More like the B-V-aaahhhs

We are starting to explore more. Today was a challenge, but worth it! We wanted to go to the Road Town Harbor to get some groceries, and most importantly to get some boat hardware from the chandlery there.

Yesterday, we stayed put at Soper’s Hole at West End in Tortola. It was very blustery, with lots of squalls rolling through. The forecast for today was less wind and less rain, so it seemed like a better day to head east. Boy was that wrong...

But we got to take the pups for a good walk and have some great curry!

There was a big 80' Sunreef catamaran on the dock in front of us with some massive wind turbines. I wonder how much power they can generate...

This morning, we woke to a bit of rain and light winds. We cast off from the mooring ball around 8:30am.

As soon as we got out into the main channel to head east to Road Town, the winds really kicked up, and so did the rain. We were making slow progress, beating into the weather.

I think it took an hour longer than planned to arrive. We picked up a mooring ball, and holy smoke were they close together! Most of the boats had fenders down, and we could see why. Depending on which direction the winds were blowing, boats would be side by side and close enough to touch!

Given the conditions, we decided that I should go to shore while Lynda remained on the boat to keep an eye on things. It was still very windy, and there was a lot of swell in the bay.

I took the dinghy in, stopping briefly to chat with some friends we met in Grenada, then continued on to the dinghy dock. The grocery had most of what I was looking for, so I'll call this part a success.

The chandlery, however, was closed. Sad face. I think we can get by without the equipment for now, it'll just be less convenient.

By the time I had gotten back to the boat, Lynda was feeling rather green from the swell. We had thought about spending the night there, but there's no point in suffering when there is a beautiful anchorage just 50 minutes away!

So we quickly got the dinghy raised up and lashed down, then dropped the lines, heading south east to Great Harbour in Peter's Island.

As soon as we exited the harbor, the winds kicked up to 30 knots. We were motoring, and using the head sail (at the front of the boat) to give us a speed boost. We were doing 6.5-7 knots most of the way, it only took us about 35 minutes to get there!

There were more squalls, lots of gusty winds, and big swell. It was a short but rough passage, and totally worth it.

Here in Great Harbour, the sea state is quite calm. The views are great, and the water is fairly clear. The winds are still gusty, but we can deal with that!

After picking up the mooring ball, we rested for a bit, then let the pups swim off the back of the boat, chasing a frisbee. Our neighbors found the sight interesting enough that they videoed it.

After that, I dove the mooring to make sure it was in good shape. The water here is 70' deep. I got down to 32', deep enough to see the bottom clearly. The mooring line was a bit crusty with reef life growing on it, but otherwise was in good shape. Reef growing on mooring lines is quite common.

We will spend the night here, and maybe tomorrow as well. We want to meet friends around the corner in Little Harbor, they run a charter boat here in the BVIs and know the area well. They think it's too windy to go into Little Harbor today, so we are taking the hint and staying put!

It's been lovely catching up with friends we have made during our adventure, and we will have the opportunity to meet up with more in the coming week! So exciting!