Great Harbour (2) Jost Van Dyke Island BVIs

At about 2100 we took the dinghies in to Foxy’s dock to see in the New Year.  Unsurprisingly, given the number of yachts in the anchorage, the dock was filled beyond capacity but we all managed to find space and eventually reconvened.

The big stage at the back of Foxy’s bar.
This year’s New Year party theme was Arabian Nights – who’d have guessed?

At the back of Foxy’s bar was a big stage and, when we arrived, what we assumed was the main band for the evening was just setting up.  We settled in expecting the band to be playing pretty soon, but it seemed that they were having difficulties getting some of their kit to speak to the sound system.  There was a long, and frustrating, delay whilst the compere tried to work some magic to keep the crowd onside and Foxy himself looked increasingly displeased.

Eventually, some and then all of the band members were up and running but they weren’t perhaps as good enforced build-up had made out, so we took a stroll along the seafront.

The small settlement was buzzing with people, with numerous small bars and food stalls open for business.  We stopped at one bar to avoid a rain shower and then ensconced ourselves at a temporary bar set up by the local dive shop, which was a lot of fun.

We headed back to Foxy’s to see in the New Year, where we discovered that the next band on stage was a lot better than then first one we had seen – some actually pretty good reggae.  And with shades of Bob Marley ringing in our ears, we returned to the boat, where finding the dinghy (one amongst many) and then finding BV (one white anchor light in even more) made a somewhat challenging start to 2020!  Happy New Year everyone.

Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke Island, British Virgin Islands

Great Harbour (1) Jost Van Dyke Island BVIs

Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke.  A very busy place in the run-up to New Year’s Eve

Having checked in at Soper’s Hole, Tortola, we took advantage of a break in the rain to sail the 3nm across to Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke to meet up with some OCC friends for New Year celebrations.  We knew that Steve and Carol in Innamorata II were anchored off Little Jost Van Dyke, a few miles to the east of Great Harbour, and had suggested that we meet them there.  But an article in the New York Times a few years ago said that there were just 3 places in the world to see in the New Year – London, New York and Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke.  Consequently, we had a hunch that Great Harbour might be a little busy and we were keen to get a space whilst there was still one to be had.  That turned out to be a good decision as when we arrived the bay was already pretty much filled with boats.  Endless Summer and Wild Iris had arrived just ahead of us and we all circled for a bit eventually each finding a spot in which to anchor, all quite close together.

Balou (navy blue hull), Wild Iris (beige sail cover) and Endless Summer (just ahead of Wild Iris)

Shortly afterwards Innamorata II arrived and we were also joined by new OCC members Ben and Caz on Balou.  Balou had been next to us on the hard in Deltaville but we had launched and left just before Ben and Caz took ownership of her.  However, Innamorata II and Wild Iris had still been on the hard when Ben and Caz had arrived, hence Balou had joined up with them in the islands.  Great Harbour has quite a nasty rocky bottom and Caz and Ben hadn’t yet got properly to grips with anchoring in areas of poor holding, so they struggled to get settled in a spot.  In the end, Nicky went over and offered some suggestions, probably the most helpful one for them being that just because the chain feels as if it is dragging across a rocky bottom, it doesn’t mean that the anchor is insecure.  “Persevere, get the chain laid out properly, and gradually motor back on the anchor, bringing the revs up slowly; you may well be surprised by the result”.  It worked and when Ben dived on the anchor he found that, despite the continuing graunching noises from the chain as it rattled back and forth over the stony bottom, the anchor was, in fact, dug in reasonably well (as well as could be expected for the surface).  Job done, they kindly invited us to sundowners, so we had the opportunity to hear all about their first few months with Balou.

A good-looking start to the final day of 2019

White Bay

The next day, the 31^st, dawned sunny but with showers.  In the afternoon we took the dinghies around the headland to the west to White Bay.  Steve and Carol went snorkelling whilst we visited the Soggy Dollar Bar with Jos, Erica, Lisa and Mark.

We had last visited in spring 2018, 6 months after Hurricane Irma had ripped through the islands.  We had thought that the anchorage behind the reef at White Bay was busy then but it had been absolutely empty in comparison to what we saw today!  There were so many boats…….

…… and so many people.  Granted, it was 31 December, and therefore likely to be busier than average but even so!

And we recognised a fair number of the small, fast motorboats anchored almost on the beach from our time in the check-in queue at Soper’s Hole the previous day.  ‘Visit the BVI; visit the BVI’s beach bars!’

And when at the Soggy Dollar Bar what else should you drink but Painkillers?  After all, the cocktail was, allegedly, invented at here.

 

Painkillers at (well, just outside) the Soggy dollar Bar.  Nicky with Jos and Erica (Endless Summer)

New Year’s Eve celebration on Endless Summer.  (Left to right) Steve’s hand and beer (Innamorata II), Ben (Balou), Carol (Innamorata II), Lisa (Wild Iris), Jos and Erica (Endless Summer), Nicky, Mark (Wild Iris) and Caz (Balou)

In the evening the New Year’s Eve celebrations continued on Endless Summer with pot-luck nibbles and drinks.  There were smoked salmon blinis, various dips, Ollybollen (a Dutch Christmas pastry and a favourite of mine from my childhood, which Erica had made especially) and lots of fizz.  Ben and Caz managed to escape the tyranny of ‘new boat chores’, though they had been heads down working all afternoon and had missed the run to White Bay, and we all had a lot of fun as the sun set for the last time on 2019.

