Virgin Gorda and Necker Island

April 9th

Up and things just well, sort of happened you know you wake up and the world all ....well slots into place like a jigsaw complete with the missing square today.

If you don't know what I'm taking about don't worry but  today Cherry just slipped along like a sail boat on the breeze.

April 10th

Arrived in Road Town to see Cay Electronics and give them all our gold. Man up mast and found cables not in conduit and rubbing on main halliard. Windspeed works though mast really needs to come down. Re-wiring batteries. Renewing wiring before batteries. All day spent changing batteries round. In evening Dom and I did the washing and went to Pusser's pub to see the action. There was none so came home.

April 11th 

Playing with the batteries again all morning - decided that the batteries we bought in Martinique are suspect so  dispatched Malcolm to buy the new ones. Once fitted they seemed to charge first time once the electronics man arrived - got him to renew some of our wiring and we finished the job for him.

Out to dinner in the moorings Restaurant - home to bed exhausted and early.

April 12th

Put to sea after supermarket visit and internet. Sailed to Virgin Gorda tacking . Unfortunately tore the main doing so changed to spare. No sailmakers here and it's Easter time anyway. Checked out with customs and leaving via North sound. Wind still sort of Eastish. Windows leak. 

Curried chicken and then to bed. Batteries? Better but alternator doesn't appear to put in different charge to either bank which is odd. 

April 13th

Up brighty and breezy and headed of to the Baths, interesting large rocks with good snorkelling but full of tourists - did not stay long - returned to the boat for lunch then put to sea beating up to North sound. Ashore to the bitter end for snacks and beer then digheyed over to the beach bar to watch a beautiful sunset. Back to the boat for supper, retiring to bed early. 

April 14th

Still preparing the ol' gal for sea - i.e. generator away and large fry up - so much for the myth of hours of passage planning. Decided to sail towards St. Christopher and Nevis as this would afford a look at two new islands and take us close by two others Saba and St. Eustasia. 

Picked up anchor around 10 and headed out of our happy home in the British Virgin islands - must say i continued to warm to them regardless of the clutter of the charterer who no doubt enjoyed it as much as Malcolm and myself.

On leaving North Sound we sailed past the massive motor yacht leader (Norman Gosling) and Necker island - beardy Branson's home - an impressive island smaller than Cumbrae and surrounded by a reef yet who wants to go there - unlike Millport, there's not a single fish 'n chip shop there! Ah well, the rich can't have it all! 

Breeze very fickle as befits our current predicament - keen to get the miles in and head south. What wind there was was to be found lightly in the south - sun shines all day, good chats on deck - two comrades in the sun, life is good. Engine on too much but at least the wind was light and swell down. 

Night sail - nice not special other than enabled me to complete my  reading of the Tilman book adventurer much revered by the other ancient mariner. Enjoyable read although methinks he was a little nuts. Land sighted around dawn - Saba it's mountain peak jutting out in the Caribbean sky as the the shafts of light eminated from the east (?). As we approached the island took on a dramatic look of steep cliff edges and a rounded peak with a small settlement hanging onto the mountains' edge.

Pushing on at the moment under engine towards Stacia,  and KItts and Nevis. Settling in bed enjoying the fullness of my huge Easter Sunday fry up! 

April 15th

Continued motoring all day. Passed Saba and on to Statia which is a huge oil terminal. Almost ended by large tanker. Nice sail down the coast of St. Eustacia before arriving at the Island of St Kitts.

Malcolm and I decided to go on a fast to see who had the most will power after missing out on lunch and only 4 hours later - Malcolm capitulated and got stuck into two bourbon creams !! I being made of sterner stuff pulled off an amazing feat passing up on the Pringles. Malcolm had a beer pre-arrival in Basse-Terre. Me, I was brought to my knees on the sight of what was loosely termed a marina, but soon recovered on finding Colonel Saunders finest eatery, why Kentucky Fried Chook of course. At least I out passed the old boy by hours. Our arrival in the marina was at dusk (incidentally the marina was described in its advertisement in the Pilot Book as a 'Must Stop' - first rate marina was a kin to a dodgy broken up breakwater with some dubious looking telegraph poles stuck in the sand. Good enough for us then. 

After some acrobatics by me I lassoed our slip lines around the two aft poles which were ridiculously high - about 15 feet then we secured the boat.

I tottered off to get my KFC prize only to be told by a local taxi cat that customs would be still open. Thus dinner was delayed and the two of us jumped into the rickety taxi bus and off to do our diplomatic duties. Customs dude late but eventually checked in - getting midgy bites for our trouble. 

Must go back again to check out. Returned back by cab and to our luxury dinner expertly prepared by the Colonel. Wander round town - watched the five second fire work show and to the worst for wear.