Click on the link below to see our arrival at Lindbergh Bay, St. Thomas
Lat+18deg20'0" Lon-64deg57'55" Alt+141ft GPS Sats seen: 11 2017-04-27 18:36UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=18.333410&lon=-64.965278 Sent via Iridium GO!
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
A brief visit to the BVI's
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| Here's your panorama of Soper's Hole, West End, a favorite stop of ours last year. |
Last year, we passed through the British Virgin Islands quickly, while making a run for Virgin Gorda and a weather window to Sint Maarten (see blog "USVI & BVI", May 2016). This year, I had done more research on where we could avoid paying for the mooring balls which fill most of the popular anchorages (see Zero to Cruising's blog post, "Yes, You can Anchor" zerotocruising.com/yes-you-can-anchor). We anticipated spending a month exploring (Customs only gives you 30 days or you have to pay to $200 to import the boat).
However, after a poor decision to hit the main harbor in Jost to visit Foxy's, we remembered the problem with the BVI's. They're beautiful. Idyllic. Some of the best cruising ground in the world, we're told. You'll see boats here you've never seen anywhere else. It's a rush to see so many boats sailing in every which direction through the channel. Unique and VERY popular with bareboat charterers. Since we like a little quiet to go with our nature, the BVI is not our happy place. The Captain decided to bolt before I could coax him into a couple more stops. The north swell didn't help.
West End/Soper's Hole, Tortola: Instead of continuing around St. John, we're going to Soper's for groceries, cause we're spoiled (Harbour Market is awesome)!
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| More incredible boats of the BVI! (Quick calculation--100 ft of water. 5:1 is 500 ft of chain. 7:1 is 700 ft of chain. And how big is the anchor?) |
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| Welcome to the BVI! |
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| Valhalla on the mooring ball in front of Odin. Get it? Review your Nordic mythology... |
Although we're trying to hit places we missed, it's so much less stressful to pull into a familiar port. We find a ball on the first pass through ($30/night) and after we get over the initial shock, there is plenty of entertainment from the bareboat charters (Hey guys, it's OK to wave to other boaters, by the way. Another reason I'm not convinced they are having as much fun as we are).
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| And here's your sunset from Soper's, over Great Thatch, BVI |
Summary: Total time 0:32, avg speed 3.9 kts, total mileage 2.1 nm, 2-engine motor.
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| Soper's has no lack of "harbor tv". I apologize to any of our followers who have bare-boated, but we see some crazy $hit over here! Don't be this guy. |
New rules say all passengers must report to the Customs office. However, we are hearing just the Captain is fine (it's a very small office). We paid a total of $23.25 for 7 days (supposedly, based on tonnage) but last year we paid $35.50? Fellow cruisers seemed confused also. From now on, we'll always answer "just staying a few days" since the agents may also be charging you by the day (pure speculation). If you answer "yes" to the National Parks (ie. mooring balls at the Baths & the Rhone http://www.bvimarineguide.com/programs.html) then that is extra.
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| One of the Pusser's. Yes, you must visit at least once. I was Pusser's fan but I've fallen for Brugal. |
If you've already been to Pusser's, then I recommend The Fish & Lime, just west of customs (may need a stern anchor for the dinghy, because of ferry wake). No wifi. "You're going to have to talk to each other." Great views & a nice breeze. Gluten-free options available--I recommend the fresh grilled fish tacos.
And no mosquitos by order of the Queen!
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| These huge sailboats are difficult to photograph because of their scale. Zoom in to crew member on deck holding a fender! (And the tender & SUP also) |
I can usually take the good with the bad, because cruising has taken us to some amazing places. However, climbing across dinghies to get to yours, which is three-deep, with groceries, and it starts to rain...that's a "pass" on my fun meter.
On our last evening before departing, the water went suddenly calm. I threw the SUP in the water to explore a creek I read about on Three Sheets Sailing's blog. According to our nautical charts, there is nothing there but Jennifer says there is enough water to get under a small bridge and through to the bay on the other side. I follow a local in a small powerboat back to his mooring. Dodge some sailors from the marina racing rc boats. I meet two kids who caught their first fish. "Do you want to come look at it?" and confirmed that it is WINDY with whitecaps on the other side. I made it back just before sunset.
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The fleet headed south through Thatch Island Cut for Sir Francis Drake channel. Love all the sails!
