Dinghy Docking Plan - Please note that Northern Harbour has assinged dinghy docking spots to all customers, please see the assinged spots posted at the end of each dock. Please do not park in spots that are assinged to others as this is leading to confusion with spots.
Wake in the Bay - Please be advised that there have been some concerns brought to our attention from boaters at Northern Harbour as well as the residents of Pine Portage Bay regarding the amount of excess wake from power boaters. In order to assist in resolving this matter, we would ask that power boats use the west track to and from Northern Harbour and keep wake to a minimum around the harbour as well as to the end of the bay. We trust that all boaters are willing to abide by this however failure to do so will result in removal of the boater from Northern Harbour.
BVI Wreck Week 2010 - Charter Promenade
BVI WRECK WEEK - JUNE 12-19, 2010
Promenade, a 65-foot trimaran, will be offering this special dive week to charterers on an individual cabin basis, or as a whole-boat private charter... whichever way gets the first booking.
Here's a press release from Kerry of the trimaran Promenade:
In conjunction with The BVI Tourist Board, your week on Promenade will include 6 nights and 7 days onboard our wide stable air conditioned multi-hull with all buffet meals, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, wine with dinner, all diving, and other water sports including fishing, waterskiing, kayaking. Package also includes a guided narrated tour of Salt Island, your own personal chart to mark your trip around the islands, a complimentary book on the Chikuzen or RMS RHONE, and a souvenir t-shirt! Cost of package is $2000.00 per person, based on double occupancy per cabin. Discounts are available for a group chartering the entire yacht.If you are unable to take advantage of BVI Wreck Week (June 12-19, 2010), Promenade is offering a cabin cruise April 19-25, 2010. Click HERE for details. PLUS, they have other weeks available in the season for "normal" private charters (i.e., not cabin bookings).Our style of diving on Promenade is casual. If you are a photographer, please feel free to go at your own pace. If you want a divemaster to lead you, follow our crew member, if you prefer diving by yourself after a thorough briefing on the site, go ahead. IF you want to get up very early in the morning and jump in the water (as we tend to anchor over dive sites because of night dives this week) feel free to (as long as a crew member knows that you are in the water).
SAMPLE ITINERARY FOR BVI WRECK WEEK
This is a sample itinerary ONLY. We have two wrecks, the Parametta and the ROCUS on Anegada Reef, that if the weather conditions allow, we will be going out to dive. We do however, guarantee to hit as many wrecks as we can in the time as we can and to do unlimited diving.
- Day 1, Saturday 12 June 2010: Board Promenade 12 noon. Promenade will welcome you with a light lunch before sailing over to the wreck of the FEARLESS outside Great Harbor on Peter Island to do our first wreck dive. We will anchor for the evening at Little Harbor on Peter Island.
Day 2: We will dive Carrot Rock on the outside of Peter Island after breakfast, one of our favorite dive sites, with pinnacles reaching from 70 feet up to the surface. Lunch will be at White Bay at Peter Island, with time for a beach excursion or snorkeling trip before we dive “Brown Pants” on the outside of Norman Island, or Santa Monica Rock, so named for the Santa Monica that hit the pinnacles here on April 29th, 1783 and subsequently sank at Water Creek on St John. We will anchor for the night at Privateer Bay on Norman Island. Also known as the Caves at Treasure Point and the setting of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.
- Day 3: After a snorkel before breakfast with all the Glassy Eyed Sweepers in the caves, we will take a short hop over to the Indians, so named as they look like an Indians feathered headdress from a distance, where we will do a dive before sailing up for lunch at Salt Island. After hearing the history of the wreck of the Rhone we will dive the Rhone in the afternoon, and then after dinner SCUBA to watch the turtles sleeping underneath the wreck and the lobsters and crabs wandering around. This is bar none, not only the Best Wreck dive in the Caribbean, but also in the top 5 dives of the world. We will anchor overnight on Salt Island.
Day 4: Up and in the water early for a dive before breakfast before anyone else has a chance to disturb the wreck, we will then sail, weather permitting, out to the wreck of the CHIKUZEN, our second most famous wreck. We will dive the Chikuzen before lunch and again, after lunch before taking a leisurely sunset sail into Muskmelon Bay on Guana Island, one of our favorite deserted anchorages.
- Day 5: After a breakfast of watching the pelicans circling while they feed on the billions of bait fish in this bay, we will go around to the outside to dive Grand Central Station. Grand Central Station is so named for the many fish that converge around here, and it is capped up by a spectacular large cave that goes through the island at about 60 feet. We will then sail over to Cooper Island and dive the wreck of the Beata after lunch. We will stay overnight at Haulover Bay there and fit in another night dive.
