Living the Dream on Xenia

Vessel Name: XeniaII
Vessel Make/Model: Hunter 40.5
Hailing Port: Victoria BC
Crew: Pat Davies & Alison Byers
21 November 2021
18 November 2021
17 November 2021
13 November 2021
20 March 2020
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28 February 2020
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Recent Blog Posts
21 November 2021

The Last Days

It was a quick trip from Cane Garden Bay over to Jost Van Dyke and when we arrived at Great Harbour we were surprised to see how busy it was so early in the day. We had never had a problem getting a mooring ball before but today no such luck as all the first come first serve balls were already snatched [...]

18 November 2021

Pat Won The Bet

The charter company called us at 8:30 am to let us know the mechanic was on his way and would be there in about half an hour. In BVI time that could mean anywhere from 45 minutes to a couple of hours. We made bets on when he would actually arrive and Pat was the closest. He actually arrived at 9:30 [...]

17 November 2021

Anegada Here We Come

Anegada is the only coral island in the BVI’s and is 12 km north of Virgin Gorda. We had a great sail and arrived at the entrance to the channel in about 3 hours. As you are cutting through the reef to get to the anchorage, you really have to watch the entrance markers and depth sounder to ensure [...]

16 November 2021

Playing the Whack A Mole Game

Nothing in the BVI's is far away but we managed to make a short 5 km trip into a couple of hours of sailing. We were able to work through some of the issues with the Main Sail and get the crew into sailing mode. Cooper Island is one of the busiest spots so you need to get there early to ensure you [...]

13 November 2021

And We Are Off

As we leave San Juan we appreciate their diligence in reducing the risk for catching COVID and at no time did we feel our health was being compromised. We were asked for our proof of vaccination when entering most restaurants, and the Canadian Vaccine Passport worked great. When we arrived in the [...]

08 November 2021

You Aren't Lost As Long As You Have Gas In Your Tank

After a long couple of days travelling, we finally arrived in Puerto Rico to a balmy 85F. We picked up our rental car, and headed off to Fajardo which is home to the largest marinas on the eastern side of the island. There are also large storage yards and all you can see are lots of million dollar [...]

