Gromit's S.S. Scatterbrained Trip Report - Day 3

[Gromit]

December 10, 2009

We awoke early and we prepared a variety of bagels and yogurt and coffee options for everyone.

Again I felt like I was always the one sleeping in. But I guess that gave Vicki all the time she needed to make her famous sludge.

Vicki’s coffee is apparently legendary and her co-workers apparently don’t allow her anywhere near a coffeemaker in the office. Honestly I’m not a huge coffee drinker and I add so much milk and sugar to my coffee when I do drink it that it might was well be hot chocolate. But just between us… her coffee’s TOTALLY fine. It’ll put hair on your chest. But TOTALLY fine.

For some reason I think that we went for a snorkel around Waterlemon Cay in the morning (or course it could have been the previous afternoon).

All I know is that at some point on this anchorage we did the loop around Waterlemon Cay (this time I went the CORRECT way around the Cay—which in this case is COUNTER clockwise).

Last December I made the terrible error of trying to swim the Cay clockwise and it was honestly some of the toughest swimming I have ever done. Word to the wise on the Cay: COUNTER CLOCKWISE is your friend.

After the morning’s activities we headed out of the USVI’s towards the East End of Tortola so that we could clear BVI customs in Soper’s Hole. This was a spot that I had never been to before and was looking forward to checking it out.

The journey to Tortola’s East End was uneventful and with my trusty Cheetos at my side I was fending off any queasiness quite nicely. I was starting to find my sea legs even if I wasn’t entirely graceful when it came to the boat. But I found a comfortable spot and settled in for the ride.

Vicki and Matt headed forward to get some sun up on deck and watch the world go by.

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We waited on the boat while Mr. ScubaGirl took our passports and paperwork into customs. He returned with a sweet surprise: a certificate from the customs officer that wished me a happy birthday during my stay in the BVI. It was super sweet of them!

Soper’s Hole is a cute little spot and we dinghied to the dock and wandered around the shops for a bit before grabbing lunch.

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Mr. Gromit was having mask issues and decided to pick up a new mask at their dive shop (which turned out to have excellent prices by the way).

Based on ScubaGirls advice we also picked up a mesh bag for our toiletries which came in very handy while showering off the back of the boat later in the trip. After a bit of shopping we settled into Pussers for some of their famous wings and Painkillers.

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Pussers version of a mojito:

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The Vickirazzi:

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Let me just say right now that the wings did not disappoint. The sauce is an interesting balance of hot and sweet and it seems like they blend traditional buffalo wing sauce with a BBQ sauce, thus giving the wings their unique flavor.

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I had my first Roti of the trip and this too did not disappoint.

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Roti is a thick mixture of goat, or in this case chicken, potatoes and vegetables in curry sauce (that isn’t too spicy) and wrapped in a tortilla of sorts. It’s usually served with a fruit chutney (think mango or pineapple) on the side. Roti are more common in the BVI’s. Over the yearsI have had good roti at Foxy’s, the Willy T and now at Pussers.

After lunch we headed to the dock market to pick up some more charcoal, ice and rum (yes, we were already running low on rum!)

This is a very tidy little market and fairly upscale décor. Clearly catering to the boating crowd. The shelves are heavily laden with European labels and goods (this is after all the BVI) so I enjoyed spotting some of my favorite European brands everywhere. Surprisingly, prices aren’t that bad here. In fact decent. There’s also a decent deli upstairs. The only thing that annoyed me is that they didn’t have prices on ANYTHING so I was expecting to be gouged. But in fact they were reasonable. Not cheap but reasonable.

Overall Sopers Hole is a pleasant little spot to stop for groceries and lunch. The shopping is a bit on the weak side but the setting is quaint and colorful. I would have expected that the shops be better stocked for the upcoming season but they just weren’t. I can imagine that they are feeling the pinch just like everyone else in the Caribbean.

After lunch and gathering our booty we all hopped into the dinghy and headed back to the boat and then set sail for Marina Cay.

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The rest of the day was spent sailing up the Sir Francis Drake Channel and alongside Tortola (which by the way seemed like it went on FOREVER). And for the most part things went along uneventfully. To avoid having to tack Mr. ScubaGirl opted to use the motor and the autopilot for the journey.

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At some point Mr. Vicki was sitting aft alongside Mr. Scubagirl. I was sitting close by and out of the corner or my eye I see someone’s hat fly off. I thought it was Mr. ScubaGirls at first because he cut the engine and Mr. Vicki was saying something about trying to get it.

Now keep in mind we are in the MIDDLE of the Sir Francis Drake Channel (80-90+ feet deep) -- Tortola on our left and it’s late afternoon.

