March 22, 2015 - First Full Day of Swim Trek

Swim Trek BVI 2015 was a blast!  It all began on Virgin Gorda - here is a map of the swims as they are marked with a black sharpie on Bruce's shirt (one of our swim buddies that purchased the shirt many years ago on a sailing trip).  We literally swam island to island throughout the British Virgin Islands.

But what exactly is Swim Trek?  It is an amazing adventure company that offers swim trips all over the world.  What is a swim trip?  When a group of people who love open water swimming decide to spend a week together swimming in exotic surroundings...or, as Capt. Mike explains it...a group of people pay good money to get out of a perfectly good boat and physically challenge themselves by swimming all over the place.

 

Tracee, Alan, Clive, Bruce, Ricky's Butt, Miranda, and Captain Mike aboard our dive/swim support boat - Ms. Lavelle

 

 

All Vaselined and ready to swim!

 

Tracee always has something to add to a swim!  Michael seems impressed.

 

 Today's swims went along the coast of Virgin Gorda:

Swim #1 - departed from Leverick Bay and went along the North Side to Cow Bay passing Anguilla Point and Mosquito Island.

Swim #2 - swam along the West coast of Prickly Pear Island

Swim #3 - along the coast to the Bitter End Yacht Club

Total swim distance was 4+ miles

 

 

Ahhh...a needed break at the Bitter End Yacht Club.

 

At Capt. Mike's dive shop - Bitter End Yacht Club, Virgin Gorda, BVI.  You can see Ricky's back and part of Kelly - they were our swim guides for the week.  Swim Trek provided amazing guides - Ricky and Kelly are accomplished swimmers, excellent coaches, safety conscious, amazing chefs, and all around great people - it was a real pleasure getting to know them.  Excellent guides make for excellent trips - Kelly and Ricky exceeded our expectations.

March 23, 2015 - 2nd Full Day of Swim Trek

 

Loading up for our second full day of swimming.  Capt. Mike, Tracee, Clive & Michael

Duke & Tracee ready to tackle the day

Miranda, Katy, Kelly, and Guy

 

The swimmers getting ready on Ms. Lavelle

 

Let's do this!

 

 

Today's swim is a long one down the West Coast of Virgin Gorda from Mountain Point to Savannah Bay - 4+ kilometers.  Followed by relaxing at The Baths at the Southern Tip of Virgin Gorda.

 

Go O.J.'s!  The orange cap group heading off to be deposited in the warm Caribbean sea.  Thumbs up from his Lordship, Philip.

 

Clive hoses down Jill with fresh water

 

Swimming back to the boat in Savannah Bay

 

Our resident swimming stud and pack leader rises from Savannah Bay.  Susanne is training for the Catalina swim and man can that lady move through the water.  It is a joy to see somebody with that kind of talent swim.

 

Guide Kelly - another swimming machine!

 

Perfect toss of that oh so tasty H20 Tracee - did Katy get any before you chucked it on board?

 

Another swimming machine exits Savannah Bay.

 

Go Bruce Go!  That blue shirt is a give away.

 

Mr. New York - Alan - chatting with guide Kelly at The Baths on Virgin Gorda.  Alan is just about the nicest person any of us ever met from New York!  He kept us in stitches all week.

 

The Baths in Virgin Gorda are the perfect back drop for photo shoots - including our underwater swim analysis videos.  Thank you for the tips Ricky and Kelly - rotation, rotation, rotation.

 

De-briefing at The Baths

 

Who is that crazy group of people that arrived from the water in those crazy caps and swim suits?  Not your average tourist.

 

 

Pose Tracee.

 

No Tracee, pose like this - Ricky, our intrepid guide and pose master.

 

Our daring journey through the rock formations at The Baths.  Clive, Go Pro Tracee, and Guy lead the charge.

 

Why won't that guy get out of our pictures?

 

Tracee, Duke, and that guy.

 

After a nice afternoon being tourists, time to head back to the boat.  Of course, with Swim Trek, that means SWIM back to the boat.

 

Capt. Mike, Tracee, and the infamous mooring line - long story, but it translated into Capt. Mike being a sport and treating the boat to a case of beer and wine.

 

My Tracee and My Karima (the obscene yacht parked at our resort complete with helicopter and on board speed boat).  It only takes a crew of 14 including helicopter pilots to take it for a spin.

 

Time for the pirate show...our group hanging out listening to the crazy pirate performer that graces the bar at Leverick Bay resort.

March 24, 2015 - 3rd Full Day of Swim Trek

Let the Island crossings begin!  Our Third day was our first day of crossings.  The first swim was a long one from Virgin Gorda to Ginger Island (the map below is from Susanne's awesome Garmin GPS watch that tracked all of our swims - Tracee has since bought one and loves it - Garmin Forerunner 920XT).  The swim to Ginger Island is a 5K (just over 3 miles).

 

 

The second swim was a much shorter crossing from Cooper Island to Salt Island along a nice reef and into a sandy beach.

 

 

Michael, Gigi and Barbie - hard to miss Barbie when she is decked out in her yellow ducky outfit!

 

Oh yes kids, your dad really did wear that suit on the trip.

 

Tracee hoses off Barbie with fresh water.  Girls in bikinis hosing each other down - Swim Trek rocks!

 

Tracee found a sand dollar - wait, weren't you supposed to be focused on swimming?

 

Paula caught in an unsuspecting selfie moment.

 

See - he really did swim in that.  Duke continues to embarrass his children.

 

Another lovely boat as we head back to the resort.

 

Post swim de-briefing on the dock at Leverick Bay.

March 25, 2015 - 4th Full Day of Swim Trek

On to our fourth full day of swimming!

 

 

Great boat trip to our next swim start with lots of beautiful yachts and pirates.  Enjoyed snorkeling over the HMS Rhone shipwreck prior to our swim.

 

Team yellow heading for the start!  Gigi, Marshall, Ricky and Duke.

 

 

Our first swim of the day was a long one!  Well over 3 miles (closer to 4 miles for the pink caps).  It was an awesome crossing from Salt Island to Peter Island.  The second swim was a shorter one along the bay at Peter Island (approx. 1.5K)

 

The Pink Team!  Michael, Susanne, Tracee, and Clive are amazing swimmers and lead the crossing.

 

Tracee overboard!

 

Click to zoom - there are swimmers in the water!

 

Team Pink crushing the crossing.

 

 

Swim Tracee, Swim.

 

Photo bomb - we entrusted our camera to Alan, so many of the photos on this page are his fault. 

Alan and Jill take a selfie!

 

Tracee reaches the end of the crossing.

 

Jill and Duke swimming - is that Marshall lounging in the safety dingy?

 

Thank you Alan for your stellar photography - thank you Guy for modeling.

 

Yum - Ricky and Kelly make the best lunches!  Actually, we would have probably eaten cardboard at this point, but Ricky and Kelly are definitely excellent chefs.

 

Lunch time on Peter Island - Miranda, Philip, Alan, Michael, Bruce, Marshall, Barbie, Paula, Duke, Tracee, and Kelly

 

 

Many of our new friends were on the trip to help celebrate Gigi's Sporty 40 Birthday - here she is in all her glory!  Gigi and Duke found an amazing swimming rhythm for several days - thanks for the great swims Gigi and happy birthday!

Nice place for lunch!  Peter Island is beautiful.

 

 

 

Dinner was at the Fat Virgin Café near Biras Yacht Club - thank you for Duke's birthday cake and the beautiful singing!  An awesome way to celebrate a birthday with all my new swimming friends.