The Last Days

21 November 2021
Alison Byers
It was a quick trip from Cane Garden Bay over to Jost Van Dyke and when we arrived at Great Harbour we were surprised to see how busy it was so early in the day. We had never had a problem getting a mooring ball before but today no such luck as all the first come first serve balls were already snatched up and only the reservable balls were left. We took one of the vacant balls in the short term and tried to reserve a ball, but no luck there either. Luckily, a dinghy went by and said they were leaving in a couple of hours so we could get their ball. The only reason we had to stay in Great Harbour was we had our PCR tests booked for the next morning at the clinic here. It all worked out in the end as they left and we quickly tied to their ball and were set for the night. So, we loaded ourselves in the dinghy and went to shore.
Our first stop was Foxy’s. Foxy’s is known as the second best spot in the world to spend New Years Eve and is known for their great rum drinks, music and everyday party vibe. We did some shopping in the boutique, had a couple of drinks and played a few rounds of Jenga. I think there was some cheating and silliness going on but what happens at Foxy’s, stays at Foxy’s. While we were there several boat captains came in looking for other boat captains who had scooped their reserved mooring balls. While the reservation system seems good in concept, it doesn’t work in the practical sense as there is no one to call or come to your rescue when someone takes your mooring. We decided on a small restaurant called Tipsy Shark for dinner and had a great meal with fantastic service. The next morning, we were up early and to town as we had our PCR tests booked for 7:45 am. We walked to the clinic and found a very long line already formed. Apparently, Thursdays are their busiest day as most cruisers leave on Saturdays. There were at least 100 people waiting which I guess is why the anchourage was so busy. They had a bit of an issue with their computer system, but once the bugs were worked out, we went through fairly quickly. They said we would receive our results in 24 hours and actually the results appeared in our inboxes in 12 hours at a cost of $70. Not sure why it costs so much more in Canada and why it takes 48 hours to get the results… We stopped back at the Tipsy Shark for breakfast. As it was my birthday, I was treated to a mimosa and a decorated birthday breakfast plate. Great way to start the day.
Once back to the boat, we headed off to Sopers Hole. Sopers Hole harbour was heavily damaged during Hurricane Irma and only reopened last week. It is known for its colourful buildings along the waterfront including a Pussers store. After some shopping and our last Pussers Painkiller, we loaded up and started our last leg back to home base. Hard to believe our trip is almost over. It was a slow soggy ride as we were heading straight into the wind and while our skipper Ian was on the helm he got absolutely soaked while we all hid under cover. Good thing it was warm out. We called the charter company office to let them know we were in the harbour and they sent their staff out to take us to the dock. We were all curious as to how we would be dealt with once we got in after all our issues with the boat. We ended up talking with Peter who is part of the Management Team. All went well with the check out, and then we left him with Jen to discuss compensation. The conversation went well with Peter recognizing that we were put in a stressful position when it should not have happened. We were offered a refund of one day of the charter price and we were all happy with that. We started the cleanup process and the rest of the gang decided they wanted to sleep in a proper bed so chose to go to a hotel while Pat and I were happy to stay on board for the night. As it was my birthday, we met at the Pub for dinner as the food was good there. It was a great last day.
The next morning, we were up, showered and finished packing. It was going to be a long couple of days to get home and hoped everything would go as planned. Should have know that was a pipe dream. First the cab we ordered the day before didn’t show up so had to flag one down. He was a good driver and made sure we got to the airport on time. Then, the airline couldn’t check our luggage so we were manually checked in to San Juan and we would have to recheck it there. Of course that was before the flight was over an hour late which made it impossible to make our flight to Miami. We knew we had to be in Seattle that night so our PCR tests would still be valid for entry to Canada so were rerouted through Dallas Fort Worth on standby and luckily there were a couple of seats. We were also wait listed for the flight to Seattle but when we checked in we were issues seats right away so made it to Seattle but not until 1:30 am. We managed to get a couple of hours sleep at the hotel and then off to the airport for our flights to Victoria through Vancouver. So glad to get home.
In the meantime, our other crew were flying through Atlanta and had the unfortunate experience of being caught in the airport lockdown when some idiot decided he was going to bring a loaded handgun home for Thanksgiving in his luggage. They were delayed about 4 hours but finally managed to get home in one piece.
While it was great to get away and we thoroughly enjoyed ort time, travel isn’t as easy as it used to be for now. With most businesses and staff just coming back to work things just aren’t running smoothly but for the most part they are doing a great job. You just need to have patience……

