Monday, January 18, 2016

The last of the BVI's

Jan 11

Trellis Bay
With Yang on her way, Jim went in search of and found the proper micro chip needed to download our navigation charts for the next part of our voyage… He tried 5 times to download the charts on the new chip, moving around the boat to get just the right signal.   A stint at the bar next to the router, but with the internet speeds sooooo slow, the charts could not be downloaded.  5 phone calls (cha-ching cha-ching) stateside, the entire afternoon shot, we finally had the chart company Fed Ex them to Tortola… It will take 3 days to get them ‘overnight’… maybe.  
the fire balls and burning man


So, we picked up some groceries. Ate dinner.  Did laundry, which turned into quite an encounter.  We only had 2 loads to wash / dry.  Mostly swim wear… btw, for the first time in my life… I own waay more swimsuits than shoes… We sat at the pool sipping a glass of fine box wine while the washer did it’s work.  
part of the studio area
On a trip to check the status of the machines, a bewildered lady approached me.  (French accent):  ‘There is no water…” ?  me: excuse me?  French lady: I can not get the shower to work, no water… Me: “Oh, you have to use a token. You buy them at the office.”  She had no money with her and not much on as she was about to take a shower… I bought her a token which she was very grateful for… Returning to the dyer, it had quit working… a report to the office, switch dryers… back in business.  Jim went back to the boat for for more quarters.  As he stepped over the neighbors water hose again, it dawned on him that we had been stepping over this water hose all day…‘they’ had been using our water spigot, which is metered, to wash their boat and ‘toys’.  A trip to the office, Jim informed them of the mistake so we would not incur the bill that is sure to be significant with all the cleaning of the other boat.  Folding our laundry, we discovered several shirts which were not ours…   Then the only other guy in the place says… “oh, those are mine.  I wonder how they got in your with your stuff?” … Hmmm, me too.  Everyday IS an adventure.  
GliGli : the largest dug out canoe in the Caribbean... 


hammock, Island style 
Jan 12 
arts and crafts
Happy 2nd Birthday Miss Nora… wish you could be here to celebrate it with us…
Beef Island, Trellis Bay
We topped off the water tanks and head to Beef Island for a few days.  The wind… on the nose.  Our new wind generator was spinnin’ away finally, it seems that the break in period the manufacture spoke of has finally distributed the grease through out the bearings and we are making AC …











A short 10 miles and we had secured to a mooring.  The harbor is relatively shallow, 15 feet.  There are a few reefs mixed in the mooring field to watch for.  It appears as though there is a resident turtle who likes the area around our boat.  It surfaces every 10 or so minutes about 40 feet off the starboard side.  Ashore are several bar / restaurants.  We checked out the Aragorn Studio which features local artists goods.  Pottery and metal works made on site, jewelry, baskets, decorative masks as well and tee shirts. The Aragorn facility hosts the Fire Ball Full Moon Party every full moon.  There are cast-iron fire balls and a burning man sculpture positioned along the beach front in the water.  Each full moon after sunset they are set afire, kindle of wood, paper, etc.   We walked up and down the beach area then settled on happy hour at ‘de loose mongoose’.  Happy hour consisted of dixie cups with Rum Punch… 7 dollars!  Not our ‘happiest hour’… Dinner aboard as the sun was setting.  A warm breeze filling the cockpit and boat.   

Passion Fruit upper left
Soursop bottom left
Sugar Apple right side
We ventured back to shore the next afternoon. The grocery store was small but stocked with enough items to carry you over to the next port.  We lunched on a Roti Wrap, a local dish.  A tortilla is filled with curry mixture of potatoes, chickpeas and chicken.  Tasty and filling.  We spent a bit more time at the Aragorn Art Studio / Good Moon Farm offering local, organic produce. We purchased a number of exotic fruit specimens… Passion Fruit, Sugar Apple and Soursop… We have to wait till they are ripe (soft and squishy in a few days) to sample. 


We stopped for a drink before heading home.  It had been a long time since we have seen, and not been the subject of,  any harbor cinema.   Today’s was the most dramatic we have seen yet… As we looked out over the harbor, Jim noticed a sailboat extremely close to an anchored trawler.  Too close.  As we tried to make sense of the scene, we noticed a dinghy pulling in vain at the sailboat which had drug it’s anchor… The sailboat hit and got hung up on the anchor line of the power boat… the gentleman in the dinghy struggling to free it from it’s hold on the anchor line, the wind pushing the hull of the sailboat back into the powerboat… Several of us on shore watching and contemplating what, if anything we could do to help… After numerous tries and what seemed like forever, the dinghy captain was able to free the two boats.  He had to be exhausted, mentally and physically by now.  He then proceeded to pull the large sailboat into the wind and after a bit of a battle, secured it to a mooring ball… whew.  Our hearts went out to the captain, thankful it was not our boat in either situation… Then, amazingly, the dinghy / captain left the ‘scene’ and returned to his own boat!  This gentleman had done all this and neither boat was his.  Sir, kudos to you.  You are a great humanitarian… 
Harbor Cinema... 
We later found out the renegade sailboat had been abandoned in the harbor. Every harbor we have been in including the East Coast of the U.S. has had abandoned, derelict boats.  Many of the ‘help’ for the mainland resorts, bar, etc live on old boats setting at anchor to save money on housing which is often far too expensive anywhere near the waterfront where the tourists go.   