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Jost Van Dyke, BVI
We're dropping off our mooring ball by 9:30 am (after a PANICKED attempt to post a blog with sketchy internet before the laptop battery dies). We unfurl the genoa and ride a SE wind most of the way across except for dodging charter boats ("Ever heard of right-away rules? No? I didn't think so". It's why The Captain doesn't let me talk on the radio).
We arrive at Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, BVI by 10:30 am and have our pic of mooring balls. By noon the balls are full (but people are still arriving at sunset and there are a few panicked radio calls. "Any room at White Bay?!!! Hello?!!!").
We arrive at Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, BVI by 10:30 am and have our pic of mooring balls. By noon the balls are full (but people are still arriving at sunset and there are a few panicked radio calls. "Any room at White Bay?!!! Hello?!!!").
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| Jost Van Dyke |
Cue the Jimmy Buffet or Kenny Chesney. Your choice. (Youtube link no shoes)
http://hulalandblog.com/kenny-chesneys-guide-to-the-virgin-islands/
http://hulalandblog.com/kenny-chesneys-guide-to-the-virgin-islands/
According to our guidebook, "Jost Van Dyke is less than 4 miles long and just over a mile wide with hillsides that rise to a height of 320 feet. Most of the population of around 200 live on the south side of the island serving the businesses for visiting boaters."
Stepping out of the dinghy, onto the dock, then the sand & into Foxy's Bar & Restaurant--no shoes necessary. And yes, I was overdressed because I threw clothes on over my bathing suit!
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| Foxy's or any other bar in the Caribbean... |
A guy just walked through with bolt cutters. Hmmmmm
Foxy's is much like the movie, Titanic. By the time you get there, the expectations exceed the reality. Check. We've BEEN there! (Even the t-shirts were too expensive. Next). If we were to come back we'd try Corsairs, Soggy Dollar in White Bay (cab or dinghy ride), or Foxy's Taboo and the bubbly pool.
Foxy's is much like the movie, Titanic. By the time you get there, the expectations exceed the reality. Check. We've BEEN there! (Even the t-shirts were too expensive. Next). If we were to come back we'd try Corsairs, Soggy Dollar in White Bay (cab or dinghy ride), or Foxy's Taboo and the bubbly pool.
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| We're Offshore alumni, so we shouldn't make fun of Moorings boats, but seriously...too close (note the channel marker) |
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| When it gets too crowded they raft up--except there are two boats (and a reef) right behind them! |
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| If you aren't sure they are bare-boaters, the overloaded dinghy gives them away. No cruiser would try to put eight people in one underpowered dinghy! |
It's a ESE wind with a north swell. Try picking an anchorage or going sailing in that! Rainy day. Stayed inside & stayed put in Jost.
Things that make The Captain laugh:
It starts to rain, WHILE I'm opening hatches.
Out of sheer boredom, I took the dinghy in to explore. Rudy's grocery has their own dock (nothing exciting), bakery (bought some local coconut bread for The Captain. He wasn't impressed). If we hadn't stopped in Soper's, there is a marina with a dock and a sign for "snacks water, ice, gas".
Anchoring notes: The Scott's Cruising Guide recommends the east side, just off the reef (south winds). See Zero to Cruising's link above--see pictures (our chart plotter showed that as reef but at least 4 boats spent the night there).
Summary: Total time 0:59, avg speed 5.0 kts, total mileage 4.9 nm, motor sail. Mooring ball $35/night
More links to anchorages in the BVI:
Soper's Hole/West Bay, Tortola: Still a north swell. No Cane Garden Bay for us. Back to Soper's for laundry, water, groceries, and to clear out.
On our first pass through, there are no mooring balls available. We circle and watch a sailboat run over their mooring & wrap it around the keel (That's bad. Someone came over in their dinghy to help). It's all less comical when you are still navigating through the field. We finally found a ball in the front corner, which we thought was mostly occupied by permanent residents. It's VERY close to other boats and after I wiggled us in, I wasn't sure I could wiggle us back out. I order the Captain to stay while & I go do laundry. Upon my return, a ball opens up and & we (successfully) move. No boats damaged. No one went for a swim. Flow cellular is back! Happy girl.
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| A ferry with a Cat logo. Why yes, we do miss our Winnebago sometimes... |
Summary: Total time 1:19, avg speed 4.4 kts, total mileage 5.7 nm, two-engine motor.
West End Cruiser Notes:
(I tried to take pics for you, but they were blurry. It's a small place. Ask around for directions.)
