BVI Yacht Guide October 2010

BVI YACHT CHARTERS

BVI YACHT CHARTERS: www.bviyc.com

“Your service was superb… from my first call to book a charter to our last contact when we headed home from the marina.”A satisfied BVI Yacht Charters guest

T: +1 888 615 4006 or +1 284 494 4289 or E: [email protected]

BVI Yacht Charters is the first port of call for all yacht charters and sales in the BVI. Whether you are looking to charter or to buy, looking for Bareboat or Crewed yachts, a Catamaran or a Monohull, a week or just a few days, our professional team is on hand to make it work, your way.

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BVI YACHT CHARTERS... THE BOATS. THE SAILING. THE EXPERIENCE...

Hopefully at the time you are reading this, we have only had to endure one major hurricane this

year, that being Earl. We wish we could tell you that the island was not affected, but it was, and

whilst there was damage everywhere, in particular to foliage and trees, there was also significant

damage to yachts and the docks housing them. It is true that worse things happen at sea, and as

I watched from my own subjective experience of Nature’s wild elements on the North Shore,

that sea in particular was not going to let up until it had roared, made its presence known and

then disappeared to leave a few owners to pick up the broken pieces. Perhaps Anegada took

the severity of the storm in its solitude. What is clear is that no lives were lost, and the BVI

community and government did what we have talked about for so long—quickly and effectively

pulled together to put things back to order and move on.

In our search for news on the hurricane, we found that the storm was constant but the

experiences of everyone were different. A few people found some relief in riding the aftermath

at popular surf spots. Riding those waves and looking at a shoreline that had braced a big

storm made the difference of what could safely be said as a thank you that it was not as bad

as could have potentially been. David set about culling through the rumour mills and wreckage

to determine how the storm affected the marine industry, in the hopes of discerning how the

damage may have been avoided.

Avoiding damage is a theme in this issue, along with the hurrican reportage, we also feature a

Reef Check article on coral damage. Let’s not forget that easy motto, anchor in sand not coral

or seagrass as the price on our reefs and environment cannot be insured.

Have fun with this issue. We had a lot of fun putting it together, October being the start of the

season and the starting over point as the hurricane season comes to end. The day after the

hurricane was like Christmas Day in the BVI with everyone happy to see each other safe and

well. We carry on and embrace the season at hand.

See you on the water.

Owen Waters

letter from the editor

Ow

en Waters

Welcome to the October issue of Yacht Guide

aLookingGlass Ltd., publisher of BVI Yacht Guide, assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the content placed in its publications. For the avoidance of doubt, aLookingGlass gives no warranty or guarantee in regards to any information placed in its publications.

BVI Yacht Guide and its contents are the intellectual property of aLookingGlass Ltd. Neither this magazine nor any part of it may be reproduced without written permission from aLookingGlass Ltd.

The Crew

4 OCTOBER 2010 BVI YACHT GUIDE ALOOKINGGLASS PUBLISHING | www.bviguides.com

On the Cover:A yacht prior to rescuePhoto by D. Blacklock

Managing EditorOwen Waters :: [email protected]

EditorsDavid Blacklock, Owen Waters & Traci O'Dea

WritersDavid Blacklock, Owen Waters & Traci O'Dea

Advertising ProductionColin Rathbun & Nick Cunha

Advertising SalesOwen Waters :: [email protected]

Art DirectionNick Cunha

Graphic DesignAkiya Brewley

Executive ProducerColin Rathbun, aLookingGlass Publishing

[email protected]

For additional information contact Colin Rathbun at

aLookingGlass or visit www.bviyg.com

aLookingGlass#7 Road Reef Plaza, P.O. Box 3895Sea Cows Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islandst 284.494.7788 f 284.494.8777www.alookingglass.com | [email protected]

Provisioning: Efficient Provisioning 6Chef Susie offers up suggestions to make on-board cooking as pleasurable as possible for the cook, crew and guests.