We ate dinner aboard, grilled Greek chicken and veggies.  Then, off to The Last Resort on Bellamy Cay.  A very small spit of land with a delightful bar restaurant.  I wish we had discovered it sooner.  It is one of the little gems you stumble upon by accident (no write up in the guide book) and are very glad you did.  The owner has been running the place for 2 years now and trying to create a great destination.  The restaurant offers amazing food (too bad we already ate), a great bar and outdoor seating on the tip of this tiny island, maybe a half acre, at low tide.  The seating, comfortable.  The atmosphere made even better with their eclectic take on decorating,  Nautical, whimsical.  Artsy.  Comfortable.  Bobo served us beverages at the bar, named after his grandfather.  He is a  working, young sailor living in the harbor.  His mother a sailor too, they have sailed quite a bit in and around these islands for years.  
Live music by an amazing young artist.  He played a few ‘rat pack’ songs, Beatles and other cult / pop numbers with his own inventive arrangements.  A game of Fooze Ball, Jim won.  Must have been that second Jameson’s that put me off my game…  
Kathy and Danielle 
Having had nearly all the fun and beverage we could reasonable partake, we paid our bill.  Just as I was about to attempt standing up, a gentle arm surrounds me, a lovely perfume floats over me… and this delightful French voice says… ‘ello… ‘ow are you?”    OMG …  It’s Danielle the French lady in need of a shower / token  …. We shared a proper French Kiss… cheek and cheek.  Her husband says, “ohhh, thank you very much for giving me a nice clean wife” (grinning ear to ear).   They too stumbled on this lovely, quaint establishment.  It’s their last night of vacation, leaving early in the morning to return to Paris… They have spent their vacation on a charter catamaran with 6 other friends.  They offered to buy us one more beverage but I had most defiantly  reached my limit so we had to decline.  Daniella’s husband assured me it I ever find my way to Paris I would have a warm shower waiting… I just might take him up on that, but first… I had to navigate the path back to the dinghy made troublesome by the cement walkway shifting so many times under my feet.  Jim luckily drove us safely around the reef and home.  It didn't take long for sleep to find us. 
Saba Rock lounge 
A while back Jim told me about an exchange he had with a fellow boater.  After discovering the two had lived near each other for years in Chicago; Jim said, ‘It’s a small world”  The other gentleman’s reply, ‘only if you don’t travel…’   How true this is proving to be.  

Jan 14
Next day / next bay:  Fat Hog Bay … I guessing at one point there were ‘fat pigs’ here… 
It is also known as East End Bay to the Locals…
There was plenty of skinny water to watch for, the mooring field in just 8 feet of water!  The area is surrounded by a shallow reef, Red Rock reef marking one side of the harbor entrance. Fat Hogs Bay shoal off to port.  Lunch aboard then off to explore.  The town, which doesn't appear to have a name, is more laid back, being home to local fisherman and a few cruisers.  The grocery is well stocked, fruits, vegetables, meats, and staples.  Narrow streets, no sidewalk.  Chickens and roosters chasing around; typical of all the islands.  We picked some ice-cream and made a dash for home before it melted.  We now relish the once easy to get, and ate too often, treats from our former lives.  The sun dipping behind the mountain.  The breeze wafting through the hatches.  I have to pinch Jim again to make sure I’m not dreaming… 

Jan 15     Happy Birthday Theresa!  Hope you did something memorable 

Back to Road Town.  The sails came out today for one whole hour!  The wind always coming from the direction we want to go… 
We needed fuel, a few fresh produce things, then we are off to St. Martin, about 80 miles east; trade winds on the nose…   We had to circle the teeny, tiny entrance to the marina, the fuel dock full up with other boats.  Maneuvering around an anchored double barge, several HUGE catamarans and numerous ‘Mooring’s’ Charter boats coming and going.  Back home, our former one, our boat was a fairly average size for Great Lakes cruisers.   As we moved closer to the salty sea, we began to shrink… the other boats just kept getting bigger and bigger the farther we went east and south.  Now, we are dwarfed by the vessels transiting the islands.  A 74 foot catamaran came in today.  Even the locals were down here taking pictures.  

We docked the boat, no harbor cinema then the dock master, Denzel, came to ask what our needs were…Fuel and a slip sir.  Fuel topped off we took a slip and opened the ports to funnel the breeze through the cabin.  Our friends Jim and Cindy (Splash)met us for anchor beverages, they are here exchanging crew… family going home, friends coming aboard to travel with us all to St. Marten.  We’ll listen to the weather in the morning and formulate a departure / travel plan. 

