Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands
Last night we had an easy sail from Anguilla across the Anegada Passage. With morning’s light the British Virgin Islands were visible ahead of the ship. We passed between Round Island and Ginger Island then turned down Sir Francis Drake Channel. Conditions were perfect, so crew went aloft to set more sails: even the skysail and royal were set on the mainmast. As Sea Cloud II sailed down the channel between the British Virgin Islands, many sailboats came close by to admire this beautiful ship.
At the western end of Tortola, Captain Nemerzhitskiy turned Sea Cloud II around the end of Tortola near Soper’s Hole, and then wove between St. John and Thatch Island. It was exciting to maneuver in such close quarters with nearly all sails set!
On the Lido Deck, Lennox Honychurch spoke about the geology and origins of the Lesser Antilles. This was followed by cabin tours, with champagne refreshment.
We enjoyed the afternoon at White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. It was calm and warm, just perfect for swimming, walking, snorkeling or taste-testing ‘painkillers’ – a local rum drink - at one of the beachfront bars. Underwater there were enormous schools of small, silvery fishes. As large fish swam near them, the schools magically moved aside – thousands of small fish moving in tight coordination as if they were one organism. Occasionally a large (4 ft. long) tarpon swam past us, with enormous metallic scales reflecting the sunshine. Above water, there were lots of pelicans and brown boobies. We had unusual views of them from underwater, paddling their webbed feet. Most exciting was to see a plunge diving bird suddenly appear just 2 feet away from our masks.
Following recap on the Lido Deck, we enjoyed a delicious, gourmet Wine Gala Dinner prepared by David Setzermann, executive chef. The beef was cooked to ‘melt in your mouth’ perfection, and every course of the elegant meal was accompanied by a carefully selected wine.
Last night we had an easy sail from Anguilla across the Anegada Passage. With morning’s light the British Virgin Islands were visible ahead of the ship. We passed between Round Island and Ginger Island then turned down Sir Francis Drake Channel. Conditions were perfect, so crew went aloft to set more sails: even the skysail and royal were set on the mainmast. As Sea Cloud II sailed down the channel between the British Virgin Islands, many sailboats came close by to admire this beautiful ship.
At the western end of Tortola, Captain Nemerzhitskiy turned Sea Cloud II around the end of Tortola near Soper’s Hole, and then wove between St. John and Thatch Island. It was exciting to maneuver in such close quarters with nearly all sails set!
On the Lido Deck, Lennox Honychurch spoke about the geology and origins of the Lesser Antilles. This was followed by cabin tours, with champagne refreshment.
We enjoyed the afternoon at White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. It was calm and warm, just perfect for swimming, walking, snorkeling or taste-testing ‘painkillers’ – a local rum drink - at one of the beachfront bars. Underwater there were enormous schools of small, silvery fishes. As large fish swam near them, the schools magically moved aside – thousands of small fish moving in tight coordination as if they were one organism. Occasionally a large (4 ft. long) tarpon swam past us, with enormous metallic scales reflecting the sunshine. Above water, there were lots of pelicans and brown boobies. We had unusual views of them from underwater, paddling their webbed feet. Most exciting was to see a plunge diving bird suddenly appear just 2 feet away from our masks.
Following recap on the Lido Deck, we enjoyed a delicious, gourmet Wine Gala Dinner prepared by David Setzermann, executive chef. The beef was cooked to ‘melt in your mouth’ perfection, and every course of the elegant meal was accompanied by a carefully selected wine.
