Arrival: as the miles to go click rapidly down on our GPS, we feel a certain euphory and the heavy seas do not seem to matter anymore...we’ll get there! We don’t quite make it to Anegada way point before nightfalls, but we have our navigation program on the laptop which indicates to us that we are safely away from the reef and heading in the right direction. The wind is still 20+ but seas have diminished and make sailing easier. We have 15 miles to The Dogs, rocky islands north of Virgin Gorda...between which we must sail before coming to the anchorage. It is a bit eery to sail between these dark and ominous shapes...Thank God for the GPS without which such endeavour would not be recommended! When we are in sight of the Spans Town anchorage, I must go to the bow and prepare the anchor. First remove the plasticine which had been place on the hole of the chain well, then untie the anchor and last but not least, disentangle the chain in the anchor well (the rolling of the last days has tied knots in those chain links). We see anchored boats, some with anchor lights others without...we let the anchor and 160 feet of chain drop in a 35 feet deep spot. We have arrived! There are some cold beers in the fridge and we celebrate the conclusion of our second passage and our arrival in the Virgin Islands.
Dernière étape, l’arrivée. Nous avons des conditions assez sportives depuis dimanche matin mais la ligne d’arrivée nous donne une nouvelle énergie. On est prêts du but! Nous ne réussiront pas a arriver a notre GPS waypoint du récif d’Anegada avant l’obscurité mais...mais note GPS nous permet de naviguer sûrement ces 15 milles qui séparent Anegada de Virgin Gorda. Nous devons naviguer entre des îles rocheuses surnommées The Dogs et leur silhouettes sombres qui se profilent autour de nous nous rappelle de rester vigilants...Nous arrivons un peu a tâtons au mouillage de Spanish Town ou il y a des voiliers qui mouillent, certains avec une lumière de mouillage mais d’autres sans...nous trouvons une endroit de 35 pieds de profondeur et y laissons tomber l’ancre... Nous sommes enfin arrives! Quel bonheur..nous célébrons avec de bonnes bières froides cette fin du passage!