We have been trying the tropical fruits and veggies here.  Quite a few surprises… Passion Fruit is tiny and when ripe sweet.  We ate a Sugar Apple, The texture is like custard… soft and creamy.  Very sweet, lots of good size seeds to spit out.  A Soursop.  Looks similar to the Sugar Apple but larger.  Texture a bit firm, seed to eat around too.  The taste is like lemonade, sweet and tart with just a hint of banana.  All very interesting.  For dinner I made a Caribbean kind of stew.  It’ll be a repeat.  Cubed, steamed sweet potatoes, add red or kidney bean, garlic, turmeric, curry and toasted coconut… Very pleasant.  

The Bittern End beach
Today ends the saga of the Chart Plotter Chip fiasco!  After unsuccessfully trying to download our new (paid for) charts, we called Garmin and they agreed to Fed Ex the micro chip  with charts , overnight…  Jim called everyday after to check the status;  ‘It ships today’ … Everyday for a week we were told this by a different person… We finally decided to cancel the order and navigate using our IPad, which has the charts.  Not as convenient but it will get us to St. Marten where we will take up the quest to get the charts, again…

Tarpon feeding 


Jan 16 - 18
Virgin Gorda: staging for the crossing
Jim and I checked out of the BVI’s, customs giving us a grace period till Monday for departure.  The weather window looks good for the crossing.  We’ll be traveling with S/v Splash and their crew of 5.  
We chose The Bitter End harbor to wait out the 2 days before heading to St. Martin.  We took a mooring ball while Splash dropped the hook.  They later told us their depth meter hit zero clearance just as the anchor went down.  Jim of Splash dove down to see what could have caused it to zero out and discovered a sunk sailboat under their boat… 

Tarpon
We all met up at Saba Rock for happy hour.  Saba Rock is a tiny little island that has capitalized on it’s unique space.  Rooms to rent, restaurant / bar.  Palm trees and shopping.  Great internet.  Happy hour 4 -6, Tarpon feeding at 5 … Painkillers in hand, we watched as Lance led the group through his spiel on th event before us.  Fish CAN tell time by the way.  They began swarming by 4:30 in anticipation of their snack.  They are HUGE fish, the record: 10 feet, 270 pounds.  Lance says they have no teeth which proved to be correct as he hand fed them.  They leapt up to meet his arm with the sharkskin bait, engulfing his arm to the elbow, no ill effects on Lance’s part.  Tarpon are a fun sport fish, catch and release due to their abundance of bones as well as not being too flavorful.  
A question went out to the crowd…’What is a pescatarian ?   At this point I would like to thank Rich, Julia, Bridget and Amanda…  Several people offered their opinions (incorrect) so I spoke up: a vegetarian that eats fish… Lance says ‘correct, meet me at the bar after the show’.
The show continued, moving to the ‘pool’ where a number of smaller sea creatures were housed.  A Lion Fish; invasive and poisonous, several sea cucumbers, many fish and a Moray Eel, 5-6 foot long and 2 plus foot around.  
Prize in hand ...
I rejoined our happy hour group.  After a while Lance came up and said I should join him at the bar.  He ordered us each a generous shot of Sambucca, yikes.  I don’t do shots, but what an insult to the Lance if I didn't … so, down it went.  Whew!  tasty and burning all the way down.  
Our group then headed to Inishnee for a night cap and Jean’s Bean Dip, always a hit!  

Jan 17
A busy day today.  The morning brought cloudy skies, temps in the low 80’s.  The “conch’ boat hooting his conch through the harbor signaling to those wishing to purchase some: wave him over, fresh conch for lunch / dinner.  Jim and I ventured to shore to the Bitter End Yacht Club.  It is an all encompassing vacation spot offering all the amenities you might want and can afford.  We strolled the grounds and the beach front then opted to return home for lunch where the prices were more agreeable.  Then Jim hit on the idea to hire a diver to finish the patch job on the hull… so we returned to shore and negotiated a SCUBA tank for a very reasonable sum. Jim has his scuba license so there was no need to hire someone… substantial savings…  Jim of Splash assisted with the putty mixing compound while Jim (mine) dove and applied the putty.  He had the job done with air to spare so the barnacles were scraped and the hull freed of it’s expanding garden.  
Limin' 
Dinner tonight: fresh (live, until… ) lobster and gumbo.  The crew of Splash befriended two of the fishermen from the Saba Rock restaurant and they agreed to return with something for our dinner… 4 Spiny Lobsters and a Red Snapper!  No cost!!!  they did receive a nice tip…
Inishnee would hosted dinner, potluck style.  
Jim and Jim

With gumbo simmering and the boat patch curing, Jim and I had a few minutes to sit back and take in the afternoons Harbor 


















Cinema unfolding to port.  A recent arrival had opted to anchor just a tad too close to shore… Low tide and a decent breeze put him on the hard.  A number of cruisers came to his aide and with 4 dinghies pulling, his motor at full bore, he broke free and headed to a mooring ball.  

