I AM the Captain…

…of the dinghy more and more these days. Since we bought Exit Strategy back in 2007, I rarely operated the dinghy.  There was no need to, as Captain Dan was always going along to do his errands while I did mine.  I recall the last time my brother Joe and his wife sailed with us, Dan gave me the choice of jumping into the dinghy to grab hold of a mooring that was just vacated OR take command of ES’s helm, up anchor, and maneuver to pick up the mooring with Joe’s help.  I carefully got in the dinghy and headed toward the mooring, but I couldn’t quite coordinate slowing the dinghy and moving it in the direction of the mooring- not to mention actually grabbing the pennant attached to it.  I think I circled around it 4 or 5 times before I was able to accomplish the mission.  (Oh, I guess I could review the video that the Captain took of me that afternoon.)

But today I can tell you with confidence that I AM the CAPTAIN of the dinghy.  How did this finally happen?  Well, I’ve been up and out early most mornings in the dinghy to pick up some of the other cruiser wives so we can walk Water Island.  I also drive a group ashore for yoga at sunset a couple of evenings a week.  After this stint of being the “designated driver” I’m happy to report that I no longer stop the dinghy by ramming into a hull; I can gauge the drifting current to let my passengers off at the side ladder of their vessels; I have not had to flag down another dinghy to hitch a ride back to the boat and get Dan to unlock the security cable using the very same key that didn’t work for me and 2 other people. 

Yes, I AM the Captain of the dinghy and it feels good.

Green Flash Phenomenon

Our good friend Jimmy was the one who alerted us to the green flash phenomenon that occurs at sunset when the conditions are right. For one to happen, the sun must set clearly over the water with absolutely no clouds between you and it.  Contrary to what you may think, the sighting of a green flash does not require drinking cocktails, but usually that is just what one in the islands on a boat is doing at sundown. 

We've been watching and waiting to observe one for over three decades since Jimmy first taught us about it. WE FINALLY SAW ONE!  It was not a quick flash, but more like a lasting pea-green circular glow that hung above the horizon for 6-8 seconds after the sun went down. It was very cool- thank you, Jimmy! 

(Sorry, no photo- couldn't even find a Google Image that matched what we saw.)

Christmas Tree Affair

     We don’t have a Christmas tree on Exit Strategy yet, although unspoken peer pressure among our friends in the bay may change that before too long.  Each evening, we notice another sparkle of Christmas lights on the island or a neighboring vessel. Lights have been hoisted to the top of masts or in and around cockpits.  Heck, some boaters even have their dinghy decorated with red bows and bells!

      I pause here to introduce you to two cruisers in the bay who decorate for Christmas with great spirit and lots of good cheer!  Christy & Boomer (s/v Pirate’s Lady) are a fun-loving, energetic couple who have become very good friends.  The other day we met them downtown for the annual Lighting of the Christmas Tree and all its merriment.  Captain Dan & I probably looked like little puppies as we followed them around to view the best of the festivities, but didn’t mind because they always seem to know how the most fun can be had around these parts.

Bet you never thought you'd see Dan wearing reindeer antlers!

The camera man was tipsy when he took this shot- or did we take a shot?

Santa gets a deep tan in the islands.

We've never seen a mocko jumbie quite this young.

Pierogi In Paradise!

Believe it or not- there’s a restaurant on the waterfront that is owned & run by a couple from Poland.  It is aptly named Tavern On the Waterfront. (Some poles have no imagination- or could it be a brilliant marketing ploy to make the place easier for the tourists to find?) 

The name itself did not lure us in.  It was the small sign on the sidewalk that listed “Pierogi”.  They had us at pierogi- we couldn’t not walk into the place.  The menu offered a good selection of mostly American-type foods, obviously to please tourists with a variety of appetites.  We ordered pierogi and golabki, the later was listed as stuffed cabbage on the menu, but our Polish waitress knew what we meant.  Our Polish taste buds were not disappointed in the least!

The Bloomin' Onion on right was dessert...

PS:  I’ll be rolling out our own pierogi in a couple of weeks to celebrate Wigilia in the traditional way.

