Kolibrie - The First Mate's Journal

Monday, January 13, 2014

2014-01-13T18:04:00.000-05:00

The winds were still up and rain was just ending and still threatening when I got up to shower and listen to the weather. Wayne’s stomach wasn’t well on top of things so we decided to just stay today. Axel came by for coffee & English muffins. He told us that Keith (who runs things at the boatyard) was coming by to look at his rat damage so we were kinda hoping that he’d do something to make amends with Azaya. For two years they’ve been trying to get a quote to get some work done on the boat and have been ignored. Now they have rat damage on top of things. But Keith checked things out and didn’t do much else from the sounds of things. Maybe he did after we left.

Axel brought some juice, cheese & crackers over for lunch and I chopped up an orange & banana to go with it and we sat eating and chatting a bit before Axel headed back to work on the boat. Later Wayne and I walked over to customs to check out of the British Virgin Islands so that we could leave in the early morning. Then on to the office to chat with Lucy N to see if she wanted us to check out tonight or tomorrow. We’ll catch her in the morning… I’ll miss her smiling face & lilting voice! We walked to the water to check out conditions and winds were still up but the seas looked pretty good so I think we’ll be fine tomorrow. It’s kind of protected through Drakes Passage to St John so the waves shouldn’t be too bad.

We swung by Azaya and checked out the rat damage. Axel did a pretty good job of cleaning up and it didn’t look as extensive as what I’d built up in my mind. I know they’d done a number on our rugs and pillow (shredding them) so I was really expecting a total mess on Azaya. They had done some extensive damage to Azaya's cabinet wicker faces and wood work and the plastic containers. Mary will be happy to get new containers BUT Mary’s not going to be too happy when she sees what they did to her artwork. I really had built it up to much worse in my mind. After making Azaya somewhat livable, Axel decided to start working on the project that he originally came down to work on - chipping away at the old paint and fairing. We could see the aluminum body underneath as he exposed it. It’s in good shape. I hope he sends us pictures when he gets her finished. I think it will look great! I remember one time when the light was just right, she glowed silver and was gorgeous. I hope the finished product turns out well.

On the way back to our boat Wayne & I swung by the deli for sandwiches – I got two because I figured Axel wouldn’t remember to stop by there before 6:00pm when they closed & when he came by to see if we wanted to go grab a bite to eat, I was glad I did. They have great sandwiches at cheaper prices than the restaurants so I enjoyed staying in. We sat around in the cockpit chatting with our sandwiches and beers and before I knew it, it was approaching 8:00pm. I think we’ve run the gamut of topics the last few days. But I think Wayne and I have always enjoyed the conversations with Axel & Mary. I’m sorry I won’t get to say goodbye to Mary but glad we got the chance to see Axel once more. I did email everyone but never did hear back from Mary… I know she’s busy & hope she also remembers us fondly as they continue their travels. Maybe someday we’ll meet again. You never know… Sometimes the world seems like a rather large place but sometimes it’s a small world too.

We have a wonderful waxing gibbous moon and bright twinkling stars… perhaps I’ll howl at the moon when it’s full. Just one more time… but this time I’ll be a solo she wolf remembering past howling moons…

Sharing rats, dinner and sunsets with friends

2014-01-12T17:54:00.000-05:00

Axel came by this morning and it looks like he caught 3 rats! The traps helped and the sticky traps we had last year helped more so. The ones they sell here are not as good as the other ones we had. On these new sticky traps, I think they do a little dance, shake their little booties, then prance off looking for something to eat. Yep… I can hear the laughter as the critters seem to get off the traps and go on their merry way. We went over to the restaurant for eggs this morning and then Axel went back to work on Azaya and we checked out our charts, GPS, and weather. It looks like things are settling down and we’ll probably take off tomorrow for St. John. I’m sad not to be going further but ever so grateful that we’ve had the opportunity and time to be able to make it down here to a place I definitely love – the Virgin Islands…

We went by Azaya, then went out to the breakwater and sat on the rocks to watch the sun set. It was lovely and of course I didn’t have my camera. From there we walked over to the Bath & Turtle for chats and dinner – good chicken wraps! I’m listening to the band play island music as I write this, tapping my foot to the beat of the steel drums. I enjoyed being able to share our last dinner here with Axel. It was hard to say good night as we headed for our boat and he headed for his. I feel bad about leaving here tomorrow. It almost feels like we’re leaving Azaya as the work gets started in earnest. It’s like we should be helping and then heading further south with them to meet up with Pam & Glen (Blue Pearl) etal to continue our travels… If I think about it, they’ve been involved in our travels for the last 4 seasons or so… they’ve become a part of our life and whether they know it or not… they will be missed. It’s time for me to get lost in the island music for a bit and out of my thoughts. Tomorrow will be here soon enough! Not thinking about it right now.

Sunset from the marina Bath & Turtle Rendezvous outdoor bar/restaurant

Grilled cheese sandwiches go with rodents after all...

2014-01-11T17:47:00.000-05:00

We topped off the water tanks and then took a walk down the beach to Coco Maya and Fisher’s Cove. While there were no interesting shells or sea beans along my stroll, I did pick up sea glass along the way. The sun was hot and I was definitely working up a sweat as I got back to Wayne. He was sitting in the shade on a chaise enjoying the ocean view of boats sailing through Drakes Channel. I was craving grilled cheese sandwiches so got some cheese from the store and salads and we had grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and chef salads for dinner. We were going to see if Axel wanted to join us but didn’t see him until later when we found out he’d gotten some rat traps from someone and had set them up. I guess last night he had quite a bit of scurrying overhead and they’ve eaten some of the insulation from the refrigerator as well as munching on their woodwork too… I can’t believe the amount of damage these critters can do when they move in!

Good bye to new friends and hello to an old friend

2014-01-10T17:42:00.000-05:00

We started to put the sail up but it was too windy. Andrew (s/v Sheilah) came by and brought our Bruce Van Sant book back this morning. They got put in the water after lunch and are now headed to North Sound. I’m going to miss chatting with Andrew and Suzy and looking for that crazy chicken that likes to climb their ladder. I do hope we run into them again. We may meet up again in Luperon if we stop there but I’m not sure we’re stopping there. I was hoping that maybe they’d be going with us to Culebra but they’re going to provision in North Sound and plan on traveling straight to the Dominican Republic with no stop in U.S. Waters. We plan on provisioning in St. Thomas, then going from Culebra and Vieques to the south shore of Puerto Rico. We were so intent, watching them pull out of the harbor, that we never saw Axel (Azaya) as he came up behind us. It was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t have much time to mope about Sheilah leaving the harbor. We helped him get his gear to the boat and get power & water. He discovered they had rats. It appears that the rat problem is wider spread than the boatyard lets on. The other English guy in the yard also had rats and Mike says he feeds them peanut butter and crackers for a week then when they get used to it he gives them Decon wrapped in peanut butter… Hmmm…

After saying hi to Axel and bringing a couple beers over to the boat and chatting a spell, we got back to our boat and got the last sail up. Other than putting the reefs in the sails I think we’re about ready to take off as soon as the winds and seas calm a bit. I loved being able to see Axel again. Wayne told him we were heading north again. It’s hard saying goodbye. It made it final in my head to hear that he’d told Axel our plans. We’ve traveled with Azaya on and off (mostly on) for the last few years. He came by and we went to the Bath & Turtle Rendezvous Bar so he could get a bite to eat. Meg and Tom (from Alpha Crucis) came by as we were finishing and we all hung out chatting until they turned the lights out on us (hint hint we’re closing and want to go home). It was a nice evening and the breeze, while still warm, was a little cooler this evening. It was nice to feel it stirring the air around us and the sound of the palms blowing in the wind while we were laughing and chatting made for a delightful evening! Don’t know if I mentioned that Alpha Crucis is a Compac 35. She’s a beauty. They’re waiting for a new engine to come in from St. Thomas.

Blonde Bombshell invades Beach

2014-01-09T17:40:00.000-05:00

Thursday, January 09, 2014

Two sails are up now, the Yankee and the main. The tank is topped off with water and the fuel is also topped off. We tried listening to Chris Parker again on the computer but the signal from the marina seems to come and go. It’s usually at the time when he’s talking about our area! We traded MMSI numbers with Sheilah and calling and receiving each other over the DSC on the radio seems to work fine. One more sail to get up (the main), reefing lines to put in, and we need to get our Bruce Van Sant book back. Then we’re about ready to start the northwest trek back to the states.

We saw Morgan Freeman wandering down the dock again this morning, as we were wandering about and said hi to him. Nice fellow. I didn’t realize the extent of the damage to his hand he sustained in his car accident a few years back. It was gloved and looked like a prosthetic – a bit smaller than it should have been. It’s definitely got to be rough on him… He’s an avid flyer and sailor. With his dominant hand not functioning correctly it really has to be a major problem if he was ever a single handler.