New Friends Kevin and Jane joined us for happy hour.  They are heading north, having traveled the southern Caribbean extensively.  An invitation to their Catamaran for tomorrow was offered and accepted.  The crew of Splash prepped the lobsters for grilling.  Jim and Cindy’s new crew are friends from home; Hamilton, Canada:  Colleen, Paul and Frenchy.   Frenchy brought a drone along and took videos of our boats.  Great views and footage.  Thank you!  
Kathy, Jim, Jane, Cindy, Jim ...
Dinner… it was amazing!  piping hot gumbo followed by fresh grilled lobster dripping with butter, garlic and lemon juices.  Delicious coleslaw, the perfect accompaniment… new and old friends sharing this fantastic moment in our respective adventures… Before we knew it, boaters midnight had come and gone… time has little meaning if you don't have to go to   w*#k…. 

Kevin, Paul, Frenchy
Colleen 












Chris says… todays the day… We are of to St. Martins, the Dutch side.  It is about 80+ miles and requires an overnight passage to ensure safe, daylight hours for arrival; late morning Tuesday.  We prepped the boat, securing items that might shift or break.  Snacks and sandwiches ready to eat.  With 2 crew, we’ll switch off and on sleeping in shifts.  We have done several overnights across Lake Michigan; Saugatuck to Milwaukee, WI; it's about the safe distance...
We need a weather window with little to no wind, our course due east into the trade winds… motoring.  


St. Martin, here we come ...

























Friday, January 15, 2016

Yang was here ! ...

January 2016
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI
Pussers at Soper's Hole
Yang is here!  We spent the first night rolling around in Charlotte Amalie harbor enjoying Yang’s company.  The next morning we headed for St. John’s Maho Bay, a huge sea turtle surfaced in time to greet us.  Yang and I enjoyed the afternoon afloat in our noodle chairs followed by Painkillers.   A bonus treat, 4 dolphins made their way through the harbor, the only we have seen while being in the Caribbean.  

The next morning we headed for Soper’s Hole, BVI’s.  Jim checked us in to customs / immigration then we headed to shore.  Pusser’s Bar / Restaurant stop number one; beverages and lunch.  Their dessert menu comes in the form of an old fashioned View Finder.  We checked out the dive shop and purchased new snorkel gear.  Our quest for a micro chip for our chart plotter was a wash, we’ll have to go to Road Town, Tortola, the closest supplier.  Our night in Sopers Hole was uneventful, a bit of wind, several dogs yapping at each other to break up the monotony of the silence (all night long)…  goats grazing on the hillside helping to defoliate the steep mountain terrain.  
Dessert ?  

What more might you need? 










Limin' the afternoon away 








Next stop, Norman Island.  
Norman Island is owned by Dr. Rich Bass Tee ‘ard… or something like that…
Population 1 … whom we met on his evening rounds to collect the mooring fee. Him,  “30 dollars…”  (no greeting or otherwise)… Jim, ‘so, are you the one resident?’  Him, “yeah.  my wife and kid came in today though.  30 dollars…”  …  He doesn’t seems versed in the island greetings as yet.  

At the famous Willey T's
Secured to a mooring ball we lazed away the morning and afternoon reading, napping and swimming.  Happy hour upon us, we headed for WiIlly T’s.  Fun and debauchery already in session, we sat back to watch the show.  Willy T’s is a 100 foot retired schooner, now at anchor serving as a bar and entertainment establishment.  Almost anything goes while aboard.  We were treated to several young ladies cutting loose, enjoying shots from the portable Surf Board Bar.  We enjoyed a few Painkillers ourselves then took our leave.  While boarding the dinghy 2 young men were fishing for Blue Runners on the dock.  They used leftovers from someones lunch and a hand reel.  It took only seconds for the fish to chomp the bait and be hauled in,   fresh fish for their dinner. 


a Blue Runner (fish)
We cast off our painter line from the dock in time to see several of the elusive White Boobies known to frequent Willie T’s.  Although they are not as graceful while diving as the local Brown Boobies they were still fun to watch.
the elusive White Boobies
We migrated to Pirate Bight, a manufactured beach restaurant opposite Willy T’s.  Everything including the sand was imported to create this little oasis.  We had the pleasure of getting aquatinted with Sophia, or server.  She was born in Jamaica, moved to Canada for a year, decided snow was not her thing so she returned to the Caribbean and now lives on Tortola, traveling to Norman Island daily, working at Pirate Bight.  Evening approaching, we headed home.  


