Prickly Pear Island 3-26

Today’s name for paradise is Prickly Pear Island. This is a small coral atoll about 6 miles north of Anguilla. Its actually split into 2 islands, with a small channel between the islands leading to a lagoon surrounded by a barrier reef.  Not knowing how crowded it will be, we get up early and start sailing by 7 in order to make sure we have a mooring. Back in Marina Fort Louis, we were chatting with the couple on a small sloop at the water dock. They live on the boat in St. Martin, but had just returned from Anguilla and had stayed a couple days on Prickly Pear. They moored outside of the lagoon the first day and took the dinghy in, as it says to do in all guide books. Once inside they found that there were 4-5 moorings in the lagoon. The channel is not marked, and you need to watch the coral on the way in, but once there it is perfect. We are ahead of crowd, so we grab a ball outside of the lagoon and the kids and I take the dinghy in to check out the lagoon and confirm the mooring balls. Its a bit of a wet ride as the wind is blowing right through the cut between the islands and we take a few waves over the bow of the dinghy. Once inside, we can see the mooring balls and drop the anchor over the side to confirm the depth. There are a number of rocks/coral heads below the surface, but it appears navigable. The sun is bright, and we would be heading right into the glare, so back on the boat we have breakfast and wait for sun to get higher in the sky. Unlike the BVI, there really are no crowds here, so no real rush to get in to secure a ball. We are still the only ones here.

We motor slowly through the channel, dodging the rocks and coral. At one point we pass over some rocks at only 5 feet deep – a little close for comfort. Once past that spot, looking back I can see a better route closer to shore, so we have a plan for the way out. We want to be able to swim in to shore, so we continue inside the last coral cut and into the beach side lagoon. The first ball turns out to be a charter mooring, so we need to back up and grab the other one. We sit in crystal clear water 12 feet deep. A boat length behind us is the coral that looks to be about 6 feet deep, so we could have come over that instead of following the cut around.

 

 

 

 

 

The water color here is incredible. Multiple shades of blue and turquoise. We snorkel into shore and walk the beach, the only people on the island. On the way back, we see the first of the day charter boats arrive. A big cat called Bluebeard with about 30 people on it. We wander back to the chairs in front of the restaurant and settle in to relax before lunch. We have no money, so Noah and I swim back out to grab the dinghy and the day’s supplies. Its a perfect afternoon of swimming, eating, and drinking. Decadence at its finest. We even have entertainment included, watching the day charter people try to get back in the dinghy as the waves roll in. One woman fell about 4 times (while saying ‘I only had one’). She was rolling in the water laughing, and one of the other boat boys had to run up and help lift here in the dinghy. We were amazed she was able to get on the catamaran from the dinghy, but she made it. The kids like watching the crew from these charter boats, in their beat up old dinghies and motors, come racing up full speed onto the beach. They are very disappointed that I won’t do the same.

   

We have what it probably the best lunch on the Islands. There is no menu. She serves up plates of ribs, chicken or fish with rice, potatoes, salad and coleslaw. Make your choice and take your plate. YUM! (Tracy has a little problem with the hot sauce though)

Eventually we need to leave to head back to Road Bay. Leaving is no problem as we learned the better route on the way in. Once clear of the channel we unroll the headsail and beat back to Road Bay at 6 1/2 knots in 15 knots of wind.

Tracy and I head in to shore to check out the ‘happy food’ at Roy’s , and stop at Elvis’ beach bar on the way. Its an old boat on shore, converted to a bar. Elvis is alive and well behind the bar. Its here that we hear the rumor that Jimmy Buffett is going to be playing on Sunday at the ‘Banxie Banks’ Moonshadow party. Its a weekend long affair that happens once a year at the full moon. The other rumor is that Willie Nelson will be playing Saturday night. The concerts don’t start until 10, and go to the wee hours. Not exactly a family friendly arrangement so it will be difficult for us to pull off. It would be nice to stay until Sunday and check the rumor, but time is running short if we want to get to St. Barts and give ourselves enough cushion to pick a weather window for sailing back to the USVI. We’ll have to watch the news to find out if Jimmy does play in the concert.

At Roy’s we go online to check the weather for going to St. Barts. One woman, who must have come from one of the day charter boats, walks up and starts talking to the stuffed parrot. Took a couple of pictures while exclaiming ‘he doesn’t even flinch at the flash’ and then ‘Oh there he’s moving’.

The forecast looks good, so our plan is to sail to Tintamarre tomorrow and stay overnight, and then continue on to St. Barts on Sunday. The weather for the return crossing to the VI doesn’t look quite as good as our first trip, but its down wind so should still be comfortable.