Time for a walk down the beach to explore the rocks and look for sea debris

We took a walk from the marina, east along the road, then down to the ferry dock. There’s a beach next to it that I’d been to with Stephanie last year. Wayne sat at a table with a palm thatched umbrella while I went to explore the rocks at the end. I’d found a penny and a well patina’d quarter but no doubloons. Coming back I noticed a buxom blond in a white bikini wading in the water in front of Wayne. Since I was wading in the water back, I stopped and chatted with her. She said she was from New York, originally from Germany and had traveled to Hawaii and was getting ready to head back to the states. Was I from Virgin Gorda? Nope. I’m from Michigan but living here on a boat for a bit. Told her she really didn’t want to go back to New York – it was cold. She was enjoying the sun in a sun worshipper kind of way, talking about Americans can be such prudes, and she likes travel. Hmmm… She then said she had to catch the ferry and went ashore and threw on a sun dress/tshirt and headed to the ferry. I think she made Wayne’s day I later found out, by asking if he’d be offended if she wore her bikini in the water… Huh? He figured she was asking about not wearing it in the water… confusing… No of course he wouldn’t be offended. But she was built like a brick you know what and was strutting her stuff to her best advantage. Quite a lovely creature, with strategically placed tattoos. One a beautiful dragon. We both had to wonder if she was selling something though. She got onto the wrong ferry and went to the top. There she took several “selfies” then waved to us. I waved back. Off came the dress and she sat sunbathing again. Then another ferry started loading on the other side of the dock as we headed back to the boat. We noticed she got off the ferry she had been on and got onto the other ferry. Whoops. Wrong ferry?

Wayne figured she was trying to pick him up. She probably was… He says it wasn’t because he’s such a darling but figured if he’s there on the beach he has money. Hah! Silly girl… Little did she know that

A. he has no money….

B. she couldn’t pick him up… His heart belongs to me.

Guess I shoulda taken a pic of the Fraulein I know ya'll are looking for her LOL

Hark Another Bayfield (Bayfield 32 - Wind Dancing) and a Sea Chicken

2014-01-07T17:23:00.000-05:00

We tuned in to Chris Parker on the internet this morning. There’s interesting weather all over the place. -10 degrees at home with wind chills in the -30s and 18-24 inches of snow (per home town reports) and here we’ve got 20-25 knot winds gusting to 30 and 8-9 foot seas at 10-12 second intervals. After we listened to Chris Parker and then trying to check and send email we walked to the boatyard then to the pharmacy to see if Wayne could get some Sturgeron. There was none to be found. Hopefully Wayne won’t need it and has enough to get him to the end of the season.

We get put in the water and Wind Dancing comes out of the water the next day.

We spotted another Bayfield being hauled as we walked through the boatyard. It was a Bayfield 32 named Wind Dancing if I remember correctly. We never did run into the owners but were told they’d be around until Thursday so we may get to meet them yet. It’s the same color scheme as ours (white and blue) and a beauty. I can always pick out the Bayfield and Gozzard boats in the 32-40 ft range! The bow and stern are always so distinctive.

We managed to get the Staysail up in the late afternoon. The winds let up for a bit but started up again so we’ll get the next one up hopefully tomorrow. It’s time for a break anyhow…

I don’t know if I mentioned but s/v Sheilah (a boat from the U.K. and still in the boatyard) has a chicken that climbs the ladder from the ground up to their boat. It looks for handouts so Suzy gives it bits of bread or odds and ends. It’s the dangedist thing I’ve ever seen. Wouldn’t have believed it without seeing it with my own eyes! By the time it registered that the bird was climbing the ladder and I got my camera out and ready to shoot, it was already topside looking for Suzy to feed it! Wonder if it would follow a trail of breadcrumbs to the oven (kidding, kidding – nobody in their right mind would eat a chicken that feeds off of things in this boatyard… at least knowingly). It actually did come downstairs one time when Suzy didn’t feed it fast enough! Wayne named it Sea Chicken…

Suzy on the left and a new "Chicken of the Sea) to the right next to the ladder it climbed! Where's my breakfast it's asking

VGYH In the water

2014-01-06T17:14:00.000-05:00

Well we made it into the water today. For some reason we couldn’t get the radar working but after a bit of tweaking, it works. Cutoff switch to the motor now works again… It looks like it just needed the connections cleaned. Kolibrie is now sitting in the marina waiting for her sails to go up. She sure is a pretty boat, both on the hard and in the water. We just don’t have any energy left today to tackle the sails.

We have internet now that we're out of the boatyard and in the marina. It’s a low signal that comes and goes but any will work for me. Now we just wait for a weather window. The next couple days they're talking winds 20-25 mph and 30mph gusts so I'm not sure when we'll get the sails up or what shape they're in. Hopefully our little visitor didn't get to them... the little fella went after our upholstery and the teak in the cabin this year! grrrrr.... It is nice to feel a gentle sway under us and breeze blowing through the boat. There was no breeze where we were in the boatyard. The building blocked the winds, quite efficiently! Here we seem to have plenty LOL

Wow, sitting here in the cabin, I looked out behind us and saw a huge catamaran right off our stern, inches from our dinghy… Is it yacht week again? Angel (a guy who works on boats and charters here) behind us took off and the folks on the cat jumped ashore to get provisions. Don’t know who maneuvered it but they did a good job of getting back out (course they could back into the spot where Angel had vacated).

Saturday, January 4, 2014 In the boatyard

2014-01-04T16:53:00.000-05:00

Dinghy is now put together and raised. The rub rails are now varnished. Of course it’s rained on and off since Wayne finished varnishing them (I think it’s an Aben thing). He reattached the wiring on the buffer so it’s working again and he’ll finish buffing the sides tomorrow. I downloaded some pictures from the camera and read some of the book - Eye of the Tiger by Wilber Smith. It’s a good read but I’ll have to finish it tomorrow. It’s getting late in the day. The winds are picking up and it keeps sprinkling on and off – just to make me close everything up and then re-open everything. It’s like the weather is saying na-na-na-nahhh-nahhhhh – playing with me, peek-a-boo - like with a little kid. Went to the store and got some shrimp, bread, bug spray, coffee and a few other miscellaneous items. The marina is rather sedate this weekend, especially after the last one. I suppose we could have gone into the water with no problem yesterday but it sure seemed like they were filled to the brim in the morning… I think its chicken salad, salad and crackers for dinner tonight. We’ll have the shrimp tomorrow.

Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor Boat Yard

2014-01-03T16:35:00.000-05:00

The boatyard and marina were quiet today. After the last few days it seems strange to see the Bath and Turtle vacant. Four tables are taken, two inside by the t.v. and 2 outside at the patio bar/restaurant. The boat work that needs to be finished before going into the water is complete. Bottom paint, varnish for the teak, and sides polished. The dinghy motor has been lowered and dinghy assembled and inflated. It’s holding air (smiling). Zinc is still on the little Coleman motor. After working all day we headed to a picnic table in front of the shopping area and watched the moon and stars. Wayne had his gin & tonic in hand and I had the computer to check email. The moon is a sliver tonight. If it had two stars over it, it’d look like a smiley face. I never get used to seeing it in the sky like a canoe down here… I’m used to seeing the horns point left or right, not up like a smile. Is it smiling at us? Maybe laughing? It’s a pretty sight…

Kolibrie in the boatyard at Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor. Azaya to the right of us - probably for the last time. This is pre-bottom painting & work. Dodger & Bimini are up (we needed the shade).

Yesterday after talking to Megs, then Wayne, and sitting looking at the Windward/Leeward books by Doyle I thought we might be moving further south again. Wayne & I had been talking about which islands to stop at, which to bypass and which ones to definitely see. Tonight while sitting out, he’s talking about going home again. He asked to see if Tom’s hardware had alcohol for the stove. I thought we had decided to wait and see once we were in the water… Cap says no. Going further south to Grenada this year is doable but it’s the next 2 years he’s not sure about. It’s a concern to us both. He’s not sure if he’ll be up to another 2 years getting her back to the states. It does take a lot at times, mentally, physically and emotionally. The joys of discovery are enormous, but the work and energy input can also be enormous. To say that I wish we could have started earlier in life is a waste because there’s no way we could have. Life doesn’t always work out the way we want. I am grateful for the time we were given though. How could I not be…?

It’s a long journey home from here. So we have another season yet to complete! I, we’ve had an 11 year love affair with this boat; my home away from home, my Kolibrie. The thought of selling her makes my stomach sick. I can’t picture her not in my life anymore. The journey home… it starts in the mind first, and then the trip follows. I won’t think about it yet. The boat might not even start when we put it in the water Monday… who knows…

Tom says to stop by Red Hook on the way… we can all get teary eyed together. We have unfinished business. I really don’t like goodbyes… My life feels a bit confusing right now and I know Wayne is feeling the same way, probably more so. I don’t want for us to finish our business with our friends. They are so much like family. This time it would be goodbye… The worse thing about cruising besides storms and dragging in the night? The goodbyes to people you come to know, depend on and love…

New Years Day and the next

2014-01-02T13:16:00.000-05:00

Another year under our belt and here’s to a New Year ahead.

