The anemometer showed gusts of up to 29 knots and the hulking Moorings 5000 was far more responsive than we anticipated as we incredulously watched as the SOG topped 11 knots. At that speed, all too soon the flat island pushed through the haze and came into view, marking an end to our sail. 

Among our group only my husband Rich and I had been there before, as for years charterers were forbidden, or at least highly discouraged, from sailing there. Part of that was the distance—13 miles—which is hardly a taxing passage, but in the open water of the Caribbean Sea, it’s the farthest you can go without having another island to ditch at in the BVI. When we sailed there in 2016 the channel was casually marked, and having a person perched on the bow looking for coral and another lining up buoys and landmarker as advised in the guidebook was mandatory. Nothing of the sort was needed this time; the channel is now thoroughly marked.

 

Our mooring at the west end of the anchorage was in just 8 feet of turquoise water despite being toward the back row, and as soon as we turned off the engines, visitors arrived. First it was a pair of sea turtles who popped their heads up just feet from the boat before diving to the grassy bottom for a nibble. Next was Sam who swung by to pitch his restaurant Potter’s by the Sea for dinner that night, but also offer any number of other services including car rentals, garbage pickup or bringing ice. It seemed whatever you might have wanted, Sam was the man to take care of it. And finally, as we ate a late lunch, a few birds made themselves at home on the deck, either waiting for a bite or perhaps just part of the welcoming committee.

The remoteness of Anegada is surely one of its great draws; in a cruising ground as popular as the BVIs, it can be difficult to escape the cruiser scene, if that’s the goal, and we dedicated a full day to exploring the island. There are plenty of ways to get around the island—taxis, often of the bench-in-back-of-pickup-truck variety, scooters and organized tours—but we opted for a rental car that had clearly seen its share of bumpy roads.