Thanksgiving in the Bight
Trip Start
Nov 16, 2007
1
7
9
Trip End
Nov 24, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving! I was the first up and got the coffee started. Very windy -- we had spent the whole night clocking and had covered all 360 degrees. In the morning, we watched some surfers catching the large breakers that wrap around the point into Cane Garden Bay.
Mum, Pas and Keegan took the rubbish ashore. Pas tied off the dinghy with two clove hitches, but the movement of the dock was such that the dinghy came loose and started to float away. Keegan swam 25 meters to rescue the craft. Hurray, Keegan!
We soon began our sail for the day. The seas were very bumpy, esp. after we rounded the west side of Tortola and headed for Norman Island. We had some solid pounding for a while, but it eventually stopped -- or at least calmed to a less headache-inducing rate
Checked out Pelican/Indians for snorkeling but no moorings (at all -- just anchorage; and we thought you couldn't anchor in any of the national parks) and rough seas suggested to us that this was not a good snorkel stop.
So we went on to the Bight on Norman Island and picked up a mooring on the edge, near a cove. Hung out on board for a while, just doing stuff.
Then, all but Mum went ashore. We were surprised by the number of power boats in the Bight -- all near shore and rafted together.
We had heard that there was a trail to the "top of the hill" -- and we found a road that led up, away from the restaurant and the water. The road didn't go very far, but we found another track which did indeed lead up to the ridge, where we could look down on the coves on the other side of Norman Island. Followed this "road" -- though it clearly had no been used for a long time, if ever, and then maybe only by the CeeBees who built it -- along the ridge for a ways, till it was time to head back. Not many flowers, and no wild goats, but we did see some hermit crabs high on the hill and a very neon caterpillar/worm
Returned to the boat; all went for a swim (even Mum). Paul snorkeled the local cove; declared it "okay". Later, Paul, Keegan, Mum and Pas dighied to Treasure Point to snorkel the caves -- said it was great. May go there tomorrow, depending on weather/time.
Mum not feeling well but the rest of us had a grand time on the trampoline, imitating penguins trying to fly, singing songs, and generally being bizarre.
Promises to be another breezy night; we did lots of clocking so far, though not as much as last night. We'll see how the night goes.
Mum, Pas and Keegan took the rubbish ashore. Pas tied off the dinghy with two clove hitches, but the movement of the dock was such that the dinghy came loose and started to float away. Keegan swam 25 meters to rescue the craft. Hurray, Keegan!
We soon began our sail for the day. The seas were very bumpy, esp. after we rounded the west side of Tortola and headed for Norman Island. We had some solid pounding for a while, but it eventually stopped -- or at least calmed to a less headache-inducing rate
Looking down to the Bight
.Checked out Pelican/Indians for snorkeling but no moorings (at all -- just anchorage; and we thought you couldn't anchor in any of the national parks) and rough seas suggested to us that this was not a good snorkel stop.
So we went on to the Bight on Norman Island and picked up a mooring on the edge, near a cove. Hung out on board for a while, just doing stuff.
Then, all but Mum went ashore. We were surprised by the number of power boats in the Bight -- all near shore and rafted together.
We had heard that there was a trail to the "top of the hill" -- and we found a road that led up, away from the restaurant and the water. The road didn't go very far, but we found another track which did indeed lead up to the ridge, where we could look down on the coves on the other side of Norman Island. Followed this "road" -- though it clearly had no been used for a long time, if ever, and then maybe only by the CeeBees who built it -- along the ridge for a ways, till it was time to head back. Not many flowers, and no wild goats, but we did see some hermit crabs high on the hill and a very neon caterpillar/worm
Cove on the windward side
.Returned to the boat; all went for a swim (even Mum). Paul snorkeled the local cove; declared it "okay". Later, Paul, Keegan, Mum and Pas dighied to Treasure Point to snorkel the caves -- said it was great. May go there tomorrow, depending on weather/time.
Mum not feeling well but the rest of us had a grand time on the trampoline, imitating penguins trying to fly, singing songs, and generally being bizarre.
Promises to be another breezy night; we did lots of clocking so far, though not as much as last night. We'll see how the night goes.


