Cruising on a Catamaran in the BVIs

Three of us hardened sailors moved over to a 38-foot catamaran for a second week of sailing, within sight of some 36 islands in the British Virgin Islands. Thirty-six islands but only 59 square miles of land mass, and a population of about 25,000 people. Many residents appear to be from other parts of the world, including the governor. This being a British Dependent Territory, the governor is sent in from the motherland, while the representatives are from the nine separate districts.

There was little time to rest on this boat. I had agreed to be cook for the week, and was also given the opportunity to partake in the catamaran class in order to be able to teach classes on a cat. If I wasn’t in the galley, I was on deck driving, managing lines, catching a mooring ball, anchoring, or docking the boat, and then there was the occasional dive, in which another diver and I shared the responsibility of leading the dives. Overall, this was another great experience, especially because I was being challenged beyond my comfort zone at times. I now have much more confidence in landing one of these things, in forward, yes, and even in reverse (though even after a full day of docking practice, I still want more experience with going backwards). Those dual engines sure make maneuvering easier. Thom interrupted my do a crew-overboard drill by making me jibe rather than my instinctual tacking, and I nailed it on the first try. I should take this as a sign that I am better at the helm than my confidence will admit.

We went to some of the usual areas— Marina Cay to hear Michael Bean, the Bitter End (Virgin Gorda) for the entertaining Jumbies and a trip to The Baths, Trellis Bay (Beef Island), Little Bay (Jost Van Dyke) for docking practice and watching the pelicans dive bomb for food, and lastly a night in the quiet of Little Harbour (Peter Island). We saw the Maltese Falcon, which reportedly had Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie onboard, along with a mini-submarine. The trip got even better when we deposited one of the crew on land. We did come back to port with one less person than we started with. Too much libation and rocky waves aren’t a good combination. Rather than take a risk, a passenger decided to check into a hotel.

As with most vacations, all too soon, some of us had to head back north. The final rush to get things packed up, and find out the ferry schedules weren’t optimal. Here’s hoping one crew member was able to make his connection back home. Little did I know that overhearing the conversation about the ferries would be of benefit to me in a few days, but more on that in the next installment. I was on to packing up for a move into land-based lodging.