Anegada

Friday in North Sound was a full day of rain but it did stop enough so that we could see the Jumbie (stilt dancers) in the evening and enjoy a buffet dinner complete with a roasted pig. Hoping to go to Anegada tomorrow (Saturday) as the winds are supposed to be from the east and that is what we want. When we wake up Saturday morning, the line squalls are still coming through but we have to leave by 9:00 a.m. so that our arrival coincides with the high sun so that we will be able to view the reefs and coral heads to enter the anchorage. The BVI's are volcanic with some islands rising to 2,000 ft. Anegada is different, maybe a bit like me, and its highest point is only 28 ft. Hell, I've got trees in the backyard more than twice that size and it's only a little over 4 times my 5ft 8 1/2 ". Let me qualify that 5ft 8 1/2" - I was that height the last time I was measured. We all know at some point you will reach that magic plateau when you start to shrink, but I do know that I am taller than all my boys.

Anegada is the site of more than 300 shipwrecks and charter boats are not allowed to go there. For years the small community of about 100 people lived off the avails of the shipwrecks. I tell Joan we're leaving in 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes is up, I see another line squall coming through the anchorage so I delay, telling her we'll go 10 minutes after it stops. However, 10 minutes after it stops - there seems to be another one behind it so maybe we'll go tomorrow. After it goes through, the sun comes out so I give her another 10 minute warning. Joan knows it's not going to be her kind of sailing day when I pull out inflatable vests, safety harnesses and tethers. While still on the mooring ball, I hoist the main sail with a 2nd reef in place - drop the mooring ball and we are off. Once through the entrance of the harbour, I hoist a very small hanky of a jib. We are only doing 5.5 knots but if we get hit by a line squall, this might be manageable. As I look back at the harbour, it looks like it is about to get hit again but I think it is going to miss us. There are some boats out ahead of us so maybe I can follow them to the island and anchorage. Oh shit, I think that line squall is going to hit us. It does and we are up to 8.5 knots, semi under control. Oh shit, remember that story about the plates. They didn't get turned upside down and jumped the fiddle inside the cupboard, knocking the door open, spilling all the plates onto the floor. Remember how they didn't break last time - NOT this time. There was shattered glass everywhere as only corelle can shatter. With the boat's motion, the cupboard door is smashing around wildly. I have to go down below to close that door. The first step down puts glass into my left foot and then glass into the right foot follows, then I cut my hand trying to take the glass out of my feet - but I did get the door closed. Back up top - look at that, the sun is coming out. Oh shit, the GPS chart plotter has lost its fix. I need this to get into the anchorage but maybe if it doesn't come back, I can follow those boats up ahead. Oh shit, we're getting hit by another line squall and I can't see any of the boats up ahead or any chance of the 28ft high island. Compounding this, my speed is back up to the 8.5 knots and I don't want to be going this fast as I'm too close to the island. A cat boat has overtaken me from behind (the next day he tells me he was doing 11.5 knots), but why is he way over there to my side? If his course is right, I'm too far inside. If my course is right, he's headed to Iceland. My chart plotter comes back to life, but now I don't know whether to trust my instrument or the boat far off to my side. The squall starts to subside and I can faintly see the boats ahead and the island. The picture book showing the entrance to the anchorage unfortunately is down below and with all the motion of the boat, I'm not taking a chance to go down there again. We found the entrance through the reefs successfully and were able to locate a mooring ball for the night's anchorage. The first order of business was to find some shoes down below and start to clean up the glass.

On shore one day I "rented" a bicycle (the vendor wasn't there and we never did find him) so I guess it was free. The few homes on the island were all fenced in and I thought this was strange as surely there wouldn't be any crime. The explanation is that the island is a free range for cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys so you fence your property to keep them out. Anegada is about 11 miles long and the entire island is rimmed with a beach, but with this big of an island there are only 2 entrances to anchorages. During our stay we saw 2 boats go aground and then struggle to get off. Another day ashore we passed a pickup truck sitting just outside a bar and there he was, sitting in the back of the bed. The owner of the pickup truck asked if I wanted to go swimming to see if we could find his brother. I said I would pass on that one just in case his brother was bigger. In the back of the pickup truck was a very large shark, cut into 3 pieces so he would fit. My guess is he was about 2ft wide and probably 12 to 14ft long and probably weighed in the neighbourhood of 750 lbs.

When Nathan & Kelly visit, they want a remote place with few other people and Anegada seems to fit the bill perfectly. Because of all the reefs around Anegada, the local fishermen supply most of the BVI's. Lobster being the main attraction - and they were HUGE.