BVI

[higgs]

Just returned form a 7 day charter in the BVI. The weather was not good with a lot of rain and NE winds constantly in the 25 - 30 kt range. Some anchorages were on the borderline of untenable. We got caught at Marina Cay with a nasty night of no sleep. It was odd. When we pulled in late afternoon, the anchorage was calm despite the strong NE winds. We went ashore and enjoyed a performance from a local guy. We returned to the boat after dark and sat up for a while. Suddenly, the calm anchorage turned to crap. Since insurance is not in effect after dark, we were stuck and could not move over to Trellis. The Drake channel had 5 -6 footers pretty much every day. Moving from the west end of Torola to Virgin Gorda was a rough go with the Hunter 38.5 we had chartered. It had a wing keel and in mast furling w/no battens on the main. What a pig this boat was going to weather in seas. Going the other way, the boat won't go dead downwind which means one has to do heavy air jibes. It seems to me, all this boat is good for is reaching. We still managed to have a good time. The new Foxy's Taboo at Diamond Cay is worth a visit. Peter Island is now open to cruisers, and the beach bar at Great Harbor had a fantastic buffet the night we were there. Foxy no longer performs as he has vocal chord nodes and can no longer sing. He still hangs out and enjoys spending time with us visitors.

 

[Phil Herring]

Bummer about the weather

Personally, I think this shoal keel is completely out of hand. Outside of the Bahamas 2' of keel isn't going to make much difference at anchor. It's not like I'd park the boat in 6' of water because I have a 4-1/2' keel.On the other hand, maybe I'm spoiled by Puget Sound depths, where shallow water is 30'. But I'd take the deep keel every time. Post some pix!Is Sidney's Peace and Love still in Little Harbor?

 

[Neil McDonald]

Jost Van Dyke

Foxy's Taboo at Diamond Quay is very nice, but you need to be a mountain goat to get in and out of your dinghy 'cos the dock is way too high! Sidney was still personally promoting Peace and Love in early December.

 

[Paul Akers]

Sydney's

I was there in April 2006. He was still in the same place since the first time at Sydney's in 1988. This is the first time I went back to Sydney's P&L since I was first there in 1988. Always went next door to Hariss' since then because he was so good to my kids in 1992 and when in 1995 Sydney's son did Harris in! I never really cared for Syd's arrogant personality! Nor his son's!Although, Little Harbor, JVD is one of my favorite anchorages in the islands.

 

[Stu Jackson]

higgs, what part of the trip...

...did you like?How'd the seasick or scared lady do?Hope you had "some" fun...We did one in 1986 where Xmas winds kept us and all the island ferries in port for two or three days of a week's visit. We were on an Endeavor 32, we tucked into Leinster Bay and the NE end of St Johns right across from Soper's Hole.Didn't run out of rum or beer, but it did get boring at times.Eventually beat our brains out getting to Virgin Gorda, but we were young and didn't know any better. Left the reef in all week (we're from San Francisco, we're used to that) and the boat only had a 110 jib -- good thing, too. Cane Garden Bay was untenable that week, Little Harbor was a gnarly mess at nighttime with the swirling winds which wrapped our two-anchor rode around itself...you get the picture.At least the Endeavor could go upwind and down with its "non"-sweptback spreaders, although we did manage to get the topping lift wrapped around a spreader when the engine wouldn't start and they "made" us sail to Caneel Bay to meet the "fix it" boat -- don't ask...Throughout all of it we had a terrific time. Hope you did ,too.

 

[Manny]

35 knots

Hi Higgs-Sounds like you could have had a better trip...Im sitting at the airport in St Thomas right now. We hit 35+ knots on the wind meter on the Arabella quite a bit, I was looking at the smaller production boats and thought they looked like they were having a bumpy ride.We had a nice trip though. It rained a bit on Saturday and Sunday but not enough to take any enjoyment out of the trip.Willy T's was fun, watching the drunks fall into the drink trying to jump in there dinghy was a trip.Manny

 

[higgs]

The trip

Manny, we had no anemometer so I took the reading off a nearby boat. You were there the same time, so I would guess we may have seen 35 as well.We did manage to have a good time. The novice lady was, at times, terrified, but she never complained or griped about anything. I would guess that will be her last trip to the islands. 'm ready to go again, except I ned more money. We met one couple down there who was chartering for 9 weeks. We figured that must be costing them about 20k.I had an irwin 32, which is out of the same mold as the Endeavor. It was a decent sailing boat that would work its way to weather in seas and a blow.

 

[Manny]

now in San Juan

Higgs, did you go to the Bitter End YC? We spent a day there and I rented an IC24 and took a crew member, what a blast. One the best chocolate brownie sundaes ever at Saba Rock.We were always clocking 25 knot winds minimum- true not apparent according to the captain - but we had a long run at 35 knots- big swells also.Manny

 

[John]

question

Higgs, what, exactly, were your problems going to weather? Also, would you say that the problems going to weather were due to the wing keel or the in-mast furling system and lack of battens?

 

[Benny]

Before chartering at any location, any time of the year

the prevalent weather and conditions should be checked. Twenty five knot winds for days on end are common during the winter months in the Caribbean. This is something the chartering companies do not advertise. It is good that you went out and did, and that after all you had fun but there are many that have spent their whole charter sitting at the dock waiting for the winds to die down.

 

[higgs]

John....

The boat did not point very high and this complaint comes from a guy with a cutter. it also was slow as crap. Other boats were eating us up. I tried less jib/more main and vice versa, but the boat still sailed like crap.I attribute it to both the wing keel and the furler. The rudder on this boat had more draft than the keel - something I cannot even begin to understand. What is the point of a keel with 3 foot draft when your rudder needs 4?The main had no battens and, when reefed, the shape was terrible with a big bag in the luff - exactly what one does not want in heavy air. I could not get much of that bag out no matter what I trimmed. there was no downhaul or cunningham so I was left with the main sheet/traveler, the outhaul, and, in desperation, I even tried the vang, which I know is not intended for upwind, but I wanted to try everything.

 

[John]

My reason for asking

is that I, too, have an in-mast roller furling main (on a C-36). I have the impression that it doesn't point very well, but I'm not sure if that's just due to my inexperience. Maybe it's a combination of that and the lack of battens in the main.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

John, no 'maybe' about it.

Your impression is correct.

 

[Tim R.]

Sounds like

The Moorings(Beneteau) 413 I chartered in the Abacos a few years ago. It had a lousy wing keel but no in mast furling. It would not point higher than about 40-45 degrees. It was pretty fast off the wind though. I guess I am just used to high performance cruisers. My friend has a larger C&C that he winters in the BVIs who has offered to charter to me. He has done a complete refit on the boat and I know it is fast because he is a former racer and a long time sailmaker/rigger.Tim R.

 

[John]

More on roller reefing main

In that case, if a roller reefed main is related to problems as far as pointing (due to lack of battens), does anybody know anything about the new sails for this reefing system that have verticle battens? I know they are pretty expensive, but if we're planning to do some more extensive sailing, maybe it would be worth it?