We heard the fireworks go off at midnight, then again at 1am. Megs (from Alpha Crucis) asked if we’d heard the music blaring until 4am but we didn’t hear it in the boatyard. They’re right on C Dock so I’m sure they heard all the live music the whole night through… Wayne worked on waxing the boat today and I tried my hand at mending a seam on the starboard settee and mending part of the port side settee that Robber the Rodent had chewed through. The buffer decided to bite the dust for poor Wayne in the middle of waxing the side of the hull. I did manage to finish the starboard settee cushion and one of the port side cushions but I’m not sure how to handle the other one.

Yacht Week at VGYH - all the rafted boats and their flags

Yacht Week and the marina is FULL...

The marina got a bit crazy this afternoon. I kept hearing Lucy N say “We’re all filled up” to anybody hailing the marina looking to come in for the night. Turns out she had 48 boats coming in, 24 of which were catamarans. It's something called "Yacht Week". Once they started coming in, the place was crazy. There weren’t enough bodies to handle putting the boats in the berths and rafting up the cats. Lucy was on the docks trying to direct traffic and it looked like they had 1 dock hand, maybe 2. I was a little distracted by an old guy on the back of one catamaran, naked as a j-bird bathing and turning every which way. I really didn’t need to see him but he was twirling and washing for all the world to see. I diverted my attention back to the boats coming in and I helped as best as I could directing a couple of boats to where Lucy wanted them and catching lines. It was amazing… Along the wall they were packed and still coming in. I had a mono in a slip, a cat right behind them and another cat in the berth in front of that. The maneuvering was something… there was less than ½ foot between the three of them. After helping a bit, then feeling a little useless (guys on boats don’t like to take directions from females without radios in their hands) I went back to the boat to get Wayne. So many boats and flags… One banner (huge) said “Party with Sluts”. I kid you not… I guess the guy on the back of the cat was a version of an older slut?

Yep College week

I grabbed my camera, computer and some money and figured I’d better get a table if I wanted to check email and get a burger. Wayne was going to meet me. There was standing room only in the restaurant but I did hop over the railing when I spotted an empty table. After sitting at the table for 45 minutes and not getting wifi on any signal, I changed and moved closer to the bar. Still no reception or service. People kept coming and going… Exasperated at not getting food or drinks I think. I finally went out to the patio bar/restaurant and grabbed a table with no chairs. Then finally found a seat and got wifi. The place was packed and crazy… More folks kept grabbing up seats as folks got ticked and left because of no service. It went on and on... When Wayne finally found me, I still didn’t have a drink or a burger or even spot the bartender… But I did have a seat and wifi… folks kept asking if I had wifi and what the password was… I gave it to them but they couldn’t log on (tequila1)… It occurred to me that I was probably on the marina wifi (I was). I couldn’t remember what the password was though… It’s different than the boatyard’s code (which I couldn’t get to work). We finally got service3 ½ hours later and after a lot of people watching (one young woman kept trying to catch a rooster while others egged her on – even bribing the cock with food – didn’t work) we finally headed back to the boat. Tonight we can hear the music blaring. The boats are rafted in tight all along the marina and the folks are in a partying mood. It’s a shame most places are closed due to the holiday! There’s money to be had here and nobody to take it…

January 2, 2014

“Yacht Week” is basically a gathering of college kids that rent sailboats and do a tour of the BVI for a week. Some boats have captains and the others follow the boats with the captains. They hit Foxies for New Year’s Eve, here for New Years and are heading to Anagoda today (January 2nd). It’s taking them a while to get out but they say they’re on Island Time. The “College Kid” group explains a lot. Going down the dock to visit Alpha Crucis (their guests got hung up in Miami) one of the cats had a blow up doll on the bow… yep, party week, kind of like Fleet Week on the East Coast of the U.S. I guess only in the U.K. territories they have yacht week… They slowly got all the vessels out as the Cruise Ships brought in their passengers. It looks like the same cruise ships in the harbor – one blue, one white. The last few days this place has been busy, busy, busy… We decided to stay in the boat yard until Monday. Wayne’s still varnishing the rub rail and we need to get the motor off the rail and dinghy set up… It would be more comfortable in the water but it doesn’t really matter. I made use of our “still” time to try and patch up the upholstery that the rat had tried to chew up for bedding or whatever it was doing (trying to get to my stores?).

I walked with Suzi (s/v Sheilah) to the store so she could get some items & we shared some girl time. They had some wonderful looking salads so I got a chef salad for Wayne and a tuna salad for me. They were huge and one would have sufficed for both of us. I now have left over lettuce for something else.

2013-12-25T12:53:00.000-05:00

Twilight. Christmas morning.

The fans are blowing. One in the salon. One in our berth.

All the ports are closed because of the rains during the night. Without the fans, it would be unbearably hot and humid below deck. I can barely see the stars as the sky lightens. The transition from black with a canopy of sparkles where the stars shimmer to gray begins to hide them as the veil of the sun approaches the horizon. Time for a walk. I put on my rubber clogs and notice they’re still filled with sand and gravel from the trek through the boatyard in the dark. Not seeing the mud puddles, I think we hit every one which filled our shoes with gravel and mud. Down the ladder and through the boatyard I hear a cacophony of roosters crowing. Between 6-6:30am they’re awake and their vocal cords resound through the quiet streets. Every rooster in Virgin Gorda must be programed to go off that this time. It seems strange but I heard not singing all night long. Last year the churches across the street seemed to reverberate with the sound of singing for 48 hours straight. Such devotion. I have to wonder as I approach fuel dock if they canceled Christmas this year. Other than the roosters and dogs, I don’t hear a sound. One lone car drives by, the bass and drums thumping out rap beats but for that… it’s silent. Back at the boat I open the galley port and make coffee. It sounds like a bananaquit outside, but I’ve never seen one here. The coffee is strong and good. Mmmmm…. Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas to the world. I wonder when Jesus’ birthday really was…

We went down to the Bath and Turtle for breakfast. As we were finishing up, Morgan Freeman and his group 10 came in and sat at the table in front of us. Guess they wanted breakfast at the same spot. We’ve seen his boat on the dock but it’s the first time we’ve seen him here this season. Love his movies but kept my distance and left the man alone. I must confess that I tried to get a picture of him but since his back was to us where we were sitting, it was very difficult. It was neat to see him though. He looks the same in person as he does on the screen.

Wayne scraped part of the hull and I didn’t do much of anything but sit in front of the fan and sleep most of the day. After the storms yesterday/last night the air has been still. We must be sitting under a high pressure system. It was hot and sticky. I just didn’t want to move. I stuck Mortal Combat into the DVD player, turned the fan onto the computer and me and vegetated. Interesting movie…

Showers then dinner at the Bath & Turtle. They put out a wonderful buffet with ribs, chicken, grouper, ham, and various mac/cheese, peas & rice, salads and fruit and a free rum punch and 2 for 1 painkillers… I was stuffed and feeling no pain by the time we got back to the boat!

Guess who I found wandering the docks!

2013-12-21T12:45:00.000-05:00

Our stay in St Thomas was lovely and the night view from the hotel spectacular.

I'm glad we spent a couple days there. The trip from St. Thomas via Speedy's Ferry was uneventful and yes we managed to be greeted by rodent fecal pellets upon opening the hatchway of Kolibrie. Two years in a row now! They looked like they were having fun in the underwear drawer while we were gone. What's with these rodents! We've never had a problem with them or bugs! Now twice in a row we've had Mickey Mouse's relatives come to visit and party.
I bought poison and sticky traps for the little guy. He did manage to get stuck on the trap but then escaped from it before I could catch him. He never hit it again but did make off with a poison pellet. I discovered him in my clothes closet when I kept smelling something most foul everytime I went to lay down to read. The smell tracked him down and he is no more... We're in the same place in the boatyard as last time - sheltered by a building where there was very little breeze while we were working or sleeping. So we figured the 4 legged critter must have remembered us and came to investigate again. It sounds like several other boats we've talked to have also been visited too.
Azaya (friends we met along the way from Alaska) is a boat away from us. It looks like the boatyard had a boat between us that has since been put in the water and it's nice to see her yellow hull when I look out the portal. She's in the breeze, but we're in the protection of the building so no breeze for us while we work!

Someone left a yanmar box (not ours) that makes a handy table while we work on the boat.

