"Do you want to do something?"

      I should know better. 

      As Captain Dan has skillfully been laboring to get all sorts of boat projects done, I often tell him to let me know how I can help.  When he doesn’t give me an assignment right off the bat, I busy myself with a lesser task on board until he calls me.  The past few days, he hasn’t called me, but rather has come to me and said “Do you want to do something?”  Well- that phrase instantly gets my attention because to me, with my cup is always overflowing attitude, it sounds like a playful invitation to take a break and go for a swim, a walk, or whatever.

      But no-o-o.  Lately, the captain’s suggestions have been more along the lines of:

“Use the power buffer for a nicer finish on the portside hull and don’t drop it in the water.”

“Crawl over the aft cabin bunk and under the helm station to sweep up those fiber glass shavings.”

“Get that sticky adhesive off of that stainless rail.”  

      I do know better.  As First & Last Mate, it is my duty to remind the Captain of the importance of an occasional recess. I’ll do just that right after I get that sticky stuff off of that rail.

Solar panels are finally installed & operational!

Island Girl

     For nearly two months, Jean, the lead housekeeper for HYC, has been watching me clean & polish Exit Strategy from the inside out, as she’s been cleaning & polishing neighboring boats at the dock to ready them for charter guests.  I go to Jean when I need advice on cleaning the boat’s interior, and she has shared some great tips for keeping our new home in “tiptop” shape. 

     This afternoon she asked me, "You like work in de heat?" 

     I said, “Yes, because I love it when I know everything is clean & fresh." 

     Jean responded with a knowing smile, “Den you an island girl now.” 

     THANKS, JEAN! I take that as a big compliment.  That's just what I’ve always wanted to be.   

THANKS giving-

May 2010 on the Farm

    It was interesting growing up in a family with nine children in the 50's and 60's.  Then, throw in the fact that we lived on a large working farm in Southwestern Michigan that further ensured nary a dull moment.  If you weren’t getting along with one sibling, you could always play or work to complete a chore with another.  Most of us stumbled upon conflict resolution techniques, as well as acquired clear communication skills out of necessity.  We were disciplined in every sense by our parents and still often defer to their judgment in certain areas out of a deep love and respect, and for that I will be forever grateful for my Mom & Dad's constant care and guidance.

Somewhere in the Caribbean at Sunset

    My dad permitted me to attend Southern Illinois University on a teacher education grant that his sister/my counselor, Sr. Paschalita helped secure, knowing that my then boyfriend Danny was also enrolled there.  I recall my father’s specific words of warning- “You know, Rosie, sometimes boys can just string you along.”  My relationship with Danny only grew stronger during our time at SIU and four decades later continues to bring unusually pleasant adventures after two children, four grandchildren, 3 apartments, 7 houses in 4 states, and a boat in the Caribbean.  Our friends & family know that our opposing personalities have often resulted in a difference of opinion, but I’m so thankful to Danny for unknowingly pushing me to become the person I am today.  So in a way, Dan is still stringing me along- only these days he uses the mainsail and genoa sheets or dock lines.
    Hope your Thanksgiving day was spent within the warmth of family and friends!

PS: The island radio stations began playing Christmas carols this week!

Mass in the Islands

       Sunday mass at St. William’s Catholic Church in Road Town is always a lively affair and very different from the weekly celebrations we’ve been accustomed to in the states.  Mass begins at 9 AM or whenever the priest arrives, as the parish is awaiting the assignment of a permanent pastor.  The celebration is an elegant event where the people dress in formal attire complete with satiny elaborate dresses for the ladies and dress pants, shirts, and ties for the men.  (I felt underdressed the first week because the hem of my skirt was above the knee.  Dan, on the other hand, continues to be the only male wearing shorts.)

