11.08.10 Waiting at the West End: Soper's Hole

At 8:03am we were on our way to the West End: Soper's Hole; a change of plans from meeting the Catamaran Co. at Trellis Bay.  We all decided to bet on the time the Catamaran Co. mechanic would STEP on the boat.  I wrote down everyone's proposed time.  The bet was $1.00 per person. Dale motored us into the West End, she thought she was driving the boat, but it was actually on auto pilot.  Darryl proved time and time again to be a fantastic 1st mate.

We docked at Soper's Hole and Dale, Ann, Lora, Erin and I went to get coffee and tea and to the grocery store for additional items.  We also caught up on U.S. news.  9:38am and no Catamaran Co.  Brian and I already lost.  Erin made breakfast for everyone, scrambled eggs with ham.

Sean from the Catamaran Co. finally arrived - not by boat as planned, but by car. He had been waiving at us frantically from the dock.  Darryl and Captain Jerry had to pick him up in the dink.  Sean set foot on the boat at 10:44am.  Dale won the bet.  She said 10:35am, so everyone paid Dale.  Erin and I sang "We need a hero!" (you know, the song from the movie Footloose) to Sean.  Sean told the crew that he needed a belt for the engine, so he was going to have to meet up with us again later when he got the belt.  Dude took down Sean's phone number in my journal and had Sean promise that we would see him again....Well, you probably know how that went.

Alex was not feeling well - stomach issues.  We motored over to "The Indians" to snorkel.  Erin and I got out our noodles and noodled against the current, while Brian, Alex, Lora, Darryl, and Captain Jerry snorkeled.

Ann, Dale and Jerry swam with the rope tied to the boat, which served as their lifeline.  Then we ventured over to the Caves on Norman Island.  Alex, Darryl, Lora, Brian, Erin and I fed the tarpon fish and Lora got bit!  Alex, Brian, Darryl, and Lora snorkeled into the caves and Darryl saw a reef shark. 

We ate haystacks (tortilla chips smothered in chili with all the fixings) for lunch and cruised over to The Bight, on Norman Island where Treasure Island was filmed and where we moored for the night.  Dale showed us the single births at the front of the boat and while Brian was checking it out he opened the porthole leading to Alex and Erin's bathroom, where he accidentally stumbled upon Alex's bare behind sitting on the toilet. 

Conveniently located in the same bay where we were moored was the infamous Willy T, so Alex, Erin, Brian and I just had to go and check it out.  The Willy T or The William Thornton is a floating bar & restaurant situated in The Bight at Norman Island.  Dr. William Thornton was born on Jost Van Dyke, he was an English physician, inventor, painter and architect who designed the United States Capitol and apparently, HE LIKED TO PARTY!  The Willy T is known for its rude behavior, loud music and dancing into the wee hours of the night; not to mention the constant display of naked drunkards jumping off the boat. Brian and Erin sprung into action and proceeded to bring down the dinghy to head over to the Willy T. The rope holding up the dinghy ran too quickly through Brian's bare hands and he nearly lost a finger!  Let's just say he got a very bad rope burn.

The Willy T