Pat Won The Bet

18 November 2021
Alison Byers
The charter company called us at 8:30 am to let us know the mechanic was on his way and would be there in about half an hour. In BVI time that could mean anywhere from 45 minutes to a couple of hours. We made bets on when he would actually arrive and Pat was the closest. He actually arrived at 9:30 am. We were hopeful we would be on our way in a couple of hours but no such luck….. The mechanic brought the wrong alternator so he had to go back to the shop to get another one. He finally returned but after installing the new alternator he realized the belt wasn’t straight so would fall off if we attempted to use the engine. At this point we were on the phone to the charter company and I can tell you the conversation was pretty heated. The mechanic was okay staying on the boat with us as we sailed around to Cane Garden Bay and would put the belt back on each time it popped off. However, the charter company didn’t want to pay him overtime so said no. So instead, they sent another mechanic to bring parts to fix the problem. Finally, we had a running engine by 3:00 pm. Our final conversation with the charter company included a comment about financial compensation for being delayed. What that actually means will be interesting. While normally having to stay in a location longer isn’t such a big deal, but Trellis Bay is a fraction of what it used to be. Most of the mooring balls are gone, the art gallery is closed as well as most of the restaurants. The Loose Mongoose has been rebuilt and has just reopened, but honestly that is all there is. We were glad to be able to get to Cane Garden Bay for sunset.
We had a great motor sail to Cane Garden Bay and made it in an hour and a half. Ian wanted to fish on the way so put his line in the water. So far he has had no luck. So Pat decided he needed to catch a fish. He had bought some Grouper and Tripp from a fisherman on the dock in Anegada so Pat and Craig pulled in the line and attached one of the fish and let the line go again. We then yelled at Ian he had a fish on the line. It was hard not to laugh watching him pull in his line. He was pretty excited until he realized he had caught a cleaned fish!! I was laughing so hard I had tears running down my face. When we arrived at Cane Garden Bay we were relieved to find no north swell so it would be a calm night. If the north swells are strong, it can be a very rollie sleep. We quickly got ourselves to shore so we could make sure we had a Rum Punch at Rhymers and enjoy the sunset and we were not disappointed. Back to the boat for fish dinner. We spent the next morning exploring Cane Garden Bay including the Callwood Rum Factory which has the worst rum. We walked the beach stopped to have a drink and then decided to leave as the cruise shippers arrived and the beach got really busy. Off to Jost Van Dyke……

Anegada Here We Come

17 November 2021
Alison Byers
Anegada is the only coral island in the BVI’s and is 12 km north of Virgin Gorda. We had a great sail and arrived at the entrance to the channel in about 3 hours. As you are cutting through the reef to get to the anchorage, you really have to watch the entrance markers and depth sounder to ensure you don’t run aground. Definitely higher on the pucker rating!! Several other boats were arriving at the same time, so it looked like a congo line heading in. The boys and Ali decided to take a cab to Cow Wreck Bay and the others wanted to stay on board. Cow Wreck is very popular as there is a beach bar, a long white sand beach and you can swim inside the reef. It was a bit rough for snorkeling but we did get a good swim. Had a few Painkillers and talked with some other boaters before heading back to get cleaned up for dinner. We had made reservations at the Anegada Beach Hotel for lobster dinner which is something we regrated not doing on our previous visits. We actually looked like a group going out on the town except for our dinghy bums… Dinner was good and the lobster as fresh as you can get it. You can actually see your dinner in the traps as you come in. Off to bed with very full stomachs.
We had booked a tour with Kelly for 9:00 am so went to shore for a quick breakfast before heading out. Kelly is a 30 year old Anegadian who has lived on the island since he was 18. He took us out to Conch Island which is where the locals throw all their conch shells. Apparently, live conch do not like to be around dead conch so they pile up the shells downstream from the conch beds. We were able to walk inside the conch piles which was amazing. We then headed out to the reef to do some snorkeling and lobster fishing. The reef is 36 miles long and there is about 5 feet of water clearance on top. The locals fly over the reef in their boats as they definitely have the local knowledge. Kelly managed to get us 3 lobsters and a conch for our dinner and everyone got a chance to snorkel. There were lots of Lionfish which are a problem in other parts of the Caribbean but not in Anegada yet. They have found that groupers are now eating them so this is helping to keep the Lionfish population at bay. Once back to the boat with our goodies, we slipped the lines and headed off to Trellis Bay. We had a great sail and were managing to hold 7 knots for most of the way. And then the trouble started. When we tried to start the starboard engine it wouldn’t start so we tried by using the bypass button. The engine started but obviously the alternator had seized and caused the belt to start burning. We quickly shut it off and were now with only one engine. Sounds like it should be okay but it is vey hard to maneuver this size. We called the charter company and they basically said get yourself moored and they will hopefully send someone the next day. I have to give the skipper and crew a gold medal for their ability to pick up a mooring ball and get us tied up. It did take us 2 attempts but with very little steering ability it was done flawlessly. We even got cheers from the boat next to us. Pat called the charter company again and finally talked to someone who agreed to send someone in the morning between 8:30 and 9:00 am. We made bets………