The hat was blue the sea was blue and the sky was cloudy. But for whatever reason it became clear that for some reason we were going to try to get this hat back.

We turned the boat around and we spotted it floating off the starboard side and I walked forward to keep my eye on it.

At some point the boat was tossed sideways and I lost my footing. But I caught myself in time to keep from pitching overboard and hit the last three toes on my right foot on something near the rail in the process. But I still had my eye on the hat.

I walked forward calling back directions to Mr. ScubaGirl so he could position the boat and so that we could use the mooring hook to snag it. Mr. Gromit had grabbed the hook and started forward while I was at the bow and keeping my eye on this hat that seemed to miraculously float.

At that point I looked down at my foot, which was really kind of hurting at this point and saw that I was bleeding like a stuck pig all over the deck and had left bloody footprints in my wake.

I checked my toes, counted all five and noted that they were all facing the proper direction and decided that I would live. Meanwhile, Mr. Gromit was getting closer with the hook and we were coming right into position just in time for him to grab the hat with the hook. It was all coming together, we were going to get it! I pointed to the hat and motioned for Mr. Gromit to get it and he looked down and saw all the blood and just stopped and was like, “Are you Ok?”

At this point I was like, “Who gives a crap if I’m OK?! Just get the effing hat!”

Of course he had delayed just long enough to miss it.

At this point I can describe my exact emotions in two words: Not Happy.

Screw my foot. Get the HAT!! (Yeah, I'm kind of difficult like that). See? My hubby gets LOTS of points.

Seeing that we missed it, I was frustrated and we motioned for Mr. Scubagirl to turn the boat around again. After some more maneuvering and trying not to lose sight of the hat we got into position again and at this point, Mr. Vicki decided to jump off the back of the boat, grab the hat and then climb back aboard.

It was then that I realized that it was Mr. Vicki’s hat and Mr. Scubagirl was not exactly happy about the antics of our previous 15 minutes.

I’m trying not to bleed all over the deck. Mr. Gromit’s pissed at me because I was pissed at him for worrying more about my foot than accomplishing the task at hand (thus making my blood sacrifice a little less worthwhile).

The clouds gathered overhead, the seas darkened, I continued to bleed and Mr. Vicki started spewing forth a string of apologies that would continue late into the night and, in truth, throughout the rest of the week.

Now before you start to worry about me too much, Mr. Gromit is a closet EMT. He’s gotten all of his detailed medical training from watching old M*A*S*H* re-runs and episodes of House, MD and in all honesty this must see TV is worth its weight in gold when it comes to how to treat minor injuries.

He grabbed the monster First Aid kit he brought down and set to work determining how bad the damage was to my foot.

Keep in mind someone could have lost a limb and there would be something in this kit to fix it so I was not in the least bit worried.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at Mr. Vicki because he kept giving me this terribly sad look like I was a puppy he’d just accidentally kicked or something.

I tried to reassure him that I am perhaps the clumsiest human being to walk the earth. I am covered in scars that are a result of a rough and tumble, self- imposed tomboy childhood.

When Mr. Gromit and I first met we were like Mel Gibson and Renee Russo in Lethal Weapon 4, one-upping each other on the number and size and texture of the scars we sported all over our bodies.

I wear my scars proudly and I am no shrinking violet when it comes to pain. I don’t ask for it mind you, but undoubtedly it finds me.

Within no time Mr. Gromit had determined the source of bleeding: a cut on the inside of my toe. And of course a giant bruise started to form on the others --Of COURSE! Within no time he had treated and bandaged me up to the best of his ability. All the while I tried to reassure Mr. Vicki that no harm was done. Even if I’d lost a toe, I have nine others. TOTALLY fine.

After a few minutes of silent apologies and picking up medical wrappers we all started to giggle and to marvel at how silly it was that we put so much effort into retrieving a $20 hat from the middle of the ocean. But hey, it was a great hat! TOTALLY worth it!

With the sun starting to set and a long day on the water behind us, Marina Cay was within sight. It’s usually best to find a mooring well before dark due to the fact that there are only so many moorings and you don’t want to be trying to drop anchor in the dark if you can’t find one. Not a good position to be in.

We went back and forth over whether or not to just head straight for Marina Cay or try for Trellis Cay right across the way (where an artists’ colony resides).

After some back and forth it was clear that our captain was nervous about finding a mooring and we were running out of daylight fast. In the end Marina Cay won out and we found a mooring easily enough.

Marina Cay is a rough anchorage this time of year and this night was no different. It was one of those nights when I kind of wished I was on a Catamaran which is infinitely more stable in rolling seas.

I had offered to cook dinner but every time I headed down into the galley and turned left or right my stomach would lurch and I felt like my head was going to explode.

