Top of page logo
Day 1 Road Town to Norma Island
With everyone safely tucked aboard and drinks in hand, Captain Jeff let go the lines and headed out to sea toward Norman Island, our first destination. It was a short sail, not more than two hours total to Norman Island.

The breakwater at Road Town
Passing the breakwater leaving the
Road Town Yacht Club
It was nice to feel the wind in our hair and smell the fresh ocean breezes, nice to finally be sailing the open waters of the British Virgin Islands.
The wind in our sails
Wind in our sails
In the first few minutes of our trip we realized that we were blessed to have Daisy on board. Being animal lovers it was a little reminder of Padi and the comfort he provides for us at home, but Daisy added an extra measure of delight with her antics while we were sailing. Whenever anything happen with the sails she was there to pitch in and add her "two-cents worth" to what was going on. If a line moved she would chase it and bark at the top of her voice.

Enjoy these few pictures of Daisy taken as we sailed ...
Daisy helping to raise the sails
Daisy assisting with the raising of the sails
Daisy walking the deck
Daisy walking the top deck
Daisy peering into the cabin
Daisy checking out what's going on in the main cabin
Daisy relaxing
Daisy staking out prime space for a nap
Daisy getting a tummy rub
Daisy coercing a tummy scratch from me
The Indians and Pelican Island
The Indians
It was a beautiful day for sailing. The Sun was shinning and the temperature hovered in the mid-eighties. Perfection! We had some worries concerning the weather on hearing that the three weeks preceding our trip were cloudy and rainy much of the time. Let's face it, we didn't come these thousand miles and pay this money to have a dreary, rainy vacation. We were reminded of exactly that possibility one afternoon in Road Town, the afternoon we picked to do our obligatory souvenir shopping ... the Heavens opened up and it poured cats and dogs. We managed to salvage the afternoon by taking refuge in the local Pusser's for a few drinks until the rain subsided.
The Caves on Norman Island
The Caves
Having crossed the Sir Francis Drake channel, our first stop was the "Caves" on Norman Island. Anchoring the Grand Oasis just off the rocky coast we enjoyed some snorkeling before heading off to find our first night's berth. The anchorage by The Caves on Norman Island
Boats anchored at The Caves on Norman Island
Ken and Mike relaxing
Ken and Mike
For this, our first night aboard the Grand Oasis, Capt. Jeff had something special in mind ... solitude. Rather than anchoring in the harbor at the yacht club he chose a secluded area on the backside of Norman Island for the night. There was just us, the water, the island cliffs and a beautiful starlit sky. No other boats or people around to disturb us, and no light pollution to hide the stars. We took advantage of the quiet and snorkeled in about 40' of water of beautiful, clear water. It was a beautiful spot and there were lots of tropical fish to gaze out upon and enjoy. Speaking of fishing ... Ken fishing and Mike watching
Ken doing some fishing with Mike advising
It was here on Norman Island that Ken and I did our first fishing. Just a line, hook and some bait. A quiet way to while away the early evening before dinner. It was also here that the first fish was caught, a Redeye Squirrel fish. I had the honor of catching that first fish and quickly throwing him back. Ken and I decided then that we should have a fishing tournament between us all to see who could catch the largest and most fish during our week long trip. Thus it began. Stay tuned to see how the tournament turned out and who won.
Sunset Our first sunset by Norman Island was not by any means a spectacular sunset. It was, however, nice and relaxing to sit back with a cold drink in hand and some snacks to munch on while we watched the Sun slip below the horizon. There's something about sunsets in the islands. Even if they aren't spectacular they are still beautiful and worth spending a few minutes watching.
Yes, we're eating again. This time our first dinner aboard the Grand Oasis. I have to give it to Mary, the cook, because she did a fantastic job feeding the eight of us and three crew members from what could only be called a matchbox kitchen. 3 squares a day and Mary came through right on schedule with something wonderful ... salads, lobster, leg of lamb, steaks and a special surprise for all of us at the end of the trip. Having dinner on board the Grand Oasis
Art, Anne, Darla, Ken, Mike, Janet, Cheryl, Jim and Capt. Jeff
Jim and his shark toy
Jim and his shark
In case you haven't yet guessed, Jim was our trickster and practical joker for the week. From what we were told, Jim had one of these little shark toys that Ken and Darla accidentally broke. So Ken and Darla purchased one and gave it to him as a gift during our first meal. That was all he needed to get going. From then on he and his little shark toy were biting everything in site, big toes included. It's nice to have a crazy person along on a trip like this to break up everyone and provide a sparkle. I only wish we had brought his straight jacket for when he got to rowdy. But, that's Jim and we love him for it Jim's shark toy devouring someone's big toe
A man-eater for sure!
Following dinner we all proceeded outside to sit and just watch in amazement the beautiful night sky. With no light pollution to block the visibility of the stars it was a wonderful to sit back and enjoy its beauty. Without exception we always managed to see at least one shooting star and often times more than one. If only we could capture it and bring it back to New Jersey with us.

All to soon our first day of sailing BVI had come to a close and it was time for bed. Tomorrow, we thought, would bring new and even better adventures. Stay tuned for more ...
Anne relaxing in the cool night ari
Previous | Next
Direct Links To Page

Introducing the "Merry Wanderers" | Tortolla, Prospect Reef Hotel and Cane Garden Bay | Full Moon Party | TheGrand Oasis
Sailing Road Town To Norman Island | Diving The Indians and Jost Van Dyke | Jost Van Dyke | Sandy Cay, Green Cay and Cane Garden Bay
Cane Garden Bay, West End and Brewer's Bay | Brewer's Bay and Puntinday Bay | The Dogs, Mosquito Island and Virgin Gorda
Diving The Chimney at the Dogs | Virgin Gorda | The Baths | Surprise For Everyone | Diving The RMS Rhone and Our Last Full Day Aboard The Grand Oasis
Getting Ready | A Special Time | The Party | The Party After | Our Last Morning