November 8, 2017

Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Tortorla, British Virgin Islands

In the morning when I got up everyone else was in the cockpit discussing the night's activities. I went up the ladder and into the cockpit and said "So, what does Hell look like in the daylight?"

The area we were drifting into at at night

Some of the destroyed sailboats at the harbor at Beef Island. Some where up into the brush.

Closer view of some of the wrecked sailboats from the hurricanes.

 It was a surprise to me (the others had been in this location in the past) how small the area was, to see the rocks we had missed coming in, and the small rocky island we had almost drifted into during the night when the anchor had failed to hold us. The airport was really close, just a short and hopefully dry, dinghy ride away for me later in the morning.

Beef Island airport from our anchorage. We moved BrainWaves closer and to the left of this picture before I departed.

After saying goodbyes to everyone, Don took me in the dingy up to the dock. Two fellows were rebuilding it, but allowed us to use it to drop me off. Some final words and hug from Don and I started off walking to the Beef Island airport while Don headed back to BrainWaves. My understanding was that the guys were going to explore the harbor area that day. When I finally got airborne in the little twin-engine 10 passenger plane, we banked over the harbor and I could see BrainWaves at anchor below. I wished I had my camera ready, although they told us to take no photos on the plane.

I lucked out in getting flights to take me back to Kalkaska, Michigan. My 45 minute flight on Cape Air in the little twin-engine plane cost me $295, in part due to booking the flight only a day in advance, plus checking my two bags. The airport had been hit by the hurricanes and the damage was very visible. Security was hand screening for everyone

Waiting area to board at the Beef Island airport. Note the missing ceiling tiles. There was much more damage to the airport than shown in this photo.

The Cape Air plane that I flew in to San Juan, Puerto Rico. One passenger actually sat in the right seat, beside the pilot. The plan looked really old and you could see lots of patched and painted little areas. The paint job was cool! The seats slanted back, so I was able to sit without my head touching the ceiling.

 It was a nice flight to San Juan, a little bumpy at the end, and I had some good looks at the other islands before we entered the clouds and flew most of the way at 5500 -6000 feet. In San Juan there were only a few flights going out and they were over sold. It looked like my best option was going to be to try and catch the flight to New York and then try to catch a flight out. I was now flying as a non-revenue standby passenger and there were no seats available on the first flight out of San Juan to Atlanta, Georgia. The second flight was oversold and there were 17 people on standby. I think I was number 9 or 10. The flight was delayed and the New York flight was my last option. I figured I would be spending the night in the Beef Island airport, or if I was lucky, I might get to New York for the night. Both flights began boarding at the same time and I was rushing back and forth between the gates (close by) and finally decided to get a request for a seat on the New York flight. Sue had been keep in touch with me and trying to make sure I was on the list for both flights. At the last minute she sent me a text saying I was cleared and had a seat on the Atlanta flight. I asked her to cancel my spot on the New York flight and hustled to the gate and boarded the plane for Atlanta. Wow, I couldn't believe I got on that flight!

After getting to Atlanta, the flights were wide open to Flint, Michigan. Sue had already booked me on a flight. In Flint I would have a friend Bob pick me up (at about 11:30 pm) and then drive the two hours plus to home. I had left my car in Clio to get some rust repaired and painted. On really short notice (as I thought it would take me at least a couple of days to get home) Bob called the body guy at home. He had one more thing he wanted to do and let it set under heat for any hour. Bob had just got home from hunting for a few days when I called, so he took a shower and then went to get my car. The timing worked out great for me, thanks to Bob, and after visiting at his home for a little while, I took my shinny looking Durango and headed north on the expressway back home. I got home about 3:30 am, it was a long day.

Update: Little did I know that about a week later while driving down at night to Bob's deer camp for the opening of the Michigan firearm deer season, a buck would run out of the ditch and hit the side of my vehicle. I saw him coming on a dead run, but I had no time to brake, turn, or react in any way. I stopped and finally found my flashlight, but before I could get out of the car, another car pulled up beside me. I rolled the window down and he asked me if I was stopping because of the deer. I say yes and he told me he had dragged if off the road for me. I said thanks and he told the deer then got up and ran off! I got out and looked at the back of the Durango. It was easy to see that the deer had smashed the rear door behind the driver, the rear quarter panel and tore of the edge of the bumper. It was until daylight the next day when I really checked the damage and say that the deer had hit the very end of the front bumper, put two big dents in the front quarter panel, two in the driver's door, the rear door, the rear quarter panel, the bumper and broke the tail light. I don't know how it managed to make so much contact all the way down the side of the vehicle. Bob told me it was probably going to be considered a total loss. I just put all that money in it and it looked so good! Sure enough, I got an estimate after our deer hunt and was told it will be a total.

There were two ironic things about this accident. Five days earlier I had driven down this some route to deer camp for a couple of days of bow hunting. A car passed me and right then a buck stepped out on the shoulder of the road. We were on the expressway doing 75 and this car hit that deer head on. It looked like the front of the car just exploded and pieces flew everywhere. I ran over a few small chunks and pulled off the road. I went back to check on the diver and make sure he was OK. It turned out he had his granddaughter in the back seat, but everyone was fine. I dragged the buck off the road so it wouldn't be a hazard. Once he was on the phone with some help, I drove off and headed to camp. We later talked about how glad I was that this didn't happen to me and my newly repaired Durango. Little did I know what was in store for me just a few days later!

The other ironic thing is that I did a similar sailing trip on BrainWaves eight years earlier, in 2009. That trip was shorter and I sailed from Norfolk, VA to Bermuda and back. Not too long after that trip I was fortunate enough to be invited to go on a canoe expedition up in the bush across parts of Quebec and Newfoundland. We used the older Durango that I had then to haul our gear and canoes up to our starting point, some 700 miles north of Montreal. On that trip my vehicle was involved in a minor accident as we slide off the dirt road. When I got home, that Durango was considered totaled by the insurance company.

Apparently, if you own a Durango and sail to Bermuda - your vehicle is doomed!!

Rod