18:27.00N 64:26.80W

 

15/4 Monday – Having failed to  get our spare EC Dollars converted into something useful, we had this plan to doing a flying visit to Anguilla before heading off overnight to the Virgin Isles. We just made it to Road Bay on the north side of Anguilla dropping our hook at about 18.30. Well after the customs office had closed and time to do  little shopping in the super market. Unfortunately things were a bit primitive and we didn’t get a lot. Ended up in a bar run by a lady from Lincoln. She had arrived in the Caribbean with her Monserratian husband in about 1988. Got hit by hurrican Hugo recovered from that and then chased out of town by the volcanic eruption. Business isn’t so good in Anguilla. She complained about paying taxes, not sure how the country operates as hardly anyone pays taxes. Not sure how the Caribbean works either, everything seems to be imported and apart from tourism there is not much else.

 

16/4 - Anyway we headed off to the Virgins at 02 30. The wind was on the tail initially and picked up after we left the influence of the island. However it didn’t look like we were going to make the 70 odd miles before dark. The sea gods were with us and the wind sifted to a broad reach and our speed picked up. In the end we anchored off Prickly Pear Island Virgin Gorda. Just opposte Richard Branson Island Necker Island.

 

17/4 – An early morning sail sees us 8 miles further down the coast and in Spanish Town and getting to know the customs and immigration people. Its lunch on the terrace of a local restaurant overlooking the bay before deciding what to do next.