Skipper's Tips: Absorbing the Blow 7Dockside and bar-side reports of the hurricane's wind speeds are about as reliable as fish tales. Our skipper explains the difference between wind power and wind speed.

Shoreside Review: 2010 Virgin Islands Winemakers Dinners 8The WInemakers Dinners have quickly become a "must-do" for residents and visitors of the BVI. This December, international winemakers will showcase their craft at some of the finest spots in the BVI.

Reef Check: Underwater Gardening 10Graham Forrester visited the BVI to give a talk and a workshop on the efficacy of replanting coral fragments in the BVI.

After Earl 12The property that was most affected by Hurricane Earl was floating property. Boats at Soper's Hole bore the brunt of the damage with yachts and docks at other marinas also showing scars.

BVI Airways: Making the Most of a Hurricane 16BVI Airways pilots took their planes to the Dominican Republic to wait out the storm but ended up bringing back a plane full of guests.

Yard Talk: Surprise Source Supplies Sailors 18Clarence Thomas, Ltd. offers a full line of marine products so boat owners and homeowners only have to make one stop.

BVI Yachting Directory 19Look here for the most up-to-date yacht charter and broker listings. It's a great place to start if you're looking to buy or charter a yacht in the BVI.

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10

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18

c o n t e n t s


I’ve written previously in Yacht Guide about the importance of planning when provisioning, just as one would create a float plan before leaving the dock. (See “Make a List and Check It Twice,” October 2009.) As preparations begin for another season of chartering in the BVI, I want to offer additional tips to make provisioning more efficient.

Efficient Provisioning

Plan in advance…but be flexible.A key to successful provisioning is creating a day-by-day menu and then taking a detailed shopping list to the store. If you’re accustomed to shopping at supermarkets with 50 varieties of yoghurt and a seemingly infinite number of ice cream flavours, you may need to adjust your expectations of BVI markets. Standard items and even many specialty products can be found, but it is very likely that substitutions will be necessary. Consider it an opportunity to try something new. Although you may not find the particular juice blend you prefer as a mixer with rum, you may discover delicious local juices such as guava or passion fruit.

Recognize space constraints. Storage is at a premium on boats, so be mindful of product packaging and the form factor of foods. For example, before buying five large bags of potato chips, think about where you will stash the bags without crushing them. There’s a reason why compact canisters of Pringles seem to be a universal food on boats. Another suggestion is to use wraps for sandwiches instead of bread. Wraps take up little space and usually have a longer shelf life.

Consider perishability. Food typically does not last as long in a boat refrigerator as it may not run continuously. Buy only fresh items you can eat within a few days, and seek out local produce which will tend to last longer because it’s fresher. Also purchase boat-friendly items such as boxes of long-life milk and cans of tuna and beans that can be saved for later in the week when your supplies of fresh food run low.

Stock a snack cabinet. Include plenty of snacks, both sweet and salty, on your shopping list. People seem to snack more on boats, par ticularly on days when the schedule is hectic or when weather and waves conspire to make meal preparation difficult. Even if your cruising consists of leisurely day sails, you’ll still want plenty of munchies to enjoy with your sunset cocktails. Favourite snacks on my boat include nuts, plantain chips, granola bars, dried fruit and chocolate covered espresso beans (indispensible for a jolt of caffeine during night

passages). All are compact and provide quick energy. I designate a convenient cabinet in the galley so it’s easy for everyone to find snacks whenever they

are hungry. As the primary boat chef, it’s frustrating when ingredients for a recipe are

inadver tently eaten as snacks. Designating a snack cabinet is a sneaky but effective way to control my food inventory.

Pack special items from home. I often travel with a set of cooking supplies when on sailing charters. My so-called necessities have included a citrus zester, measuring cups and a sharp chef ’s knife. I also pack a few Caribbean-inspired recipes and small plastic bags filled with pre-measured spices. Availability of spices is excellent in the BVI, but a whole jar can be expensive if a recipe requires only a teaspoon of seasoning.