Yang and Sofia
We had a most excellent adventure today, actually several.  First up,  another trip to shore for internet and a quick visit to the dive shop to hire a diver to fill in the last divot from the skinny water a week ago.  Danielle and her dive gear went with Jim to the boat while Yang and I were treated to coffee from Sofia at the restaurant.  The dive / fix complete, we then grabbed our snorkel gear and headed to The Caves, a few minutes by dinghy.  We tied to the dinghy mooring line and took the plunge.  There are 3 main caves accessible only by water, one of which goes quite deep into the cliffside.  Yang took the lead and continued until we could no longer see anything in the water and were bumping the cave walls as well as the submerged floor.  It was kind of spooky but also exhilarating to be very much out of our element.  The reef was pretty good, the sea life quite varied, a number of large parrot fish chomping away at the coral.  The return trip to the dinghy was the highlight of the underwater adventure for me… a sea turtle munching away on the sea floor, paying no mind to the gawkers lurking above it.  Our fingerers thoroughly puckered and a slight chill setting in we retreated to the dink.  
High atop Norman Island 
Over looking the Bight  harbor
My boarding skills not having improved over the last few dips, I was glad to have a partner (Yang) who was equally skilled in boarding as I was.  It took several tries each with the aid of a rope ladder to finally free ourselves from the watery domain.  Back aboard Inishnee we rested and had some lunch.  Jim took a quick look see at the dive / repair job.  Unfortunately Danielle’s patch skills weren't sufficient and the patch fell off.  

a 'Turpentine' tree





















Jim suggested we head to shore for a late afternoon hike.  Norman Island is said to be the inspiration for Robert Louis Stephenson’s Treasure Island… We grabbed water and headed out.  We threaded our way a up and around the mountain trails, stopping at the clearings to admire the vistas.  The heat was no match for the amazing views, looking south at this turn, the open Atlantic, looking north at the next, the Caribbean Sea with it’s many mountainous islands on the horizon.  Along the way we saw several hermit crabs (what are they doing so far above sea level?), a few crazy big colorful caterpillars, spiders, butterflies and Turpentine Trees along with plenty of green, flowering vegetation.   We finally had to reel Jim back in and force an about face to head for home before dark.  One of the good things about living on a boat, the ‘return trip’ from an excursion is always downhill.  We took a quick breather at the shore then head home.   
Painkillers to ward off any acquired ailments from the day’s adventures.  Dinner and star gazing.  Boaters midnight long gone by the time we called it a night.  

hiking to the Bubbly Pool
Mangroves 
















What’s next?  We decided to head to Jost Van Dyke, Diamond Cay.  There was no wind, the seas were flat which made it easy to see a few large sea turtles along the route.  We tied to a mooring ball, grabbed a bite to eat then off to the Bubbly Pool.  It did not disappoint!  It was like a cauldron with the north swell barreling through the rock channel that makes the Bubbly Pool bubble.  We played in the pool for quite a while then lounged on the small beach which we had to ourselves for a good hour.  By the time we decided to head back there were several other bubble seekers venturing into the pool.  The path to is filled with plenty of interesting things.  A salt pond, large volcanic boulders, poisonous trees and mangroves.  A shallow impassable reef with northern waves breaking the surf.  Goats grazing free range.  

The Bubbly Pool
Yang went for a snorkel along the reef which lines the shore.  Reporting back: lots of sea life happily swimming about.  We finished the evening sitting on the front deck, tummies full.  The skies alight with stars.  We each witnessed our own shooting star.  Our discussions rambled between family, future plans and world issues, which we were remarkably successful in solving a number of world problems as the night wore on.    

Waves crashing on the reef













our last night out 



With Yangs departure the 11th, we decided to spend our last evening together at Village Cay Marina, Road Town, Tortola. We enjoyed desalinating in the marina showers, 7 minutes per token. Dinner at Pussers, known for their rum.  
Late the next morning we wandered about town be fore Yang caught the ferry to Charlotte Amalie, then flew home.  Just off the main drag we found a small, interesting museum on island life past and present.  Displays included pottery, baskets and photos as well as a selection of volcanic rocks that make up the island chain.  

We finally had to say our goodbyes as see Marianne (here real name) off to the chilly north.  Temps reporting to be hovering in the 20’s in the Chicago area.  brrr.  It was great visit, she is a gracious guest and super company. 
bye Yang ! 




































Sunday, January 3, 2016

Holiday happenings ...


St John / Waterlemon Bay
the mysterious 'ricochet' bird ... 
The Christmas Winds continue to be a factor, going from dead calm to well over 20 knots roaring down the mountain at no predictable intervals.  The anchorage is mostly calm where we tucked in until one of the large cruisers motor past leaving a wake.  Today we saw a FIVE masted cruise ship pass by then anchor in an adjacent harbor  / island Tortola, BVI’s.  It’s mast could be seen above the mountain top…  

Maho Bay
We spent some time snorkeling, this time we took the dink to a special mooring field installed for the purpose of snorkeling the reef by small boat.  There was a bit of a current so we made sure to keep our sites on the dinghy as well as the life below.  Again, the corals seem to be suffering from bleaching, a world wide epidemic due to warming seawater temps.  We did see a good number of fish, rays and one conch.  Jim was happy to FINALLY learn the proper name of the ‘ricochet’ bird.  He has admired this bird since our arrival in the Islands.  Graceful and beautiful.  It has a white chest and yellow feet with a brown body and wings.  It swoops down and skims just under the water to catch fish.  Using the I-phone bird ID app, it’s called the Brown Booby.   
He also identified the Magnificent Frigate Bird as well, one of our daily sights.  

rainbows everyday 


After having spent a few days in one spot / bay we headed a few miles away to Maho Bay, St John’s.  It is a large bay with several separate beach areas as well as places to land the dinghies. On a trip ashore we were greeted by a tourist who kindly warned us of the ticket writing park officer.  Upon inspection of the offending dinghy we discovered they had broken several rules: using an unregistered dinghy and chaining it to a tree.  We pulled our dinghy far on shore (no locking to vegetation) and went for a stroll.  The beach was lovely white powder sand, filled with beach goers, easily accessible by car for landlubbers.  There are Safari’s to catch an ride to town… 6 bucks a piece, one way.  We enjoyed the beach scene for a while then went home.





