British Virgin Islands-Sailing Away!

Three weeks post-op from successful cancer surgery, I'm off to a new adventure! Thank you robotic surgery!  This time an 8-day trip sailing around the British Virgin Islands captained by a close friend (Harry), with 5 of his friends and of course my trusty Taylor mini-guitar. The first night staying on Tortola was spent ashore. I deferred taking a cab choosing instead to walk 5 km around the island to meet the others. Given the lack of sidewalks and lights, not my wisest decision. But I got some exercise and a feel for the island architecture culture.  

I walked all the way around this island!

Tortola is stereotypical 3rd world Caribbean with trash, dilapidated buildings, and ubiquitous chickens everywhere. But the people are more polite and friendly than most places around the world. Embarking on our voyage was an interesting adventure to see how to sail an ocean-going boat.  My first time sailing overnight. 

The boat was amazingly luxurious, with private baths, AC,  showers,  a big fully equipped galley, 3 decks,  WI-FI, and a nice stereo system. 

Made it quite enjoyable. I learned the basics of sailing which has similarities to aviation in terms of what makes it go and the tradeoffs for design.  

 

On day 3 we encountered heavy rain and seas, which was quite interesting. Standing in the rain up on the top deck felt like hail.  My friend, the captain had to wear goggles to see. I went below and enjoyed some lunch in the galley. The seas never bothered me. 😊 Sleeping on the boat is soothing. I love being gently rocked at night - like being back in the cradle.

   

Snorkeled every day (decent coral and fish, but not Cozumel level). Often had to swim a distance from the boat to the reefs in choppy seas. It felt great to do the vigorous exercise again.  Got some serious guitar playing, meditation, and reading in. Each night we (7 on our boat and 6 more on a companion boat) anchored in a different island harbor. We take a dingy to enjoy some excellent cuisine. Returning to the boat we party and dance with a disco light.  

The people who I sailed with were fun-loving & pleasant with some interesting life stories. One is a leadership coach & author and another is a 2nd term congressman from Florida.  All the guys had the connection that we served in the military and many were naval academy graduates. My only disappointment is with one exception (on the other boat), none seemed interested in more profound (ideas or philosophy) conversations, or singing along with me.  

The last day and a half, I spent solo.  I was ready to leave the "gaggle" as they waited for taxis at the boatyard choosing instead to make a 30-minute walk to the ferry thru the town. While waiting for the ferry to St Thomas (US Virgin Islands), I "entertained" the crowd for a couple of hours. Then once in Saint Thomas, I decided to walk from the port to my hotel deferring the ubiquitous calls from taxis. Walking is a multi-faceted adventure that is under-appreciated.  Along the way, I saw interesting restaurants and alcoves. And after checking in at the very quaint Bunker Hill (3-star hotel), I returned to the "Greenhouse" restaurant for my first Caribbean lobster feast while enjoying the open-air bay view. Shay Lin, a head-turning waitress, saw I had a guitar. She had me pull it out as she liked to sing and had a great voice. Fun! So I decided to continue exploring the island on foot. Along the way I had to sit on the Charlotte Amalie dock and sing "Sittn in the Dock on a Bay" The local street people gave me approving nods, perhaps thinking I was one of them. I kept walking to see the 16th-century, Blue Beards castle. It was at the top of a hill overlooking the bay and it felt good to push myself physically to hike. Upon arrival, I discovered the castle was part of a luxury hotel complex. So I decided to look the part of a guest and strode thru the lobby out to the veranda overlooking the bay below. It was a nice place to read until the light began to fade. 

St Thomas from Blue Beard's castle resort

Blue Beards castle

Seeing a cruise ship in port I scanned the adjacent area and found a highly-rated restaurant. Decided to walk to that area about a mile away to enjoy the cuisine. It was a new area with shops and restaurants along the wharf catering to the cruise crowd. Just as I was about to arrive I was waylaid by the sound of wonderful music.  A "siren" accompanied by a guitar and keyboard at an inviting outdoor restaurant called Indigo. As I walked over to listen, the singer saw me and came over. Roxie told me they had seen me walking with my guitar and they wondered if it was a Taylor mini (It is) So I dined there on local grouper with fresh vegetables listening to wonderful music in a Dianna Krall genre. I thought they were a husband-wife team, but it turned out it was a father-daughter act. Mom was in the audience. They had recently retired and were from Manhattan and were building a home on the island. When the performance ended and I had finished my key lime pie, walked back about 2 miles along the quiet dark shoreline to the hotel, showered, and fell right to sleep. A full and enjoyable day.

My dear and caring friend had told me the experience would be life-changing. It was memorable but did not turn me in a new direction. Overall it was an interesting 10-day adventure with some great memories and a few lessons. 

If you like actually doing the sailing then this is a great way to vacation around water.  Otherwise, I am wondering if perhaps it's better to take a cruise line?  More time each day to see sights and do things.  And perhaps a better chance to meet thinkers in a larger crowd?  Much cheaper too, perhaps allowing for the less affluent to interact with? I think I'll try it out if I can be a little selective with the type of clientele. Another lesson was relearned. I'm disinterested in spending much time with the "unconscious", preferring to be authentic in my own space interacting with my mind or "il mondo" rather than listening to others' cacophony of "cool" quips, crude jokes, drinking, complaints or discussing people or events. (brought to mind Eleanor Roosevelt's quote in regard to 3 types of people). One of the pilots onboard remarked that he can get depressed if doesn't don't stay busy. Telling...stillness remains under-appreciated...  

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