Today is Paul's 62 birthday!!!! And, I just got a dirty look!!! Ha ha ha!!!
Some thoughts on St Thomas as we prepare to leave. Last year they had the BEST ice cream in the WORLD here...this year there is no ice cream worth the calories...the place was closed (as were a lot of other stores). For Paul they have the cheapest gin...and that still holds true, although it is now Gilby's gin ($5.99 for a 1.75 liter bottle), not Gordon's gin. It does seem that this year for us (versus last year), this island received "the memo"...the friendly memo. As I was flying out to go to Fort Lauderdale there were young ladies at the airport taking surveys...a lot of the questions alluded to the friendlyness of the locals...I found that interesting based on our experiences of last year. So anyway...a positive note...we both noticed a marked difference in the pleasant and friendly manner of most everyone in St Thomas - real or staged! And, then, a sad truth...we had almost forgotten (from last year) that in the Charlotte Amalie Harbor the on shore police car sirens can be heard very loudly and are almost non-stop...okay probably a bit of an overstatement...but...it gets to be too much to hear the sirens so very often all day AND all night long! Perhaps not unlike any downtown area...but we were ready for a "sound" break. We came over to a small bay - Lindbergh Bay -
away from the downtown area...and the quiet is so wonderful! That is until a plane takes off! Yes, this Bay is right at the end of the airport runnway.
The good news is that there are no flights out of St Thomas later than 8:00pm or so...and they don't start operation until 7:30am or so. So our nights were truly peaceful!! Part of this Bay runs parallel to the road to the airport...and we found out that on the rocky part right next to the road (not on the beachs where there were hotels and condos) there was a group of homeless men living among the rocks under the bushes and trees. We heard them talking after dark under the shelter of the trees and this morning saw them taking their baths in the Bay.
Which reminds me...when we went up to Cost-u-Less we ran into a woman that use to be a "cruiser" (back in 1998) and still lives on a boat in Long Bay (Charlotte Amalie). She is now participating in the local St Thomas Habitat for Humanity. So many more good stories that could be told....So, anyway, still of all of the U.S.V.I.'s, St Croix, picture below....
with it's known problems and all, is still our favorite!
It just might be awhile before we are back!! And...one other last note of...well, perhaps interest...it RAINS here!!! Every day a squall or two. It is an unusual day when it does NOT rain at least once during the day or night. And, when it rains it POURS! For a Seattle native to be saying that...well... believe that it is true!!! Yesterday we had to pump the rain water out of "Little Bit", our dingy, three times and this morning while Little Bit is still afloat...we will not be going anywhere until it is pumped out again...the bottom is completely full!
We left the above "quiet" Bay and motored over to Crown Bay for fuel. Note to Dennis: we still don't have a bow thruster...I was nervous...but Paul put her in gently and backed her out (proper throttle "touch"), well, no muss, no fuss. We anchored beside Water Island (without "setting" the anchor as we were only going to be there long enough to make some water after the pump was put in). Paul then went into the engine room and installed a new watermaker pump (one that I brought back from Fort Lauderdale with me)...and well...after hours of being in the engine room...drifting into the channel...motoring back over to Lindbergh Bay...and another hour in the engine room...we took a break and went over to visit some cruisers on their 45 foot cat. When we got back as we were watching "our" T.V., the pump came on and would not turn off...once again this time in the dark...Paul was back down into the engine room...so you see..."If it were easy anyone would do it". I used that once during my IDC as well...and I think it is Paul's turn!! I'm sure he will be blogging on boat repairs later...but, hopefull today he will be making a big pot of gumbo! And we moved back over to Long Bay...this is the local Coast Guard office.
We have invited Phil and Joanna over for gumbo dinner...she has been under the weather. Phil and Joanna's boat...
When I was feeling poorly last week...we got the last of some of Paul's gumbo out of the freezer and it sure helped me get over my cold! View of Charlotte Amalie from anchorage.
We have a few last errands to run at Cost-u-Less and Red Hook, St Thomas...and then off to St John's...Cruz Bay to pick up Paul's Golden Oldie Pass (and who says is it bad to get old...ha ha ha)...Lameshur Bay to enjoy that quiet Bay - it is a park area...no one lives around there, so it truly is a quiet Bay. Because it is a park there (in fact a lot of St John is a dedicated park area) we are required to pick up a mooring. We plan to clean the bottom of the boat...and maybe if time and air permit...dive a bit for fun/pictures...and/or lobster. Then to Coral Bay...this is where Paul says all of the hippies that got tired of Key West went many years ago...yes, MANY years ago...back when it was affordable. Now, St John is a VERY expensive place to have a place. But....Skinny Legs is a must stop...the BEST hamburgers in the islands - I can't say the world here because the Zocolo hamburgers in Zihuatanejo...well...they just might be the best. There (Coral Bay) is where we will be waiting for the right wind for an overnight sail to Nevis (if we have to wait two nights for wind...it just might mean we might have to have two hamburgers??? ha ha ha). At Nevis we will meet back up with Phil and Joanna for some sightseeing and diving in Saba and St Kitts as well! Internet has not been and may continue to be spotty for another week or so until we get further down island, but we will try to update as we can and with pictures! Last note that may be of interest...last year Paul forgot Valentines Day...this year he saw me fawning (not hard to do) all over some stuffed fishs at the Cost-u-Less (my youngest daughter and I truly have a "soft" spot for stuffed things)...so now besides Sootie too (thanks mom)...
