With everyone safely tucked aboard and drinks in hand, Captain Jeff let go the lines and headed out to sea toward Norman Island, our first destination. It was a short sail, not more than two hours total to Norman Island.
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Wind in our sails |
In the first few minutes of our trip we realized that we were blessed to have Daisy on board. Being animal lovers it was a little reminder of Padi and the comfort he provides for us at home, but Daisy added an extra measure of delight with her antics while we were sailing. Whenever anything happen with the sails she was there to pitch in and add her "two-cents worth" to what was going on. If a line moved she would chase it and bark at the top of her voice. Enjoy these few pictures of Daisy taken as we sailed ... |
Daisy assisting with the raising of the sails |
Daisy walking the top deck |
Daisy checking out what's going on in the main cabin |
Daisy staking out prime space for a nap |
Daisy coercing a tummy scratch from me |
The Indians |
It was a beautiful day for sailing. The Sun was shinning and the temperature hovered in the mid-eighties. Perfection! We had some worries concerning the weather on hearing that the three weeks preceding our trip were cloudy and rainy much of the time. Let's face it, we didn't come these thousand miles and pay this money to have a dreary, rainy vacation. We were reminded of exactly that possibility one afternoon in Road Town, the afternoon we picked to do our obligatory souvenir shopping ... the Heavens opened up and it poured cats and dogs. We managed to salvage the afternoon by taking refuge in the local Pusser's for a few drinks until the rain subsided. |
The Caves |
Having crossed the Sir Francis Drake channel, our first stop was the "Caves" on Norman Island. Anchoring the Grand Oasis just off the rocky coast we enjoyed some snorkeling before heading off to find our first night's berth. | Boats anchored at The Caves on Norman Island |
Ken and Mike |
For this, our first night aboard the Grand Oasis, Capt. Jeff had something special in mind ... solitude. Rather than anchoring in the harbor at the yacht club he chose a secluded area on the backside of Norman Island for the night. There was just us, the water, the island cliffs and a beautiful starlit sky. No other boats or people around to disturb us, and no light pollution to hide the stars. We took advantage of the quiet and snorkeled in about 40' of water of beautiful, clear water. It was a beautiful spot and there were lots of tropical fish to gaze out upon and enjoy. Speaking of fishing ... | Ken doing some fishing with Mike advising |
It was here on Norman Island that Ken and I did our first fishing. Just a line, hook and some bait. A quiet way to while away the early evening before dinner. It was also here that the first fish was caught, a Redeye Squirrel fish. I had the honor of catching that first fish and quickly throwing him back. Ken and I decided then that we should have a fishing tournament between us all to see who could catch the largest and most fish during our week long trip. Thus it began. Stay tuned to see how the tournament turned out and who won. |
Our first sunset by Norman Island was not by any means a spectacular sunset. It was, however, nice and relaxing to sit back with a cold drink in hand and some snacks to munch on while we watched the Sun slip below the horizon. There's something about sunsets in the islands. Even if they aren't spectacular they are still beautiful and worth spending a few minutes watching. |
Yes, we're eating again. This time our first dinner aboard the Grand Oasis. I have to give it to Mary, the cook, because she did a fantastic job feeding the eight of us and three crew members from what could only be called a matchbox kitchen. 3 squares a day and Mary came through right on schedule with something wonderful ... salads, lobster, leg of lamb, steaks and a special surprise for all of us at the end of the trip. | Art, Anne, Darla, Ken, Mike, Janet, Cheryl, Jim and Capt. Jeff |
Jim and his shark |
In case you haven't yet guessed, Jim was our trickster and practical joker for the week. From what we were told, Jim had one of these little shark toys that Ken and Darla accidentally broke. So Ken and Darla purchased one and gave it to him as a gift during our first meal. That was all he needed to get going. From then on he and his little shark toy were biting everything in site, big toes included. It's nice to have a crazy person along on a trip like this to break up everyone and provide a sparkle. I only wish we had brought his straight jacket for when he got to rowdy. But, that's Jim and we love him for it | A man-eater for sure! |
Following dinner we all proceeded outside to sit and just watch in amazement the beautiful night sky. With no light pollution to block the visibility of the stars it was a wonderful to sit back and enjoy its beauty. Without exception we always managed to see at least one shooting star and often times more than one. If only we could capture it and bring it back to New Jersey with us. All to soon our first day of sailing BVI had come to a close and it was time for bed. Tomorrow, we thought, would bring new and even better adventures. Stay tuned for more ... |
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