Full moon at Trellis Bay

Last night was a spectacular event, not only a full moon but also a full lunar eclipse! 

 

Rather than try the rather disappointing Bomba Shack again this month I went down to Trellis Bay to see what it was like.  What a great atmosphere this was.  Great live music, people dancing, stilt walkers, fire jugglers and three big fireballs lit up in the water made this a memorable night.

Dive shots

Just got some photos back from my last dive.... yes that's me in the picture and some of the marine life that I came across. Photos are from Sandy who is in IT and comes from Toledo, Ohio which, surprisingly enough, I have lived at for six weeks when I was a teenager.. what a small world this is!

Eagle ray comming off the bottom

Hawksbill Turtle taking a rest on the bottom

Lobster anyone?

Yeap, this is me!

Sailing Day 1.5

In what can only be considered a squall I ventured out into the big dark grey open sea and became certified on a keelboat! I am now the proud owner of a log book and have attained the American Sailboat Association's certification for keelboats... whether I would be confident to take anyone out on a sail boat is highly doubtful but at least I am qualified to do so!

The weather was absolutely atrocious... the seas were rough, it was pissing down with rain, there was a strong wind... good weather for the ducks as they say.... how we stayed there for as long as we did was a testament to our resolve to get this qualification.. we should have got extra marks on the theory exam just for turning up today.

I went out with a t-shirt and swimming trunks, ended up completely soaked as if I I had been for a swim.. not having any spare clothes with me I walked into the Quicksilver shop at the marina, soaking in my t-shirt and trunks, picked up a pair of shorts and t-shirt from the rack.. went into the changing room.. tried them on, they fit... walked out with the wet clothes in my hand (you should have seen the looks I was getting!) and told the shop keeper that I would take the clothes that I was wearing but that I needed a plastic bag for my wet clothes... she turned to me and said.. "I need the bar codes"...ummm,,, so she pointed to my neck and waist from where I pulled them off so that she could scan them and charge me accordingly (I was surprised that she didnt scan them whist still attached to the clothes-and my body)!

The photo shows me drying off just upon returning to the marina......

Tree of Shame

One of the many things to do in the BVI is to rent a powerboat, a small fishing boat or a RIB, etc.  However, there is one club that you do not want to become a member of... and that its, becoming a member of the Tree of Shame.... this tree displays recent examples of where people have taken out a boat and run the propeller into the ground.... and it costs you and extra $400 every time that you do that!  I am told that if the tree was bigger, there would be even more propeller flowers!

More cows on the road

In case you did not believe me about obstructions on the road, this is what I faced this morning on the main road into Road Town!

Sailing Day 1

Had my first of two sailing lessons today.  After an hour or so in the classroom it was out to the water where I spent four hours taking the boat up and down the Sir Francis Drake Channel.  It was easier than I expected but ended up quite tiered as all the pulling of ropes, keeping steady on the deck etc takes a fair bit out of you.... now I need to study for the exam tomorrow as I was given the wrong book two weeks ago.... I need to read up on all these nautical terms that mean very little to me:)

 

OXO Cube

Those of you who have been following my life in the BVI from Gibraltar will understand the meaning of this post. For the rest of you this is just a photo of an OXO cube (veggie version!)