Day 8-- April 29, 2014 Tuesday

This was a big sail day.  We left East End Harbour, Jost Van Dyke and sailed south through the Thatch Islands and Soper's Hole past Frenchman's Cay into the Narrows between BVI and St. John, USVI.  Then we turned southeast to The Bight in Norman Island.

Wow!  What a beautiful place!

This is the brand new Pirate's Bight Bar & Restaurant.  It was absolutely beautiful and the bartender was delightful.

See, don't we look like happy sailors!

And, as you sit in Pirate's Bight, this is what you see.

As we dinghied back to the boat, we snapped this picture of Pirate's Bight so you can see how lovely it is.  There is nothing there except the bar/restaurant and a dive company in the little hut to the right.



Snorkeling in Privateer Bay and the Caves on Norman Island.

We left the big boat moored in The Bight and took the dinghy over to these caves and reefs.  There were lots of tropical fish of all sorts--beautiful.

One of the caves goes back at least 30 or 40 feet.  As you can see there is a little dinghy paddling into it.  We just snorkeled into it.  Actually, John snorkeled all the way back--I stopped at the entrance--just don't like caves.

This is the mouth of The Bight, Norman Island.

And this is an old steel sloop converted into a bar and anchored in The Bight.  We decided to stay in The Bight a second night and maybe check out this bar boat--the Willy T--tomorrow.

You don't even have to have the blue sky and water--it's just a lovely place.

And the sunset was gorgeous from the beach.

And this little blogger lady discovered that Pirate's Bight had internet access.  With a glass of wine in one hand and the smart phone in the other, I'm checking on things at home.



Day 6--April 27, 2014 Sunday

Morning at Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, BVI.  Afternoon at Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke Island, BVI.


Cane Garden Bay is protected from the ocean by long coral reefs which have an opening in the middle. Boats like ours access the bay and the mooring balls through that opening that is marked with red and green buoys.

As we were preparing to leave our rolly mooring, we spied a group of surfers taking advantage of the same rough seas that caused our discomfort all last night.  The waves on that reef were large (maybe 12 to 15 feet) and very tubular.  We grabbed the camera (always thinking about you guys at home) and motored the dinghy right over next to the surf.

We thought about telling you that this was John surfing along, but he was only dreaming that.  John actually was running the outboard motor and I was snapping shots.

It was amazing how close we could come in the dinghy.

From the Cane Garden Breach, you can see just a little bit of the surf off to the right.

More pictures of the very nice beach at Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, BVI-

Cane Garden Bay is a picture postcard Caribbean scene with a row of nice, friendly little bars and restaurants lined up on shore with beach chairs out front.  Definitely one of our favorite beaches. 

By noon, we were sailing out of Cane Garden Bay heading west to Great Harbour at Jost Van Dyke Island.  This is the home of the famous(infamous?) Foxy's Bar.  And, Foxy, himself, was there entertaining and telling wild tales to all who would listen.

 
Here's the inside of Foxy's--lest any of you think this is a fancy place!  It definitely has a pirate feel about it.

Here's the bay out in front of Foxy's.  Our boat is out there somewhere.  All the boats do look pretty much the same.

These are some local kids hanging out in the hammock in front of Foxy's.

Off to Tortola, BVI

So, we're not there yet--but we'll be there soon.  This is an old picture taken last summer at Wade Shores, Shackleford, NC.  We were floating around as son Finley, with his scuba gear and a good scraper, cleaned Caribbean Soul's bottom.  Thanks, Fin!

Now, we are leaving Caribbean Soul in the boat yard (Billy & Roy's) in North Carolina and flying down to Tortola for 10 days of sailing in the British Virgin Islands.  Our bags are packed and the flight leaves Monday morning, April 21, 2014.  Conch Charters has a 2004 Beneteau 343 waiting for us at their dock in Road Town.  Yay!  Let the adventure begin.

Oh, yes, if you have favorite BVI places (bars?  beaches? restaurants?) send us a message on this site or email johnpen2000@hotmail.com.  We have a new Cruising Guide of the area, but we really value the insider information.  Thanks in advance for your suggestions.  Cheers!

New Brunswick & Nova Scotia

Tuesday, July 9th we drove to Moncton, New Brunswick to witness the Bay of Fundy's Tidal Bore.  As we sat in the little viewing park in downtown Moncton, we couldn't image that this little 15 inch wave could be much.  But, when it came whipping around the corner and past us--we were impressed--have never seen anything quite like it.  Pictures just don't tell the whole story.

Shopping in Moncton, New Brunswick waiting for the Tidal Bore.

Tidal Bore viewing area--we all wait patiently!

John wanders around taking pictures and I sit.

So here it is whipping along filling the narrow bay with water.

Would have liked to be out there in a kayak.

That afternoon we drove to Halifax, Nova Scotia.  We took the scenic route along the coast and it was beautiful.  John bid on a hotel room on Priceline.com and we scored a fabulous Mariott room right on the waterfront--yay!

The harbour in front of our hotel was full of all kinds of boats.  This is a double ended ferry boat.  Without ever turning around it's always going forward (or backward) depending on how you see things.

Water Street in Halifax right beside our hotel.

Up the hill from Water Street is Argyle Street and lots of nice eateries.  We stopped here at the Economy Shoe Store , had some snacks and drinks and played dominoes.  

Nice boat in the Halifax Harbour

And nice sailboats too.

This one has a load of tourists out for a sunset cruise.

View of our waterfront hotel from the walkway.  Apparently these walkways or skyways are great things in the cold, wet Halifax winters.

Rockport, ME with Phil and Lyn

Downtown Camden, ME with Lyn and Phil

Lunch on the Camden waterfront with Phil and Lyn

View of Camden waterfront from the top of the mountain.

Another view of Camden waterfront/bay.

Phil, Penny and Lyn

John at Bar Harbour waterfront.

Impressive four-masted schooner at Bar Harbour, ME

Penny making her way down to the Fundy Bay tidal flats to walk among the "flower pots" at Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick.

John with the "flower pots"

John on the tidal flats waiting for the approaching tide--yikes!

Getting ready for the 4th of July

Dozens of Cousins at annual meeting July 3, 2013

Elfin Lake full of cousins.  Granddaughter Clara is jumping from the dock as daughter Karen watches from her float chair.

John relaxing before the crowds of cousins arrive.  There are cows wading down at the south end of the lake--no problem--it's a spring fed lake that drains out down there where the cows are!

Brother Tim, me, my sister Nancy and Mom.

New beach dress from the local Family Dollar.

It's a Ferguson Zoo and we love it!

Our cottage on the right.  Mom, Nancy and Tom on the left.