Wifi: We had Flow Cellular through T-Mobile in Leinster (unlimited 2G but it was 3G, not quite tethering) but it went away in Sopers (turn phone off & on or take phone to Harbour Market & it may reset. Leave it in cockpit). AT&T was also working (signal from Red Hook, USVI. Turn off roaming).
Trash: there used to be a dumpster by customs dinghy dock but it was gone. They didn't charge us with water/fuel purchase as Soper's Marina.
Grocery: Harbour Market is just left of Pusser's (as you come up to the dock). It's the cheapest liquor we've seen (Try the Bombay Sapphire East for $16). Don't forget to go upstairs.
Water: 0.20/gallon at Soper's Marina
Fuel: gasoline $3.95/gallon at Soper's Marina
Laundry: Last year it was closed but there is a new place. I asked our mooring dude to point it out. It's in the alley behind and past Frenchman's Cay. $2.50 to wash ($2.75 if heavy), 0.25/5 min (50 min) = $2.50
Cruising guidebook fun:
Fuel: no
Water: Yes, tie up dinghy at fuel dock
???
We're off to Hansen Bay (in Round Bay in Coral Bay--one of the more confusing conversations we have with fellow cruisers), St John, USVI next!
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Let's go to St. John! Leinster Bay
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| A view of Waterlemon Cay, Leinster Bay, St. John, USVI |
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| The Narrows... |
Departing Christmas Cove, we have to clear Current Cut. There is a 3 kt current so you want to time either slack tide or going with the north current (when it looks rough, the tide is going north & it's wind against waves with a prevailing east wind, I think.) None of our charts showed the times for this, so we spent two days observing boats coming & going to get a feel.
From Current Cut, we cruise along the north shore of St. John: Caneel, Hawksnest, Trunk, Cinnamon, Francis & Maho before entering "The Narrows" between Great Thatch, BVI and St. John to enter Leinster Bay. We are znxiously counting boats, to see if all the balls were full (anchoring discouraged & it's mostly 30 ft of water!), when sv Encore calls to let us know there is a ball right up near the beach (Waterlemon Bay). Score! We had a decent ride with a helping current until we rounded the northern most end of St. John.
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| Welcome to St. John/BVI, whole other class of boaters |
History: The Danish sold the islands to the United States in 1917 for $25 million dollars. Ruins from the Danish sugar plantations dating back to the 18th century dot the island.
It's a volcanic and very hilly (jeeps not scooters) and {gasp} has no airport! There are 39 beaches (depending on who you ask). The main port used to be Coral Bay but is now Cruz Bay, thanks to the ferries. The terrain varies from the desert-like Ram's head (reminds us of hiking in Arizona) to the mangroves of Coral Bay.
The two main roads are North Shore Road (Cruz Bay to Annaberg Ruins) and Centerline Road (Cruz Bay to Coral Bay) but apparently the VITRAN bus runs to Salt Pond which isn't on the map!
The National Park on St. John was established in 1956 and now covers roughly 60% of the island (depending on who you ask) and includes the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument. Snorkeling off the white sand beaches and hiking the tropical forest are the main activities, making it the most popular tourist destination in USVI. Some of the island is still privately held (some homes in the park are grandfathered). However, all beaches are public but you can't cross private land to get there--meaning some beaches can only be reached by boat!
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| Our mooring ball with a view of the beach |
We have an unrestricted view of Waterlemon Cay (BVI, Great Thatch in the background). I still have time today to nap, lunch, snorkel, SUP!
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| Waterlemon Cay from on deck |
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| As advised, we were picking up Flow cellular from BVI and my T-Mobile was suddenly 3G, faster than St. Thomas! Remember that cellular booster next year. |
While catching up on FB, I get a message from sv Encore that it's afternoon snorkel time. I paddle over with the SUP & my snorkel gear, tie it off and jump in. We do a complete circle--turtles on east side, no sharks spotted on the north side, and a fabulous healthy reef full of fish on the west side (apparently a storm caused some damage to the north side always most obvious by the health of the fans).
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| My snorkel buddy |
(I'm not happy with my Nikon Coolpix, despite all the rave reviews. My pics are dark, even in shallow water with high overhead sun & "underwater" mode. I'm taking advice! Oh, and now it's leaking, corroding & won't turn on. Fail)
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| We've been in some wonderful anchorages lately, but woefully lacking on sunrises & sunsets! Here's your sunset from St John! |
Summary: Total time 1:49, avg speed 4.5 kts, total mileage 8.2 nm, 2-engine motor.
