Sailing the British Virgin Islands, Day 5

Breakfast and boat preparations early in the morning as a choir of rooster calls echoes back and forth across the island. We’re on our way before nine o’clock.
We motor along Beef Island and cut through the Camanoe Islands (Little Camanoe on the left and Great Camano on the right) then head west, past Monkey Point on Guana Island, traveling along the north side of Torotola to our next destination, Cane Garden Bay.

The trade winds are unusually strong for the area (25 knots) and even with the sail reefed, the boat heels quite a bit with the lower rail of the boat nearly in the water. Quite an exciting sail!
After a brisk back and forth, we take down the sails and head into Cane Garden Bay where there’s lots of beach activity and a few jet skis buzzing around.

This is a popular overnight spot and by the afternoon, most of the mooring balls have been filled.
After lunch, we lounge around on deck, reading, napping, card playing, napping, and more reading.
Laughing gulls provide a good bit of entertainment. They alight on the dinghy and laugh, laugh, laugh. Flocks of them float by in the water.
Colorful houses dot the hillside. Pelicans and frigate birds swirl like hawks over the island. I enjoy watching the cloud shadows play over the green hills and canyons of Tortola. As the boat swings gently back and forth, the view before me is constantly changing.
Cocktail hour on the boat as we watch the sunset. Then we dinghy over to shore to have dinner at Quitos. Burgers all around on the open-air balcony overlooking the bay and a view of our boat.
Back on the boat, we chill out with music and conversation, stargazing and watching the lights on shore until it’s time to turn in.