Cruz Bat visitors cent

We were greeted in the late afternoon by the mooring field ‘hosts’, Jack and Nancy.  They welcome new boats and provide local information;  like their counterparts on land at state and national parks… a camp ground host.  They are working with the local municipalities to find a mutually agreeably method to secure / lock  dinghies on shore while protecting the trees.  They have made some progress but as yet no solution.

A few more projects ticked off the list then Jim headed to bed.  I tried to read a bit before turning in myself, but I was plagued by a ‘smell’ that continued to grow stronger as the evening wore on.  A solvent of some sort.  I had tried to locate the source earlier in the day but no luck.  Finally I narrowed it down to the sink / galley area.  I began methodically removing every can and bottle until the culprit was in hand.  Our galley sinks sweat and accumulate condensation which has been dripping into the bins under the sink.   A small pool of liquid had been slowly rusting the can bottoms until today, one finally sprung a leak.  It took a good hour to remove and clean the sink area and bins.  We then had to find new homes for the metal cans, rearranging metal for glass and plastic.  It was nearing the  12  midnight by the time we had cleaned enough to both turn in for the night.  Everyday problems in a not so everyday place…   

Christmas Day
We hope your holiday passed with good cheer.
We spoke to our kids and several family / friends to wish everyone a great holiday.  It’s our first holiday alone, no other family, just the 2 of us.  Bitter sweet.  My attempt to bring our family aboard for the holiday was through our holiday menu… Making dishes inspired and shared with family and friends: rosemary / cranberry biscuits, fresh mangos, mashed rosemary / garlic potatoes and Bob’s moms cheese cake…  
The day passed relatively uneventful, napping, reading, rain showers and sipping cool drinks.  We were paid a visit by a fellow cruiser, Jack, who was out meeting other cruisers and wishing a merry Christmas to all.  He and his wife have been up and down the chain of islands many times and will starting heading toward Grenada again soon.  Later we met yet another cruiser, Mark.  He recently moved here for the winter from Seattle.   He is living on a day charter boat taking clients to snorkel and sail the St. Jonh’s area.  He too is alone for the Holidays and was glad to find someone to share a portion of the evening with.  

Today we decided to head to Cruz Bay, the largest city on St. John.  Following the advice of the park host’s we went ashore and stuck our finger out… pointer finger… to hitchhike. (Using your thumb is a very rude, offensive gesture among the locals) The problem was nearly every car was heading to the beach, not to town, so we figured we’d start walking.  Up, up and up some more.  Then, a ride!  We hopped in the back of a pickup truck and continued the climb.  The driver pulled over a couple of miles later, his destination Cinnamon Bay.  Walking again, we were quickly picked up by a young family on vacation who drove us a few more miles… then another ride.  2 guys.  It turns out they are from Michigan not to far from our home town!  They even know some people Jim use to work with.  They were heading to Cruz Bay… score!  
We thanked them (and all of our drivers) profusely as we (I) could not have walked the 6+ miles up and over mountains even with the well pave / maintained roads.  We wandered about town.  Checked out the Visitors Center.  Strolled past numerous shop geared toward tourists: ice cream, souvenirs, tee shirts, etc.  We checked out a dive shop for an upgrade to our snorkel gear then on to the auto parts store for yet another part.  The directions were good and after a short 15 minute walk (nearly all up hill) we found it.  What we didn't factor in to the journey was Boxing Day… a national Holiday for the British which the UCVI’s have adopted.  ???  What the heck is Boxing ???  It’s the day after Christmas when you return your decorations to their boxes.  Seriously.  So there we stood thinking we could have been in a nice cool pub having a cold one when someone pulls up, and begins unloading boxes… him: “Can I help you?”  us: thanks, but we needed a part from the auto store but didn't realize it would be closed”  him: “yup, Boxing Day”  Then someone from the store front says, “What’d you need?’  Jim told him and he says “ come on up…” so he opens the store, finds us something that will work for our part needs.  Happy Boxing Day!  The right place at just the right time… The proprietor was there waiting for the other guy out from to deliver his order.
We then headed back to the water front for lunch. then stuck out our finger again… and nearly immediately got a ride all the way to Cinnamon Bay.  Before sticking out our finger again, we crossed the road to explore the Cinnamon Bay Factory Ruins, another former sugar mill.  Many more buildings / foundations than the Annaberg Ruins to wander through.  Heavily over grown with vegetation.  Back on the road we were again picked up almost immediately, a local ex pat, going to Maho Bay to pick up a friend.  What Luck!  
As we reached the dinghy our friends Jim and Cindy / Splash entered the bay.  Unfortunately their dinghy motor was on the fritz.  My Jim said he’d happily help if possible.  While the guys tinkered with the motor Cindy and I had a great catch up session.   The guys managed to get the outboard running although it still has a glitch with the choke.  We then all shared stories over anchor beverages.  Later we enjoyed dessert,: fried, ripe plantains! and cheese cake and more stories.  We chatted till nearly boaters midnight (9pm).  