Make it easy on yourself. Lastly, and probably most importantly, keep it simple. If you’re new to cooking on a boat, realize that everything will take longer in a small galley kitchen. Plan for easier meals than you typically cook ashore. Although cooking on a boat is enjoyable, most people prefer to spend time sailing or snorkeling rather than sautéing. YG

by Susie Younkle

Riteway Food Markets provisioning service offers a number of services to help your visit to the British Virgin Islands be a fuss-free, enjoyable experience. Time is of the essence for you and our 20 plus years' experience in provisioning has enabled us to tailor our services to suit the needs of all concerned by providing a wide selection of choice foods, beverages, liquor and dry products. So, whether it is your private getaway schooner, or a Super Mega yacht, each order, no matter how large or small, is given the same amount of detailed attention and delivered directly to you. After all, it's the Riteway way of doing business!

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Designating a snack cabinet is a sneaky but effective way to control my food inventory.

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Skipper's Tips by David Blacklock

Absorbing the Blow

Our recent encounter with Hurricane Earl was for many sailors the first encounter with a really violent wind storm. Chaos and carnage ensued as boats tore from their moorings or snapped their dock lines. The force was such that the surging swell forced boats to strain against their lines with such power that half-inch thick aluminum cleats snapped like twigs. The pieces of metal flew through the air as fast as bullets. They can kill you. A snapping dock line will kill you, too, as it springs back under immense tension. A dock is a very dangerous place to be when the air is moving. For this reason, it is essential that any preparations be made well ahead of an impending storm. It might seem feasible to adjust dock lines or re-tie anchor rodes when the storm builds, but the reality is that the wind is too powerful. It will knock you down. It will put your boat where you don't want it to be. Estimates of wind speed varied considerably and increased in the telling post-Earl. Reliable instrument readings in Road Harbour indicated consistent

high-50 knots with gusts reaching close to 70 knots. Other areas reported higher gusts—often the result of wind funneling down gulleys and over hilltops. When it comes to wind speed and power, it must be remembered that the power of the wind increases as a cube of the wind speed. If the wind doubles, the power increases eight times. So if a 20-knot wind doubles to 40 knots, the power increases 8 times. If that 20-knot wind quadruples to 80 knots, the power increases 64 times. This uneven increase in power related to wind speed sometimes distorts the perception of the wind. When the boat seems to be shaking itself to pieces at double the power, the assumption many people make is that the doubling of wind power means a doubling of wind speed, but it isn't so. The wind speed may have increased by only 25% or 50% to produce the sensation of massively increased power. Now this isn't the sor t of story people want to hear over a cold greenie, so we'll just keep it between ourselves. But wait until we star t talking about wave heights! That's bound to be fun. YG

www.bviguides.com | ALOOKINGGLASS PUBLISHING BVI YACHT GUIDE OCTOBER 2010 7

by Traci O'Dea

Last year, I sampled

Champagne Pierre Paillard

on a chaise at Baraka Point

in Virgin Gorda while watching the

sun set, tasted Chef Dwight Hutchinson’s

watermelon gazpacho beside a tortoise on

Guana Island, and dined on fava beans at the Golden

Pavilion Villa on Tortola while sitting between Italian

winemaker Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga and People magazine

reporter Kristen Mascia. The staff at each location and the visiting chefs made me feel spoiled, but it’s ultimately about the wine, and this year’s selection of international winemakers from France, New Zealand, Portugal, Italy, California, South Africa and Germany should impress even the rich and famous.

Meet the WinemakersMichele Chiarlo vineyard promotes great wine and fine art in the Piedmont region of Italy. A sculpture garden of contemporary visionary art, coordinated by Academy Award-nominated director Emanuele Luzzati, marries the two worlds of wine and the visual arts. Alberto Chiarolo will be showcasing the award-winning wines of Michele Chiarlo which include a Barbaresco Reyna that Wine Enthusiast voted it sixth best wine in the world for 2010, saying that it has a “great promise of fruit here, which is wrapped within folds of vanilla, ginger, cinnamon and dusty mineral.”