Captain Dan

     It's almost official.  In 2004 Dan & I both took enough sailing courses to allow us to charter as bareboat captains. However, in 2010 Dan began working on his official Captain's License via online coursework. He is not usually one to procrastinate, but life got in the way and, in this case, he did.  His sales job frustrated him; selling the house stressed him; sorting his necessities down to 10 moving boxes challenged him; learning to maintain all the systems on board Exit Strategy perplexed him.  When we finally set sail, there were other distractions that impeded his completion of the program.  It was too sunny to study; the mystery novel was just about to climax; the fish were biting; friends were talking him into joining them on another island adventure.

      This year's hurricane season  presented the perfect opportunity for Dan to finish the course, especially when I left ES for a two month home visit. He cleared the last hurdle a few days ago after finally taking a required "hands on" First Aid and CPR class here in the USVI.  So, Dan will officially be Captain Dan as soon as the ream of his application paperwork is processed by the US Coast Guard in Boston.

     You may wonder, What will this official title mean? Will he don dress whites when ashore?  Will he be able to marry you or bury you at sea? Will we need to bow a little more deeply when addressing Dan or add a touch more energy to our step when we step-to-it?  PRAY, NO!   

      The Captain hasn't given me any new orders yet, so I'll have to let you know.

     

Thanksgiving Potluck

    People back home have been asking, “Do they have turkeys in the Virgin Islands?” 

    The answer is- YES, although it is nearly impossible to find one small enough to roast in our oven.  I suppose we could have found a turkey breast, but instead we opted to join the Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner on Honeymoon Beach, Water Island, USVI.  About twenty-five people gathered under the canopy of Joe’s Beach Bar, bringing a variety of dishes to share.  Just as the buffet was set-up, a sudden downpour threatened to turn everything into soup.  Fortunately, a few people who were still sober moved quickly to rearrange the table and saved the banquet!  One guy said a brief blessing and we ate and drank our fill at a leisurely pace among good friends.

All the usual fixings and then some...

Jeff of s/v As You Wish (waving) thoroughly indulged at the dessert table.



Gene (of s/v GeWil) has carved a few turkeys in his days;
Wilma (his wife) brought the BEST Rum Cake ever!

The crew of Sandie Annie, GeWil, and Pirate's Lady have after dinner drinks.

 

PHOTO SHOOT

  

  
  All the men on and around Honeymoon Beach noticed it well before the women and uttered not a single word.  As the afternoon sun began to fade, flashes of light on the northern point of the bay caught the attention of the women.  We scoured the site and discovered that scantily clad female model-types were posing amid the rocks around The Water Island Resort.  The buzz at Joe’s Beach Bar during the cocktail hour focused on this being an annual event.  No one knew anymore details, such as, were they compiling photos for a calendar, a magazine, or what?  The photo sessions continued for days.

     This morning a photographer approached our boat and politely asked if he could take a few pictures.  I went below to powder my nose.  Captain Dan took off his Speedo. When we came back up on deck, the photographer was at Exit Strategy’s bow attaching a black Velcro-edged wrap around our anchor’s snubber line…  He snapped a shot from every angle possible: straight-on, from the right and the left, telephoto and wide, from the top.  He spent a good half hour aiming to get at least one perfect picture in the best light.  



No high wind stress today

    As it turned out, Matthew (the photographer) was a friend of our friends' (Gene and Wilma of s/v GeWil) son Chris. Matthew needed to take some pictures of product called a "Chafe Pro" which is wrap designed designed by a client to protect lines from breaking during high hurricane-type wind conditions.  Only  a few hours were left before his return flight home and he was desperate to complete this "work" during the last hours of his "business" trip. 

Chris, the designated driver; Matthew, the photographer

You Read It Here First-

     This morning Dan went to finish up the necessary paperwork for his Captain’s License.  Arriving early is his habit, so he wandered around the medical complex a bit.  A voice called out, “Hey, nice shirt.”

     Dan has two favorite T-shirts: one from Rock Bottom Brewery’s “Better Beer. Better Beer Drinkers” (Orland Park, IL) and the other is “Foxy’s Firewater Fine Island Rum” (Jost Van Dyke, BVI).  Today he was sporting the latter and the voice belonged to none other than Foxy Caldwood himself.