Question of the day:  When does running aground turn out to be not the worst part of your day?  

The ‘plan’ was to get up, have a leisurely morning then head to Charlotte Amalie so we could be close to Crown Bay Marina to make the most of the time we planned to be there installing the NEW wind vane (thank you Santa) and glueing the rub guard  back on the dinghy.  We left the mooring field on the island of St John and made the passage to Charlotte Amalie.  We were fishtailing a lot as approached the harbor, it being on the open Atlantic side.  We circled the anchorage looking for a not too rolling spot and since it was still before noon we decided to try the anchorage / mooring field  right next to the marina in Crown Bay.  Crown Bay Marina is adjacent to a ship yard where cargo is on / off loaded.  The ships use a pilot boat when coming  and going, the main purpose to guide the ships in and out of harbors, sometimes providing them with a local captain who goes aboard the ship).  They also to keep other boats away from the ship.  I wanted to stay well away from the ship exiting the harbor and the pilot boat was crowding me to the north into the mooring field which is where we were heading anyway… when ka-thunck… ka-thunck… SHIT! ….we bounced over a shoal IN the mooring field… heart pounding, we turned tail and headed for the channel. (FYI: the chart said I should have had 11 feet).  The pilot boat quickly came over to see it we were OK… “there’s a shoal over there”… that would have been good information 5 minutes ago.  Jim took over steering while I dashed below to look for leaks… check the engine compartment, under floor boards… no leaks!  whew!  We went back to Charlotte Amalie to drop the hook.  Selected a spot, Jim released the anchor… nothing.  ?  It wont budge  ??  a trip to the chain locker to free up the chain.  Back on deck, another go at the anchor chain… still nothing.  ???  He dug out the manual windlass handle, freed up the ‘frozen’ chain and finally we were at anchor…
Open mic night at Tickles...

Jim then went to get out the grease gun from under the V-berth to grease the windlass (salt corrosion)  and discovered there was water (yikes) on the grease gun container… OK… so everything off the bunk, mattress, pillows, blankets… pull off the locker board cover … Oh F*^@“…. Water, LOTS of water.  ???? LOTS and LOTS of sea water!!!!! Salty sea water!  We then we started removing the locker contents.  Pulling it out through the overhead hatch.  Spares hoses, a drenched cardboard box, all of the spare oil drip sheets… two spares duffel bags… a down sleeping bag… a few small bins with stuff;  All dripping with ‘funky’ salty sea water.   It’s OLD water.  Not new… I had NOT breached the hull in the grounding.  So why all the water… We hauled dozens of buckets of water out of the locker.  Finally having bailed most off the water out, we could assess the 3 compartments in the locker.  One for the deck wash down pump, one for the battery, and one general storage.  It seems the wash down pump has been leaking for a VERY long time.  
our new wind generator 
We were thoroughly exhausted. Lunch:  gatorade and fish cheese crackers…  Catch our breath… evaluate situation.  
We called to Crown Bay to get a slip a day early… Jim had to use the manual windlass handle to haul up the chain.  Back past the dreaded shoal and into a slip.  Now: major clean up.  We were able to get the bunk back in order for sleeping.  We threw away the  ‘can't be salvaged’ items.  BTW: my Seal-a-Meal more than paid for itself.  I have sealed a number of small things, batteries, etc to prevent moisture intrusion … NONE of those things items were compromised! 

piecing things together 
So, back to answer the question… When does running around turnout to be not the worst part of your day?  When you discover another problem that needed your attention, now … 
To put it in perspective, it’s like driving on icy, snowy roads.  You sometimes get stuck in snow bank.  Or blow a tire.  Or have a fender bender.  You fix what needs fixing, maybe try a different approach to driving in certain conditions. But you don't quit driving or riding in cars. 

New day:  more cleaning and sorting.  Jim off to the metal shop to get them going on the Wind Generator tubing and parts needed for the installation.   On top of all this, my back got a ‘kink’ and I had limited mobility… We did laundry, 6 BIG loads… Nearly 30 dollars! … Jim continued picking away at projects as best he could while waiting on the tubing.  Living in paradise is not all fun and games, sipping little umbrella drinks.  It’s often hard work, really hard work; mental and physical.  But there are no snow storms to battle, no icy windows to scrape.  Still loving  livin’ the dream, most of it anyway.    

up and running 
With the tubing on board we got to work on the installation of the wind generator.  It took us an entire day to secure, wire and raise the generator into place.  It looks pretty awesome.  Time will tell what effect it has on our energy needs.  
We had dinner the went to ‘Tickles’ the Restaurant / bar at the marina to catch open mic night. There was a band playing when we sat down.  They played a few more tunes then took a break, allowing the audience an opportunity to perform.  One young lady sang a few song, then another played a mandolin and sang.  Feeling very tired, we called it a night.