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| A view of the anchorage from the Guard House ruins |
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| The Captain posing for a pic... |
This is where you can insert the blog about our hike from Leinster to Coral Bay: http://planesboatsandbicycles.blogspot.com/2017/03/special-report-hike-leinster-to-coral.html
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| Local street art on the way into Coral Bay, St. John |
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| The Annaberg hiking path |
The boats definitely leave earlier on St John. The mooring field is clearing out by 9:30 am. As soon a someone drops off a ball, someone else picks it up. As sv Encore heads around the corner, I take a shorter hike over to Annaberg Windmill & Distillery Ruins (to drop off trash at the NPS dumpster).
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| Panorama from the Windmill |
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| Coral, ballast brick & stone make up the walls of the distillery |
3 out of 4 days, we've have the dreaded head problem. It's finally solved when The Captain discovers that every time he wiggles the hose, calcification is breaking loose inside & clogging the hose. (Full head overhaul complete!)
(insert your imagination here...) Three wild burros have appeared on the beach & they're chowing down on the all the snorkelers treats while they're in the water. People on the beach are trying to shoo them away, but you know, burros. Hysterical.
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| Good morning! The water is so clear & calm, I can see a ray swimming on the bottom! |
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| Our tour guide. He picked us up as we approached the reef & stayed with us the whole time, doubling back when we fell back. |
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| A school of fish |
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| Smile for the camera |
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| Wouldn't smile for the camera |
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| Wow! Beautiful colors didn't show in the pic |
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| "Here sharky, sharky..." As bashful with us as we were of them! |
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| Just after sunset & anchor lights are starting to twinkle. Even with all the moorings full, it's a quiet, peaceful evening in the National Park. |
Stay tuned for a quick jaunt to the British Virgin Islands!
References:
NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/viis/learn/index.htm
St. John Off the Beaten Track by Gerald Singer
St. John: Feet, Fins and Four Wheel Drive by Pam Gaffin
St. John: Feet, Fins and Four Wheel Drive by Pam Gaffin
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Let's Start Island Hopping!
Lindbergh Bay, St. Thomas: With the weather forecast improving, we can start moving again. After filling our water tanks, we motor around the airport to Lindbergh Bay (a gentle reminder how rough the water is in winds gusting to 23. We've been anchored too long). The anchorage is a little rolly, but we find a nice patch of sand in 15 ft of water and put on our swell bridle. sv Encore follows us around and anchors next door.
Summary: Total time 0:49 min, avg speed 3.8 kts, total mileage 3.1 nm, 2 engine motor.
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| Garmin BlueChart routing, 2.5 nm! |
We're closer to the grocery, so we can provision up for the two weeks we have scheduled in St. John. There are also two beach restaurants here (all Brewer's is lacking), wifi and best of all, more friends already anchored (sv Outta Control)! A girl's lunch is quickly planned but we can't wait that long and the three boats quickly assemble a laundry run.
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| The girls aren't ready to end our "girls lunch" so we retire to Beachcombers... |
sv Encore stops at a neighboring boat to learn their flag is Iceland! I quickly swim over when I realize their hailing port is Aspen, CO! We have another taker for girls lunch!
We assemble an incredibly diverse group of intelligent women. We stop at a little Dominican Restaurant called The Flight Deck near the laundromat for lunch. Two of our group have backgrounds in health care, so after discussing politics {eek, no blood shed} and world economics we declared all world problems solved & retire back to the beach.
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| All the crazy weather has been cutting into the sunset photos... |
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| And the lights on the hillside above our bay--reminds me of night time in Charlotte Amalie without all the noise & traffic! |
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| And the boat craziness begins as we inch closer to Charlotte Amalie--tall ships, cruise ships, yachts OH MY! |
I'm accompanied on my morning walk/grocery run by one-half of Encore and the day concludes with a lively happy hour on sv Eva where we learn a little about the culture in Iceland, architecture and the favorite snorkeling sites of all involved (Thank you Oli, for grabbing the chart & pointing, while everyone yelled out their favorites...)
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| I'm floating in the bay with my noodle, with Sally on the SUP |
More errands. The Captain dinghies around the corner to fill our spare propane bottle while I run into Charlotte Amalie with Encore. I take them to my normal stops around Yacht Haven Grande and they find a few new ones! Kmart for some sundresses & other necessities. Tap & Still for lunch. Gourmet Food Gallery for some treats. Natural Food Store for even more treats (corner of main intersection across from Wendy's & next to Pueblo). I had a cup of Moringa tea this morning, courtesy of Jerry.
