Around the BVI in 7 days – Part 1

Folks,

My sailing buddy from way back in 2001 came to visit again this past week with his wife Ruth.  We’ve sailed with them several times and one of the trademarks is Trevor’s evening martini.  So we start preparing for their arrival the night before icing down the martini glasses.  After a couple at the dock we headed out in the morning for St John’s.  Ruth is pretty picky about her beaches and wasn’t hard to please.  So we did several days including Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Watermelon Bay, and Francis Bay.  Then we headed out the short 4 mile trip to Sopers hole to clear in.  Since we’d done this before and now had the forms it was pretty easy.  Customs and Immigration people can be very nice and happy or they can be “little man” complexed monsters that would have been fired a long time ago for being extremely rude if they worked anywhere else.  So there’s always a little anxiety as you approach.  We were luck this time.  The guy was more than decent and easy going.  So we got our fee paid and were back in the dinghy and on our way out the channel to Cooper Island for a delightful lunch and some basking in the Sun.

From here we sailed up Sr Francis Drake Channel to Spanish Town where we planned to take a mooring ball and depart early in the morning for The Bath’s.  A famous snorkeling stop that has a lot to offer in the way of beaches, caves, and snorkeling.  This time it also had something more to offer…

No mooring balls were left so we took a slip in the marina and had a good time wandering around Spanish Town for their local Carnival.  This time of year each island has a carnival and they’re all on different weeks.  We just lucked out and got there for the end of carnival.  Loud music, parades, and special tents were set up all over the place.  After TM’s (Trevor’s Martini’s) we sacked out and were up early to get down to the Bath’s before all the cruise ship’s traffic.  Trevor had this idea to stop at Devil’s point where there were mooring balls and a place to tie up the dinghy only about 50 yards from the beach.  So I landed the dink on the beach, emptied all the people and beach stuff then tied up Tookie II and swam back ashore.  This was a great way to see the Bath’s.  We just walked up the beach a short ways to enter the semi-submerged caves that led right up the the Bath’s.  As we got close I noticed a short cut swim so Robin and I went that way.  About half way I noticed something on my belly that tingled.  Then suddenly everything BURNED BAD!  JELLY FISH ALL WRAPPED AROUND ME!  I turned to warn Robin and luckily she hadn’t gotten any.  As I swam back the pain got worse and worse.  As I trudged up the beach pulling the slippery jelly tentacles I was really starting to weaken.  I’ll spare you all the further details but I got most of them off and back to the dinghy with a lot of help from Trevor and back to our boat on the mooring ball.  After I trying several treatments that did almost nothing Trevor got his electronic medical information device to produce a superb solution.  Almost scalding hot water.  Not exactly the thing you really want to do on something that burns real bad but it worked like a charm.  Then another secret to get all the tentacles off was to soap up with shaving cream and shave with a credit card!  Another great idea that finally got all the buggers off me.  Soon I was relaxing and recuperating.  Trevor went back to enjoy the beach a little at least with Ruth but even that was interrupted with  and elderly lady that had gotten stung and was having problems breathing.  Soon he was in action again helping her out and still not having much fun I’m sure.  Eventually they did get a little beach time but unfortunately this just wasn’t the best day of the trip for Trevor and Ruth.  But I sure was glad he was there.  If he hadn’t found the treatment I was ready to call rescue.  It really hurt that bad.  Thanks Trevor!