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Published: September 24th 2009
The Bitter End
The Bitter End Yacht Club- fun!We spent the next week touring the different anchorages in Virgin Gorda, which is one of the largest islands of the BVI chain. The first anchorage we stopped at was Leverick Bay, one of the newest Marina complexes built in the area. It has a great pool complete with a pool bar and restaurant, a very reputable dive company which we planned on utilizing, and of course a Pusser’s store (which are so prevalent in the BVIs that it is almost ridiculous). So we took a mooring ball and decided to stay for a couple of days. Unfortunately it was really windy while we were there and the dive conditions were poor. The visibility was worse than it had ever been, thanks to the heavy rains washing out the Orinoco River Basin in Venezuela. You could see the transformation from satellite imagery as the crystal clear blue water that the Virgin Islands are famous for turned green and silty… gross!!! So we had no choice but to cancel our dives- bummer! But we decided to look at the bright side of things, at least the sun was still shinning and it was still a beautiful day in the Caribbean (above the
Leverick Bay
The pool at Leverick Bay Marina- nice! water). We are nothing if not flexible. So we had a change of plans and spent our time at Leverick Bay just lounging by the pool instead; drinking pina coladas and enjoying fresh fish tacos from the restaurant- nice!
Seeing that it would take a few days for the visibility to clear up, we decided to move on to the next anchorage in Virgin Gorda, the Bitter End. The Bitter End is aptly named because it is the last stop on the last island of the Sir Francis Drake Channel. It is the jumping off point for either Anegada or St. Martin and thus, the bitter end of the British Virgin Islands. We have great memories of the Bitter End Yacht Club from our previous visit, 11 years ago now, and were excited to return. It is such a fun place with lots to do; great restaurants and bars with live music, pleasant hikes to beautiful beaches and scenic vistas, and of course bucket regattas where you can test your sailing skills against other cruisers- cool! We spent several days anchored here and had a blast. One day we even decided to rent a jeep to go off and
Jen Lounging Pool Side
Making the best of it. Bummed we aren't diving, but the pina coladas and fish tacos here are great! explore Virgin Gorda. And it was a good thing we had 4 wheel drive because we needed it! The roads were rough and bumpy, but that didn’t stop us. We went all around the island in that jeep; through cow pastures, off-roading in the jungle, and atop the ridge that cuts across the island. We found secluded beaches for swimming, a great restaurant for lunch, and the ruins of an old plantation house- cool! But the best part of driving around the island was all the breathtaking views along the way. It was amazing- the way the islands sit amongst the blue Caribbean waters with sailboats intertwined. The epitome of the British Virgin Islands.
After enjoying a few days at the Bitter End, we decided to sail over to Saba Rock. However we didn’t take the big boat. Instead we just hopped in the dinghy. Saba Rock is a small island, more like a rock, in the North Sound of Virgin Gorda just off the Bitter End Yacht Club. It is only an acre of land, but don’t think that it doesn’t have much to offer because of its size. Quite the contrary! It has now been developed and
Great Lunch Spot
We stopped here for lunch on our driving tour of Virgin Gorda- wowza! has a restaurant, a Pusser’s store (of course), and Pirate Museum. We have never been to Saba Rock before and were excited to go. So we puttered over for lunch and exploration. Not only was the food great, but the museum was awesome! Apparently Bert Kilbride, who is a marine archaeologist and famous wreck diver, owns Saba Rock and put many of his treasures in the museum. He was one of the first to preserve the artifacts from the Wreck of the Rhone including cannons, china plates, and champagne bottles. It is all displayed in the museum as well as gold, silver, and other treasures from the 138 shipwrecks he chartered during his life. It really is a fabulous collection and we had a great time perusing all the pieces of eight. Nothing like pirate treasure- Yar!
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J-M
non-member comment
IWTG !!!!!
HIIIIIIIIIIIIII !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i whant to go !!!!! Jay ?>)@@#$%%^^ Where are the pic of the lady's ?????? help a brother out for god sake (may be , could not spelle this one) !!!! Grosse bises, J-M