New Zealand’s Central Otago region is home to the organic Mount Edward vineyard. Winemaker Duncan Forsyth serves as an ambassador of the region’s wines, boasting about the “delicate” whites and “graceful” reds. Wine X magazine describes the 2005 Pinot Gris as “crisp, clean, citrus and tropical fruit with a nice lingering finish,” and Pinot-noir-wines.com claims the Mount Edward wines rival the best of France, describing the flavour as having “subtle undertones of fruit and earth.”

Representing Weingut Kettern and several fellow winemakers in Germany’s Mosel River valley, Phillip Kettern started working at his father’s vineyard when he was fifteen. Now 22, Phillip is currently

I get to do a lot of cool things for my job—test drive power kayaks in Manuel Reef, sail on regatta-winning boats, SCUBA dive with Reef Check, review multimillion-dollar beachfront homes—but the one annual event that makes me feel like I’m living in an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous is the BVI Winemakers Dinners.

Shoreside Review: 2010 Virgin Islands Winemakers Dinners


an apprentice as a viticultural engineer. Winemaking on both sides of his family goes back for centuries, and Phillip is proud to carry on the traditions of his ancestors. Weingut Kettern produces Rieslings, and Wein-Plus.com compliments the vineyard by saying “that one understands his trade here.”

Miles Mossop, learned his craft from vintners in France, South Australia, Sicily and Napa before becoming winemaker for TOKARA Wines in Stellenbosch, South Africa. TOKARA also hosts a Wine Made Art event which showcases local artists’ paintings that use TOKARA wines as the medium. Tasting notes for the 2009 Zondernaam Chardonnay:

“fresh and crisp with intense flavours of lemon rind, limes and baked apple.”

Niepoort Vinhos, in Portugal’s typically port-producing Douro region, is one of the leaders in the valley’s forays into making table wine. Dirk Niepoort, fifth generation in the winemaking business at

Niepoort, bought the first vineyards for his family’s company and has been producing acclaimed wines since a legendary 1990 Robustus. Of the more available 2004 Redoma, wineanorak.com says, “This is the wine that sums up the Douro for me. Lovely bright, spicy definition to the nose which shows brilliant red and black fruits.”

Bouchard Père & Fils has been producing wine in Burgundy since 1731. The venerable vineyard has experienced a renaissance since the 1990s, resulting from a sale to Joseph Henriot coupled with the promotion of Philippe Prost to winemaker. Ian McFadden, Director of Fine & Rare Wine at Crush Wine & Spirits says Philippe Prost “deserves a toast for his efforts—Bouchard is back!” Wine critic Stephen Tanzer calls the 2007 Chevalier

Montrachet “wonderfully ripe, broad and rich” with a finish “which opens like a peacock’s tail.”

Urban winemakers Shauna and Kent Rosenblum source their grapes from the best vineyards in California to make their many varieties of Rock Wall wines in a former airplane hangar overlooking

the San Francisco skyline. Wine Spectator’s Tim Fish calls the Rock Wall Zinfandel Sonoma County Reserve “a wild child, zesty and intense, with huckleberry, bold

licorice and peppered beef aromas and briary plum, sage and espresso flavours.” The 2010 Virgin Islands Winemakers Dinners will feature international superstar chefs as well. The dinners, as well as select lunches, take place at luxe locales and restaurants throughout the Islands from December 1st through December 7th. Visit www.winemakersdinners.com for more information. YG

2010 Virgin Islands Winemakers Dinners

"This is the wine that sums up the Douro for me. Lovely, bright, spicy definition to the nose…"


Portuguese winemaker Dirk Niepoort represents the Douro region. Photo courtesy of Niepoort Vinhos.


