[p]pjr4728
[s]
pos: 18 25.503n 064 36.714w
sp: 0.0
h: 0m
w: lovely
d: 22/01/20 11.07 GMT-0400
Wheres Wally? Or more to the point, where's Windchase? Well a few very brief updates to catch-up on our whistlestop tour of the Carribean...We've actually just set off from Panama, bound for the Marquesas. I actually had written up quite a bit more, but managed to drown my phone on which the diary was kept in the Las Perlas islands (40nm SE of Panama City). Oh we;;, c'est la viwe...I'll try and fill in more later, but typing this on passage, so just the briefest details for now!

Arrived in Road Town, BVI after an easy 19hr, 85nm downwind passage from Anguilla.

Our 5 days in Anguilla were a bit of a disappointment tbh - The weather wasn't flash, with quite a bit of drizzle, and it's a place that seems to want to cater more for the high-end traveller (and yachties) than us n'er-do-well cruisers...Basically your anchoring options are very limited, to only 2 bays, and while off-lying islands have moorings to protect their reefs, you had to pay the princely sum of around US$56/day for the privilege of their use (in daytime only!). I've no doubt they'd get more cruising visitors (and their income for locals) if they charged less. The locals were certainly welcoming through, even if the weather wasn't - but it looks like not much of the tourist $ filters down and from a quick visit to the main town (and the ever-illuminating chats with taxi drivers), what limited resources are available don't seem to get spent on infrastructure.
Still, the anchorage we did stay in did have a very lovely & long perfect-sand beach, a short climb up to a neighbouring village to get supplies and several (expensive) restaurants and bars spilling out onto the beach. We stuck to the latter in the name of cocktail research, mainly hanging out at the very chilled Elvis's Bar which Mili liked as it had friendly dogs...and served great fish tacos too.

Initial impressions of the BVI (Road Town) were was that it is a bit run-down and touristy (given we had picked up a free mooring in the harbour which was accomodating two mega-cruiseliners, while we went ashore to complete formalities)...But the impressions definitely improved significantly when we headed off to explore more around the two main islands of Tortola and Virgin Gorda....very lovely!

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