Friday adventure photo - this one from the British Virgin Islands:

(click for larger image)

One thing about sailing is that most of my photos end up being taken FROM the boat, not OF the boat. And the pictures I do get that are OF the boat are generally while it’s “on the hook” at some anchorage.

Some smart person realized there was a business opportunity here. We were sailing along one day (just another glorious day in the British Virgin Islands!), when an inflatable dinghy zoomed up alongside, and started snapping pictures of us on our boat. They sell them to you later on the internet, and it’s a cool way to get pictures of you under sail.

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Our BVI sailing vacations for women are our most popular trips, with some people going back year after year. It’s the most beautiful, relaxing vacation possible. As a sailing enthusiast myself, I figure every day on the water is a great one!

You try to be good, and do the right thing. On a tropical vacation, you know all about applying sunscreen liberally to protect from those damaging rays. But now a new study finds that common sunscreen ingredients are killing coral reefs.

These chemicals can awaken dormant viruses in algae that live in the coral. The viruses kill the algae, which are vital for the coral to survive. Without the algae, the coral turns white and dies.

Researchers estimate that 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen wash off swimmers annually in oceans worldwide, and that up to 10 percent of coral reefs are threatened by sunscreen-induced bleaching.

So what’s the answer? Scientist Danovaro points out 2 simple things swimmers can can do to reduce their impact on coral: Use sunscreens with physical filters, which reflect instead of absorb ultraviolet radiation; and use eco-friendly chemical sunscreens.

Australian researchers are also working to develop a sunscreen based on a natural ultraviolet-blocking compound found in coral.

National Geographic News: Swimmers’ Sunscreen Killing Off Coral

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Our BVI sailing trips involve lots of sunshine and coral reefs. It’s a beautiful place, and so much fun! It’s disheartening to find that our sunscreen could be harming the coral. I’ll be researching better possibilities, and will report back later.

We’ve got a bunch of adventurous wenches sailing down in the British Virgin Islands right now. Reports are that they’ve been conch blowing, scuba diving, kayaking, predator-riding, and bushwhacker drinking. And that’s all in 24 hours! Here are a few photos from the trip, as well as some notes from Lisa — mate, chef, and chief blogger aboard Promenade.

For the rest of the story, see
BVI captain’s log blog: More mayhem with the wenches!

Gee, I wish I was there too!

We do a few of our BVI sailing trips for women each year, and they’re very popular (with good reason!) The yacht, the crew, the place, the snorkeling, the weather, the food, the fun, the sun… it’s just a wonderful way to spend a week!

Researchers believe they have found the wreck of Captain Kidd’s ship, the Quedagh Merchant. Charles Beeker, the archaeologist who made the discovery, said it will take about two years of careful excavation to confirm the vessel’s identity. The team is hoping to find some intact woodwork. Before his death, Kidd bragged to a British nobleman about the special joinery work on his boat, so some samples could prove the case.

National Geographic: Wood May Be Key to Confirming Captain Kidd’s Ship

Captain Kidd is one of the most famous pirates of all time. But perhaps the true story is different. The well-researched book The Pirate Hunter makes a convincing case that Kidd was one of the good guys — in fact a pirate hunter, rather than a true pirate himself. Whatever the truth, he came to an unfortunate end, executed in London in 1699.

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We’ll be heading out on another British Virgin Islands sailing trip in January. The area we sail was a popular spot for pirates, centuries ago. Whenever I run across something interesting and related, I’ll post it in our BVI category.

Even if you spent the past few years in Timbuktu, you’ve probably seen at least one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. And they’re just the latest in a long string of swashbuckling movies. One of my all-time favorites is Captain Blood, with Errol Flynn — nobody buckles swash like he did!

Pirates were a terrifying reality of sea travel. But how much of what we’ve heard is true? Did they really bury their treasure chests? And make prisoners walk the plank? And does Davy Jones really look like that?

Find some myths and truths, at Neatorama: Pirate Lore

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We sail the same waters the pirates did on our British Virgin Islands women’s adventures. Who knows? You may wind up anchored in a cove where Blackbeard hoisted his jolly roger (or a bottle of rum)!