     They chatted for a while as kindred spirits do and Dan learned that Foxy was there for a knee replacement.  Which just goes to say that he'll be kicking around for many more years to come.

Anchor OH-oh

     Charlotte Amalie's Long Bay is the harbor where two to three cruise ships dock on any given day during the high season. It is a busy area and the water in the bay is not as clear as most other VI anchorages. We chose to anchor there for about a week because of its proximity to businesses and services we needed to visit.
      Over time, we have become pretty confident in setting our anchor.  When we sailed Lake Michigan's waters as newbies, we learned to use a Danforth anchor with a strong, durable line and a sandy bottom with good holding was always easy to find.  Since purchasing Exit Strategy we've gradually up-graded our anchor and setting techniques.  We occasionally dragged at anchor during our early voyages on ES using a CQR anchor; a swivel was attached to the anchor chain to correct it.  The anchor was then able to flip over and dig in better, but most often it laid on its side and the captain would dive down to manually correct it.  When we moved on to ES, that anchor was quickly replaced by an over-sized Delta model.  Problem solved.
     We left plenty of room to swing when we set anchor in Long Bay.  Everything seemed fine until there were high winds one night.  We noticed that ES seemed to be pivoting about on a short lead, although still holding firm. The next day we saw our anchor buoy floating freely at our stern- its line shredded.  Later that day, some friends said they had noticed our short swinging pattern, too.  Then we recalled that last season some other cruising friends got their anchor stuck in the same vicinity.
      The captain & I discussed a plan to safely weigh anchor and get unstuck from the submerged obstacle with minimal damage.  Specific hand signals to be used during the delicate process were reviewed. (No fingers allowed.) Dan slowly eased ES in the direction the anchor chain was wound indicated by my outstretched arm. The chain caught and stopped, so Dan stalled ES.  The chain relaxed and we proceeded until another catch, followed by ES pausing again.  Alas! We were free with no damage!

“Bóg dokonuje”

…is what my college roommate Liz used to sigh and say whenever something unfortunate happened to someone just when all was going so well. “Bóg dokonuje” (God does).

      A few days ago after hearing about the cold conditions back in the Midwest, I was boasting to our friends and family there that the weather here is pretty sunny and fine all the time.  Well, today is our second day of dreary and 60% chance of showers.  Yesterday I spent most of the day reading a cruising guide for the Leewards and high lighting good anchorages for our down island trip.  Today I finished that by mid-morning and started making a batch of flour tortillas from scratch!  We had a nice warm luncheon of cheesy bean burritos- a most pleasant change from a sandwich. 

      The weathermen try to get creative with their radio broadcasts by interchanging “partly sunny, partly cloudy, or scattered clouds”, but we’re getting wise to their lingo. We’re about to go ashore to take a walk around the grounds of the Cannel Bay Resort.  I suggested that the Captain wear clothes that will dry easily.

Drizzly all day, but still a spectacular sunset.

 

PASTA a la LAWRENCE



This is the edible type of whelk. (Google Image)

The BVI Welcome Magazine ran an article about its local whelk stating that “islanders can still be seen harvesting the tiny mollusks” as they are “BVI’s Escargot.”  Well- we’ve noticed these turban-shaped sea snails along rocky shores in the BVI, but have never seen anyone collecting them, nor have we ever seen whelk offered on a menu when dining out.  Years ago, my brother Joe found a beautiful large whelk when snorkeling with us here.  The locals he asked didn’t even know what it was.  So when I read the article I couldn’t help but be intrigued about yet another free fruit de mer.  The magazine included a recipe for whelk soup, but it’s too hot for soup, so I prepared the whelk as follows and called it-

Pasta a la Lawrence (Whelk…Welk- get it?) Serves 2

Ingredients:

Pasta for 2, cooked & drained

¾ C. steamed & cleaned whelk meat

1 C. chicken broth

½ C. milk

½ C. sliced mushrooms

½ C. chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, diced
2 TBL. flour
1 TBL. butter (or margarine)
½ C. shredded parmesan or romano cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

Procedure:
1.  Prepare your choice of pasta for 2 and set aside.

