Day 3 aboard Lagoon 450 'Peace Out' With Colt and Kelly
Left Soper's Hole this morning and pounded our way up the Sir Francis Drake Channel into the BVI's trademark easterly winds. We got a close look of the entire north side of Peter Island and Kelly has decided that it is the most lush of the islands post-Irma. Peter Island Resort is under repair and they asked that we not enter the marina as they have work boats and barges entering throughout the day to facilitate the recovery. It is ok to anchor (no moorings) at Honeymoon Beach in Deadman's Bay (far east end of Deadman's) but not in the middle or west end of the bay.
We left Peter Island and went to Salt Island for some exploring. We hiked up the east peak of Salt Island to view the salt pond on that side of the island. There is some debris on the beach but amazing views and well worth the effort!
No trip to the BVI is complete without some time spent in Manchioneel Bay on Cooper Island. The "face" of the beach has changed but the wildlife is alive and well. Immediately after grabbing a mooring ball we were greeted by five barracuda right under our boat. We grabbed our snorkeling gear and the GoPro and headed out for a swim. Lots of barracuda, a starfish, several stingray and a few conch later, it was time for a dinghy ride through the bay to say hello to a charter boat full of guests from Chicago. We did some "treasure" hunting on the beach, watched a flock of pelicans dive for dinner and waited for the sun to plunge into the blue Caribbean Sea.
When we got back to the boat it was time for Tarpon Cam! We turned on Peace Out's underwater lights and were immediately blessed with a visit by about 50 (yes 50!) tarpon swarming and feeding behind the boat! This was a great distraction while we grilled chicken and sautéed fresh vegetables (thank you RiteWay) with rice for dinner.
Several people have asked about debris in the water. We have thus far seen none in the water while we are under way and sailing. We have snorkeled at almost every location and have found the underwater environment almost entirely free of debris.
Currently sharing Manchioneel Bay with two other catamarans, watching tarpon swarm off the back of the boat and looking forward to tomorrow!