Drowned Island – Anegada

Leaving Gorda sound in the morning after a morning run in the velvet morning heat, passing Necker Island once again, this time on our Starboard side. With nice winds we got both the genoa and the Main sail up and with Cornelia at the wheel we made 7,5knt and scooted along with flyfish jumping out in front of the boat and blue oceans on all sides apart from a couple of other sailboats.

As we approached Anegada the first thing sighted are the palmtrees popping up from the Island, and as you come closer the breathtaking view of Anegada and its streches of turquoise waters and white coral beaches comes into view. The name of this hidden gem, Anegada, meaning «drowned Island», was fortuntely not drowned by Irma.

Approaching the Island you need to be aware of shallow parts and coral reefs and stay on your chosen course and not turn off course until you are lined up with the red and green markers. If you do so you are bound to hit the shallows or «two Sisters». Safe and sound past all the hinders, we hooked onto a perfect mooring, and took the dinghy ashore to Anegada reef Hotel- lobsters in a lobstertrap as we walked along. Small pastel pink yellow turquoise and green houses and hotels, just like pieces of pastel saltwater taffy! A long afternoon of fotball on the coral beach of Lobster Trap restaurant, soft drinks, cold Caribs, sunsoaking, bookreading and pure relaxation followed by a fresh lobster meal at the the lobster trap. They say you havent had real good lobster before youve had the Anegada-good lobster, and well, its actually true! All BVIs lobster is fished here and exported to the other Islands of BVI .

Shopping in all the little local giftshops, spending half day at the Islands cool laundromat washing dirty clothes.

We rented a pickuptruck with benches on the back – airy and nice view and hurled down the coral beach roads with Countless Cows, donkeys and goats roadside. Watched the flamingos from the watch out place and went all the way to northern part of Island to beautiful Loblolly Bay for snorkelling and swimming in torqoise sea soaking up sun on the bright white coral sand. Topped off with swimming in the pool at Anegada beach Club hotel(ABC for the locals). Here we tested the famous BVI painkiller drink- lives up to its name🤩

We finished off the day with steakdinner at Potters by the sea(we forgot to book by 4pm so we were actually close to getting no food this evening… you need to book by 3 or 4 pm in the restaurant and at the same time put in your food order- just remember that and all will be good).

Flods of heaven opened as we were going back in the dinghy, so just a little wait before we did so. Back in the boat we went for the evening yatzy game and all of us got yatzy at least one time, some of us several times!

Barry shows up every morning to collect the mooring fee and today he also brougt bakerydelights: banana break and cinnamon rolls straight from the oven! At least 3 turtles are swimming around in the Bay popping their cute little heads up occasionally-beautiful creatures and a sight for tired eyes!

Early am we got up and lotioned up to go SUPing in the mangroves and along the eastern coastline together with Tim the guide. We hauled up on the trucks back sideways with all the sup boards loaded on a trailer behind- hurling down the coral sand roads to the settlement , and into the brush where the SUP boards were launched.

Loads of fun, spotting a couple of baby sharks, several tiny super fast turtles and a ship wreck. A conch pile formed as a heart and several of larger white conch piles in the distance, put there by the conch divers to scare the conch off of coming closer to shore(?). The sea is only foot deep as far as the eye can see and we could actually spot the contours of the Virgin Gorda in the distance. Lovely Start to the day on this beautiful heaven on earth island. (I am sooo close to just jumping off «double trouble» and staying behind- I’d stay here a lifetime if I could…)

Done with morning of bliss we caught Bretts shuttle over to the ABC for some more swimming and lunch’s- maybe we will walk the 40 mins along the beach to Tipsys for their famous frozen painkiller- time will show!

And of course the soggy xmas pudding swim cap is with us this time too- launched firstly in the ABC pool- also going to be worn on the swim into soggy dollar bar at Jost van dyke- just wait for it! Thanks GAZ❤️🤗