- Day 6: We have two wrecks on our diving agenda today, the Inganess and the Marie L and the Pat, along with spectacular snorkeling and beachcombing before making our way around to Salt anchorage for our guided and narrated tour of the island, which is a very important part of the RMS Rhone’s history! We will then have a wrap up barbecue that evening on Salt Island!
- Day 7, Saturday 19 June 2010: Sadly, it is time to sail back to Road Town in the morning to disembark and leave paradise, with great memories.
PACKAGE:
Accommodation with Yacht Promenade Liveaboard
- 6 nights, 7 days including all food and beverages (wine with dinner, cocktails, unlimited beer and soda)
- Unlimited diving featuring the wrecks of the BVI, including a minimum of 3 dives on the wreck of the RMS Rhone (including 1 night dive)
- Dive Anegada (weather permitting), including The Chikuzen and The Rocus
- Special souvenir T-shirt
- Souvenir Chart to map your week
- Dive Book on the Chikuzen or RMS Rhone
- Wrap-up tour of Salt Island
- $4000.00 based on 2 people sharing a cabin.
Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book Promenade
View Promenade's online brochure
Visit our website: www.ParadiseConnections.com
View Promenade's online brochure
Visit our website: www.ParadiseConnections.com
The Islands of the Ioanian Sea ..... July 2009
02 - 06 July 2009
After seeing all there was to see we had no more excuses to stay and reluctantly untied from our free marina berth at Mesolongi. We motored back out of the channel into the Gulf of Patras and headed west once again, it was time to move on to the Ioanian Sea. Light westerlies once again, so just 8 tacks to clear the headland at the end of the Gulf before we could bear away a little and head for the popular island of Ithaca. Before we cleared the headland the winds picked up to over 20 knots but while we were thinking of putting a reef in the main they dropped, totally, leaving us with a messy slop which we started to motor though. After about an hour we had about 15 knots so managed to sail through the sloppy seas, but the wind and seas kept building, with the wind back on the nose and up to 30 knots. Engine back on and we motor-sailed for the final 3 hours making slow time in very uncomfortable conditions as the twilight approached. Welcome to the Ioanian.
Vathy harbour on Ithaca had come highly recommended by several fellow cruisers and sounded lovely in the Greek Waters Pilot but as we looked again at the charts and guide book we didn't think it was going to be great coverage but it was our only option late in the day. It's a big long bay, within a larger indentation, but with a strong nor'wester the wind was whipping through, and although on a lee shore it shallowed slowly and the water was reasonably flat, it was ok as home for the night.
The following morning brought clear skies again but around 20 knots plus was still gusting through. We didn't like to leave Balvenie on a lee shore to go off exploring, although the venetian architecture ashore with the surrounding green hills looked very appealing. We decided instead
to head off about 20 miles northeast, and once we cleared Ithaca we had a well earned beam reach in flat seas across to the bottom tip of Meganisi. The wind then dropped, so along with about 30 charter yachts we motored up the east coast of the island. Minutes after we turned west at the top were met with 20 knots on the nose, this provided much entertainment as some novice sailors on the charter boats were struggling with the sudden change in conditions.
We headed into the sheltered anchorage of Abelike Bay, we had at last hit the "busy anchorages", there were boats just everywhere, and a new addition arrived every couple of minutes. So with little time to ponder we claimed our spot. This was our first med mooring anchorage of the season, so while Skipper runs out the chain and tries to reverse in a straightish line simultaneously, (never easy with a good breeze blowing, a skeg rudder and no bow thruster), I take a quick dip and dive overboard with the floating mooring line attached to the boat at one end and swim ashore in search of a hardy tree or stable rock to tie to. Of course, this all needs to be effected in a very short space of time or Balvenie simply decides she doesn't want to be where we say and bounces back out on her anchor chain before I can get the line attached. This really is the most difficult way of anchoring with only 2 people on board, but when there are 27 boats tied up for the night in an anchorage that may comfortably fit 4 if swinging, then it is a necessary evil. The afternoons entertainment is also provided, watching everyone having there own way of doing this. Concern is always raised with the odd boat that likes to tie up to shore first and then just drop the anchor over the bow, not quite the way to do it!!!! We were also provided with much entertainment from some of the 'nudist' boats in the anchorage, they didn't seem to want anyone anchoring next to them (but it certainly didn't seem that they wanted the privacy!!) so would stand up on the bow, arms and other body parts waving in all directions if a boat came close. It is very hard to take anyone seriously when they are in the nuddie!!!
We decided to move on the next morning, it was the weekend and we had heard that the Yacht Club in Vlikho Bay on Levkas Island was showing the rugby test and the Wimbledon Mens Final, skipper was overdue for an injection of sport!!!! Off we set and motored the short distance in glassy seas. Enroute we circumnavigated
the small lush island of Skorpios, which has been privately owned by the Onassis family for many years. Although they own the island you are allowed to anchor in the bays and step ashore up to the high water mark, as dozens of the charter boats were doing. I suspect the family and visitors have a very large swimming pool at their summer house and never come down to the waters edge!