          The key element that makes mass at St. William’s so lively is the music.  There are two directors who alternate three different choirs.  Their voices are accompanied by guitars, conga drums, a tambourine, and a good old fashion organ.  It’s been a lovely surprise to hear the intros to music we sang at mass during the 70’s and 80’s with every verse of every hymn sung in grandiose manner (frequently 2 or 3 times) fully accompanied by lots of harmonizing, swaying, and hand clapping in the pews. The “handshake of peace” occurs right after the petitions and often takes on the appearance of a party, as a special song rallies the parishioners.  (I haven’t quite deciphered the words yet, so I just sway and clap along.)

         And lastly, there are the announcements that take about 10 minutes which recently included a lengthy “Thank You” to everyone who helped with the annual fundraiser, “Hurry, Hurry!  Come for Curry!”  (Yes, names were named all the way down to the last volunteer who took out the garbage.) Following the announcements, people are called to the front in groups to be given a special blessing by the priest and congratulated by the entire congregation for birthdays, anniversaries, or for being first time visitors.  Most Sundays, Father sends us out to “go forth in peace” after an hour and forty-five minutes.  Once a priest from St. Kitts came to say mass and Dan guessed we’d probably finish earlier because “white guys (i.e. priests) give shorter sermons…”  Not true in the islands! 

The Hidden Agenda

        Rick LaVoie is, in my opinion, the all time guru of learning disabilities.  Rick has written several books that zero in on understanding and educating children with learning challenges and I’ve been fortunate to attend a number of his presentations.

        Part of one of Rick’s talks dealt with what he called “the Hidden Agenda.”  He stressed the need for parents and teachers to instruct their children about the specifics of what may occur in new situations because most with learning difficulties do not recognize nor decipher social nuances.  He suggested that an actual book be prepared for students to study prior to entering the new setting, so they are apt to look and act less awkward and fit in more easily.

       Since we moved to the Caribbean, I’ve decided that I could have benefited from a “Hidden Agenda” book.  I would have loved to have had inside information on:

1.      Washing your hands in most public restrooms (Usually, there is NO water at all connected to the hot water faucet. Also, there is no hot water in the hot water cycle in laundromats.)

2.      Drying your hands in some public restrooms (You have to wave your hand over the right spot on SOME paper towel dispensers, but the “wave hand here” sticker is worn off.  I’ve rescued a number of women I found staring at a dispenser.)

3.      Depositing coins in vending machines (You have to “cock” coin with your index finger and give a spin, so it has a chance of rolling all the way in.  I suspect that there’s corrosion building up from the island climate.)

4.      Businesses do not necessarily open for business at the posted time.

5.      If you need an immediate answer to a question (Stay with the person who’s getting the answer until you get it or days may pass.)

6.      Inspect ALL bread for mold before you purchase it.

7.      Smile and introduce yourself by first name to everyone (This greatly enhances your island experience especially with the locals and will usually get you a cold one faster.)

Water, Water Everywhere...

...and not a drop to drink!
      This week while back at the Nanny Cay dock, Captain Dan has been working feverishly to change just that on board Exit Strategy.  Our vessel, like most, is equipped with 2 fresh water tanks that hold a total of 210 gallons.  That is certainly an ample amount for cruising around the islands.  But to ensure that we can actually safely drink the water without boiling it and enjoy the taste, we decided to invest in a watermaker.
      There are all sorts of marine shops and technicians in the Virgin Islands that can install whatever a boat owner's heart desires; however, Captain Dan is quite knowledgeable and experienced with home handyman projects and since Exit Strategy is our home now, he was willing to tackle the installation.
      To prepare for this task, Dan read and memorized every detail of the installation manual including the diagrams twice. (Or was it three times?)  The watermaker is being tucked into the large stowage space under our master bunk, so we moved our bedding into one of the aft cabins.  My job has been to stay out of the way, but within earshot so I can do/get whatever Dan needs while he's working, as this system has worked for us going on 37 years.

The Spectra Cape Horn Extreme

Dan tucks himself & the watermaker in.