Playing the Whack A Mole Game

16 November 2021
Alison Byers
Nothing in the BVI's is far away but we managed to make a short 5 km trip into a couple of hours of sailing. We were able to work through some of the issues with the Main Sail and get the crew into sailing mode. Cooper Island is one of the busiest spots so you need to get there early to ensure you get a mooring ball as there is no anchoring due to being a protected eel grass sea bed for the turtles. Once settled, the girls put the paddle boards in the water and headed out, and the boys put on their snorkel gear to check around. Once everyone got their exercise, we headed into shore for happy hour. The Cooper Island Beach Club is very expensive but happy hour is reasonable. After a couple of drinks, back to the boat for gourmet hot dogs, some star watching and early to bed.
The next morning, we were up early after a quick breakfast to get to the Baths early to ensure we got a mooring ball. We were about 1 hour when the starboard engine battery alarm started ringing. Here we go again - the whack a mole game. We called the charter company and they told us to ignore it. Okay so we did except just before we reached the Baths, the starboard tack stopped working. As we wanted to arrive in Leverick Bay for the night, we made the decision to call them again once we left the Baths so we could keep to our plan and not there's. We swam to shore and arrived at the beach just as a group of cruise shippers arrived. The cruise ships starting arriving again in the BVI's yesterday and The Baths is one of the most popular spots. We walked through the rocks, explored the beaches and then walked along the return path which took us up to the restaurant at the top and then back down to Devils Bay. Needless to say, we all had very sore feet as we didn't have any shoes. We swam back to the boat and headed off to Leverick Bay. We phoned the Charter Company and they arranged for a Mechanic to meet us there.
Richard Branson's mansion on Mosquito Point has been rebuilt and now there are several other mega mansions on Mosquito Island. We were told you couldn't buy a lot there unless you could prove you had 10 million dollars in the bank. Leverick Bay was pretty busy as compared to the other places we have been and probably due to it being Friday night. We managed to pick up a mooring ball despite a few issues so gave the other boats in the anchourage a show. We loaded into the dinghy and went to shore for some snacks and shopping. Leverick Bay used to be a stop for laundry, showers and provisioning but is still being rebuilt after Hurricane Irma 4 years ago. However, despite no laundry or showers, there is a new small grocery store and the restaurant and some of the other shops are open. Wasn't hard to spend some money. When we came back to the boat the Mechanic was just leaving. Apparently, the alternator was dead so he would order a new one and install it tomorrow. We made a reservation for dinner as it is the Friday night BBQ and entertainment - Fire Jumbies (people on stilts twirling fire sticks). The dinner was pretty good but we decided to leave before the entertainment which finally started just as we were leaving the dock. So we waited a few minutes, saw some of the entertainment and then saw the fire sticks from the boat. Star gazed for awhile and then off to bed.
As we had to stick around to get the motor fixed, we decided to head around to the Bitter End and Saba Rock for the day to see what was happening and then back to Leverick Bay for the night. We went to pick up a mooring ball in front of The Bitter End and discovered no lines attached to them. So Craig jumped in and secured a line and we managed to tie us on. It turns out the mooring field is new and not actually open yet. Oh well, on one came to tell us to move on. The gang went to shore for a hike, but were asked to leave all of our previous hiking spots as there is still lots of debris, down wires and construction. The Bitter End is in the process of rebuilding and not ready for boaters. Something is also happening at Biras Creek but you are turned away by security guards so can't see what's going on. Saba Rock is now finished and open again. We went back to Leverick Bay and shortly after, the mechanic arrived. He didn't get far as it turned out the Charter Company sent the wrong alternator. After much discussion it was decided to disable the alarm and we would go on our merry way with no alternator on one engine. The Charter Company then called us to make sure we were okay with the decision. I think they may be afraid of Jen who arranged the trip as it hasn't been an easy process. We took a cab up to Hog Heaven for BBQ Ribs and the view. It is quite a windy trip on narrow, rough roads. Food was good and the company great. There is a new company managing some of the mooring balls but everything is done online. We tried to pay, but finally just gave up. Have no idea if we paid or not. Oh well, don't make it so complicated when there is little or no wifi available. More adventures to come.....


