Capt's Roy's Memories at the End of the Trip

From Capt. Roy: "Henry S" to "Snow Bird:" How a poor prelude can lead to a good beginning. My initial disappointment at seeing the condition of the boat that we chartered, being "Henry S," a 44 foot Hunter that looked good in the photographs but not when seen at the dock, was replaced by happy expectations for a good BVI vacation upon boarding "Snow Bird,"  a 43 foot spacious catamaran. Jumbies. The Friday night party at Leverick Bay was a rollicking good time with good food, drinks, music, beautiful night, and the Jumbie dancers. The Jumbies are a traditional dance troop dressed in bright costumes, but what makes them special is the stilts that they wear under the costumes. As they dance, they tower above everyone. What makes it fun is how they drag onlookers out to dance with them. Yes, each of us joined in the dance and had a fun time. How to wedge a catamaran between mega yachts. Seeing a mega yacht up close is memorable. Seeing three altogether on the Leverick Bay dock was special. Having to maneuver our catamaran between the mega yachts so we could wedge our little boat alongside the dock was nerve racking. Lighting the barbecue. Being an Eagle Scout, I have learned that it is hard to light a fire in the wind as the match blows out. That is the usual problem with starting the fire in the barbecue on the stern of a boat. Be prepared: before you leave the dock, check that your boat has a long lighter and not just matches. Nurse shark. There we were, Sallie, Taya, Karen, and me all snorkeling in clear turquoise waters at Anagada peering down at a sleeping nurse shark. Yup, that is memorable. Hawkbill turtle. Another snorkeling memory is of a large Hawkbill turtle that we saw swimming near the shore in the "Bight" at Norman Island. It was a beautiful creature just gliding through the water. Eagle Ray. Yet another beautiful snorkeling sight was a large Eagle Ray that stopped chomping on the bottom long enough to look up at us with its large black eyes. Rainbow. It was our last day out on the water. The BVI had saved a little excitement until the end in the form of a squall. A black wall of rain, clouds, and wind roared down the Sir Francis Drake Channel as we were crossing under sail to Tortola. We dropped the sails as the wind gauge showed gusts of 30 plus kts. We motored on as the seas built into heavy white caps with the wind reaching 48 kts. Soon it was over, and we were rewarded with a spectacularly brilliant rainbow. Coffee on deck. Each day started with the ritual of brewing a pot of coffee. The first up had coffee duty. A hot cup of coffee sipped on deck while looking out at the BVI is a great way to start the day.  The best memories are of sharing the BVI adventure with Karen, Sallie, and Taya.