Norman’s Island, BVI to St. Thomas, USVI

March 26, 2014

We left Norman’s Island early morning and made it to check out at Soper’s Bay, British Virgin Islands while it was still pretty early.  We sailed to Soper’s Bay in a short amount of time with the wind in our sails - the sky was blue, the ocean was smooth and the wind was brisk.  Going to be a good day! 

When we arrived in Soper’s Bay, we picked up a mooring ball and Daniel suggested I take D-Time into town and check us out with the local customs officials while he waited on board.  I was excited about taking D-Time by myself – it had been a while.  I loaded up our passports and all our documentation and hopped in D-Time.  Cranking right up, I made it to the dinghy dock (probably 200 yards from Daniel and C-Time) and tied up D-Time, hopped out and made it to customs and immigration.  It took a few minutes but $0.75 later, we were checked out of the British Virgin Islands.  I got back in D-Time, cranked up the engine, untied D-Time from the dock and the engine died.  Died.  I was like, oh no.  But, in my defense, I kept calm.  I pulled and pulled on that cord to start D-Time.  Nothing.  I checked fuel, it was fine.  I checked to make sure I was in neutral.  Neutral, check.  I did everything.  I pulled and pulled some more.  It just wouldn’t start.  By this time, I was getting pushed into some rocks – I had to raise the engine, just in case it did crank and I didn’t break the propeller. I pulled and pulled the cord some more. I’m sweating bullets and look at Daniel.  He is coming right at me, in C-Time.  Really close to shore – I’m thinking of the Costa Cruise Lines captain coming too close to the shore and turning his boat over…I’m thinking, my hero – coming to save me on a white horse (boat) (too many romance novels!).  Daniel started shouting for me to check all the things I had already checked.  I told him, it just won’t crank.  He was close enough that I could hand paddle out to him the rest of the way and just tie on to C-Time.  It wasn’t pretty, but I was back on the mother ship. 

So I’m getting ready to get onto the mother ship and decide to throw my expensive Croc sandals on board.  One makes it, and the second one…I can see it teetering…in extremely slow motion I saw it fall…into the water and start floating away.  It is a Croc, so it does float.   I’m thinking, no, that’s the end of that.  Daniel has other plans.  In this EXTREMELY closed in harbor with very, very little room to maneuver, I don’t know how, but he had our boat do a 360 degree turn and pull up right along side my Croc!  It was amazing!  Think, needle in a haystack.  I can’t believe I got my shoe back.  Yes, we could have swam for it, but where is the fun in that and I was dressed in street clothes.  He was my hero, in a white boat.  (Note, once I got safely back on board, Daniel climbed into D-Time and pulled one time and it cranked right up.  It was just low on gas.  Our dinghy hates me.)

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful (thank goodness).  We continued with a lovely sail to St. Thomas.  Again, the wind was going in the right direction, at a good speed – no complaints here.  We sailed into St. Thomas harbor right in front of 3 cruise ships parked for the day.  Really neat.  We dropped anchor, cleared U.S. customs and were set to watch the 3 cruise ships leave port from the comforts of our cockpit.