After noticing a decline in the reefs in Guana Island's White Bay five years ago, the resort island called on Dr. Lianna Jarecki to determine what could be done about the problem. Dr. Jarecki, along with Dr. Caitlin O’Connell and Dr. Graham Forrester, conceived of a restoration plan which aims to restore the elkhorn population by reattaching coral fragments to the reef.The project focuses on elkhorn coral because there used to be a large population around Guana Island. Numbers reduced dramatically in the 1980s, however, when an epidemic of white band disease ravaged the coral reefs for three consecutive years. This was particularly devastating because elkhorn coral is one of only two types of coral that create enough limestone for proper reefs to grow. There are now only very small pockets of elkhorn left around Guana. The study on Guana Island is not the first of its kind. Coral transplantation has been done before in the BVI, but past projects were not under any kind of scientific direction. Dr. Graham Forrester presented the research project at the Royal BVI Yacht Club, during his talk Experimental Gardening with Corals: Testing Simple Methods for Restoring Endangered Corals in the BVI. Volunteers of Reef Check BVI also had the oppor tunity to attend a practical workshop to get some hands-on experience in coral gardening. Coral reef gardening is the process of rescuing

coral reef fragments that have broken from the reef and reattaching them. Dr. Forrester explained how pieces of elkhorn coral can come away from the reef, often naturally, through storm damage or other disturbances. If undisturbed, and depending on the surface it lands on, coral pieces can reattach to eventually form a new colony, but the natural reattachment process is not typically successful. An alternative process is through intervention, or coral reef gardening. The project has experimented with different ways of fixing the coral back to a reef, colony or firm base,

using cable ties, epoxy and cement. The study star ted by monitoring the growth activity of three different samples of elkhorn coral pieces: fallen coral fragments, fallen coral fragments that were tied down, and fallen coral

fragments that were transpor ted to another par t of the island and tied down. Looking for additional ways to help the transplantation process, the team also tried scraping seaweed away before attaching new pieces of coral, as seaweed can fight the coral for space and quite often end up winning. Ear tags (often used on cattle) were then used to identify the different control groups, by colour and number, and pictures were taken at the point of transplantation and then again after different periods of time elapsed. The team took before and after pictures and traced the area of

each coral sample, which they then used to measure the surface area of the coral. Using free computer software they

were then able to calculate the change in surface area over time. The results showed whether the corals had either reduced or grown. The study found that in most cases, the untouched fallen corals had shrunk in size, and after

Volunteers of Reef Check BVI also had the opportunity to attend a practical workshop to get some hands-on experience in coral gardening.

Underwater GardeningBy Caroline Barden, Secretary, Association of Reef Keepers

Transplanted, tagged coral fragments are tied to the reefs in the hopes of regrowth.


one year most of them had died, whereas coral pieces that were tied down started to grow again within two months of transplantation. The type of fixing method used made no difference; grow back was the same. Transplanting the coral pieces from one location to another also made no difference to the final results. However, removing the seaweed prior to transplantation gave the coral pieces a significant headstart, enabling them to fix themselves to solid ground a lot quicker.

Overall, the coral pieces fared much better when they had a little help rather than being left to their own devices. Next year, Graham hopes to also compare his results with marine biologists’ monitoring growth rates of wild corals in the same area to see if there is any difference in these results. The strongest message from Dr. Forrester’s talk was how, even with inexpensive tools and no deep scientific knowledge of corals, a little gardening and some common sense can go a long way to really helping the elkhorn corals grow and flourish again. Leaving them to recover without intervention may not be the best thing for their survival. According to Erinn Muller, an exper t coral

biologist who surveys Guana Island on a regular basis, there were 230 colonies of elkhorn coral in Muskemelon Bay in 2007. By 2008, that figure was down to 140. Now, with a little intervention by Dr. Forrester and his team, there are 180. Dr. Forrester moved about 400 pieces of coral to White Bay, and about 200 are still alive with approximately 60 of them being big enough to spawn and reproduce baby corals. Dr. Jarecki, Senior Lecturer at H. Lavity

Stoutt Community College, who introduced the evening’s

speaker, also summed up the significance of Dr. Forrester’s research for those of us who care for the BVI’s marine environment: “This is just what we need to keep the momentum and interest in reef conservation going. I do hope it inspires ARK volunteers to duplicate our restoration project at another site in the BVI.”