And We Are Off

13 November 2021
Alison Byers
As we leave San Juan we appreciate their diligence in reducing the risk for catching COVID and at no time did we feel our health was being compromised. We were asked for our proof of vaccination when entering most restaurants, and the Canadian Vaccine Passport worked great. When we arrived in the BVI’s, we had to do another rapid antigen test and were not allowed to leave the airport until we had the results. It was a third test in a week!! As much as it is a pain in the ass to constantly get tested, it is nice to know we do not have Covid. It took us just over an hour to get tested, clear in and finally get on our way to our hotel. After checking in, our first stop was Pussers for their famous Painkillers and chicken wings. While it has been 5 years since we have been there, the food and drinks were just as we remembered. Back to the hotel for an early night.
Up the next morning, had breakfast and wandered the town. Not much to see but everyone was very friendly and glad to see the tourists back. The girls grabbed a cab and headed to the grocery store for provisions while the boys headed back to Pussers for more chicken wings. Grocery shopping was an experience as you never know what you will find or not find. We did manage to fill 3 shopping carts and arranged to have our groceries delivered to our boat later that day. Back to the hotel and check out and then just hang around until we could get onto our boat. Travelling is all about the hurry up and wait!! So finally, we got a cab and off to the boatyard. Our boat is named Sunshine and she is a 2014 40 foot Lagoon Catamaran. She is big with 4 cabins and 2 heads but has been well used. We got unpacked which is a nice feeling after living out of a suitcase for the past week and were able to store our bags in the pare cabin. We then had to wait for our groceries and did so while enjoying a few cold beers. Unfortunately, only one cart of stuff arrived with all our dry stuff missing. So, Jen got in a cab and headed back to the grocery store and low and behold there was our stuff sitting by the front door. So much for paying for delivery. She brought the groceries back and we managed to get everything put away despite very little galley storage. We decided not to cook on board the first night as it is very very hot in the harbour basin so we went to the pub by the marina. Great food and service despite Jen getting caught with a counterfit $50 and not sure where it got slipped to her. We could definitely tell it was a washed bill and the ink was poor. They call Roadtown stinky harbour as it has open sewers and is very hot. Will be glad to leave it behind.
While it is nice being tied to the dock for ease of getting on and off the boat, it does make for a hot sleep. We were hoping to be able to get our charter briefing early so we could get out by noon, but alas the charter company was moving to BVI time – slow. It seems they missed chapter 3 which is the one on customer service!! We finally managed to get them on board about 11:00 am to do the briefing with Pat and Ian and then off to get fuel. Not sure why they couldn’t have done that the day before??? Anyway, we then had our chart briefing and were finally allowed to depart. While the boat is only 7 years old, it is pretty tired, maybe from being abused during charters, or the hurricane or both. We motor sailed over to the Indians to do some snorkeling and while the gang thought it was great, the reefs are still dying and the fish are limited as to what our experience has been. Then off to Norman Island which is home to the famous Willie T’s which is nothing more than an old fishing boat anchoured in the Byte and used as a bar. We picked up a mooring ball on our first attempt with a green crew which is a great accomplishment. Nice to get the first day done and begin to understand the idiosyncrasies of the boat. We all piled into the dinghy and headed to Willy T’s. Well that was a show. The place was busy and many of the people had been there for a while and maybe had a few too many painkillers. We had a couple of painkillers ourselves and watched the jumpers off the back of the boat. They used to give you a free drink if you did it in the buff but those days ae done. I think now they give you a fake tattoo instead. We saw one woman get one on her boob and another one on her ass and they were both older than any of us. Only Craig in our group took on the challenge and did so with great style. Pat and I shared many memories of our shenanigans at the Willie T on our past visits. Back to the boat for hamburgers, some star watching and to bed.
The next morning the crew dinghied over the Caves which is another snorkeling spot. You can actually swim inside a cave and while most of the coral is dead, there is still lots to see. Glad the group got to see it as we are trying to ensure they see the best of the BVI’s. After a quick breakfast of Egg McMuffins we slipped the lines and headed over to Cooper Island.

