Tales of Tortola

The history of the Virgin Islands, and in particular Tortola, is a fascinating and chequered one involving famous explorers, murderous pirates the slave trade and many changes in ownership. Even the origin of its name is up for debate. Many claim that Christopher Columbus, who discovered the archipelago of the Virgin Islands named the island Tortola after the Spanish word for Turtle Dove. The truth is much less romantic. He actually named it Santa Ana and its present name came after the later Dutch settlers named it Ter Tholen, after an island off the Netherlands. The British colonisers, not well known for their grasp of foreign language, changed it to Tortola.

BVI Blog Continue reading

Fun & Frolics Sailing from Ft. Lauderdale

Ft. Lauderdale, sometimes known as the Venice of America for its extensive system of canals, is a sailing mecca and a superb destination for a bareboat catamaran charter.  Seminole Indians may have been the region’s first inhabitants but it is Major William Lauderdale that the city is named after.  During the Second Seminole War he led a group of Tennessee Volunteers into the area and built the New River Fort, the location of the city we know today.

GrFortLauderdaleSunrise_38420_2

Continue reading