Back to St. Thomas

2013-12-19T06:05:00.000-05:00

Dec. 17^th, 2013 Greetings from St. Thomas, USVI

View from room

We got into St. Thomas via Spirit Airlines without a hitch. Our bags that weighed less than 40 lbs at home seemed to weigh 43 and 47 lbs here… Can’t much argue with them and paid the $25 over weight fee… It was interesting considering nothing changed between home and here except the humidity… and the humidity is something. Time to adjust after coming down from zero humidity in the Midwest to a pleasant humidity in Florida…

We’re staying at the Mafolie Hotel

tonight and tomorrow night before catching the Ferry from St. Thomas to Virgin Gorda. It’s quite a drive from the airport to here and we were treated to spectacular views to get here as we wound up and around the hairpin turns. Our room overlooks the pool and the main Harbor at Charlotte Amalie. I can pick out where we anchored last spring with Celtic Rover and Alibi! The room definitely has a view but the room itself reminds me of Stone town in Zanzibar – it has a canopied bed with mosquito netting and no-see-ums that I would bet will manage to penetrate the canopy over the bed. I’m itching all over where my skin is exposed to the critters. Now if we have a call to prayer at 5am I’ll really feel like we’re back in Africa!

Ahhhhh a nice bed!

The Mafolie restaurant/bar has a spectacular view of the harbor so we went there for drinks and dinner. The drinks were strong and food was good. I was pretty timid about getting a drink and got a Shirley Temple while Wayne got a Presidente Beer. At dinner I thought what the heck and ordered a gin/tonic heavy on the tonic with a titch of gin. I should have known better… what I got was tall gin and a titch of tonic. But it was delicious – the gin they used was Tanqueray. It went down smooth… yep. Wayne got the Pineapple Mahi that came with Provencal and Island Rice and I got the Danish ribs that came with fungee and breadfruit mash. Provencal is a dish made with pumpkin and christophine (a root like vegi grown on the island). I forgot to taste it until later after dinner when it was too late. Fungi (pronounced fun-gee) is a main staple of the Virgin Islands diet that consists of cornmeal boiled and cooked to a thick consistency with okra. I found it bland but not bad. The Breadfruit Mash had a potato-like flavor and a pasty texture that reminded me of the last Yukon gold mashed potatoes I had at Thanksgiving. Interesting texture but tasty! The ribs were tender, spicy and delicious. Wayne said the Mahi was okay and wouldn’t go out of his way for it (especially for the price). It’s been a long day and needless to say, I’m ready for some shuteye… if the no-see-ums continue to bite me tonight I don’t think I’ll feel a thing…

Dec. 18^th, 2013 Mafolie Hotel, St. Thomas, USVI

Wonderful sleep last night – don’t know if it was the gin or change in weather but I was wiped out. I scouted out the restaurant and grabbed a couple cups of coffee – one to take to Wayne in our room and one for me as I mill about the place. I’m sitting in the restaurant enjoying the warm humid air with a fruit smoothie that Ella made and a Caribbean rendition of a banana (plantain?) blueberry muffin. I have a 3 legged black cat at my feet watching me to see if I have anything interesting to share with it (nothing it would be interested in at the moment). It should have been here earlier when a fellow showed me how to use an egg/muffin machine to make an egg/swiss/ham/muffin sandwich. What an awesome little machine! Need one of these at home! Wayne’s here now so time to try my new found skill at making a sandwich for him! More later…

Easter Sunday; Francis Bay, St. John’s U.S. Virgin Islands

2013-03-31T15:13:00.000-04:00

Sunday, March 31, 2013

View of St. John's as I sit in the cockpit with my coffee...

Sunrise is hidden by a thick canopy of clouds this morning. The sound of the surf hitting the shore is intensified by the quietness of the anchorage. The wind generator hums as the breeze pushes the blades making electricity for our little boat. The gentle rocking of the boat on the ocean swell reminds me – one hand for the boat and one hand for my coffee as I climb the steps of the companionway into the cockpit. Except for the wind generator, surf and the wind waves slapping the hull, it’s a very quiet morning. One dinghy headed to shore at 6:30am but the boats are all peaceful at their moorings. The surrounding islands look hidden behind a veil of gray mist. The green colors of the trees and vegetation are muted by the moisture in the air and the clouds that block the sun.

I look down at the water and follow one large swell as it rolls under the boat, lifting us, and flows toward the shore. It carries smaller wind waves that dance on its surface. It reminds me of a large carpet that someone picked up and shook creating a large roll that flows shoreward. The little waves on it, the disturbed knap of the fabric of the ocean. It’s a gentle swell with a 12 second interval. It’s not steep or short but just a gentle roll followed by another and another, each 12 seconds apart. The clouds brush the tops of the hills that surround Francis Bay and this morning I can see (but very dimly) St. Thomas in the distance under the veil of moisture. Last night it was hidden completely by the clouds and the day before, it was hidden by sheets of rain that the islands so dearly needed.

Looking toward St. Thomas in the distance - shrouded in the clouds and moisture...

No fish are jumping this morning. The ripples and waves remain unbroken by the bar jacks that 2-3 days ago were leaping and hunting newly hatched fry of an unknown breed. I miss seeing their frenzied motions churn up the waters so that they look boiling!

Maho Camp on the side of the hill.

I watch the clouds roll over the hills westward to the music of the surf and wind. The coffee is hot, strong, and delicious with no hint of bitterness as I sip it. My body sways with the boat in the waves as I sit enjoying the peace and warmth of this Easter morning in St. Johns. It’s a beautiful island and its turquoise waters and green hills never cease to amaze the calming effect this place has on my soul. Its always been like a salve to my, at times, battered psyche. Maho Bay is closing, but Cinnamon Bay remains. It (Cinnamon Bay) feels older than and not as loved as it once was. The caretakers that loved it have moved on I think… The sugar factory ruins across from the campground show a progression across time. A new tomb to an old family sits among the old decaying graves. People come and go but the island? The island stands through time. The waves beat against the rock turning it to sand over the years but the island still stands. Long past the lives that live here, visit here and try to change it to suit their whims. It’s still a beautiful place filled with memories, people, sea life and birds. The Turtles still come back and lay their eggs in the warm sand and swim off, to where, I don’t know…

We’ve dallied here a while now. How could we not? Tom seems to hate this place. He goes to work and back to his boat. He seems disenchanted with it and its people. He hasn’t explored it or fallen in love with it. I can’t comprehend that he doesn’t like it or the people here. It makes me sad. The island doesn’t touch him. Its left scars on many people that have tried to etch out a living here. But it’s really the people that created those scars as they tried to turn the island into something more than it is to suit their purposes. The people still seek equilibrium with themselves, their history and the land.

I’ll miss this place and am glad we got the opportunity, and time, to travel around the island. The mooring fields have taken over the anchorages regulating where you can stay on the boat. The mansions are cropping up the the hills that overlook Cinnamon and Cruz Bay is a bustling tourist town. But sitting here swaying on the boat, watching the pelicans soar on the breeze and a brown boobie dive into the water; I am content on this Easter morning. I’ve been blessed to have been able to come back one more time. I know you can never go back… but this morning it feels like I have been able to… I’ve been given the gift to go back; to return to a place I hold dear in my memory – for just one more time in my life.

Another sip of coffee as I watch the mist sheet into rain onto the island...

Happy Easter from St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands!

Hello 2013

2013-01-01T09:25:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Ah, the start of a new year. Hello 2013!
We slept on and off all night last night.
Cars and golf carts, barking dogs and lights kept breaking up our sleep but it was all good.
There are worse places to sleep and I actually felt fairly secure.
We had the windows cracked but it was still muggy warm. I was grateful that it didn’t rain so we’d have to close the windows all the way.
     Firecrackers heralded in our awareness that the new year had begun and we wished each other a happy new year, adjusted our bodies in the car seats, and went back to sleep. I somehow couldn’t drag myself out of the car to do a victory dance at living another year and then climbing back in to sleep.
     At 6am I had to wander to the marina head and noticed that we'd had a sleeping buddy next to us - a white Sheppard pup was snoozing away outside the car. My movement didn't bother the adolescent Shepard at all as I came and went and loaded our bags in the trunk. He looked like our sentinel for the night and I was wishing that I could take her/him with us (sigh). He seemed like a lost angel sent to watch over us and I had to wonder if someone was watching over us. I felt that secure all night.
     We were able to get the car checked back in at Thrifty, promptly at 8am, and the van got us to the ferry dock by 8:23am. So we had plenty of time to spare before the ferry left for Culebra. I found the ticket window, got our tickets AND because Wayne was a senior citizen we were able to be first on-board the fast ferry to Culebra. Gee - seniorhood is definitely showing some perks here. Local citizens of Culebra in line first, then it was changed to senior citizens and handicaps first (I guess I qualified being with Wayne). So once again - a perk of being first onboard because of Wayne’s senior status :)
     Once we got to Culebra I texted Bruce (Celtic Rover) to see if he was around and could come get us. Yes, he could, and did. Jan was getting ready for her walk in town and we decided on a nap. I couldn’t believe how crowded the harbor was. When we’d left there were only a third of the boats that were here when we got back. Amazing… Large sport fishing boats and yachts were rafted together – some as many as 7 were rafted together and there was a little helicopter on one dock. Bruce said the place was hopping. I believe it! But for us, it’s been a quiet day of napping and reading. Wayne put up the antenna for me but I still can’t connect to the internet…
     I made some salad for dinner with cheeses, salami, ham and the regular accoutrements of vegis that I still haven’t used yet. It’s getting dark so time for the anchor light and some more reading…