The final sunset of 2019 as seen from Endless Summer

But the fun wasn’t over yet.  In deference to the New York Times’ article, we planned to see in the New Year ashore at Foxy’s.

Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke Island, British Virgin Islands

Soggy Dollar Bar Jost Van Dyke BVIs

Approaching White Bay on Jost Van Dyke

Just 2 miles east of Great Harbour is White Bay. Having lifted our anchor at 1630 we high tailed it to the western narrow entrance through the protective reef that sits less than 100 metres from the surf line. There’s not much space here for a 2-metre draft yacht to anchor in and so we were incredibly lucky that a large catamaran was leaving just as we were looking for a space. Carefully keeping out of his way, the moment he was clear we were able to take his space and were settled by 1700 and, pleasingly, just before another couple of catamarans arrived.

The Soggy Dollar Bar

It’s a popular place and not just because of its beautiful white sandy beach. It is home to the Soggy Dollar Bar, another legendary location for yachties.

A dollar bill pegged out to dry behind the bar

Tradition has it that it was named so because of the soggy state of the dollars used to pay for the drinks after sailors had swum ashore to patronise the bar. They even have a small ‘washing line’ behind the bar so that the soggy dollars can be pegged out to dry before making their way into the till.

Rather conservatively, like most of the other punters, we took our dinghy ashore but then that did mean that we could take a camera with us.

Other than the unusual name, the bar is famous for being place that the Painkiller cocktail was invented back in the 1970s. We had drunk Painkillers all over the BVIs and so now we thought that we really ought to have one made to the original secret recipe. We didn’t have to wait long – as we approached the bar a Painkiller appeared in front of us, “The first Painkiller is on the house, what else would you like?”. We really rather liked the service in the Soggy Dollar Bar!

The props supporting the new palm trees are, however, a reminder that the buildings and trees on the beach were wrecked by last year’s hurricanes and the Soggy Dollar Bar needed a complete rebuild. We’re jolly glad that they managed to complete the work before we visited.

And so, for our last night in the British Virgin Islands we supped Painkillers on the beach with BV anchored just a short distance away in beautiful turquoise water. What a great way to finish our time in these beautiful islands.

Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke, BVIs

Foxy’s in Great Harbour Jost Van Dyke BVIs

Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke

The main settlement on Jost Van Dyke is in Great Harbour and, importantly for us, it has the Customs and Immigration offices where we needed to check out of the BVIs. The bay was full of yachts on mooring buoys and so it was a little tricky to find a good place to anchor so that we could go ashore. [Ed, the moreso as the seabed in and around the moorings appeared to have only a thin layer of sand over rock.  We couldn’t get the anchor to dig in so we moved closer to the reef on the southeast side and here found good holding and a certain amount of protection from the wind-driven waves.] Once BV was settled our first priority was to visit Customs and Immigration. It took a little time but, with the formalities completed, we had 24hrs to leave the BVIs; we intended to make the most of them.

Foxy’s Bar

Tucked in the eastern corner of Great Harbour is the famous Foxy’s Bar. Now, mid-afternoon is not the best time to visit a bar, and so we weren’t expecting much, but we couldn’t pass by the opportunity. Foxy and his wife Tessa have been welcoming sailors for over 45 years and within the sailing world his bar is legendary. Foxy plays Calypso ballads on his guitar and between songs tells jokes and stories to entertain.

We perused the cocktail list, ordered 2 that we hadn’t tried before, agreed that they were really rather good, and then, boringly, set ourselves up on a table to check our e-mails. Hallelujah! Our first Wifi internet connection in ages!

A New York journalist once wrote that there are just 3 places in the world to properly celebrate New Year’s Eve: Times Square, New York; Trafalgar Square, London; and Foxy’s Bar on Jost Van Dyke. Apparently, it is one of the best beach parties anywhere.

Well, New Year’s Eve it wasn’t but Foxy still came out to entertain us. The boring e-mail admin was put to one side and we pinned our ears back to listen to his amusing dits and songs. It was a fabulous way to spend the afternoon and I have to say that a variety of cocktails slipped down very easily.

Foxy doing what he does best: entertaining the crowd

As a result, we spent far longer in Great Harbour than we had really anticipated but by 1600 we really had to drag ourselves away because we had another legendary location to visit a couple of bays along and we needed to anchor there before we lost the light because it is really rather shallow.

Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, BVIs

Green Cay & Sandy Spit Jost Van Dyke BVIs

We left Cane Garden Bay on the north coast of Tortola at 0950 on 20 April for a short 4-mile sail to a new island for us, Jost Van Dyke, named after a Dutch privateer.

Green Cay & Sandy Spit

Jost Van Dyke is at the same latitude as most of the BVIs and so it too was badly hit by Hurricane Irma. With a population of less than 225 the island remains relatively unspoilt. It has a number of beautiful sandy beaches, many of which you can only get to by boat.

Sandy Spit in the foreground with the island of Tortola as a backdrop in the distance

So far in the BVIs, we had not really had a beautiful sandy beach all to ourselves and so, as we approached the eastern end of Jost Van Dyke, we took the opportunity to anchor off Green Cay & Sandy Spit. Remote and beautiful, it was the perfect place for a lunch stop and swim.

Green Cay & Sandy Spit, Jost Van Dyke, BVIs