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| Emerald Beach Resort with sv Encore & sv Outta Control |
So, I mentioned there are a couple of hotels on the beach. We park the dinghy on the far right with the hotel's blessing ($300/night hotel). This results in the occasional conversation with hotel guests while walking down the beach:
What's in the bag?
Laundry (or sometimes groceries)
Where are you going with your laundry/groceries?!
I point to The Captain arriving on the beach with the dinghy.
Wow, where did you get that?! {ie. I want to rent one!}
It's ours.
Where do you go with that?
We live on our boat and we're anchored in the bay. It's our car.
{slack jawed} Where are you from?
St. Louis
That's not on the ocean!
We left from Annapolis & are now based out of Puerto Rico.
How did you get your boat here?
We sailed it...
{and then I jump in the dinghy and zoom away...}
That never get's old! We're living the dream!
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| Lindberg to Christmas Cove via Charlotte Amalie harbor |
Christmas Cove, Great St. James I, USVI: After six days in Lindberg Bay, we're ready to start moving towards St John, USVI. Anchor up!
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| Passing the Marriott, where I used to stay for work, on the way into open water |
We take the scenic route through Charlotte Amalie harbor, mostly to avoid to wet ride awaiting us on the south coast of St. Thomas. We're once again motoring into an east wind and swimming upstream of all the ferry boats that are constantly waking us. Note to tourists: always check the weather before boarding a ferry. The rarely cancel & it looked like a sporty ride for them also!
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| The only thing between us & a pizza is our friends on sv Encore! (That's The Captain headed in for a pick up...) |
Christmas Cove is a strategic stop, just before Current Cut. And, oh yeah, there's a pizza boat! We drop next to Encore and I jump in to snorkel the anchor while the Captain orders a pizza for lunch (Yes, I planned it that way!). I'm greeted by a barracuda who has already taken up residency under our boat. "Oh, yeah. Hand me the camera!"
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| Pet barracuda |
According to the DeLoach's Reef Fish Identification book, barracuda can be 6 ft long,
"Open and close mouth to assist respiration (not a threat)...
Reaction to divers: Apparently unconcerned; have the unnerving habit of approaching divers and following them about the reef. This appears to be nothing more than curiosity, as there are no reports of unprovoked attacks...Normally move away if closely approached."
All I see are eyes and TEETH! I swim out to check the anchor & then to invite Encore for sundowners. After lunch, I receive a text from a friend that their kids went to high school in Indiana with one of the owner's of the pizza boat, so I'm back in the dinghy to relay a "Hello from Anderson!"
Summary: Total time 1:49, avg speed 4.5 kts, total mileage 8.2 nm, 2-engine motor.
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| Anchored in the gin clear waters of Christmas Cove and having pizza for the second day in a row. What the hell. We'll get jobs when the pizza money runs out! |
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Besides the pizza, there is some great people watching! Hobie cats, dinghies & small powerboats from the Yacht Club across the way. Dive boats. MegaYachts. Charter boats & the occasional schooner and/or pirate ship. Apparently, we're anchored just in front of a private mooring that belongs to a charter sunset cruise. Sundowners with Encore last night was like being a fish in an aquarium--"{whispering & pointing} Look. Cruisers. A unique species found all over the world, but especially in the Caribbean..."
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| Dive boats & a mega-yacht! |
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| An overcast day but the schooner is still spectacular! |
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| sv Encore braving the cut & forecast for St. John. We're right behind you {wink, wink} |
Encore leaves for St. John with an iffy forecast of big waves. We're lazy so we stay behind and I get in some snorkeling. Last year we followed the tour boat that dropped snorkelers off at the black rock on the beach. This year I follow a dive boat to check out Fish Cay, the rock that separates the north & south side of the anchorage. As I'm learning, a snorkel may look like a dud then turn spectacular! This was no exception. (I'm not happy with my Nikon Coolpix. I've downloaded some different software and may be able to clean these up a little in the future, but for now...)
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| Can you see him? |
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| It's been difficult getting a wide-angle of some of the places we've snorkeled, but this gives you an idea... |
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| More pufferfish. Bashful & won't hold still for the camera. These two are swimming a figure-eight. I even tried to catch them on video! |
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| My first sea slug |
Check out our Google maps for Year 3, for the best snorkeling spot in Christmas Cove.
Standby for our trip to St. John!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=17dcCqcHRmAlUIfwblez-GT2FQJY&usp=sharing
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