 

According to Foxy…

(Copied from Google Images)

Foxy Callwood is not only the founding father of the Virgin Island’s most renowned conglomerate; he is also a regular guy who enjoys shooting the breeze with anyone who approaches.  This morning Dan was waiting for me outside of a gift shop on Jost Van Dyke-BVI. He saw a man wearing a Chicago t-shirt and struck up a conversation.  The man was Foxy Callwood.  I returned to hear only the tail end of their dialog, but was quite impressed with how well-read this well-connected man was.  Dan and Foxy were talking a bit of politics and Foxy felt that the USA acts and speaks with too much political correctness.  He said that they shouldn’t be afraid to “call a spade a spade.”  He said he’d like to meet President Obama someday. (Foxy, for America’s sake I hope it’s soon, so you can give the brother some solid advice.)

P.S.:  Foxy also mentioned that he's considering offering a FREE LUNCH on a weekly basis to share his personal catch of the day and give back to the community.

CONCH Season Is OPEN...

11/5

During our recent circumnavigation of St. John we spent a quiet evening in one of the USVI National Park’s multiple pristine bays, Little Lameshur.  It is located midway on the island’s southern coast making it open to the sea.  What that meant to us is that the seafood taken from the area is highly likely to be relatively safe from the dreaded Ciguatera parasite.

There was a USVI NPS notice board on shore that posted Nov. 1^st as the open season for conch. We were just in time! So later while snorkeling we harvested a nice one and had Conch Chowder with sour dough bread for supper.

First ^{& Last} Mate Rosie’s Conch Chowder (Serves 2)

Ingredients: 

1 fresh conch, shelled, cleaned and diced

2 C. water

1 bay leaf; ½ tsp Old Bay Seasoning; ½ tsp. parsley

2 chicken bouillons

½ C. each cut carrots, onions, celery

1 C. milk

3 TBL. flour

1. Go snorkeling & get a conch about the size of a football. (I find one and have Dan dive for it.)

2. Remove conch from shell; clean and skin to reveal white meat; dice meat.

3. Place 2 C. water in pot with conch, all seasonings and bouillon bring to boil and then simmer for 30 min.

4. After 30 min. add chopped vegetables and continue simmering for 20 min.

5. After simmering for 20 min., wisk 3 TBL. flour into 1 C. milk and blend into pot; bring soup to a gentle boil, stirring slowly for 2-3 min.  Serves 2 and makes a very filling meal when accompanied by some nice  crusty bread.

"Do one thing a day..."

Dan said that Joe gave him a "blueprint" for retirement.  He told Dan that all you need to do is get one (1) thing done each day.

So the one thing we aimed to accomplish yesterday was to pick up the watermaker we had ordered. Our plan to get it seemed simple: take a local safari bus ($1/person) to the watermaker dealer in Benner Bay-St. Thomas and then call a cab to drive us with the box back to Red Hook Bay.  The distance didn't seem far on the map.  This shouldn't take long, we thought. 

We asked a man on the street if the bus along that road would get us to Benner Bay.  He told us it would get us close, but that it would still be a walk to the bay.  So, we waited for the bus... Did I mention that the taxis and buses look almost exactly the same on St. Thomas?  We flagged a number of buses down and by about the fifth one it really was a bus we could take. We got off at the flashing BUDGET MARINE sign. (No, it really doesn't flash, but all marine chandleries have a strong magnetic pull on boat captains.)  We shopped for a while in the down right cold A/C and then asked directions to the watermaker dealer only to be told that "you can't get there from here."

We started walking to the dealer and, luckily, a guy with a pickup truck stopped to give us a lift. He saved us from a rather long winding walk up and down steep terrain.  He offered to take us back to Red Hook with our box if we'd be ready in a half hour or so.  We were ready, but the dealer didn't have the watermaker at his office location...So our Good Samaritan, Wayne, was willing to drive us to yet another dock locker area to pick up our huge box.  He dropped us back near our dinghy in Red Hook and we managed to shove the giant box into the dinghy.  We returned to Exit Strategy and had to unpack it piece by piece to stow it safely on board  in our aft cabin "warehouse".

So, Joe- One thing a day is not so easily done.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TOBY!  Stolat!