New Years Eve…. 2015
Next morning we topped off the water tanks and headed for groceries.  My back took a turn for the worst and I had to guard every step.  grrr.  Back aboard, groceries stowed, Jim recruited help to cast off the lines, the wind wanting to push us onto the dock.  The plan was to have the recruit keep the bow line secure till we were free from obstructions.  Jim hit reverse, I pulled in the port dock line, looked up and saw the bow swinging into the dock… “hold the bow off the dock!”, but it was too late.  The recruit had released the line to soon… which lead to the anchor snagging on the dock cleat which is imbedded  in the cement dock.  ca-rack!  …  

Pizza boat... order and pick up your pi hot and fresh 
Jim had to drive forward so we could get the anchor free from the cleat, then back in reverse scraping along the dock… the recruit threw the line aboard, we exited the marina and circled the harbor to evaluate the damages.  A few bent metal fittings, Jim can fix later.  We try to do all the line handling but I didn't think I could help much with my back acting up… We were both ready to find a quiet place to set the hook and relax after all the miss haps and work.




yellow tail snapper
We headed for Christmas Cove, the wind generator cranking out the amps as we motored along, the wind on the nose.  Our friends Jim and Cindy were ‘saving’ us a mooring ball, which turned into  bit of an ordeal for them.  Jim (Splash) rowed their dink to the last morning ball and was tying their dinghy to it when a catamaran ran into him.  The guy on the bow calls back to the captain… ‘you just hit a guy in a boat’… the captain comes forward and says… ‘Oh, I didn't see you’… REALLY?  Jim and his dinghy were not injured.  It’s a bit daunting 

thinking about the unskilled captains maneuvering vessels sometimes.  One of the chapter companies told Jim (Splash) the only requirement to charter a boat is a card… a VISA or Master Card… 

We hooked up to the mooring ball and could finally relax for a while.   Jim and Cindy popped over and to wish us a Happy New Year.  I headed below to rest my aching back.  Jim was hailed by a passing dinghy, ‘would we like a fresh fish?”… sure!  Anchor neighbors Thomas and Stephan have been out spearing fish and had a few to spare.  They gave us a Yellow Tail Snapper, quite tasty!  
Cindy, being a wonderful friend, made us dinner and delivered it to our boat.  It was the first thing I had eaten all day and it was fantastic!   Thank you soooo much.  Pasta and shrimp.  I managed to sit up for the entire meal and even started feeling better.  We didn't make to Atlantic Time Zone midnight, New Years Eve, but it was after boaters midnight when we called it a night.

getting the dive gear in the water 
prepping to the dive
New years day.  I was feeling so much better.  Jim dove under the boat to assess what the grounding had done to Inishnee’s bottom.  A small flap of fiberglass had been peeled back.  We had patch putty aboard for this sort of thing but it would be difficult to apply with out a dive tank… Our neighbor boat, S/v Vesper with Thomas and Stephan were divers.  Jim went over to see if they would consider helping.  Stephan grabbed his gear and was soon underwater applying the patch material to the divot.  Thomas, the owner of Vesper, had been ashore and came over on his return.  They would take to payment for their services but agreed to come to dinner.  We invited Jim and Cindy as well to make it a full blown party.  I was feeling much better and was happy to be almost back to normal.  
Jim popping a bottle of champagne for New Year's eve
We spent a festive evening with our new friends.  Thomas sailed his boat Vesper single handed from North Carolina the day after we left.  He unfortunately got caught in the tropical wave we were all trying to avoid.  He had to heave-to for a day then headed for Puerto Rico where Stephan met him.  Stephan, a professor of Psychology in London,  will be leaving to begin another semester.  Thomas is on a 2 year hiatus from his neurological research job in New York City.  He analyze’s patient’s brain, which have surgically implanted electrodes, then reports to the neurosurgeon as to the best surgical approach to relieve the patients symptoms…  You’ve herd the term brainiac… these two really are.   
I counted 27 bodies  !!
Another night up past boaters midnight, we all headed to our respective bunks.

Dinner on Splash tonight!  Cindy prepare a lovely meal for the four of us.  Their company is always a delight.  Tomorrow we all head to Charlotte Amalie where we each will welcome new crew on Monday.  Jim’s awesome sister Marianne will travel about with us for a week in the island.  


Wind Generator up date.  While in an anchorage, we want / need the boat to be tucked in and protected from the open water / waves, etc… which means you chose a spot where the mountain or hillside blocks the wind / waves …The problem, we don't produce much power under those circumstances.  Underway we see huge gains.  We will be at anchor in the Charlotte Amalie harbor for a couple of days where there is lots of wind funneling through the mountain valley.  Charge baby charge!
another fantastic sunset
Christmas Bay