Great Harbor, Jost van Dyke is a picturesque little village
situated on a pristine white sand beach. It’s famous for Foxy’s bar and
restaurant , mentioned in Julie and Lizzy’s blog entry, but it also has a
customs and immigration post and general store. As we walked around in the
daylight we realized just how severely damaged it was by hurricane Irma, as
badly as anywhere we have seen in the BVIs. Foxy’s is of course now open again
– it looks a bit ramshackle, but I suspect that it always did. However, the
rest of the community looks devastated. We saw many people working to restore
electricity and rebuild properties, and talked to some about their experiences.
They are all remarkably positive. You couldn’t miss the Methodist church, a
gorgeous, colorful building set slightly back from the beach, just missing a
roof. The inside walls in bright yellow are a striking sight against the blue
sky, There’s a piano sitting in the middle of what remains of the main building
and the toilets in an adjacent building have a distinct open air feeling. In
response to the loss of their church, and in a testament to the strength of
this community, the congregation have established an alternative gathering
place in the remnants of the house next door with pews, lectern and cross all
under a blue tarpaulin, with two sides open to the air. We could hear children playing or studying in
the school situated behind the church. I heard from other sailors from the
rally, who visited the school previously, that they lost everything and that
children of all ages are now taught in one room. As we wandered around the village
I talked to several workers to get a sense of how repairs were coming along and
they all seemed upbeat despite the challenges they face. One charter captain
who has his boat moored in White Bay, half a mile away, was busy helping out
with construction. He took had taken his boat to shelter in Puerto Rico prior
to hurricane Irma’s arrival and consequently it was undamaged. He will re-start
his chartering business in January. We spoke to two ladies operating a drinks
stall that gave graphic descriptions of their experience during the hurricane.
One of them was sheltering in a building with her eight year-old son. Other
than broken windows and a missing door the building fared well. However, her
son still has nightmares and gets anxious when the wind rustles the leaves of
the banana trees outside their home. The other lady literally saw her whole
building blow away as she lay in the rainwater trying to shelter behind a wheelbarrow.
Both ladies said it was a terrifying experience, recognized that they were
lucky to have survived and thanked God for looking out for them. Amazingly, no one on Jost van Dyke died
during the hurricane.
Great Harbor, Jost van Dyke 18
26.5 N, 64 45.1 W
Dinghy dock at Great Harbor, Jost van Dyke (Dumb Dog on the left)
A beautiful sandy beach
Re-building
Repairing electrical supply
Local charter Captain - helping with reconstruction
Methodist Church
Methodist Church
Methodist Church
Methodist Church
Airy bathroom
Alternative accommodation
Ladies at drinks stand - the lady on the left sheltered in her house and literally saw it blow away during hurricane Irma
The dock on Jost Van Dyke was there in 1985, but the one in your photo looks to be in better shape than the 1985 version! You ARE right about Foxy's always being a bit ramshackle....
ReplyDeleteThe dock on Jost Van Dyke was there in 1985, but the one in your photo looks to be in better shape than the 1985 version! You ARE right about Foxy's always being a bit ramshackle....
ReplyDelete