Dec 28th thru 31st The end of another year

2012-12-31T09:21:00.000-05:00

Friday, December 28, 2012

     No rain to make me close up the hatches last night - Yay! It was nice not to have to get up and race around closing all the hatches and nicer still just to have all the hatches and ports open for the breeze.
     After coffee we hoisted the sail and started heading out of Caneel Bay. While heading out, the phone rang and I was surprised because Stephanie is with us. It was Mary Clare and Azaya was anchored over in Christmas Cove (across the windward channel near Red Hook St. Thomas). Want to stop by for some coffee? We got the DSC going on the radio (got a weird battery icon in the lower corner) and changed course for St. Thomas through Current Cut. It was good to see Azaya there! Hunter and his wife from Arctic Tern were there and he jumped in his dinghy to show us which mooring to pick up. I guess there were 2 near Azaya but one didn’t have a hookup attached to it so he went and grabbed the correct one for us (good thing too because another boat was trying to get it before we nosed there – even though they saw him saving it for us and us nosing there). He played taxi for us and took us over to Azaya. We finally got to introduce Steph to Mary Clare & Axel and we got to meet Karlan and Mason (her daughter and son-in-law). They’re heading over to St. John’s and we’re heading over to Culebra. After coffee and chat we headed back to the boat, raised sail and headed to Culebra. This was our first “day” sail with Steph. We figured at 5 knots and 35 miles we’d get there in about 7 hours. I think our detour through Current Cut shaved a little time off though. We weren’t on our best tack with the wind off our rear quarter so decided to motorsail. I got a text off to Bruce and Jan (Celtic Rover) to see where they were. We knew that they were in Culebra but we’d never pulled into Ensenada proper before. We’d moored off of Louis Pena last time.
     We were able to make contact and found them at the end of the Bay near the canal by Dewey. Aw so good to see Alibi and Celtic Rover sitting in the harbor! I spotted Roxie on board before I saw Alibi’s name then saw Ann waving at us. I must have been grinning like a fool waving back at both boats! We waved and took a while setting our hook. I’m not sure what was going on but I think that the chain may have been fouled in the anchor locker. Wayne was hauling out the chain by hand (our windlass doesn’t work) and letting it out. Once we got anchored Bruce came by to see if we needed help resetting the anchor. He thought that a guy that came by in his dinghy wanted us to move but he was only trying to help us also (thought we were having problems).
     It felt like old times with Bruce in the dinghy here and Jan aboard Celtic Rover. We chatted a bit and offered Bruce a beer. He came aboard and we decided to go for pizza with them and Alibi (Ann & Darryl). The pizza place was closed that we were going to but the place we ended up at was cute (Mamacitia’s). I’ve never seen a bar take so long to get drinks. They wouldn’t let us sit down at a table until 6pm so we had to stand near the bar as the bartender ignored us, drinkless but full of discussion! In chatting with Ann I was a little bummed to hear that we were so close to Tom but didn’t see him. I guess when we were over at Christmas Cove, his boat was somewhere close by at Red Hook.
     The food was good (mahi, salad, grouper ceviche) and company even better. I’m so glad that Steph got to meet some our buddies before she has to take off in a couple days. We still need to figure out how to get her to the airport from here but it sounds doable. We also have to figure out what’s going on with our batteries. One appears dead and the other #2 house bank is in the yellow. Both should be charged from motor sailing so this is not good. Tomorrow…

     Saturday, December 29, 2012
After coffee Jan & Bruce (Celtic Rover) came by in their dinghy and Jan gave Stephanie and I the grand tour of Dewey, Culebra while Wayne hung back on the boat and checked out our electrical. We now know where the Ferry Dock, Bakery, Post Office, food shops, and library are. We'd met who I believe is a female single handler who was quite a little hustler. She was trying to get some money for smokes and was chatting with everyone that came to the dock. Steph bought 6-8 small mangos from her for $5 and her response was "Oh good, now I can eat today". We figured she got them out of the yard a few houses down the dock but what the hey... She was aggressive but interesting (4 dogs on her boat).

My little mermaid :)

After our grand tour Steph and I got changed and went over to Flamenco Beach. It's supposed to be one of the prettiest beaches here and I have to admit - it was very pretty. It was very popular and had a Coney Island feel to it. There were a lot of people there but I guess it's the place to go on weekends for the locals and from folks in Puerto Rico. I could see why... There was a large area devoted to swimming and camping. Picnic areas were abundant and a boardwalk with eateries and drinkeries that chickens and cats felt free to panhandle there too... 2 rusted tanks were on the beach and in the camping area. Both were marked with "Sent" which I didn't quite understand but found them interesting.

I wandered the beach and Steph got some sun. The people watching was terrific and it was a beautiful day to sit about and watch the world go by. The winds were constant; there were white caps over the reefs were quite prominent in the turquoise water. The clouds added a tinge of coolness which I appreciated. I watched as a couple of boats lifted anchor and left the anchorage by the beach. I was glad we hadn't anchored here. Both the monohull and the catamaran were bucking the waves. I didn't envy either of them and decided the $3 taxi fee was worth it to come across the island to the other side to enjoy the beach. We grabbed a sandwich and pinacolada before heading back to the taxi area to go back to the boat.

     Hate to say it but we didn't really feel like dinner after the late lunch so back at the boat we had quite a bit of rum punch and I made Wayne a sandwich. I packed up a change of clothes, the computer, radio, and phone for our trip into Puerto Rico tomorrow. Need to make sure Steph has everything and finds her passport. Mornings are always harried when you have an early call and especially in the dark. I'm going to miss Steph's companionship when she leaves. I'm enjoying her company even though I know she's feeling cramped on our boat. I'm so glad she got to meet some of our friends (Azaya, Celtic Rover, Alibi) and wish she could meet them all. Tomorrow we start the final leg to Puerto Rico to make sure she makes her flight. She thinks she has an 8am flight so we need to make sure we're somewhere near the airport tomorrow night.

Sunday, December 30, 2012
     We had an early start to the day. We got up at 5am and Bruce (Celtic Rover) came by to pick us up at 5:40am so we could make the 6:30am ferry. Made it to the Ferry dock in plenty of time to catch the Fajardo Ferry but Steph thought she'd left her passport on the boat. Called Bruce after she checked her purse (not there) and carry-on (not there either) then had me checking while I called Bruce to see if he could ransack our boat for us to find it. After calling him, she found it in a bag where she'd said she'd put it a couple days ago. Soooo Call Bruce back - Uhm... Sorry Bruce... Go back to bed - we have her passport - false alarm... I'd bet he's realllllly glad to have us back (not...) but I love him and Jan to death!
     The ferry ride was quiet and pretty nondescript. We sat below so Steph could charge her phone and tried to doze on and off until we reached Fajardo. From there the Thrifty Car rental van zipped us over to their place and we got our wheels and then found somewhere for coffee and breakfast (I'd made a pot of coffee before we left but never got any of it). They make a pretty good breakfast sandwich at Subway and even heat up the milk for the coffee! Wow!

     After breakfast we made our way over to El Yunque National Forest. What a beautiful rainforest! We really enjoyed the visit there. It was so much cooler at the higher elevations and guess what? It even rained in the rainforest. I couldn't believe how sweet the air smelled and the amount of huge ferns; orchids and bamboo plants were there. I'm so glad we got to visit and do a little touring there. We stopped and had some meat kabobs and pinacoladas then went on to find a room for the night near the San Juan Airport. After circling about and driving around looking for a place for the night, we ended up at a Hampton Inn and I dang near choked at the price of it. Vacation time is definitely over and the camping life begins in earnest for the rest of this season... Yep...