Onto Levkas and past the town of Nidri and Tranquil Bay. It quite possibly was Tranquil when named some years ago but now bumper to bumper with boats and jet skis whizzing around it is anything but Tranquil. We spotted fellow circumnavigators Samsara, with David and Sheryl from Melbourne onboard and rafted up next to them for a catch up and lunch. Always great to see familiar faces along the way. Then we headed down into Vlikho Bay, and although there were many boats it is a huge sheltered anchorage with room for all. Next day we had more friends arrive, Richard and Pam on Aliesha
, a British boat we have known since Darwin. They are nearing the end of their circumnavigation and were waiting to head for Sicily. We had a great afternoon at the Yacht Club watching the epic mens final at Wimbledon and finished off the day with an excellent Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding, nice to have 'normal' food out for a change!
Time was moving on, and so did we. We planned to motor up the bay and channel north to Levkas Town, stay for the night on the town quay and await the opening of the floating bridge which connects Levkas Island to Mainland Greece at 10.00am the following morning. There was a reasonably sized space on the quay next to Samsara but the wind had picked up, blowing us sideways. After 2 failed attempts at dropping anchor and trying to reverse in we admitted defeat and gave up, but then snared someones anchor chain while lifting ours, lost our boat hook overboard while freeing it and nearly ran aground while reversing out.! We know when we are beaten! We decided our best option was to go through on the 2pm bridge opening and head the 10 miles north to Preveza. Standing station with around 15 charter boats for the bridge opening in a tiny canal was more than enough excitement for me for one day, but then once out the other side through a myriad of tiny red buoys arranged in no sensible manner at all through 3 metre waters nearly finished me off completely. Still, we got through into deeper water, rolled just the headsail out and actually had rather a nice sail north, things were looking up. Preveza here we come
After seeing all there was to see we had no more excuses to stay and reluctantly untied from our free marina berth at Mesolongi. We motored back out of the channel into the Gulf of Patras and headed west once again, it was time to move on to the Ioanian Sea. Light westerlies once again, so just 8 tacks to clear the headland at the end of the Gulf before we could bear away a little and head for the popular island of Ithaca. Before we cleared the headland the winds picked up to over 20 knots but while we were thinking of putting a reef in the main they dropped, totally, leaving us with a messy slop which we started to motor though. After about an hour we had about 15 knots so managed to sail through the sloppy seas, but the wind and seas kept building, with the wind back on the nose and up to 30 knots. Engine back on and we motor-sailed for the final 3 hours making slow time in very uncomfortable conditions as the twilight approached. Welcome to the Ioanian.
Vathy harbour on Ithaca had come highly recommended by several fellow cruisers and sounded lovely in the Greek Waters Pilot but as we looked again at the charts and guide book we didn't think it was going to be great coverage but it was our only option late in the day. It's a big long bay, within a larger indentation, but with a strong nor'wester the wind was whipping through, and although on a lee shore it shallowed slowly and the water was reasonably flat, it was ok as home for the night.
The following morning brought clear skies again but around 20 knots plus was still gusting through. We didn't like to leave Balvenie on a lee shore to go off exploring, although the venetian architecture ashore with the surrounding green hills looked very appealing. We decided instead
to head off about 20 miles northeast, and once we cleared Ithaca we had a well earned beam reach in flat seas across to the bottom tip of Meganisi. The wind then dropped, so along with about 30 charter yachts we motored up the east coast of the island. Minutes after we turned west at the top were met with 20 knots on the nose, this provided much entertainment as some novice sailors on the charter boats were struggling with the sudden change in conditions.We headed into the sheltered anchorage of Abelike Bay, we had at last hit the "busy anchorages", there were boats just everywhere, and a new addition arrived every couple of minutes. So with little time to ponder we claimed our spot. This was our first med mooring anchorage of the season, so while Skipper runs out the chain and tries to reverse in a straightish line simultaneously, (never easy with a good breeze blowing, a skeg rudder and no bow thruster), I take a quick dip and dive overboard with the floating mooring line attached to the boat at one end and swim ashore in search of a hardy tree or stable rock to tie to. Of course, this all needs to be effected in a very short space of time or Balvenie simply decides she doesn't want to be where we say and bounces back out on her anchor chain before I can get the line attached. This really is the most difficult way of anchoring with only 2 people on board, but when there are 27 boats tied up for the night in an anchorage that may comfortably fit 4 if swinging, then it is a necessary evil. The afternoons entertainment is also provided, watching everyone having there own way of doing this. Concern is always raised with the odd boat that likes to tie up to shore first and then just drop the anchor over the bow, not quite the way to do it!!!! We were also provided with much entertainment from some of the 'nudist' boats in the anchorage, they didn't seem to want anyone anchoring next to them (but it certainly didn't seem that they wanted the privacy!!) so would stand up on the bow, arms and other body parts waving in all directions if a boat came close. It is very hard to take anyone seriously when they are in the nuddie!!!
