Day 6: Sail to Soper’s Hole, Tortola and The Bight, Norman Island
After awaking in Cane Garden Bay our group set sail early for Soper’s Hole, a quaint marina with great shopping. Upon arriving at Soper’s Hole we moored and drove our inflatable boats to shore for an afternoon of exploring the local shops and restaurants. After a little retail therapy, we boarded our sailboats for a three hour sail to The Bight, just off of Norman Island. As we left the marina, we noticed the winds blowing at 18 knots and conditions were perfect for sail races! So, us crewmen on all four boats took position and we were off and running! While our captains steered, the rest of us manned our boat’s lines during tacking, jibing and heeling – it was very exciting, especially for those who had never been sailing.
Once we caught up with the flotilla at Norman Island, we grabbed a mooring ball and relaxed a bit before heading to shore for dinner at Pirates Bight. Known for fun dinners and wild party nights onboard the William Thornton (Willy T) ship, The Bight plays a large part in the history of Norman Island with tales of pirates and treasure caves. This island was the model for Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - perhaps the most famous legend of all. While the island’s now uninhabited, farmers used to raise cattle there.
After dinner some headed to Willy T’s boat bar for cocktails, while the rest of us headed to bed for the evening in preparation for our last day on the water.
Some learned to drive the inflatable boats
Others were naturals…
Soper’s Hole Marina
Our boat heeling during sailing races
Sunset on Willy T’s
The group on Norman Island
