BVI 2020 Day 05 Anegada

06:50 the diesel electric coffee machine started.

We had a quick breakfast of bagels, cream cheese, and yogurt.

We dropped the ball at 07:55, headed for Anegada.

We motored out of North Sound, and hoisted the main with a double reef from yesterday:

Yellow is where we hoisted the main

Winds were again up to 20 knots constant from the NE with gusts much higher.
Unusual to see winds from the NE; the point of sail was a close reach.

We let out about half of the jib and were buffeting towards Anegada @ 7 knots fairly comfortably.
There were a couple of catamans who left at the same time as us and hoisted full main sails.
After about ten minutes, they were turning around and putting a reef or two in.

We did a good job managing the sails on Firebolt.
With our double reef, we blew by a private 50ft cat that was struggling with a full main in the puffs.

There were several storm cells that came through in front of us, and at one point we saw 34 knots of breeze.  Steady a she goes!  We did get pelted by rain a couple of times.

The wind was up and the waves were between 6-8 ft.
The motion of the catamaran is terrible in these conditions.
One hull would be up on the crest of a wave, and the other in the trough, then switcharoo.
Noboby was sick, but I did feel a little queasy; butterflies in the stomach.

Trip Odometer: 14.80 miles
Moving Avg: 6.7 knots
Max Speed: 12.0 knots
Moving Time: 02:12:00

Hans and I had two fishing lines out the whole way.
I got one hit: saw the rod bend violently, then nothing.
The knot had let go on the leader.
Think I might have not had the drag on the reel set properly.

Anegada is surrounded by several reefs.
You have to follow the channel markers going in or risk running aground.
We dropped the sails well out before the channel (yellow below)

Anything to the right of our track is 2-3ft deep.
We were warned about this in the Conch Charter briefing.

We arrive in Anegada at 10:28... that was QUICK

We took a ball close to the harbour in 7ft of water.

Another rainbow FFS, Kim

Conch also warned us about going into the harbour as the sand has been shifting a LOT.
We watched a Moorings monohull motor in front of us and run aground.
They just dropped their anchor and backed up as if nothing happened!

We saw another 45ft Moorings monohull drop a ball beside us, and motor around the boats behind us.  There was a big commotion.  They had ran over a mooring ball and snagged its line on the keel/rudder/prop.

Walter and I went to investigate:

A Moorings service dingy (60hp on the back) had come and pulled a line to another ball, and had drivers in the water.

Turns out the line from the ball was jammed between the hull and the rudder and had wrapped around the rudder shaft.  They cut the mooring ball line to free the boat that was now attached to the other ball.  Shortly after they continued on their way.

Sometimes you watch a show, sometimes you are the show.

We relaxed for the afternoon.
Swimming
Reading
We had lunch
We had a drink
Might have even had a snooze
It rained a little.
The wind blew
The sun came out

Some of us went ashore to check the island out.
Not much there.
We made a reservation for lobster dinner on the beach.

As the sun was going down...

...we headed over to shore for dinner.

Dinghy dock

Everyone had Anegada lobster.
Caribbean lobster don't have claws.
They were awesome.

Before we ordered ANOTHER storm cell came though.
MAJOR rain and wind, but no rainbow!

We were able to move to a covered table in the restaurant.
You can see the table by Walter's head.

Fire on the beach