2. The whelk you collect should have a diameter of 5 inches or more.*  Scrub shells well before boiling in salted water for 5-8 minutes.  Drain & cool under cold water. Use a toothpick or seafood fork to remove the snail.  The meat is white and nearest the opening.  Remove dark brown circular disk at end. Cut off dark grayish entrails & discard.  Cut meat into bite sized pieces.  * IF THE WHELK IS MUCH LARGER, YOU'LL NEED TO POUND THE MEAT WELL AFTER CLEANING TO TENDERIZE IT.

3. Melt butter in a medium pot & sauté the mushrooms, onion, & garlic. Add the chicken broth & whelk meat & simmer covered for 20 minutes.  Blend flour into milk, add to pot, & bring to a boil to thicken.  Reduce heat & whisk in the cheese.  Salt & pepper to taste.  Pour over pasta & enjoy!

"Uh 1, and uh 2 and uh... m-m-m!"

The REGATTA: Part II

    We left for Road Town well before the posted start time of 11 AM.  Along the way we attempted to recalibrate the windex instrument that sits atop the mast by spinning our 46 foot vessel in small circles, but that didn’t fix it.  Our speed indicator wasn’t working either, probably due to algae growth on the hull.  I had brushed off the growth I could reach while at the dock, but that was hardly enough.  To make matters worse, I hadn’t been at the helm sailing since early August, so a short practice ensued during which the winds blew a strong and steady 18-22 knots, keeping the sails good and full. 

     Remember, our intentions for sailing in this regatta was for FUN and to join in the festivities at Willy T’s Floating Bar that followed.  That seemed to change for Dan the closer it got to the starting gun when he started acting like he wanted us to win or at least place well.  The most harrowing part of the regatta for me was the twenty minutes prior to the start when all the participating boats milled around the waters of Road Reef Bay avoiding near collisions.  I noticed that most of the other boats had a crew of four or more and all excess items were stripped from their boat decks (i.e., no bimini, dinghy, solar panels, wind generator, BBQ grill).  The customary warning horns were blown one to five minutes apart, but they confused us novices- 1 long, 5 short, another long. (So when DO we go?!) We watched the other cruisers sail through the gate and followed the leader. 

BVI Regatta Google Image...Dan wouldn't let me take my hands off the wheel.

     The one thing Dan did to prepare was to chart the course; however, an error was made in identifying the first marker, so we had to make a few extra tacks.  All in all, it was a wonderfully sunny day and the rest of the race was good for me as I watched my fellow competitors from behind the pack.  We even got to utilize our new whisker pole to sail wing-and-wing when we rounded the backside of Dead Chest Island as the winddiminished to 2-5 knots.      

Jorn & Dianna came in 4th on their s/v Scooby II.

    The finish line was NOT located where posted.  It seems we had missed an announcement given during registration and cocktails at the Royal BVI Yacht Club last night.  We sailed into the Bight of Norman Island among the moorings around Willy T’s. The racers who had finished were relaxing and watching the last of us come in.  I turned to starboard to pass behind the bar to head for where we now thought the finish line was, but a sudden strong wind took hold of the sails, so I  had to go hard to port to avoid crashing into Willy T’s!  Immediately, I started the engine as we were in the midst of boats and moorings and I knew for safety’s sake, I needed to be in total control.  Our friends Jorn & Dianna yelled and motioned frantically to us that we must go around by the committee boat, but I chose not to because I was already motoring.  I assumed that our disqualification would result since we hadn’t properly crossed the finish line.  That was OK with me because, first and foremost, I hadn’t caused any damage to our boat or anyone else’s.

     I spoke to the committee boat guy before the results were announced and, thankfully, he saw us come in and didn’t disqualify Exit Strategy.  The William Thornton Virgin’s Cup Regatta is all about FUN after all. We declared our goal in Part I of competing for last place.  Sadly, we didn’t quite reach it, as there was one boat that finished after us.  Oh, well, there’s always next year…

A few cool ones made 9th place seem OK.

