Tag: beaches

November 18, 2014

Nevis to Guadeloupe: Spinner Dolphins and Rainbows

It was such a short hop over to Nevis once we left St. Kitts. The hillsides and black sand beaches were breathtaking at Pinney’s Beach.

We took the dinghy around the point for a little snorkeling near the rocky points. The water wasn’t very clear that day so we headed back toward where we were anchored and snorkeled off the beach near some scattered coral heads. Peter got a little too close and accidentally poked himself on an urchin. NO FUN!

Our diving adventures were cut short, but we still enjoyed the scenery.

Unfortunately we left our credit card at Salt Plage back on St. Kitts so we had to turn back and get it the next day. The management was incredibly helpful and even bought us a drink for our inconveniences. It’s not so easy to just cancel a credit card and have a new one mailed out when we live on a boat with no mailing address. Oh well. It was an easy sail and it only set us back one day.

As we set out for Guadeloupe, a small pod of spinner dolphins came out to play as we passed by Nevis around dinnertime….

We left St. Kitts at 5:45pm on July 7th. Our night passage started off terribly uncomfortable when we made the mistake of not getting far enough off shore. The shoals south of Nevis stirred up the sea in a violent way and had us considering turning around to wait for settled weather. Our friends Dustin and Courtney were planning to leave Nevis not long after us and we later heard they took a wave on the flybridge of Captiva, a 75′ Catamaran, on that very same passage! We persevered, wearily arriving at Deshaies, Guadeloupe at 10:15 am just in time to see a beautiful rainbow above our sistership, Lunacy.

We were finally a good distance down the island chain!

We’re currently in Grenada wrapping up Hurricane Season and preparing to sail back north to the Virgin Islands… stay tuned for more adventures!

October 24, 2014

Best Sailing Destination in the Caribbean

The holidays are coming… Snowbirds fly south and families start booking vacations. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Would it be to one of these Exotic Sailing Destinations or maybe somewhere a bit closer to home?

Because we live on a boat, the question for us then becomes “What is our #1 favorite sailing destination?” There are literally THOUSANDS of islands in the Caribbean. While we have only visited a few of them so far, one group of islands sticks out in our minds as being somewhere we would go back to over and over again. Any ideas?

You guessed it… The British Virgin Islands!

Here are our top 10 reasons why the BVIs are our all-around favorite sailing destination:

1. Diving – The environment here meets all the requirements of what we like to call the 80-80-80 Rule, which makes for some incredible snorkeling and scuba diving.

2. Beaches – All of the islands have their own unique and picturesque beaches. White sand, crystal clear water and palm trees frame the shorelines turning every anchorage into the picture perfect backdrop for taking magazine quality photos.

3. Sailing Conditions – The islands are scattered perfectly in such a way where the prevailing East winds will allow a beam reach on a short day-sail to a different island every day. This is a great place to learn how to sail or just brush up on your skills. A sailing playground if you will; many will consider this the Charter capital of the world. Choose from an easy mooring ball, or a quiet anchorage away from the commotion.

4. Fishing – The North Drop and the South Drop are the two best fishing locations where you’ll find billfish, tuna, shark, wahoo, mahi mahi and most other pelagic game fish. Inshore, you can catch bonefish, tarpon, jacks and snapper.

5. Surfing – World class point breaks can be found in Cane Garden Bay and Apple Bay, but are usually only breaking in Winter months during a rare North swell.

6. Transportation and Accommodations – The BVI Tourism Authority has made this destination easy and affordable to enjoy. There are tons of cabanas, houses, resorts and even private islands for rent. Ferries operate daily to carry visitors and locals between the major islands. Even airlines offer specials flying to and from the Virgin Islands. It’s a quick hop back over to US territory if any emergencies arise.

7. Tourist Attractions – There are a dozen world renown attractions in these islands. Take a trip to The Baths on Virgin Gorda, The Bubbly Pool on Jost Van Dyke, RMS Rhone Shipwreck near Salt Island or The Caves at Norman Island.

8. Beach Bars – Experience one of the infamous Full Moon Parties at Bomba’s Shack at Apple Bay, sip on some Foxy’s Firewater Rum, kick back with Ivan, or swim up to The Soggy Dollar Bar to try out the original Painkiller.

9. Sunsets – The most spectacular colors will fill the sky at sunset each evening.

10. It’s the Caribbean, mon! – When we arrived in the BVIs, it was the first time we felt the laid-back tropical vibe we had been waiting for. We set our clocks for Island Time and the rest is history!

What’s your favorite travel destination?

