December 30-31, 2008
Norman Island, BVI to St John, USVI
After a quick sail to and checking out from West End on Virgin Gorda, we headed straight to St. John, USVI. Canceling our various New Year’s Eve reservations at the Sugar Mill and Herve’s, we committed to celebrating at Caneel Bay Resort, another Rockefeller resort first started in the 1960’s. Unfortunately, it appears ferries, dingies and go-fast boats go right past this mooring field…and we are rolling!! We may move closer to the resort tomorrow as anything unsecured flies off the counters! Woops!
The resort is a beautiful 170 acre property featuring incredible grounds as well as interesting sugar plantation ruins – a must see for any visitor to St. John. Historical note: This plantation served as the safe haven for white plantation owners during the infamous slave rebellion of 1733.
The Equator Restaurant, where we had our New Year’s Eve dinner, is built atop a section of the ruins of the sugar mill, one of the most unusual sugar mills I have seen, architecturally speaking. Much of the ruins have not been "reclaimed", just stabilized. Within the rooms of the stabilized ruins, the restaurant will set up private dining areas, lit by torch and candle light. VERY ROMANTIC and ubber sophisticated feeling.
Walking back to the dinghy dock after dinner, we marveled at a New Year’s Celebratory table on the beach for eight guests, swimming with atmosphere lit by Tiki torches and hurricane candles. The group had their own private wait-staff and a two-person combo (sax and guitar). Gee, do you think I was impressed????
January 1, 2009
Maho Bay, St. John
We moved around the corner from Caneel Bay to meet up with John, SOJOURN. He was aboard shortly after we picked up a mooring ball and will return for dinner later in the afternoon…shrimp mousse, steaks, baked potatoes and fresh fruit tart.
After dinner, relaxing in the cockpit, a lone saxophonist on a nearby boat treated us to a concert. The evening ended after watching the tarpon and a single spotted ray dance through the glow of the underwater lights. Life does not get much better than this…good food, good music, and good friends.
January 2, 2009
Maho Bay, St. John to Red Hook, St. Thomas
We had never anchored at Red Hook before, will definitely not make a habit of it. The ferries run frequently, causing major swells, tossing the boat carelessly, back and forth. “Batten down the Hatches” takes on an entirely new meaning here with worse rolling than Caneel.
The advantage of Red Hook is a well-stocked market, Post Office, Ace Hardware and plethora of restaurants plying their ware. We lunched at Molly Molone’s, entertained by the tourists photographing the half dozen large Iguanas roaming about the patio begging for food. One woman, less enthralled with the lizards, could barely eat her lunch for fear they would attack her. (BTW, Molly’s had phenomenal Reuben sandwiches!)
January 3, 2009
Red Hook to Christmas Cove, St. James
A recommended pit stop by John, Sojourn, we will definitely come back after we return from Denver
January 4, 2009
Christmas Cove to Crown Bay Marina, St; Thomas
Last minute preparations for our trip to Denver are complete. The man who is watching the boat in our absence has taken the VHF to a local electrician for repair.
January 5-16, 2009
To Denver, Colorado and back to the boat
We are back on the boat…a day early… On the shuttle, bus at the airport after returning our rental car I happened to notice the scrolling sign in the bus said the date was January 14. Knowing we were not scheduled to leave until the 15th, I mentioned the discrepancy to the driver who replied, "That’s because it IS the 14th." Oops! I scrambled into the rental car agency, asked to use their phone, promptly called the airlines to see if they had space on the outgoing flight, re-booked our flight, got credit for the early return of the car and made it to the airport with plenty of time for a scrumptious breakfast (by airport standards) before departure. WHEW! Who though I could be that efficient at 6 AM?