If you’re interested in getting involved with Reef Check BVI or the Association of Reef Keepers, send an email to [email protected]. Special thanks to Guana Island and the Royal BVI Yacht Club for hosting the workshop and talk. YG

…removing the seaweed prior to transplantation gave the coral pieces a headstart…

Jonathan Brown from CORE demonstrates how to catch a lionfish. Photos by Traci O'Dea.

Volunteers learn how to reattach coral.

Graham Forrester (far left) poses with the group of BVI volunteers.

Afterby David Blacklock

When Hurricane Earl

came roaring into the

territory in the final

days of August, and

residents rushed to

complete preparations,

competing philosophies

were put to the test.

Storm Sank Boats but Spared Lives


Earl

In anchorages from Trellis Bay to Soper’s Hole, liveaboard sailors wrestled with the biggest decision of all—whether to stay with the boat or not. At the charter bases, workers spent the last few hours adding spring lines and fenders to protect the boats in their care, but in some cases there were too many boats and too few workers, since many staff had been furloughed for the summer. The route to the hurricane hole at Paraquita Bay was traversed many times as last-minute arrivals squeezed in next to their siblings. On the evening of August 29, a Sunday, the wind began to strengthen, and by the early morning hours of Monday, August 30, Earl was in full effect. The north shore and West End took the initial brunt. Boats at Soper's Hole were bucking and jumping in slips and on mooring balls as the wind howled from the northwest kicking up a vicious chop. Surprisingly, some boat owners had left their vessels attached to mooring balls without additional anchors or other protection. It was those boats that didn't survive through the storm. One charter yacht, a 70-foot monohull, broke loose and pounded the docks at the boatyard to pieces whilst crushing a smaller trawler. Another private vessel snapped her docklines and ended up aground on the beach. Kevin Rowlette of Husky Salvage & Towing, who was involved in much of the subsequent cleanup, told YG, “As anyone can see, Soper's Hole was probably the worst hit.” In other anchorages and marinas, the effects varied as the topography differed and the wind direction changed. Vessels in slips in Nanny Cay fared well, whilst those boats at anchor along the north side of the Channel were pushed aground as moorings and anchors dragged. Village Cay fared the best of all, with the only obvious victim being a large green-and-yellow ferry that dragged onto the sandy bottom near the mangroves at Wickam's Cay. That boat had been anchored by marine professionals, so the result was little surprise. Private boat owners seemed to do best. The large charter base opposite Village Cay was a mess as boats broke free, jibs and mainsails unfurled, cleats cracked under strain and boats pounded their transoms against concrete. It is said that almost 100 boats received some sort of damage there, albeit minor. One couple who stayed aboard their private yacht at anchor by Wickam's Cay registered a maximum of 67 knots on their recording anemometer. Other areas claimed higher wind speeds—up to 100 knots or more. Farther east on Tortola, Fat Hog's Bay was a similar scene with sails unfurling as the wind turned southerly with Earl's passing. Several boats ended up on the reef or aground in sandy patches. The main devastation seems to have taken


Our cover yacht resurfaces in Soper's Hole.

A smaller vessel dragged its mooring ball and anchors and almost ended up in the trees.

place in the Baugher's Bay area where several tugs, barges and other commercial vessels were pounded into rusty submission. The new governor, Boyd McCleary, was quoted as saying that the Ports Authority needed to get involved in clearing up the wrecks that littered Road Harbour's shores. Kevin Rowlette said his new name for Baugher's Bay was “Pearl Harbor.” Most of the boats in Baugher's Bay were semi-abandoned, according to

Mr. Rowlette. The owners don't live in the BVI, he said, but in St. Croix and elsewhere. “They can't leave them in US waters, so they bring them up here,” he said.

Rowlette said his company handled several calls to remove sunk and damaged yachts. “We did a big barge in West End and a couple of sailboats in Soper's Hole,” he told YG. “We had one in Fat Hog's Bay, two in Jost Van Dyke, one at Virgin Gorda and a few more yet to do down at Soper's Hole.” Speaking of his overall conclusions from the storm's ravages, Rowlette said, “In my opinion, every vessel that got in trouble was preventable.

