We decided to leave Tortola around 2:30 p.m. yesterday and head for Jost van Dyke, the nearby “out island†that is home to two legendary beach bars – Foxy’s and Soggy Dollar Bar — and very little else. The thought was that we’d get to JvD around 4:30, anchor the boat, dinghy ashore, check out of BVI customs and immigration, have dinner and a few drinks at Foxy’s, dinghy back out to the boat, and sail overnight to St. Martin.
We actually managed to get off the dock just after 2:30. It was strange saying good-bye to three different boats we had encountered in multiple locations already, knowing that, this time, we were unlikely to see them again. I suppose we should get used to that.
Having FINALLY gotten our batteries replaced, we now no longer need to be tied to something hard – we can finally “anchor out†like proper sailors.
Anchoring is surprisingly difficult for many, many sailor – it is probably the one thing that most boat owners are slightly afraid of, and for good reason. People often times make complete … well … spectacles of themselves as they attempt to park the boat.
I am pleased to report that our maiden anchoring was absolutely flawless. We planned it out well and executed it perfectly. This was a strong point for each of us back in sailing school, and, apparently, we remember what we were taught.
Our maiden post-anchoring dinghy ride, however, was not so flawless. We managed to get the dinghy to Foxy’s dock right at 5:00. Melissa jumped off and sprinted for customs. Alas, we had missed them. So, we’d have to stay overnight – no big deal. St. Martin can wait one more day.
Foxy’s might be the single most-famous beach bar in the entire Caribbean, if not the world. We felt like we “needed to do it†but expected to be put off by excess commercialism in the vein of Hard Rock Café. Boy, were we wrong.
Yes, it has a very large T-shirt shop/boutique, and they do a very brisk business. But Foxy’s puts out a tremendous product. The bar is great. The drinks are creative and tasty. The staff is fantastic and professional, and the food was surprisingly delicious. We were a little bit hesitant to pay $28 apiece for a “Beach BBQ,†but this was fantastic food – ribs of near-Twin Anchors quality, the best jerk chicken either of us have ever had, corn that was downright memorable (now that’s saying something). It was a bargain at twice the price. Foxy’s certainly doesn’t need me to tell you how great it is. The word is already out. But it isn’t popular by accident.
“Several†(ahem) Dread Fox cocktails later, we walked down to the dock to get on the dinghy and head back to the boat.
It was sinking. Seriously – it was SINKING! The left pontoon was basically flat and submerged. We got into the boat, thinking we might just be able to make it back to Spectacle. Totally wrong. All we did was make it worse, instantly.
Melissa jumped back on the dock, losing a flip-flop, grabbed the waterproof bag, as we prepared to “save†the outboard. I jumped into the water … which, thankfully, was only about four feet deep. I managed to wrestle the outboard off the boat and onto the dock, and we eventually retrieved the boat as well and dragged it onto the beach. However, it’s pretty clear that we’ve got a fairly meaningful “slow leak†in the dinghy (and not that slow, apparently). Add that to the list of repairs.
We caught a ride out to the boat, slept pretty well (no paranoid middle-of-the-night dashes on deck to check the anchor), and caught a ride back in the next morning. After reinflating the dinghy and checking out of customs, we marched (sans dinghy) over the hill to Soggy Dollar Bar. This was quite a hot, steep and lengthy shlep, but it was worth it. The bar is not really the allure – it’s just ok. The beach, however, is fantastic. We put away a few Painkillers, opted for a cab (pretty tough to find on a tiny island) back to Foxy’s, and managed to get the dinghy towed back out to Spectacle. Then we put the dinghy on the davits, pulled up the anchor, and headed off for an overnight sail to St. Martin. More Pictures
A different day, we also made it out to the infamous Willy T. at Norman Island. I totally loved it – my favorite watering hole we’ve yet visited. Melissa doesn’t agree – at all. As I said before, there are only two things to do in Tortola – sail and drink.