However, without a doubt the most amazing event of our trip to Denver was seeing my new neurologist. His diagnosis, after evaluating three MRI’s, is a real shocker…I DO NOT HAVE MS. Yes, I have white spots in my brain, but in his opinion, they are atypical for MS. He also diagnosed cervical spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal cord channel in the neck), which could account for some of my neurological symptom, weakness, balance issues, etc. "Shocked" does not adequately sum up how I feel…"Joyous" is more on the money – After 13 years, NO MORE SHOTS!!!!!!! HOORAY!!!!!!
Susan and Hale, CAYUGA, stopped by on the 16th. It has been ages since we have seen them, very nice to catch up. They are earning extra money doing custom canvas work and have agreed to re-stitch a couple of items, as well as sew a new, more durable cover for the cockpit table.
January 17, 2009
Crown Bay Marina to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
Although the local electrician could not fix the VHF, Susan and Hale completed every one of their projects in record time!
January 18-19, 2009
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas to Christmas Cove, St. James
Just as we hoped, we returned to Christmas Cove, with an added bonus of rendezvousing with Jimmy and Amanda before their next charter. As Amanda is the professional chef aboard their charter yacht, I though we would treat them to dinner – home-made pepperoni/black olive/mushroom and Greek themed artichoke hearts/roasted red pepper/kalamata olive/red onion/feta pizzas, with the requisite wine and rum tasting. J It was so nice to spend a few unrushed hours with them.
January 20, 2009
Christmas Cove, St. James to Red Hook, St. Thomas
Gluttons for punishment, we returned to Red Hook to provision. The market there has some of the best fresh meat we have seen, something we cannot pass up.
As before, the anchorage is nearly untenable with the ferries. One night at anchor was all the encouragement we needed to leave.
January 21-22, 2006
Red Hook, St. Thomas to Maho Bay, St. John
It is nice to be back on a mooring in calm water. Steve and I snorkeled for about an hour, the first time in the water for me in ages. Moments after we started Steve pointed out a nurse shark lolling under a coral over-hang. A few minutes later, we saw another nurse shark swimming near us. It always takes my breath away to be in the water with sharks, even docile nurse sharks, but I would not miss it for the world. They are so majestic.
January 23-24, 2009
Maho Bay to Coral Bay, St. John
We moved over to Coral Bay today, actually sailing part of the way! Not having the rumbling sounds of engines makes such a difference, so peaceful. We have not been in Coral Bay since 2007; much has changed. The economic downturn of one of the last hippie bastions, evidenced by closed shops, less crowded dingy dock, just does not feel the same. The more jovial half of the duo who owned Skinny Legs has past away, as has the husband of the local embroiderer. A local told us both received an at sea burial (is that even legal?), but agreed The Coral Bay Republic just is not the same. Even the Heineken robot has deteriorated, now almost unrecognizable.
January 25, 2009
Coral Bay, St. John to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
We returned to Charlotte Amalie to have our Clarion sound system either repaired or replaced. After purchasing a new main unit and installing it on the boat, we realized the first had not been broken rather a cable was merely unplugged. Oh well, I guess a spare main unit cannot be all-bad.
January 26 to February 2, 2009
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
Pat and Tom, LONE STAR, took us to Gallery St. Thomas where we saw exquisite vases made by a local wood turner, Avelino Samuel. (Anyone interested may view his artwork on http://www.gallerystthomas.com) The finished vases come in various shapes and sizes, and are only a 1/4 inch thick, if that. When you pick up his artwork, it is as light as air. How he creates such extraordinary art is a mystery to me.
We also spent an exciting Super Bowl Game at Mangoes with Tom/Pat, Ron/Kim/Katie (ISLAND SIREN, who we first met in Georgetown 3 years ago), Ray/Sandy (SUMMER WIND) and Dennis/Ann (KYETA). We stayed through halftime and then came back to the boat alone to watch the rest of the game in bed. After all, cruiser’s midnight/bedtime is really 9PM J
Cathy and Marty Sattler, friends from Colorado, arrive tomorrow.
Sailing adventures aboard a PDQ Antares 44i 