Monday, March 18, 2013

A Boat Day

Yesterday brought a real mix of weather with winds as high as 25 knots, a couple of rain squalls, sunshine and cloud.

We started the day at Haulovers where I baked raisin tea biscuits for breakfast. The little gas oven on Mowzer took a little while to get hot but once there, did an excellent job.

This boat arrived just as we left Haulover Bay
One of the other boats in the anchorage managed to wrap not one but two anchor chains around rocks on the bottom and needed the assistance of a diver off another boat to help them get free. Once all that excitement passed, we also headed out and made our way around to South Bay on Ginger Island. It took a little bit to get the anchor to settle but once there we were the only ones in the anchorage for lunch. The toll however was winds and swell running at opposite angles to each other. Wind wins so we ended up sitting abeam to the swells which was not overly pleasant.

The stunning south shore of Ginger Island
We had arrived at Ginger in a squall so it was fitting that another arrived as we were hauling up the anchor. Rounding the westerly point and entering the Drake Channel it was just like someone turned back on the pleasure sail; the high seas and rain instantly disappeared and we headed up to Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda. We were happy that we had reefed the mainsail as the winds climbed up over 20 knots and with genny reefed as well, Mowzer happily skipped along at 7-8 knots! We were enjoying it so much and making such good way we carried on up to Long Bay where we tucked into the anchorage just off a lovely isolated white sand beach fringed by reef and turquoise waters. Just five other cruisers in the anchorage - no mooring balls and a beautiful westerly view over the island of Tortola - I anticipate another good sunset tonight.

Squalls heading over to Tortola
Long Bay anchorage
A couple of other boat jobs awaited as we lazed around for the afternoon. The trampoline benefitted from a little rework to fill in a few holes and I managed to splice an eye in the dinghy painter. My first splice!



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