The good news is I'm finally able to connect to download email and say hi on Facebook.
Steph's boarding pass printed - check...
Directions to the airport, Arecibo, Sam's Club, and return to Fajardo – check, check, check, and check…
Email - check
Pizza ordered – check but in getting back to the room, it doesn’t look like what I ordered… hmmm…
Time for some shuteye now zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Monday 12/31/12
Early up to shower, catch breakfast and figure out where to go to drop Steph off for her flight out.
She headed to the workout room and I headed for the shower. Then I headed for breakfast as Wayne showered and Steph returned to put on her make-up, fix her hair and get ready for the plane. I must admit that in hugging her goodbye at the airport I found myself quite misty eyed and not wanting to let go. It reminded me of letting her go when she was a toddler to stay with Aunt Pat…
then again on the first day of school as she headed off for the bus…
my 6 week fieldtrip...
another hug goodbye at graduation…
moving to campus...
getting married...
so many emotional hugs to let her go during the course of our lives...
This one felt like those. Each one - a letting go... I'm not sure why the emotion this time but it was there in my heart as I watched her walk away from us and into the terminal to fly back home. She left without looking back – one more time.
I know she's okay. Am I okay? Yes... I guess I am.
After the tearful hug it was time for us to hit the road.
Okay... I'm better.
Time to get lost finding Arecibo.
And...of course - we did get lost.
     All my directions were wrong... the map was wrong... the road signs with numbers or names were not to be found and the roads we did find - weren't on the map. We drove around in the direction that it was supposed to be and did finally make it there.
     One of the workers there must have decided we looked like old folks because he was trying to tell me, in broken English while I was trying to translate in worse broken Spanish, that he wanted to give us a ride up to the observatory deck. After we got it figured out that he wasn't trying to give us a tour and only trying to help us out, we got a ride up to the radio telescope. I figured he must have thought that we were infirm because a family also came up to him to ask him, while we were talking to him, where to go and he pointed them to the stairs that wound up the mountain. "You go there and climb up the road" I didn't know whether to feel honored or miffed that he didn't think we could make to the observatory...
after the lift and seeing other people huffing and puffing after reaching the top... I was honored...
we were bright eyed and bush tailed to wander through the exhibits, view the video about Arecibo and wander about taking pictures.

Arecibo is the largest radio telescope in the world. I think its best known for its atmospheric research and being in the movies. No news from the stars yet. SETI has been using it for decades in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Maybe someday... who knows?

A view of the dish - not the road below - this array was built in a mountain valley that was the perfect size for it.

     After the trip to the radio telescope we proceeded to get lost again on the trip back. Once again the map gave us a general idea of where to go but we noticed that road signs were hidden or nonexistent. We did manage to find a Sam's Club on the way back but also noticed we were starting to run short of time to get back. The Thrifty Car rental closes at 5pm and we're at least an hour and a half away from Fajardo so wouldn't get there until 5:30pm. That's barring getting lost and traffic. Sooooo It looks like we're here for another night. Unfortunately we couldn't find a place to stay that was reasonable or not booked up. Yes, this is the holiday night - everyone is out partying so the hotels are at capacity!
     We did manage to find our way back to the Thrifty Car Rental place at the Marina del Rey (in the dark no less) and the gate keeper decided that we looked honest enough for us to stay overnight in the parking lot. He couldn't find the card he had with the phone number to a guest house so we parked in the lot then went over to the marina to see if the restaurant was open. It didn't really look like anyone was there or it was open but a sign said open tonight until 10pm. The bar had 2 patrons just leaving so we asked if the restaurant was open. The hostess said no and I said oh... the sign said open til 10? I asked if there was something easy that they could make for us? She said, yes, yes, okay... Easiest thing would be chicken so we ordered a lime chicken, chicken parmesan, a gin and tonic (I see why people like Tanqueray gin now), scotch and soda, and Heineken. Wayne was pretty wired but I enjoyed the drink and meal, then we headed back to the car. This looks like a terrific marina - laundry, library, restaurant and other things here that are all closed up. Time to settle in and see how far back the seats go in this little Nissan Versa. It's actually roomier than it appears... and things could be far worse than having to sleep in a car…
     So ends another year and begins a new one... sleeping in a car in a parking lot - but with full tummies and hearts. We'll see what the New Year brings and hopefully it will be good.

Feliz Anos Nuevos!

St John's for a swim, shower and a wonderful BBQ

2012-12-27T10:06:00.000-05:00

Ugh what a night. It was a humid and sporadic rain/sprinkle kind of night where we had to close up all the hatches and ports so it made it more stifling below deck. I had to keep opening the ports as soon as it quit for air and finally gave in and turned on the fan after closing the ports for the umpteenth time. My head was pounding and the pain was shooting through my jaws and back of my neck. I hoped that Steph was managing to sleep through this heat.

Wayne dinghied over to Cruz Bay for customs only to return and say that Steph and I both needed to be there to check in too. So things have changed. Last time we checked into customs with Greg and Laura we were all chased out and told “Captain only”. The Customs Officer this time “Frances” was very personable and we were in and out in a jiffy. It was neat to see Cruz Bay. It’s been many years. Never did see a hardware store but did notice how things had changed. We thought maybe in the Lumberyard (a new complex to us) we might find the hardware store that Tom works at but didn’t. Sorry Tom.

We checked out Mongoose Junction. It was nice to see it finally finished but the Canvas Factory was gone. I loved their canvas bags too and was hoping to get another. So we spent the late morning/early afternoon checking out the stores while Wayne Limed and people watched then we had some lunch (steak wraps and burgers) and dinghied over to Caneel Bay. We were told we couldn’t leave the grounds and had to stay behind the beach chair line (ie don’t use our beach) so we ended up dinghying back over to Cruz Bay to catch a ferry to Cinnamon Bay.

I love that place. Seeing the park again, the showers, tents, store, platform area where we’d eat and spend time playing games, was so special to me. It brought back a lot of memories. The cat hanging out at someone’s tent hoping for a hand out, the sound of peepers, the smells of the various plants, wet tropical scents and the beautiful beach of white sand and turquoise water… memories of special moments and sad moments rolled into feelings that made me melancholy and happy at the same time.

We changed into our swim suits and jumped into the water, then showered off the sand and saltwater and went to see what was on the menu at the Raintree Terrace. I hated to say it but nothing appealed to me especially when I saw that there were severe outbreaks of Denge Fever on St Johns. We’d have to stay until after dark to eat there so we headed back again to Cruz Bay and had some wonderful bbq chicken with slaw and corn on the cob at a place called Uncle Joe’s. Good choice. The smells of the bbq entice you in off the street to come sit in the little corner, open air restaurant. The actual meal did not disappoint! It was wonderful washed down with Heineken and Presidente beer. Very satisfying…

mmmmmm just looking at Steph's plate I can taste and smell the chicken allllllll over again

grrrr sideways again! Steph and Wayne at Uncle Joe's - I WISH my brother could make this mmmmm

The ride back to the boat in the dinghy was refreshing and the full moon peeking at us behind the clouds kept drawing my eye up to the sky to enjoy the orb playing peekaboo with us. St. Thomas is lighting up the sky in its evening colors too and it’s all so very lovely. So what started out a hot and headachy day turned out to be very enjoyable. Once again I feel so blessed. What a lovely day it’s been…

Leaving the BVI for the USVI

2012-12-26T18:00:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Onward from Norman Island today to Jost Van Dyke then St. John’s.

The sailing was great. We reached 7 knots at times during the course of the day. We dropped our mooring at at 9am and got into Great Harbor, Jost Van Dyke at 11:47am and picked up a mooring to check in. Finicky little dinghy started right up this time. Several boats were checking in so Steph and I left the Customs House while Wayne checked us in and we went to a little place next to it for some beverages. Steph asked Bobby if he made a good rum punch and told him that her mom made a very good one. He said yes I make the best around! I watched him as he pulled out a bottle of punch and proceeded to make her a rum punch topped with fresh nutmeg. I said I’ll take one of those but without the rum… Well, madam… it’s not a rum punch then… but he got me a punch anyways! I’m thinking his secret weapon might be Rose’s Lime… It definitely added zip to the punch! I’ll have to try it out next time even though Steph said she liked mine better…

Wayne had to take the cover off the motor to pull the little cord thing so he could start it to get us back to the boat again. Did I say finicky? Maybe stubborn is the right word. I think that if the cover isn’t placed on just soooooo, it won’t let Wayne pull the cord to start the motor.

Bobby making a rum punch at the Jost Van Dyke spot next to Customs...

Steph tasting it.... It's good but not as good as yours mom LOL

By the time we approached St. John’s I changed course and came in closer to the island. The waves that were reflecting back from the outer rocks convinced me that it was much nicer closer to shore. It looked like there were 2 cruise ships in Cruz Bay so instead of heading in there; we detoured and took a mooring at Caneel Bay. I missed the mooring the first time and had to come around for it again. I blamed it on my Virgin Rum Punch and we had sandwiches for dinner and hung out on the mooring instead of heading by taxi or dink to Cruz Bay. We figured that by the time we got there Customs would be closed.