You Aren't Lost As Long As You Have Gas In Your Tank

08 November 2021
Alison Byers
After a long couple of days travelling, we finally arrived in Puerto Rico to a balmy 85F. We picked up our rental car, and headed off to Fajardo which is home to the largest marinas on the eastern side of the island. There are also large storage yards and all you can see are lots of million dollar fishing boats. We were saddened to see what the destruction from the hurricanes (4 in four years) has done to this city and while they were trying to recover, Covid hit. On every street in the downtown core, basically only one store is open with the rest boarded up. Many of the locals have told us they went anywhere from 3 to 6 months with no power over the past few years which has not helped. They are very grateful the tourism industry is starting up again as many have not worked for over a year. Our hotel was up on the hill and while the restaurants were all closed, we were able to go the popular Kioskos Row. I am sure when things were booming, all of the kiosko would be open but now only about an eighth are still in business. We found a great little local restaurant and had a monster of a steak (which we split) for $30.
We then headed off to Rincon which is on the eastern side of the Island. We basically drove around the bottom of the island to the west coast which took us about 3 hours. We were staying at the Rincon Beach Hotel which has a 4-star rating, but unfortunately this is not what we found. While the room was clean and had a good view, the TV didn’t work and neither did the phone. We went down to the restaurant for dinner but the décor reminded us of something right out of the 80’s. So we ate out in the bar area despite them giving us a hard time about serving food outside of the restaurant. The food was really good though. Pat found a new rum – Don Q Gold which he really enjoyed.
We then headed back to San Juan but on the way decided to stop for breakfast. Pat had it in his head he wanted to go to Denny’s. So I punched it in to Google Maps and off we went. Well, she took us through the back roads, over mountain ridges, through valleys and residential areas and we finally arrived at our destination which was definitely off the beaten track. Breakfast was okay but we had a good laugh. We took our car back to the airport and were going to get a Rapid Antigen Test for our flight to the BVI’s. It turns out, the testing facilities are behind security so you need to have a boarding pass to get through. As we weren’t able to get a boarding pass until 24 hours before our flight, we couldn’t get a test. Had to find another plan. We took a taxi to our hotel which is a luxury quaint old building in Cordoba Beach in San Juan. Cordoba Beach is the happening place for the younger generation and we have enjoyed walking the beach and watching the tourists. Americans are interesting shall we say. The service in the hotel is above and beyond and we they were able to get us a Covid test right away and for half the price of what we would have paid at the airport and we had our results in 15 minutes. Our room had a private courtyard including an outdoor shower and fountain. While the rooms weren’t large, the outdoor space made up for it. We spent a couple of days exploring on our own and then the rest of our sailing group arrived.
We met up with the group in the afternoon after they arrived, had a few drinks at a local happy hour place and then had a great dinner at a little restaurant we found. The next day we walked into Old San Juan from our hotel (4.5 km) in the heat – OMG. We met up with our sailing gang, wandered the streets of Old San Juan, had some food, hung out and then headed back to our hotel. Old San Juan is beautiful with all the old architecture, narrow streets and lots of metal work for railings and balconies. We were pretty tired after our morning trek, so once back at our hotel we chilled out for awhile and then out for a few appies and a salad – they don’t eat many veggies here!! We will be up early tomorrow for our next leg of our adventure to the BVI’s!!!
XeniaII's Photos - Hobbitin, Rotorua and Taupo
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