The ironic thing is that of all the vessels we've dealt with, only two have been insured. You'd think the uninsured vessels would go the extra distance (to secure themselves).”

Sailors who stayed aboard described a wild ride as they tried to ensure their boat's safety. One sailor, who wished to remain anonymous, said his mooring broke free but he was able to force his way to the

foredeck and drop an anchor, saving the boat. “I'd just got back to the boat in the rain,” he said, “I was soaked, and I'd taken all my clothes off when I heard the mooring give way. I was up there naked in the rain fighting with my anchor, but I got it done.” Overall, though, the BVI came out relatively unscathed. A few boats might have been lost or severely damaged, but no lives were taken and few serious injuries reported. One reason for this was the lack of rainfall—Earl was an oddly dry hurricane—so there were few mudslides and torrential washes down ghuts. This is no time for complacency, however, as of this writing, we are just entering into the peak storm season—in what was promised to be an extremely active year. YG

Fat Hog's Bay was a similar scene with sails unfurling as the wind turned southerly with Earl's passing. Several boats ended up on the reef or aground in sandy patches.


Sunny skies belie the previous days' storm activity.

BVI Airways: Making the Most of a Hurricane

By Owen Waters

You would think that flying would not be in the cards when thinking about a

hurricane. In fact, it’s not, says pilot Luke Smith. “Safety is the most important

factor in flying; we want to be out of the area completely in case of even

tropical storm winds as that low-level intensity can cause trouble. Riding a tail

wind is another thing, though,” he said.



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So BVI Airways’ decision to fly down to Punta Cana was purely for safety reasons and a good chance not to get cornered in so they could get back safely, too. Pilots, like sailors, study the weather. Luke and his team admitted they study stormpulse.com as well as other sites. Being notified by the National Hurricane Centre of Hurricane Earl, Luke realized the storm was coming quicker than anticipated, and as the Tower announced a closing, mostly so airport employees

could get home to take care of their property, the boys got in their jet and flew down to the Dominican Republic for a few days' rest in tropical surrounds.

They had not been the only ones noticing that Punta Cana was clear of any hurricane path; most of the resorts were full, but the boys found the closest one with vacancies and settled down to the bar for a good meal. Not eavesdropping but keen to socialize, the pilots were quick to notice that the resort was full of stranded people diverted from the storm. Happily chatting about the time off afforded by their situation, they were approached (perhaps they could not help mentioning they

were pilots?!) by a concerned lady who was due her own tropical rest, but on Necker Island. Joking

aside, Luke announced that he would take the lady back as soon as the path was clear, and if the plane could be filled.

In no time, the boys had 19 passengers desperate to get to the now hurricane shaken but not stirred BVI. So, on came the caps and shir ts, and the plane landed the day after with the Tower back up for business, and 19 happy passengers went on to their destinations. Since then, Luke and BVI Airways have been back to the Dominican Republic which has now become a definite fixture on their char tered options. And as Luke would say, luck just keeps on coming around. If you would like to fill a plane anytime and trip to other islands including the Dominican Republic, the boys are ready to fly. It's a quick trip, and you might enjoy some of activities down there, but please don’t anyone tell Luke where his hat is. I have it, and I’ll be sitting in the bar wearing it, minding my own business… YG

Luke announced that he would take the lady back as soon as the path was clear, and if the plane could be filled.


284.540.1117 www.oceans7online.comGreat Harbour, Peter Island

Restaurant, sports bar and water park

Upcoming Races

Pete Sheals Match Racing 2 - 3 OctWilly-T Virgins Cup Race 9 OctBVI Schools Regatta 30 - 31 OctDrakes Channel Treasure Hunt 6 NovRound Tortola Race 20 NovO'Neal & Mundy Commodores Cup 18 Dec

And if that's not enough, check out the

forum on www.IC24.org for more weekly

beercan racing action right off the southern

end of Nanny Cay. IC24s are the new fad in

racing and spreading fast to the rest of the

Caribbean and North America.

