Following a quiet night on our chartered catamaran moored in Soper's Hole, the next morning we refilled our water tanks on shore and headed to White Bay on Jost Van Dkye. I'd be hard pressed to think of a more beautiful and joyful place. As our most anticipated destination on our sailing itinerary, as luck (of the Irish) would have it we spent St Paddy's Day there.
Jost Van Dyke, a very small, remote, undeveloped island, feels magical with its white sand and crystal clear turquoise waters. It is famous with sailors for the Soggy Dollar beach bar, normally lively and vibrant with visitors with Painkillers in hand. As you can see from their webcam, it is a ghost town today.
We visited the beach, swam in the serene water, and had a Painkiller at One Love, my and Matt's favourite bar since we first visited in 2002 (and many times since).
One Love is not nearly as popular as Soggy Dollar, so luckily it gave us a chance to stay away from the crowds on the busiest part of the beach. By this time, things at home were heating up with concerns over COVID-19, which had us becoming more and more mindful of our interaction with the rest of the world.
We took our time, enjoying our own little slice of heaven in front of One Love, and played in the surf and sand.
Once back on our boat we enjoyed dinner and a quiet evening. In the morning we did our usual routine, which included checking in with world news, in particular, the developments with COVID-19 and discussing our plan as a group. In spite of feeling a little unsettled, we embraced the beauty and isolation of our environment and enjoyed the irresistible waters by swimming, snorkeling and SUP'ing.
From White Bay JVD we sailed east out into the waters north of Tortola enjoying the breeze, the views and the serenity. We made a stop at Sandy Cay, a tiny uninhabited island between JVD and Tortola with pristine white sand.
We immediately jumped into the water and swam to shore.
On Sandy Cay we walked along the beach while the girls played in the waves. Then we swam back for our sail to Cane Garden Bay on Tortola.
Our evening in Cane Garden Bay was uneventful. We took the dinghy to shore where Bill and Mom restocked our supplies at "Bobby's", a tiny grocery store across the street from the beach.
In the morning we sailed further east to Guana Island, another quiet remote island. We spent the better part of this day and the next in this spot where we were completely isolated. We took our dingy to shore, where we had the beach almost entirely to ourselves. We found a small slice of shade for Mom, and after a swim sat with a glass of Rose while the girls played in the water.
Once we were back on the boat we went for another dip, when to our surprise and delight we found ourselves swimming with dolphins!
That evening we had shrimp pasta and salad, another team effort in the galley, followed by a gorgeous picture perfect sunset.
The next day Papa took April for a dingy ride and gave her an opportunity to practice driving while they circled the quiet harbour many times (apparently giving her the freedom to drive as fast as she wanted). They both shared that evening that it was the highlight of their day (and it was a pretty amazing day).
After "just one more" swim, and then another, as we were preparing to batten down the hatches to move to our final destination in anticipation of our departure the next day, it suddenly clouded over and then came a major downpour. Fiona freely and wholly embraced it, dancing in the rain and literally drinking it up. It was thrilling yet peaceful; such a precious life-filled genuine moment.
With just enough daylight left, we left Guana Island headed for Trellis Bay at the east end of Tortola where we spent the night. It was so windy that night that Matt sat up most of the night watching from the cockpit to make sure the mooring ball we were tied up to stayed secure (and those of the boats surrounding us as well). Paradise had given us so many gifts, but sometimes you have to take the bad with the good!
In the morning we packed up the boat, took ourselves and our belongings to shore in the dinghy (in three trips), and literally walked across the street rolling our suitcases to the tiny airport on Beef Island.
Now we've been home in total self-isolation for almost a week. It has taken some time for me to update the blog, not knowing if I actually would, for fear of being judged for being on vacation during a global pandemic. We left Canada before the travel restrictions and warnings, and made the thoughtful decision each day not to panic and rush home.
This morning I heard the question asked, "would you rather be known as smart or brave?". In this instance my fear is not being known as either. But from my perspective, we were smart and thoughtful in our decision making, and I consider myself to be pretty brave posting about our experience in light of the judgement I see every time I go on social media. But I trust my intuition and always strive to be wholly genuine and honest.
The isolation of a 45 foot catamaran in paradise with people you love can't be beat. But I am also grateful for the comforts of my home, including the food in the kitchen (that our kind friends drop off for us), and the extra time I'm getting with Matt, April & Fiona. After we're through this challenging time I can't wait to squeeze my family and friends extra tight and go through each day and each moment with a greater sense of appreciation.
Until then, I'll be dreaming of being here.
Love and health,
Laura 🏡✌🏻
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