We decided to move on the next morning, it was the weekend and we had heard that the Yacht Club in Vlikho Bay on Levkas Island was showing the rugby test and the Wimbledon Mens Final, skipper was overdue for an injection of sport!!!! Off we set and motored the short distance in glassy seas. Enroute we circumnavigated
the small lush island of Skorpios, which has been privately owned by the Onassis family for many years. Although they own the island you are allowed to anchor in the bays and step ashore up to the high water mark, as dozens of the charter boats were doing. I suspect the family and visitors have a very large swimming pool at their summer house and never come down to the waters edge!Onto Levkas and past the town of Nidri and Tranquil Bay. It quite possibly was Tranquil when named some years ago but now bumper to bumper with boats and jet skis whizzing around it is anything but Tranquil. We spotted fellow circumnavigators Samsara, with David and Sheryl from Melbourne onboard and rafted up next to them for a catch up and lunch. Always great to see familiar faces along the way. Then we headed down into Vlikho Bay, and although there were many boats it is a huge sheltered anchorage with room for all. Next day we had more friends arrive, Richard and Pam on Aliesha
, a British boat we have known since Darwin. They are nearing the end of their circumnavigation and were waiting to head for Sicily. We had a great afternoon at the Yacht Club watching the epic mens final at Wimbledon and finished off the day with an excellent Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding, nice to have 'normal' food out for a change!Time was moving on, and so did we. We planned to motor up the bay and channel north to Levkas Town, stay for the night on the town quay and await the opening of the floating bridge which connects Levkas Island to Mainland Greece at 10.00am the following morning. There was a reasonably sized space on the quay next to Samsara but the wind had picked up, blowing us sideways. After 2 failed attempts at dropping anchor and trying to reverse in we admitted defeat and gave up, but then snared someones anchor chain while lifting ours, lost our boat hook overboard while freeing it and nearly ran aground while reversing out.! We know when we are beaten! We decided our best option was to go through on the 2pm bridge opening and head the 10 miles north to Preveza. Standing station with around 15 charter boats for the bridge opening in a tiny canal was more than enough excitement for me for one day, but then once out the other side through a myriad of tiny red buoys arranged in no sensible manner at all through 3 metre waters nearly finished me off completely. Still, we got through into deeper water, rolled just the headsail out and actually had rather a nice sail north, things were looking up. Preveza here we come
Cruising Info for Ithaca, Meganisi & Levkas:
Anchorages - Vathy Bay, Ithaca ... 38 22.03N 20 43.08E 4.0m held well in strong winds. Lee shore in prevailing winds, flat water but annoying chop
Abelike Bay, Meganisi ... 38 40.29N 20 47.34E settled in 4.4m dropped anchor in around 12m, stern tied to rock and tree. Tucked up away from sea breeze
Vlikho Bay, Levkas ... 38 41.09N 20 42.03E 6.1m mud bottom held well. Very big shallow bay but well sheltered, may get chop in strong winds. Boats are wintered afloat here at anchor.
Internet - Didn't manage a signal onboard from any of these anchorages. Yacht Club in Vlikho has dial-up, very slow and 2Euro half hour
Money/Provisions - Didn't go ashore in Vathy. Nothing in Abelike but can walk about 20minutes to town. Small mini market in Vlikho best to go to Nidri. The Yacht Club in Vlikho has a wealth of information about the area, an excellent library for book swapping at no charge, washer and dryer 3Euro each per load, and satellite tv with all the sport on!
Formalities - Didn't do anywhere
Maritime Security Jobs Site
Just came across this. For all out there interested, take a look. Most of the jobs are government or cruise lines, let's see how this develops.
http://www.maritimeterrorism.com/2009/07/14/latest-maritime-security-jobs/
http://www.maritimeterrorism.com/2009/07/14/latest-maritime-security-jobs/
Maritime Crime Article
Here is an article by Dockwalk that I feel is right on the money. Too many reasons not to report the little things.....
High Crimes on the High Seas
http://www.dockwalk.com/Essentials/HotTopics.aspx?id=25636
Pay attention to intelligence (where are we going?) and awareness (Is that boat fishing or waiting for something?) and you will go a long way towards preparing / defending yourself.
High Crimes on the High Seas
http://www.dockwalk.com/Essentials/HotTopics.aspx?id=25636
Pay attention to intelligence (where are we going?) and awareness (Is that boat fishing or waiting for something?) and you will go a long way towards preparing / defending yourself.
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