Virgin gorda

Counting Stars at anchor in Leverick Bay

We stopped briefly in the British Virgin Islands.  Very briefly.  Our original plan was to go from St. John to Jost Van Dyke to check in, either spend the night there or move to a nearby anchorage and then make our way to either Virgin Gorda or Anegada before 'turning the corner' to Anguilla.  We were one of many boats heading into Jost Van Dyke and as we got closer saw how crowded it was.  The wind was perfect for sailing further east, so we turned to starboard, raised the sails, and headed to Virgin Gorda.  

By mid afternoon we were on a mooring in Leverick Bay for the night of February 16.  Brian went to customs and immigration to check both into and out of the country (the weather forecast was unusually favorable for an overnight passage to Anguilla the next day).  The next morning, we did some exploring in the dinghy and noticed a boat belonging to a family we met in Florida in September 2015.  They were a family of six just about to depart on an adventure similar to the one we were planning at the time.  In fact, we saw them off, waving and taking photos from the dock as they sailed away.  And after a year and a half, we were in the same anchorage.  We stopped over for a visit.  We caught up and compared both past and future travels while the kids played and swam together.  Their next stop was St. Martin, and we were planning to be there after Anguilla, so we knew we'd catch up again soon.  After our visit, we returned to Counting Stars and began preparations to leave for Anguilla, a place about which we knew little.

Leverick Bay sunset