We came into Road Town, Tortola on New Year’s Eve eve and pulled into the Moorings marina for a slip to recharge and restock. It was like a mirage in the desert but this one was real. There was air conditioning in the bathrooms, the showers, located appropriately in the spa, were private and had two showers heads and beautiful tile floors and walls and no lizards. It was the cleanest marina we have ever been in. There was a coffee shop with sandwiches which were delish, a beautiful clean pool, a bar where, when Matt wanted to watch the Redskins play the Cowboys, they just gave him the remote control and a beer and closed up around him. The grocery store was across the street as was a lovely French bakery with breads and cheeses. We had access to the makings of a wonderful New Year’s Eve dinner and enjoyed it while watching a favorite family movie which carried us right up until midnight when we went above and counted down and blew the horn. Very fun and simple. On New Year’s Day we went to the movies because Graham and Matt wanted to see The Hobbit. I went to see Skyfall, the new 007 movie and I highly recommend it even to those who don’t follow James Bond. Very entertaining. When we arrived home from the movies, Matt and I launched into a major James Bond trivia game (complete with internet access, of course) – how many 007s have there been? How many years since the first? How many movies?
One thing I noticed in Road Town which is very much a city, is that no one honks. Cars stop in the middle of the road all the time to pick people up or drop people off, and other cars get backed up behind them, but no one honks. Everyone is on island time and has appropriate priorities. Another great thing about Tortola is all the purple. We saw a purple catamaran with a huge purple sail and many purple cars.
We met up with the Porters again off Norman Island on the second. We were able to give them back the food we were keeping from them in our freezer as they had theirs repaired in St. Thomas over the New Year. In exchange we got a bag of ice – quite a score around here! We rafted up and watched movies and went to Willy T’s floating restaurant. The kids sailed around in the pudgy and everyone went snorkeling at the Indians.
The Bight is a well protected harbor on Norman Island
Pelican Island to the right. The Indians are the rocks to the left.
Not sure what the Blue fish is. The other is a Yellowtail Snapper
The Indians from the water
We separated from the Porters today so that they could return to Road Town for BJ to watch the Cincinnati Bengals play in the championship as he has been waiting 20 years to do so. They had to make the trip in order to find the nearest TV. The good news and the bad news is that if they win, he will have to travel again next week to find another TV. We set out for Cooper Island today so that the boys could dive the Wreck of the Rhone tomorrow. But we were beating straight into the wind and were making about 1.3 knots with the engine running. We settled at Peter Island instead which was closer and still within distance of their dive site. I like it because it reminds me of my favorite Unc. When we were picking up the mooring and Graham and I were on the bow we saw a school of silvery minnows jump out of the water in perfect synchronicity. They were only minnows but they looked like the fish in NEMO who made all the pictures for Dory. They kept dancing in and out of the water and they all stayed together – so cool. And then when Matt and I traded placed so that he could help Graham secure the mooring ball, I was behind the wheel watching a sea turtle lollygag right off to starboard. I will miss the sealife when we come home.