we now have Finny (Happy early Valentine's Day to me...thanks Paul)...
which by the way will be the Watertimes.org mascot name...Finny...more on that later too (the website is up but under construction...watertimes.org...take a look)!!! So I guess a little "fluff" is okay on a boat after all!!!
away from the downtown area...and the quiet is so wonderful! That is until a plane takes off! Yes, this Bay is right at the end of the airport runnway. The good news is that there are no flights out of St Thomas later than 8:00pm or so...and they don't start operation until 7:30am or so. So our nights were truly peaceful!! Part of this Bay runs parallel to the road to the airport...and we found out that on the rocky part right next to the road (not on the beachs where there were hotels and condos) there was a group of homeless men living among the rocks under the bushes and trees. We heard them talking after dark under the shelter of the trees and this morning saw them taking their baths in the Bay. Which reminds me...when we went up to Cost-u-Less we ran into a woman that use to be a "cruiser" (back in 1998) and still lives on a boat in Long Bay (Charlotte Amalie). She is now participating in the local St Thomas Habitat for Humanity. So many more good stories that could be told....So, anyway, still of all of the U.S.V.I.'s, St Croix, picture below....with it's known problems and all, is still our favorite! It just might be awhile before we are back!! And...one other last note of...well, perhaps interest...it RAINS here!!! Every day a squall or two. It is an unusual day when it does NOT rain at least once during the day or night. And, when it rains it POURS! For a Seattle native to be saying that...well... believe that it is true!!! Yesterday we had to pump the rain water out of "Little Bit", our dingy, three times and this morning while Little Bit is still afloat...we will not be going anywhere until it is pumped out again...the bottom is completely full!We left the above "quiet" Bay and motored over to Crown Bay for fuel. Note to Dennis: we still don't have a bow thruster...I was nervous...but Paul put her in gently and backed her out (proper throttle "touch"), well, no muss, no fuss. We anchored beside Water Island (without "setting" the anchor as we were only going to be there long enough to make some water after the pump was put in). Paul then went into the engine room and installed a new watermaker pump (one that I brought back from Fort Lauderdale with me)...and well...after hours of being in the engine room...drifting into the channel...motoring back over to Lindbergh Bay...and another hour in the engine room...we took a break and went over to visit some cruisers on their 45 foot cat. When we got back as we were watching "our" T.V., the pump came on and would not turn off...once again this time in the dark...Paul was back down into the engine room...so you see..."If it were easy anyone would do it". I used that once during my IDC as well...and I think it is Paul's turn!! I'm sure he will be blogging on boat repairs later...but, hopefull today he will be making a big pot of gumbo! And we moved back over to Long Bay...this is the local Coast Guard office.
We have invited Phil and Joanna over for gumbo dinner...she has been under the weather. Phil and Joanna's boat...When I was feeling poorly last week...we got the last of some of Paul's gumbo out of the freezer and it sure helped me get over my cold! View of Charlotte Amalie from anchorage.We have a few last errands to run at Cost-u-Less and Red Hook, St Thomas...and then off to St John's...Cruz Bay to pick up Paul's Golden Oldie Pass (and who says is it bad to get old...ha ha ha)...Lameshur Bay to enjoy that quiet Bay - it is a park area...no one lives around there, so it truly is a quiet Bay. Because it is a park there (in fact a lot of St John is a dedicated park area) we are required to pick up a mooring. We plan to clean the bottom of the boat...and maybe if time and air permit...dive a bit for fun/pictures...and/or lobster. Then to Coral Bay...this is where Paul says all of the hippies that got tired of Key West went many years ago...yes, MANY years ago...back when it was affordable. Now, St John is a VERY expensive place to have a place. But....Skinny Legs is a must stop...the BEST hamburgers in the islands - I can't say the world here because the Zocolo hamburgers in Zihuatanejo...well...they just might be the best. There (Coral Bay) is where we will be waiting for the right wind for an overnight sail to Nevis (if we have to wait two nights for wind...it just might mean we might have to have two hamburgers??? ha ha ha). At Nevis we will meet back up with Phil and Joanna for some sightseeing and diving in Saba and St Kitts as well! Internet has not been and may continue to be spotty for another week or so until we get further down island, but we will try to update as we can and with pictures! Last note that may be of interest...last year Paul forgot Valentines Day...this year he saw me fawning (not hard to do) all over some stuffed fishs at the Cost-u-Less (my youngest daughter and I truly have a "soft" spot for stuffed things)...so now besides Sootie too (thanks mom)...we now have Finny (Happy early Valentine's Day to me...thanks Paul)...which by the way will be the Watertimes.org mascot name...Finny...more on that later too (the website is up but under construction...watertimes.org...take a look)!!! So I guess a little "fluff" is okay on a boat after all!!!
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Hey there...let us know what you think...Capt Paul