Yard TalkSurprise Source Supplies Sailors:Clarence Thomas Offers Marine Line

Ski shops, for example, can be a great source for foul weather gear. End-of-season sales offer great bargains in waterproof leggings, jackets and full-body suits that easily rival their marine counterparts in efficiency but are often much cheaper in price. All they lack is reflective tape—an addition any sailor adept with needle and thread can easily remedy. A similar principle applies to hardware—whilst hardware stores often stock wire and connectors and the like, they don't always stock

specifically marine items, such as 12-volt bilge pumps. One exception to this rule is Clarence Thomas Ltd., which has recently added a selection of marine equipment along with the weed whackers, shower stalls and auto parts.

According to David Thomas, the store has been handling marine supplies for a long time. “When Island Marine got into the business, we stepped back a little,” Mr. Thomas told Yacht Guide, “but when they went out of business, we reintroduced our marine line.” In addition to the items already mentioned, CTL is a good source for polypropylene and nylon line, anchor chain and cleaning supplies. Mr. Thomas took great pains to point out that CTL are no newcomer to the marine trade. “We've been supplying marine

equipment for some 20 years now,” he said and added, “We've always been known for supplying the

best items at the best prices.” So next time you’re picking up some drywall screws or shopping for a new faucet, check out the marine selection, and you’re likely to find something for your boat. YG

Experienced sailors will often say that if you want to buy marine equipment, you should shop anywhere but a marine store.

By David Blacklock

CTL is a good source for polypropylene and nylon line, anchor chain and cleaning supplies.

RTRoad Town

NCNanny Cay

TBTrellis Bay

EEEast End

SHSoper's Hole

SBSea Cows Bay

WEWest End

VGVirgin Gorda

DIVING & ANGLING

Dive Tortola (RT) 284-494-9200

MARINAS & YACHT CLUBS

Nanny Cay Marina & Hotel (NC) 284-494-2512

Royal BVI Yacht Club (RT) 284-494-3286

Manuel Reef (SCB) 284-495-2066

REPAIRS & SUPPLIES

Doyle Sailmakers BVI (RT) 284-494-2569

Marine Depot (BVI) Inc (RT) 284-494-0098

Quantum Sails (BVI) Ltd. (NC) 284-494-1124

RESTAURANTS & PUBS

Pisces Restaurant (SH) 284-543-6724

Jolly Roger (WE) 284-495-4559

bvicrewedyachts.com (RT) 284-494-6017 Representing the finest selection of luxury crewed charter yachts in the BVI.

bviyactcharters.com (RT) 284-494-4289 est. 1974 | Fleet size: 45 Sells Boats: Yes Charters Boats: Yes Brand(s): Beneteau, Lagoon, Leopard, Fountaine Pajot, Seawind Year Make: 2000 - 2009 Type(s): Sailboat Monohulls and Catamarans Website: www.bviyachtcharters.com

Charterport (RT) 284-494-7955

charteryachtsales.com (RT) 284-494-4868 est. 1986 | Fleet size: 46 Sells Boats: Yes Charters Boats: Yes Brand(s): Beneteau, Jeanneau, Lagoon, Leopard, Norseman, Island Spirit, Athena, Hunter Year Make: 1996-2004 Type(s): Sailboat Cats and Monohulls

Double D Charters (VG) 284-499-2479

Footloose (RT) 284-494-0528

Racing in Paradise (NC) 284-494-6781

Sail Bravura (RT) 284-443-2586

Southern Trades (RT) 284-494-8003

Sunsail (EE) 888-416-8420

The Moorings (RT) 888-416-8420

TMM (RR) 800-633-0155

Tortola Yacht Sales (RT) 284-494-2124

BVIYa c h t i n gD i re c t o r y


YACHT CHARTERS & BROKERS

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BVI Yacht Guide October 2010

Documents

Transcript of BVI Yacht Guide October 2010