tub to paddle in a strong wind, especially with a 4'8" teammate. We tried hiding in the wind shadow of the larger yachts, with limited success. I think we were scaring the bodyguards when we approached. Then I went back to the Dagger, a much better boat for wind and waves. We all ended up at a rollicking boat restaurant, recommended by all the guidebooks. It lived up to its reputation, with good, but pricey food, views, service and libations. We were fortunate to have a high roller aboard, who kept buying "drinks for the house," in the manner of an old Western movie. The dock there was so crowded that I had to do a kayak seal launch to get away.

Peter Island

After piloting our water toys back to the mother ship, we set sail again, braving stiff winds and squalls to move further down the chain of Islands, past Salt Island to an idyllic cove at Peter Island, where we anchored for the night and hunkered down for dinner and relaxation. I did some kayaking in the, taking some time to paddle the rougher waters at the end of the island, which were punctuated by dramatic rock and cliff formations, with pounding surf. It was quite peaceful out there, with no other kayaks or other craft outside of the immediate harbor area.

Virgin Gorda and The 'Baths"

Monday morning, after a leisurely breakfast, we sailed to the south side of Virgin Gorda, to the world-renown "Baths" an area of rocks and caves, great for walking, swimming or snorkeling. I seemed to be the only one that morning who also wanted to kayak it. It became apparent that Carol, who claims she can't even swim, had become a snorkeling fanatic. I think that she grew gills sometime during the week. Doug spent most of his spare time windsurfing, I kayaked, Marie read and sunbathed, Vicki snorkeled and Mike captained.

Carol and I hiked several nice trails along the shore, up the rocky spine of the island and down to the Baths. There were lots of nice rock gardens with mostly gentle waves surging through labyrinths of rocks and reefs. As I paddled south, the conditions got rougher, with stiff winds as I rounded the south side of Virgin Gorda and saw the islands of Fallen Jerusalem and Broken Jerusalem, with their dramatic craggy rock landscapes.

This was the most interesting spot of our trip for all hands on board. Everyone conked out shortly after dinner, as we were all tired after playing frenetically in the sun and surf all day. We stayed overnight on the Kina Hu, near the Baths and hung around in the early morning, playing.

Gone to The Dogs and Back to the Virgin

A bit later on Tuesday morning, we made a dingy trip to Spanish Bay, a cruise ship stop, for outboard fuel and to make phone calls. I can't see why this tiny little marina hamlet is on the cruise ship port list, except maybe as a gateway to visit the baths. Fortunately, 2 large ships had left right before we landed.

We then literally went to "The Dogs," a small group of islands between Virgin Gorda and Tortola, famous for diving and snorkeling. We stopped off the uninhabited island of "George Dog" and spent a nice day snorkeling, kayaking, exploring beaches, rocks and nearby cays. There was some good rock gardening around the island and on a nearby cay. There were only two other boats in the area, so we had several islands mostly to ourselves. I think that they are largely uninhabited. Mike. Vicki, Carol and Doug all agreed that this was the best snorkeling of the trip, remarking on the dramatic underwater arches and rocks, as well as the marine life. They regretted not bringing strobe lights to highlight the dramatic scenery.

We headed back to Virgin Gorda, through the Harbor entrance and explored North Sound, stopping off for ice and water and other supplies, before anchoring for the night off a small island, near a long shallow reef. The Sound offered dramatic scenery. It is a very fine natural harbor, protected from swells and wind by high cliffs and a mountain to the south, site of a national park, which we must check out on a future visit. Fine homes and yachts were in abundance, with well over a hundred boats in sight anchored or underway. We passed the famous "Bitter End Yacht Club" and saw pricey Necker Island Resort. A couple of cruise ships were visible, but the Sound is so large that they did not dominate the scene. I kayaked a very shallow and sharp coral reef, threading my way through to the ocean side, while Vickie and Carol snorkeled nearby. Others were exploring in the dingy, windsurfing or just loafing. We hung around afterward, made dinner and retired early. Tough day.

A Little Shack on the Beach

Wednesday, we headed around the north Side of Virgin Gorda, to the west, then south, back down the southern chain, to Cooper Island. After anchoring farther out than most of the other boats, for more privacy and cooler breezes, we all hit the water toys. There was a very stiff breeze when I rounded the end of the island in the Dagger kayak, heading upwind and upswell to watch the waves crashing into the rocks. I didn't head into the heavier seas nearly as far as I would have liked, because I didn't trust the equipment and was uncomfortable with the lack of safety gear and paddling partners. Coming back to the cove, I sighted the famous Club Med five-masted high-tech cruise ship headed through a channel under sail. The gang was cruising the cove and exploring the rock and coral reefs off a small cay, on the offshore side of the island.

The highlight of the evening was our dinner at a very nice restaurant sited in a beach shack, nestled in the trees along the beach. Food was excellent and service fairly good by island standards. We headed in to the beach under pink skies and the gentle sound of the surf hitting the beach. We had drinks at sunset and headed out when the stars were in their full glory. We could also see the lights of Tortola in the distance and the boats rocking at anchor in the cove.

Where's the Beef?

