On Saturday December 1 we left Village Cay marina in Tortola and headed to the north part of Virgin Gorda - North Sound - which looks like a large round lake surrounded by cays with a couple of entrances. The first entrance we saw could be navigated only by very small boats as it is very shallow. The second entrance had a narrow channel marked by lighted buoys. Gorda Sound, as North Sound is also called, has many areas to anchor or moor, the main ones being Leverick Bay (where we moored on Saturday), Bitter End (where we moored on Sunday) and Saba Rock where we moored on Monday and Tuesday nights. The views are breathtaking here.

We finally got all of our snorkeling gear and headed for the reef area which closes one of the entrances to the Sound. We found a very large conch which was alive so we immediately released it. There were various fish and many different kinds of coral, some of which did look dead. Snorkeling here was nice, though not great. The water is so warm (about 85 F) that the air (which is also warm but in the low 80s in the late afternoon) feels cold so it is more pleasant just to float in the water. Because of the high salt content of the water, which makes it easier to float, watching the "aquarium" below is very relaxing and hard to stop admiring.

Also, on Sunday Daniel took a windsurfing class and loved it! The winds were a bit high for apprentices but Daniel's instructor took him to a more quiet area of the Sound where he did well. Kim and I walked through a small trail which ran by the edge of the water, where mangrove trees grow. We were then able to see Daniel try this sport. In North Sound's Bitter End there is a resort with a lot of activities for children, another attraction and reason for staying here for a few days.

One of the reasons we are spending a few days in one island rather than moving quickly between islands is because this allows us the opportunity to explore the island in more depth and, very importantly, we have Internet access so that Daniel can keep up with the online side of his schooling. We try to anchor or moor near the broadcasting towers for better internet reception.