BVI Sailing Adventure 2026 - Day 8

We departed Oil Nut Bay and passed by Saba Rock on our way to Gorda Sound.  The wind is picking up and it should be a good sailing day.  However, every sailor knows there are three types of wind - too much wind, not enough wind and wind from the wrong direction. We hoisted sail, shut off the engines and enjoyed several hours of sailing in generally the right direction.

We are under sail and underway to Cane Garden Bay.

As I mentioned we do not always get wind from the right direction. The magenta line is the course to Cane Garden Bay. The thin orange line is our heading.

My first visit to Cane Garden Bay was in 1978.  We anchored because Boatyball had not been invented. There were only a few other boats in the harbor.  Unlike the present day where every square foot of beach is covered with a chair and umbrella for rent, there was one beach bar with a tire swing hanging from a bent palm tree.  Back then we were approached by a very tall local man with a very large machete.  We were a little concerned as he came near us.  Then he asked if we would like buy a coconut from him.  He had a burlap bag slung over his shoulder containing several coconuts.  He chopped the coconuts with his machete and we drank the coconut water.  He then offered to be our guide to visit the nearby Callwood’s rum factory.  The rum factory has been in the same location for over 400 years.  What could go wrong with following a very large man with a large machete into a swamp.  We walked along a dirt trail and arrived at the rum factory.  There were piles of sugar cane, wooden casks and a still.  Mt Callwood greeted us and gave us a tour.  They collected water in a cistern to make the rum.  It was a very basic operation. The price for the rum was $1.00 per bottle if you brought your own bottle.  If you didn’t have a bottle the price was $1.25.  The Callwood’s staff would pick though the boaters trash and take the empty liquor bottles.  We bought a bottle of dark rum in a Seagrams Seven bottle.  Our guides name was Mr. Meyers. 

Today Cane Garden Bay is a metropolis compared to our first visit.  There are hotels, dozens of bars and restaurants and a Bobby’s supermarket with a reasonable selection of food items.  As I mentioned before every foot of beach is claimed by vendors renting chairs.

We met a fellow from Sao Paulo, Brazil as we were walking on the road.  He told us where to find the grocery store and mentioned he worked at souvenir shop nearby.  We checked out Bobby’s and then went to his store which very nice clothing items.  I bought a shirt.  Next door to the clothing store was Myett’s beach front bar and restaurant. We cocktailed and had appetizers.  The lobster bites were the best.  On the way back we shopped at Bobby’s for a few items mostly fruit and produce. 

There were less expensive options than paying $12 for a painkiller at Myett’s. Two for one painkillers for $7 at the Paradise Club.

We did have another situation that we thought could be quickly resolved.  The generator on the boat never worked from day one. It would start and run for 30 seconds and shut down because it was not pumping cooling water.  It was not a crisis because we can charge the batteries with the diesel engines but it takes a minimum of three hours in the morning and three hours at night. In reality it was taking eight hours to charge the batteries so we could get though the night.  Since Cane Garden Bay is a short car ride from Nanny Cay it seemed reasonable to ask for a repair. In addition the fresh water hose on the stern had broken.  We use it to wash off with fresh water after swimming.  It seemed like a good idea to get both fixed. I called Navigare and they sent a tech named Hiro from Barbados. He has a wife and two older children and has not been home to see his family in five years.  I asked how long a plane would it be to go home?  He said one hour.  

Hiro spent over two hours trying to start our generator.  He finally gave up but he did replace the water hose for the stern shower.

This is my view of the helm.

Our boat neighbors passed by with 13 people in their dingy. Yes 13.

Cane Garden Bay can be rolly.  This where I really appreciate the stability of a catamaran vs a monohull.  There were two monohulls in the anchorage that were rocking almost spreader to spreader. We were barely rocking except when I am playing my ukulele.  

Tomorrow we will play Boatyball lottery again.