Daze off!

Current Location: Road Harbor, Tortola
Lat/Lon: 18°25.5' N 64°36.9' W
Air Temp: 82°F Sea Temp: 80°F
Weather: Clear

So we have a few days off and don't want to pay to sit at the dock but didn't feel like going to some pristine, secluded, virgin anchorage. So we decided to sit in the middle of Road Harbor and watch the world go by:


We have a couple of friends who live on an old wooden ketch in the harbor when they are not running a private charter boat. They had been working for a big charter company when we met them and they gave us a lot of good advice as we were starting in the industry (mostly: "don't work here"). Rafted up to their boat is a beautiful black wooden schooner When and If, which used to be General Patton's yacht. She is very YAR:


Just outside the jetty are a couple of cruise ships. Wow these things are big. They were testing their anchor earlier this morning. They carry 12 cord of anchor chain, at least 1000 feet of rode. Each shackle must be a foot or two long.


Across the harbor is that big charter company I mentioned earlier. They just built a brand-new reception area with several restaurants, a spa, expanded hotel, etc. The place is empty. Looks like most of their fleet is sitting at the dock, rafted up several boats deep:


Many of these boats have been abandoned by their owners and the banks are simply storing them for lack of anything else to do with them. If you are looking to buy a boat, this summer might be the time!