The REGATTA: Part I

      We’re about to register to sail in our first regatta this evening.  It is the annual William Thornton’s (Willy T’s) Virgin Cup Race whose course lies largely in the Sir Francis Drake Channel in the BVI.  Well, the route is totally within the channel, but it is a short route as regattas go and just our speed. One rule stipulates that a woman must be at the helm for the duration, although not necessarily a certified virgin- although there has been a bit of jesting about that among the contenders we know.  I am that woman.
        We only decided to join in the fun a few days ago after our young German friends said they were going to compete for last place.  We could hardly pass up a challenge like that, now, could we? 
       Jorn and Dianna “sold up & sailed away last spring” and they’ve kept Dan company at Nanny Cay while I was gone recently.  They encouraged us to enter the regatta, but the moment we committed, Jorn sternly said to his wife, “Come, Dianna.  We must not talk to them anymore.  They will want to learn our sailing secrets.”  So we invited them over for cocktails that very evening, hoping to employ the Colonel Hogan method of getting good old Colonel Klink to talk.   I’ll let you know if it worked after the regatta runs its course tomorrow.

       Stayed tuned for the REGATTA: Part II.

Our 1st Anniversary

On Brewers Beach after a brew.

Tell the truth-

Would you rent a car from a business named iTGO? To celebrate our one year anniversary on board Exit Strategy, we decided to lease a car and tour the parts of Tortola that we haven't been able to get to by boat. There were many recognizable rental agencies available, yet Captain Dan chose iTGO.  Tank Jah, iTGO ovah de rockiess, ruttiess dirt roads; iTGO up de steepess, winden montens; den when iTGO don de odder side, de brakes be good.  An de Capten- he always tink to stay lef on de road!

All kidding and island speak aside, we spent two pleasant days tripping from one beach to another, one store to another, and of course, one more bar to another. Some of the paths we took were quite remote and the car and our nerves held up just fine.  Dan kept saying, "How can we get lost?  We're on an island!"  We repeatedly pulled over to ask for directions, but the roadside people either never heard of the place for which we were looking or they couldn't speak English (not even the Queen's)! We finally resorted to asking them to show us where we were on the map and sometimes that helped.

<>

Smuggler's Cove Beach

Saw my first LION FISH under a ledge in the reef along Smuggler's Cove Beach! This species is highly invasive and poisonous.  (Google Image- I didn't want to stick around to take a photo.)  

We visited Good Moon Farm that is located on an old sugarcane plantation known as Turnbull Estates.  This organic farm is perched on a mountainside, so all the planting beds are terraced, as was the sugarcane in bygone years. As all agricultural undertakings are, this one is  work in progress and Aragorn, the owner aims to expand.

A large ghost crab was curious about us on his beach.

9-11-11

Incase you haven't figured it out yet, we're back in the states for a visit... taking a hiatus from hurricane season in the islands.

We enjoyed an especially warm and sunny afternoon at Van Buren Beach & Dunes with our children and grandchildren.  Aslan (standing next to Dan) got the prize for swimming in the chilly water for the longest time.  Genna (sitting wearing hat) dug and rolled around in the sand with much enthusiasm.  Lyla (sitting next to Genna) didn't get quite as wet as her brother Aslan, but was in the water more than the adults.  Maya (standing behind Lyla) waded in an out while collecting rocks.

They all loved trekking through the tall grass along worn paths and climbing the dunes only to run down again! 