Christmas Departure from Virgin Gorda to Norman Island

2012-12-25T18:00:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas everyone! After showers and a last breakfast sandwich at the Bath and Turtle, we proceeded to depart Virgin Gorda. Unfortunately when we got back to the boat it started to rain so we decided to hold off a bit before starting the engine. It started right up. A large catamaran had come in earlier and docked at the cement walkway behind our boat and I was leery of backing into him (I sometimes don’t back up well). So I warned him I don’t back well and he said he’d throw out a fender or two. Anyhow by the time we were set to leave he asked if we’d like help with our lines and I said “sure”! Problem was, I couldn’t get the boat to go in reverse. It wouldn’t go… Talk about not backing up well! We tied back up and kept playing with forward, neutral and reverse. It finally started to reverse slowly while I kept gunning it. I’d forgotten that when we replaced the throttle last season that reverse is just a bump away from neutral, NOT all the way up. It seemed to make a difference and we finally pulled out of the yacht harbor and had a nice sail over to Norman Island under mostly sunny skies. The wind was with us and the swells were too so it made for a very nice trip to the Bight where we picked up our mooring for the evening.

We were going to take Steph over to Billy Bones and the Pirate ship but it was not to be… We had rum punches then Wayne lowered the dink. He couldn’t seem to get it to start and ended up spending the rest of the daylight hours working on the little motor while Steph and I chatted in the cockpit and read.

So glad we bought salads and sandwiches from the store this morning!

I am glad to be away from my stalker on Virgin Gorda and the plan is to head to Jost Van Dyke to clear out of the BVI tomorrow, then clear back into the USVI in Cruz Bay.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Sometimes reverse is not meant to be, in time or in boats but my memories did go into reverse to a place in time of many Christmas’s and our boat carried us from reverse to forward to a new place in Christmas memories.

Wayne & Stephanie at the helm on the way to Norman from Virgin Gorda

Luggage and The Baths at Virgin Gorda plus Coco Maya's

2012-12-24T21:30:00.000-05:00

Monday, December 24, 2012

Still no internet on the boat. Got up and put on a pot of coffee and went to the restroom onshore. When I got back Steph was awake so we went to shore to use the internet and find out about her luggage. It’ll be on the 11:00 am flight. We were told to be there at customs or it will be returned to Beef Island.

Waiting for breakfast and using the internet at the Bath and Turtle

Our mechanic J-E-S-S-E

We had breakfast at the Bath and Turtle and used their internet, then walked over to the boatyard to see if the guy could look at our kill switch on the engine. They couldn’t do anything with our block for the sail but while Steph and I were wandering the shops, customs and the ferry dock, Wayne stayed at the boat and Chris Cooke (the guy from the boatyard) came by with his son (Jesse) to work on the switch. Jesse was acting as the mechanic to fix our switch. He was diligently screwing it back together when Steph and I got here, so I questioned him relentlessly on what was wrong with it? He had patience and explained what he was doing to fix it. It was so cute… He bet me I couldn’t spell his name right. I said my grandson’s name is Jesse and spelled it for him. He looked dumbfounded that I spelled it right. I said how do people usually spell it? Jessie. Oh… I think that’s the girls spelling. He was a cutie…

Rough way to wait for luggage :)

Steph and I walked over to meet the 12:20pm ferry. The bag wasn’t on it. It will be here on the 2pm ferry… Okay… So Steph went out on the beach to catch some sun in her new swimsuit from BVI Divers and we headed back over to the ferry dock at 2pm to pick up her bag then headed back to the boat. It was hot but I think it always is here. Around 3:30pm we decided to walk over to the Baths National Park. I made some rum punch for our walk and we headed down the road with drinks in hand. It took us about 40 minutes to get there and we saw taxi after taxi bringing the tourists back from the baths and heading for VGYH.

Steph walking between the rocks to the cave

By the time we got there I think Steph was okay but Wayne and I were a bit winded from the heat. The huge granite boulders all balance on each other forming tunnels, grottos, paths and caves and they didn’t disappoint us. It’s an impressive display of building size granite giants! We took the path down to the water and watched a group of youngsters scurry past us to find the Geocache hidden in a grotto. They found some foreign coins and other items and it was fun to watch their excitement. It reminded me of Sophie and Zach and I could picture them zooming past us to find the hidden box. It made me smile.

How well is this boulder wedged did you say mom???

Well polished mega granite - it would make a great slide or a good place for a photo op!

The various granite blocks in the sand make wonderful hidy holes to explore

Stephanie in the boulders :)

hmmm guess you'll have to crane to look at this one - it won't straighten for some reason!

Hope this video comes out. it was like a butterfly extravaganza coming back from the Baths. Tried capturing it on camera but it just didn't do it justice. I tried videoing after but must of the butterflies had left.

Beach shot as we're leaving the Baths on Virgin Gorda

We caught a taxi back to Coco Maya for sundowners and their awesome chili, lime and honey ribs and shrimp curry. I can’t believe that place. The food and atmosphere was as incredible as I remembered it. We enjoyed the ambiance of the place, sitting on the beach with our drinks, watching the sunset. They had a steel drum band and we kicked back enjoying the fire on the beach, the music and each others company before walking back to the boat. I loved being able to share this with Steph and Wayne.

fire pit and loungers at Coco Maya - Sundowner time and appetizers

Another shot of Coco Maya - you can see the couchs, dining area and bar area

Steph trying out some of their wine - it was delicious and right on the water - who could ask for more?

Our little area for drinks, ribs, and Shrimp Curry

Looking in the other direction where the musicians set up next to the granite boulders

Can't believe we actually were sitting next to a fire in the tropics.

Kicking back enjoying the atmosphere with full tummies as the sun has left. Shall we head back to the boat yet?

Okay not yet...

Christmas Eve… Wonderful – I feel blessed…

Our first visitor from home and Morgan Freeman's lovely boat

2012-12-23T19:00:00.000-05:00

Sunday, December 23, 2012

I haven’t been able to get onto the internet today. Al said they had no problem this morning but had a problem last night when we were on. Ah well… We waved them off as they headed north over to Leverick Bay.

Wayne hosed down the deck and filled the water tank. I visited the grocery store for juice and cereal and I guess I missed Morgan Freeman as he pulled in. Wayne noticed his lady friend before him as she was up and down the dock then Morgan joined her and they disappeared somewhere. I took the opportunity to try and snap a picture of his boat. It’s definitely pretty. Next – dump off trash and get some fuel.

Shade and Privacy on Morgan Freeman's Boat

I wandered to the restaurant to see if I could get internet there to pay bills. Guess I’d better go back so I can make sure the directions I gave to Steph about catching the ferry here is correct. Talked to the marina and they called Speedy’s for me. There’s a shuttle that will take her from the airport to the ferry landing where there’s a bench for her to wait at to catch the ferry. She’s in for a long day yeow.

Got a text from Steph from P.R. and she thought she was going to miss her flight. She ended up having to check her bag because of the adhesive for the port gaskets. We hadn’t even thought of that. It’s a liquid and over 3 ounces. We texted back and forth and Cape Air held up their flight so she could make the flight over to Beef Island. Whew… She called a couple of times but my phone never rang. Then we texted and talked briefly. She was at Beef Island sitting on the bench waiting for the ferry. We walked over to the ferry dock on Virgin Gorda to meet her. The waves and surge were breaking over the reef and some of the fish here that hang out by the dock are huge! Wayne watched a water bird at the water’s edge and I went out to the end of the dock. So I was standing under a bright light on the dock on Virgin Gorda and she was sitting under a bright light on Tortola… I watched a freighter coming into the landing and Speedy’s ferry was right behind it. That was the one she was on. We were texting each other as she came into view on the ferry. Do I catch a taxi? Yep taxi is here now… we waved at her as I finished my text to her.

She made it but her carry-on did not. We’ll have to pick it up tomorrow at the ferry dock when it comes in. It is just sooooo good to have her here with us. Midnight o clock approaches. Good night…

Blue Pearl :)

2012-12-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Okay, plotting out the menus for a few days and hitting the store for provisions while Wayne tries to figure out what’s wrong with the windlass. The store was pretty busy and after I finished up I noticed that C dock had pretty much cleared out of all the charter boats. Bought a small dish at the deli for lunch – it had 2 chicken thighs, mac & cheese and broccoli/carrots for $7.00. Not too shabby. After eating lunch I put all the stuff away and proceeded to continue getting the boat in order.

During one of my sojourns to the bathhouse/restroom, when I returned Wayne said – you’ll never guess in a million years who you missed… I thought he meant my stalker that I’d just passed but that was too obvious since he was right behind me. So I said Blue Pearl? Yep… They’re parked down at the end of the dock. So I had to mosey down there to say hi to Maria and Al!

We went down to say hi and have sundowners with them later in the evening. So glad that we got to meet them and be able to chat with them. It was so nice seeing the Blue Pearl again and it felt like we were already friends with Al and Maria!

