Return to Anegada

After topping up with fuel and water at Leverick Bay this morning, we took a quick turn around the North Sound to check out the local 'real estate' and then found ourselves following the race committee boat and others heading north for the Island Regatta races. These are some pretty serious boats with crews of 25 or more but it was pretty cool to be manoevering out among them as we got ourselves on our track to Anegada.

Off to set the race marks.

Thursday night racing at NSC is a little more affordable but this was pretty cool.

Perfect conditions for full sails.

This is our fourth time on Anegada and each time the beauty of this island strikes me. It is mostly the colours: the green of the whispering pines swaying languidly behind the snow-white beaches and the incredible turquoise and green of the waters. The eye feels almost drunk on it all. The island has a starkness to it though and if you lift the veil just a little, you see that you are on a scrubby desert island of searing mid-day heat as you leave the shoreside and unfortunately as soon as you step away from the touristy bits, there is an abundance of litter, old cars rusting away in the salt air, and unfinished or apparently abandoned houses. It is heartening though to see the same businesses thriving year after year such as V&J's gift shop and car rental, The Purple Turtle, Anjuelina's Boutique and the various restaurants that offer lobster dinner on the beach. Not much has changed in the last four years.

Our welcoming committee.

You lookin' at me?

Mowzer in the anchorage.

We have driven, scootered and cycled over this island in the past so today we decided to hike to the dizzying aerie of the highest elevation. Luckily the whole 26' is found next to a wonderful little place called Cow Wreck Beach. This honour bar sits just above one of the beautiful north shore beaches and today, although there were a few swimmers/snorkelers out in the water and a few others on the beach chairs at the bar, the beach was essentially empty. We helped ourselves to a cold beer, marked our tab in the little book at the bar and relaxed on the beach for the afternoon. Once the heat of the day had abated we hiked back the three miles just in time for a view of the sunset across the anchorage.

Is this cow wreck?

Nope, this is Cow Wreck. You've made it!

Hard to believe the beach is so quiet on a perfect afternoon.

It's those colours.