Thank god that ScubaGirl and Vicki who didn’t seem to be having nearly the same difficulty. So they prepared dinner and I hung out on the stairs where I could be closer to fresh air.

Honestly,I have no idea what we had for dinner that night. I think it was some of the chicken I had marinated. I'm sure Vicki has a picture of it or something (somebody help me out here!) I wanted to make red beans and rice to go with it but I honestly don’t recall what we ended up having. I was just trying desperately not to see my dinner again as the boat pitched and rolled on the mooring.

I think that Mr. Vicki drugged me with rum and Dramamine that night and I remember hitting the sack pretty early.

After all it had been a long and adventurous day! I do remember that it rained that night off and on.

Most evenings we would experience short lived showers. These are much more problematic on a boat especially when you are trying to keep the hatches open and keep air circulating in the cabin. It is a unique feeling to be fast asleep and to feel the rain pellets start to hit your face.

After a few days I learned how to sit up without giving myself a concussion, and feel in the dark for the hatches. Close them up and fall back into my berth without actually having to wake up.

So all in all not an entirely notsogood day. But then again even the crappiest day in the islands is better than the best day at home.

Overall I was starting to gain some respect for the sea and what it brings and what it can take away. The experience was shaping my perspective of the islands and giving me a better understanding of the way of life that people adopt when they choose to live and or vacation at sea.

At times it was utterly peaceful and at others turbulent. And it was important to understand what was worth going after and why. And what wasn’t. All good lessons.

I lay down in my berth and settled in for the night. Grateful that my eyelids were once again heavy as stones, I drifted off to sleep as quickly as one of those stones might sink to the ocean floor.

This was surely shaping up to be a grand adventure and I was lucky enough to be sharing it with five other fantastic people.

Lessons Learned Day 3:

1. Rain happens. Especially in the middle of the night when the hatches are open.

2. It’s TOTALLY worth it to risk life, limb and a $300,000 boat to retrieve a $20 Skinny Legs hat form the middle of the Ocean. Totally.

3. If you’re seasick, don’t go inside the boat and definitely don’t look left or right if you do

4. Don’t let Vicki make the coffee.

5. You can never have too much Dramamine or too much Imodium on a boat trip. Never.

Tomorrow: The Bitter End, Saba Rock and Prickly Pear. Also: Lemon Freezes; the big titty committee welcomes Vicki; and a drunk, high washed up reggae singer serenades our arrival to a virtually deserted island.

[Lovermont]

Is it wrong to laugh at your pain & discomfort. I hope not. Hee hee!

Lovermont

[Teresa_Rae]

Vicki, are my eyes deceiving me or is there no polarizing filter on your lens?

[AnyTing]

Vicki, are my eyes deceiving me or is there no polarizing filter on your lens?

Don't worry, girlfriend...it's there!

And you LOVED my coffee, Gromit. You know you did. Stop lying.

[LMG]

I read this installment while listening to Christmas music. It was very peaceful, in spite of your harrowing tale. Blood just looks so much worse on a white surface, right?
Great job, Gromit. If you could please stretch out the end for about another week, that'd be fine with me.

[tinajohnson]

Loving your reports....keep 'em coming!

[Teresa_Rae]

Vicki, are my eyes deceiving me or is there no polarizing filter on your lens?

Don't worry, girlfriend...it's there!

Isn't that your regular lens cap though? How does it fit over your filter?

[California Girl]

I used to think Keith (Mr. ScubaGirl) was just extremely patient with the antics of a newbie like me on "his" boat. (I also pulled a HUGE gaffe that I am way to embarrassed about to mention.)

Now I'm convinced he's a SAINT to keep taking inexperienced people out for a week on a boat!

[designbyroe]

I can't wait til I get to do a trip like this
keep it coming gromit. I agree like LMG says take a long time

[PA Girl]

Gromit, when you mentioned your bruises in a prior post I thought to myself "at least she didn't mangle up her toes" as I would do every trip on my grandparent's boat. I thought/spoke too soon. Ouchy!

[AnyTing]

Isn't that your regular lens cap though? How does it fit over your filter?

Cool thing about B+W polarizing filters...your Canon lens cap fits on them perfectly. Love it.

[Teresa_Rae]

Isn't that your regular lens cap though? How does it fit over your filter?

Cool thing about B+W polarizing filters...your Canon lens cap fits on them perfectly. Love it.

What the?

For real? I have a B+W and I could swear my lens cap doesn't fit over it. Or maybe I just assumed it wouldn't because they usually don't? Hmm, I'll have to check on that, it would sure make my life a lot easier...and me a lot stupider for not figuring it out sooner.

Seriously girlfriend, you have made my day if this works.