Solstice or End of the World Mayan Calendar day

2012-12-21T21:30:00.000-05:00

Friday, December 21, 2012

Well according to the Mayan Calendar – today is the end of the world - So happy end of the world day and happy winter solstice too. Today is the first day of winter. I was awakened several times last night and early morn, first by locals arguing on the dock, then by powerboats coming and going from the empty slip next to us. I think everyone was celebrating the end of the world late into the night.

Before morning twilight my mind wandered to the solstice. I could hear sprinkling on the boat deck above me and actually enjoyed the feel of the rain coming into the hatch to dampen the heat. The light sprinkles felt like little cool kisses on my face and neck to welcome in the winter solstice. I enjoyed it for about 40 seconds before it started coming down with more gusto. Then it was time to get up and close all the ports and hatches. I stood in the cockpit and watched the rain splash down for a bit and scanned the store area that was still lit up by the Christmas lights. It’s nice hearing nothing but the rain while looking at the dock area. It’s seldom quiet in this marina until late night. Morning light will be here soon. Time to head back to bed.

Ah second time up. This time it was time for some coffee, weather and a little internet. We’re trying to figure out the best path from the BVI to Puerto Rico so Steph can see some of the islands and enjoy some down-time with us before heading back. The trick will be getting her checked in late then trying to figure out when we’ll check out of the BVI since it may be Christmas morning. The next day is also a holiday here – Boxing day. Logistics… We need to make sure she gets back to PR by the 30^th for the flight out on the 31^st. Today through Sunday the weather isn’t looking to good but we’ll see.

We worked around the boat in the rain, then during a lull walked over to the boatyard to see if they could repair a lead block for our staysail. Not sure. They’re also supposed to come by either today or Monday to look at our kill switch for the engine. We’ll see… It’s going on 3pm now and from what I saw on their work board I don’t think either of us is holding our breath that they’ll get to us today.

Wow! It’s going on 5pm and on returning from my shower I happened to look down our dock (C-Dock). It looks like a convention of Sunsail charter boats – both catamarans and monohulls. There are 2 other private boats and one Moorings charter boat. The chatter and music are both starting to build on the dock and on the walkway where the shops and bar are. I’d say the Christmas season has officially begun…

The Catamaran next to us had a bevy of teens and tweens. One of the young ladies was busy sitting on the dock between our 2 boats chatting away with someone from home. “Can you hear me?” “Are you there?” It’s difficult NOT to hear a conversation when they’re right outside your galley window and you’re making dinner. I was almost ready to answer her – yes I can hear you just fine! She was telling whoever she was talking to about Morgan Freeman being here. I guess he has a place on the island and I had actually forgotten that he was a sailor. He has a Shannon 43 named Afrodesia similar to the boat we are nose to nose with on the dock but it isn’t Morgan Freeman’s boat. This boat is called Spirit of Anagoda and its lovely too…

The Red Snapper fillet we received was the best fish I’ve had in ages. A 2.5-3 inch thick cut – it was tender and oh so meaty fried in butter, peanut oil with lemon and garlic. Served with a romaine, carrot and tomato salad with pineapple, various melon s, and grape salad on the side it was a delicious meal for the first one cooked aboard Kolibrie for the new season.

Sails up!

2012-12-20T20:30:00.000-05:00

Well after Wayne got up from his nap in the evening, we put our Yankee up. Twice… After we got it 3/4s up, the charter boat next to us called out… Excuse me? I’m not sure but is that the right sail? Huh? I looked at Wayne. Yes, it’s the right sail… No I mean is it right? He was pointing at it… Something really didn’t look right and it didn’t strike me as right when we were putting it up but I didn’t stop to think about it. Here’s the end. Hook it and start feeding it into the furler and haul it up…

He was right. It was wrong. We were hoisting the sail up the wrong way… it was upside down. Oops! How embarrassing! We hauled it back down and hooked it up again. This time we got it right! Laughing. In all our years, we’ve never done that. A charter boat next to us told us we were doing it wrong (giggling). Good thing I don’t blush or I’d have been blushing. We had a good laugh over that and I yelled over to them that we owe them a beer.

We chatted a bit with them this morning while working on the staysail. They’re a nice couple - Silke and Dirk from Germany. I told them how we used to charter here and told Silke to watch it – pretty soon they’d be getting a sailboat too… laughing.

After getting the staysail up we headed over to Speedy’s to pick up our batten. Doyle Sail was sending it to us from Tortola. We got there at a few minutes before 11am. The 11am ferry got there at 11:15 but it wasn’t on the ferry. We were told it was already in the office and that it came in on the 9 or 9:30am ferry. Wow! What service. If we have to have our main replaced this year, then I’m thinking we may take a look at them. After picking it up and walking back to the marina it was a bit warm out so we’re chilling below until the hotter part of the day disappears before putting up the mainsail. Which reminds me, I was going to see what I could find in the line of salads around here. One of the boats at the end of the dock asked us if we’d like some fish. I guess they have about 8 pounds of red snapper. Mmmmm love red snapper! Now if I could find a nice salad or makings to go with it I’m in heaven…

It seems so ludicrous that you can’t find good produce in the islands. Most is imported from California or Canada. I couldn’t find any decent produce but managed to get some romaine (not very crisp looking), roma tomatoes, and some bitter tasting carrots. Soooo we have salad stuff to make with the Red Snapper. I cut up a salad and put it in the fridge for later. After the heat went down a bit we worked on putting the battens in the mainsail and putting the mainsail up. Found two caps in the slot where the new batten goes. After we got those out the batten went in a little easier. I swear we’ve had so many problems putting the sails up this season. It felt like we’d never done it before. After running the sheets to the back we found they were winding around things they shouldn’t and had to remove them and rerun them to the cockpit. They were weaving in and out of the lazy jacks (the lines that hold the sail in place when we drop the sail). We had to redo the reefing lines a couple of times too. They also were going places they shouldn’t, and then we missed a couple of blocks and had to redo our lines again. Good thing that Dirk and Silke weren’t here to see this (they’d left to take the boat back to Tortola)! They’d never believe that we normally do this with no problem (laughing).

Sails all on and Sailcover on...uhm correctly...

After we finished with the mainsail it was time for the sail cover. It also wanted to fight us but I got it on. I discovered that it probably would have been easier to put the cover on, had I lashed the sail to the boom first (looking around for Dirk and Silke) I was hot and didn’t feel much like cooking. It was going to be bologna sandwiches or pizza after Wayne had a beer and cooled down. I wasn’t in the mood for cooking then cleaning up the galley. He opted for pizza (good choice). So we walked over to the restaurant for pizza and beer/pop and were treated to Fox News on the TV while we ate our pizza. Last time we got to watch CNN so it seemed like they switch back and forth which is okay with me.

Launch Day!

2012-12-19T15:30:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, December 19, 2012 Launch Day!!!
Well got ready for our launch then headed to the office to wait for Desney. My buddy that likes to follow me around the boatyard came by and said good morning as we were sitting waiting for Des to get in. Then he came back by again and wanted to take my hand. I just don’t understand his fixation with me - Especially with Wayne sitting right next to me, shoulder to shoulder. He totally ignored Wayne. I did get to observe him as he was walking away again and wasn’t pleased to see a sharp knife sticking out of his back pocket. I see him sometimes arguing with himself and hope it’s not about using that knife on someone. Also it looks like his bracelets are some kind of metal clamp type things that he can tighten or remove with screws and wires (like U-clamps or brackets).

The Con-a-lift manuvering to get our boat between a hurricane pit and another boat behind us.

We are officially water-borne again. It was really neat to watch how they have a self-powered trailer lift (a Con-a-lift) that they can maneuver into the tight quarters that the boats are stored in. I was amazed to see them manage to move it in diagonally, swing around another boat and hurricane pit in order to get the contraption under our boat and lift it off the jack stands to move it to the travel lift area so that the travel lift could pick us up and put us in the water.

In the boatyard - next to Aurora. You could actually walk across from boat to boat (we didn't though)

Yep a tight fit, but he got us out diagonally between the pit and the boat behind us...

here you can see the tight fit going between the boat and the hurricane pit... These guys are SKILLED!!!

and.... into the travel lift and down into the water! We're now afloat!

No water entered the boat as she was lowered. Good…
Engine started right up… Good…
Water coming out of the engine on startup… Check…
We were turned loose to head for our slip…
Wayne maneuvered us and I managed the lines this time and fenders.
All tied into our slip and at the push of the button…nothing happened.
The kill switch still doesn’t work (but why would it – it wasn’t fixed yet).
After getting situated we headed to the marina office to sign in and are now below deck, swaying in the water and waiting for the heat of the day to die down so we can put a sail up.
Wayne’s napping and I’m using the quiet time for some computer time. Hmmm it'll be dark in a bit...I'm thinking the sails may have to wait for tomorrow...