White Bay, Jost Van Dyke
What a typically idyllic Caribbean beach day! White sands, crystal clear blue water with hundreds of fish, snorkeling, sipping rum punches in a shack on the beach…. Life does not get better than this.
Under sail in the morning we made our way through the Drake Passage, named for that English Pirate/hero whom Queen Elizabeth I of England knighted after he managed to nab a Spanish galleon fondly nicknamed the “cacafuego” for its ability to spit cannonballs, worth a fortune in gold. As we made our way from East to West, we passed Virgin Gorda, an island to which we will return tomorrow, tiny Dog Islands, on our starboard side, Tortola, then St. John on our port side, and on straight into White Bay on the south side of Jost Van Dyke.
As we reached the lee of the island, the seas calmed and it was a fairly easy Zodiac ride to the shore. White Bay is a lovely crescent shaped white sand beach, with several small outer reefs. A few interesting houses and cottages cling to the hill behind the beach. A number of elegant yachts were anchored not very far from shore.
Here the group divided into two. Those who wanted to snorkel made their way to the east end of the beach where the rocks form the terminus of a lovely shallow reef. Those who wanted to enjoy the Caribbean atmosphere with rum punches, reggae and dread locks took the westernmost landing, although by the end of the day both groups united in Gertrudes Bar.
The snorkeling was spectacular. The reef here has more than 100 different types of fish and is very colorful, so a number of people spent the whole afternoon under water. A small group took a power hike over the main hill and back down to the beach, stopping for a rest at another roadside watering hole.
As the sun went down, everyone was laughing and singing in Gertrudes on the western end, and some very generous souls offered to stay behind to keep the place warm until the Sea Cloud II returned on her next voyage. However, we did manage to extract everyone safely from Gertrudes and get them back on board in time for evening cocktails and recap.
What a typically idyllic Caribbean beach day! White sands, crystal clear blue water with hundreds of fish, snorkeling, sipping rum punches in a shack on the beach…. Life does not get better than this.
Under sail in the morning we made our way through the Drake Passage, named for that English Pirate/hero whom Queen Elizabeth I of England knighted after he managed to nab a Spanish galleon fondly nicknamed the “cacafuego” for its ability to spit cannonballs, worth a fortune in gold. As we made our way from East to West, we passed Virgin Gorda, an island to which we will return tomorrow, tiny Dog Islands, on our starboard side, Tortola, then St. John on our port side, and on straight into White Bay on the south side of Jost Van Dyke.
As we reached the lee of the island, the seas calmed and it was a fairly easy Zodiac ride to the shore. White Bay is a lovely crescent shaped white sand beach, with several small outer reefs. A few interesting houses and cottages cling to the hill behind the beach. A number of elegant yachts were anchored not very far from shore.
Here the group divided into two. Those who wanted to snorkel made their way to the east end of the beach where the rocks form the terminus of a lovely shallow reef. Those who wanted to enjoy the Caribbean atmosphere with rum punches, reggae and dread locks took the westernmost landing, although by the end of the day both groups united in Gertrudes Bar.
The snorkeling was spectacular. The reef here has more than 100 different types of fish and is very colorful, so a number of people spent the whole afternoon under water. A small group took a power hike over the main hill and back down to the beach, stopping for a rest at another roadside watering hole.
As the sun went down, everyone was laughing and singing in Gertrudes on the western end, and some very generous souls offered to stay behind to keep the place warm until the Sea Cloud II returned on her next voyage. However, we did manage to extract everyone safely from Gertrudes and get them back on board in time for evening cocktails and recap.