October 16, 2014

Cruising BVI: North Sound Virgin Gorda

Back in June we spent a little over a week taking in the beauty of North Sound, Virgin Gorda. This would be the last island we visit before continuing our journey south to spend Hurricane Season. As we entered through the channel markers, we caught a glimpse of Sir Richard Branson’s private island. Incredible.

Our first stop was near Saba Rock which kindly provided an open wifi signal that we were able to pick up with our booster, anchored off of Prickly Pear Island. Mooring balls were available for a fee but there was also plenty of room to anchor. We tried this spot first since we heard this is where most of the cruisers stay. Though there were only a few boats around that late in the season, we met up with Wild Card for the first time and we also met another couple on a Whitby, English Rose. Both of these cruising couples quickly became good friends that we still stay in contact with to this day.

Up at the restaurant on Saba Rock the saltwater aquarium was fun to see. Inside was a Moray Eel, Spiny Lobster and a small cannon like the ones we saw diving on the reef nearby.

The Bitter End Yacht Club lay just a stone’s throw away. All kinds of water sport rentals are available such as Hobie Cats, kite surfing and diving.

During our visit at the restaurant, a little friend came to say hello.

After lunch we took a stroll down the palm-lined paths that wind past the resort. Island-style cabanas and hammocks were scattered along the shore.

Tucked back in the corner across the bay is the Biras Creek Resort. The anchorage in front provided ample protection from the wind and an escape from all of the charter boats coming and going from Bitter End. The resort has a gorgeous dinghy dock that we used to bring Gunner and Betsy ashore. Several trails extended from the resort up over the hillside. We passed by some curious horses and continued across the island to discover a secret restaurant and private beach, all managed by the Resort.

Just before leaving the anchorage in front of Biras Creek Resort, we met David, Toutou, Maya and Tyler aboard Four Coconuts. We became fast friends with these fellow coconut cruisers and began making plans to buddy-boat down the islands.

One more stop to check out of the BVI’s and we would be on our way!

Stay tuned for our last adventure in the BVI’s before heading south. We are currently in Grenada finishing up boat projects :)

September 3, 2014

Can’t get enough of Jost Van Dyke

After departing the gorgeous Guana Island, our hearts drew us back to White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. With just a few days left of Mom and Bean’s vacation, we all agreed it would be best spent on Jost.

We picked up the last available mooring ball in front of Ivan’s and just us girls swam to shore. To access the beach on the other side of the bay we headed toward the rocks and followed the trail over the hill.

Undoubtedly a trail traveled by many, these steps must hold countless memories. We climbed up the beachy colored steps and discovered a beautiful view of the bay down below. Our little home looked happy way down there, as happy as we were to be in this paradise.

At the bottom of the stairs on the other side, Mom tells us this is where we leave our flip-flops. “We wont need them anymore,” she says. Everyone leaves their shoes here and retrieves them on the way home at the end of the day.

We mosey-ed our way past all the new little beach bars and snack shacks lining the water’s edge. Well suited for the charter industry, this is the place to be to kick back and enjoy the islands.

A trip to JVD would be incomplete without visiting the famous Soggy Dollar Bar where the patrons swim in and hang their soggy dollars up to dry behind the bar when it’s time to pay.

Even Bean tried a Painkiller while floating around in the cool blue water!

After visiting the gift shop and enjoying the afternoon, we headed back over the hill. What a fun day!

Stay tuned to see our next adventure in the BVI’s!! We’re currently relaxing in Grenada for the rest of Hurricane Season taking care of boat projects and enjoying Island Time :) Leave us a comment, we’d love to hear from you!!

August 20, 2014

A quiet anchorage and a slice of heaven

May 27th we sailed over to a little anchorage between Little Jost Van Dyke and Sandy Spit. It’s a popular spot for charter boats but not many stay over night. We had the place all to ourselves in the morning and evening hours…

We snorkeled near the reefs in the crystal clear water spending the day in paradise. It was only a short walk around the whole island. The cool Caribbean Breeze felt so refreshing after our swim.

Yes, this place is real. Our little slice of heaven. Would you like to go?

Peter decided we should go on a romantic walk down the beach. And what did we find?

A coconut of course! Another sign we are exactly where we are supposed to be :)

Fragments of coral were scattered all over this tiny little island. Picture perfect and very secluded. It’s a magical feeling when you have an island all to yourself!

I think the best part of Bean’s trip was getting to cuddle with Gunner again :)

Next stop? Cane Garden Bay, Tortola!

Stay tuned for more pictures during our stay in BVI!

We are currently working on boat projects and blog posts in Grenada for the remainder of Hurricane Season. If you’re in the Secret Harbor neighborhood, come say HI :)