On Thursday, we sailed over to the east side of Tortola, exploring the area around the Camanoe Islands, stopping for a rare restaurant lunch at charming, scenic Marina Cay and even hitting the upscale gift shop, where I bought a great "islands" straw hat for summer kayaking. It turned out to be made in China. The area was a nice spot for diving, kayaking and windsurfing. The rest of the group motored the Kina Hu over to Trellis Bay, Beef Island, near the airport, where we first entered BVI what seemed by then to be about a month ago. I stayed on to kayak the Camanoes and circumnavigated two of them, playing in the rock gardens before heading south to find out where the Kina Hu was anchored in Trellis Bay. It was a novelty to have all of these islands and attractions so nearby, unlike the long distances and rough crossings in California. Steve and Doug went ashore to sample the delights of Beef Island, while the rest of us hung out on the boat.

Our Tiny Caribbean Island

On Friday, we set sail for Jost Van Dyke, slowly reaching the end of our charter. This time we headed for the east end of the island, to Sandy Spit, a tiny islet on the edge of a reef, nestled under Little Jost Van Dyke Island and Green Cay. To the South was Sandy Cay, a wildlife preserve, then Jost Van Dyke was just west. The protected area formed by the confluence of those bodies of land turned out to be one of the most delightful places of the entire trip.

Sandy Spit is the poster child of the BVI. It is an incredibly cute little white sand beach, capped by bushes and low trees, surrounded by white water pounding razor sharp coral reefs on three sides. We anchored right off Green Cay and headed out to play. Doug was giving Mike windsurfing lessons., Steve didn't need lessons and did his own thing. Carol and Vicki snorkeled up a storm, finally stopping to sunbathe on Sandy Cay, where some of us met. I kayaked the reefs and beyond, threading my way through the sharp coral heads while surfing. The tidal ebb, although small, made it increasingly difficult to navigate the very shallow waters on the surf side. Mike and I paddled around Sandy Spit and Green Cay, shooting some rock gardens, he in the Malibu and I in the Dagger Edisto.

As the afternoon waned, we reluctantly made preparations to depart this paradise for the honky-tonk tourist trap of Cane Garden Bay, on the North Side of Tortola, the most populous island in the BVI. Doug chose to windsurf the open water crossing on his own, while the rest of us scrambled to weigh anchor and catch him. Our best efforts succeeded in catching him about 2 ½ miles out. We were already resting at anchor as he crept in, becalmed in the wind shadow of the island, while our big catamaran was able to glean enough energy from the light breeze. Again, Mike anchored way out to get away from the anchored fleet and the loud music from a long row of shoreline clubs and restaurants. I got in some paddling before cleaning up for dinner- nothing memorable , but if felt good to do at least some every day. This was the only time I can remember ever kayaking every day for a week. I was swollen from sun exposure and humidity, not to mention sore from hard paddling/surfing by the end of the trip.

We came ashore aboard the tender before dusk, to walk the beach, see the sights and pick out a diner spot. The main club had a marginal restaurant, so we kept looking until we found a better one, planning on coming back to the clubs at about 930 PM. The restaurant was incredibly slow, but the food was quite good and not outrageously expensive. We made the fatal mistake of returning to the Kina Hu "for a while," which turned out to be for the night.

Epilogue

We weighed anchor at Cane Garden Bay on Saturday Morning and sailed back to Frenchman's Cay and semi-civilization, in very light winds. So light, actually, that we had to fire up the diesels to get back on time. The next two hours were spent in packing up and unloading, breakfasting and confirming arrangements for return travel. We ate at a quaint, low key little green cottage with outlandish prices.

Other Notes

We didn't find the island people to be quite as friendly as in the travel ads, but they were a lot nicer than folks in St. Thomas, or L.A., for that matter. I guess it can be a bit annoying to have scads of northern tourists take over your islands for several months a year, throwing greenbacks around, sailing, playing golf and quaffing rum, all in the name of economic development. Although it is not a rich place, I didn't see anyone who appeared to be starving. I was amazed at how much Puerto Rico has developed since I used to visit there a lot years ago when my family lived there. PR is looking a lot more prosperous these days, even after 9/11, although tourism is down drastically.

We were able to explore most of the major areas of the BVI, except for Anageda, which is well off to the north and surrounded by enormous reefs. That's a trip by itself.

Everyone noted that they were quite relaxed. The charter arrangements were well done by Voyage Charters, Mike and Vicki. The Kina Hu was well designed, maintained and reliable, except for some minor problems that we were able to cope with. I was rather disappointed with the freezer breakdown and their inability to fix it for a week. The boat was reasonably well equipped, but not outstanding.

"Last Chance Sports" did not provide very good kayaking and windsurfing equipment and was quite expensive. I was almost tempted to ship mine down there, but wisely kept my stuff out of American Airlines' clutches.

Food and other things, in general, are quite expensive there.

I highly recommend visiting BVI, especially by boat, which is a totally different experience than the hotel or cruise ship route. When you split the expenses among a group of people, it is fairly affordable. A crewed charter is more expensive than what we did, but not too bad. I prefer running it ourselves.

Click on pictures to see larger image

The good ship Kina Hu	Carol at the Condado Plaza- Can we stay?	Millers: Steve, George, Mike, Marie, Doug	Carol claims tide pool for the USA
Surviving a storm in Sir Francis Drake Passage	Shore party- family and Vickie	George off "Baths," Virgin Gorda	Doug on watch off Peter Island
Peaceful evening in port	Carol, off the Camanoes	George in the rigging	George surfing off Cooper Island (Club Med ship in background- center)
Sea Caves of Norman Island	BVI Rock Garden	Sunset Dinner	Coming in to anchorage
Kina Hu at Sunset	Sunset at the Marina	Vickie coming aboard, via "James Bond Door"	Idyllic paradise-- Sand Spit Cay
Surfin' BVI- off SandSpit cay

    George