FIRST CLOSE CALL

      We were having a splendid time socializing with the cruisers and boozers in and around Honeymoon Beach, Water Island-USVI when the weather approaching off of the African coast turned ugly.  Twenty-four hours passed and the outlook got worse, ominous actually, which resulted in the thickening of the camaraderie and imbibing.  Everyone made plans to high tail their boat to a safer location.  Some friends with shallow drafts went to the nearby pond at Flamingo Bay, others headed for the mangroves around Culebra or Vieques to tie up and hunker down. We headed for the docks at Nanny Cay on Tortola, BVI where we had previously arranged with Horizon Charter to secure Exit Strategy under their tutelage and to satisfy our vessel's insurance policy demands.
       Today the boat looks a little naked.  Any item on deck that may blow loose or create lift during a strong blow has been removed or tied down. For the time being, the cockpit bimini has been left up to provide shelter from the still sunny skies.  It will be removed quickly when absolutely necessary. 
      To make things more nerve racking for me personally, is the fact that I have had a flight booked to go home leaving out of St. Thomas for a few weeks. That’s why we were hanging around Honeymoon Bay in the first place. (Well, that and the fun people.) My flight is tomorrow…when the worst of the storm is supposed to hit this area of the Lesser Antilles.  IF the airport is still open, I’ll have to taxi to the ferry  (IF the ferry is still operating) that will take me to St. Thomas and then taxi to the airport.
      My departure at this time leaves me with mixed feelings. The boat is somewhat dismantled, although it can still motor easily away from the dock should the Captain decide to go elsewhere. But all the things we took off the deck are loosely stowed in the aft cabins and the wind generator is currently tentatively balanced on one cushion of the settee in the salon. So the motion of the vessel may create shifting that could damage things...expensive things.

    Wait a minute- the meteorologist on the radio just predicted that Emily will only be a “minimal tropical storm.”  YES! Our prayers are answered!

BLESSING OF THE BOATS

      It was drizzling lightly when we arrived at Frenchtown’s fishing dock at the designated time for the annual “Blessing of the Boats”.  A lone yellow haired grandma sat on a wooden bench with her grandson, also waiting for the event to begin.  We waited and chit chatted with her for fifteen minutes or so, and then walked beneath the protection of the fish market’s awning to peer up the narrow street only to find no one processing down the steep hill upon which St. Anne’s Chapel is perched.   The rain dwindled and Dan and I decided that we’d better start our ascent (about a quarter of a mile) to be in time for Mass.  We got there just as everyone was coming out of the chapel to begin the procession down to the dock, as they had waited for the rain to subside!

     Three altar servers carrying the cross, holy water, and incense lead the congregation at a steady, solemn pace.  There were four men (of mismatched heights) carrying what looked to be a heavy statue of St. Anne on their shoulders and another four balancing a replica of a sailboat on theirs.  We filed into line amid a group of elderly ladies who lead the people in reciting the rosary.  All the holy men in full vestments (the bishop, priest, monsignor, and a couple of deacons) brought up the rear. 

     At the dock, the yellow haired grandma was smoothing out a richly adorned white table cloth on which the statue of St. Anne and the sailboat were placed. Large palm tree fronds with sprays of fiery orange colored flowers completed the decorations. The bishop prayed over and blessed the statue, the boats, and us with holy water and incense. After a familiar hymn was sung in French, the whole group rearranged themselves to begin the arduous procession back up the hill for the celebration of Mass.

    

    I’d like to believe that God will give us extra credit- extra blessings for Exit Strategy this hurricane season because we went the extra half-mile today.    

CHARLOTTE AMALIE HARBOR

A "pirate ship" dashing to the dock to pick up booty or boody (or boobies?).

      Although we have sailed around St. Thomas on many occasions, this is the first time that we’ve anchored in the harbor here at Charlotte Amalie.  We’ve learned that there are quite a few conveniences accessible from our vessel or just beyond the dinghy dock. The harbor is flanked on the west by a cruise ship dock that can accommodate three ships at once.  By Captain Dan’s count, there are 101 restaurants (each boasting the most authentic island foods) and about 202 duty free shops that will gladly take your tourism dollars.  And let’s not forget those daytrip excursion vessels that routinely whisk away whole boatloads of seemingly sober people and return after a few hours with a lot of hooting and hollering rising from their decks. 
On a positive note, most afternoons we've enjoyed listening to The Rising Stars Steel Pan Band practice somewhere along the shore.

(Google Image)

      More importantly for us as cruisers, this location is walking distance to quaint and historical downtown Charlotte Amalie, a few good groceries, a K-Mart, a Laundromat, and a public bus route that will take us around the island for $1/person.
     MOST IMPORTANTLY, we’ve been getting pretty clear free internet connections on board Exit Strategy!

Happiest of BIRTHDAYS to Jim Bush today!

Red sky at night, sailors delight!

SPROUTS!

    Those who know me well wondered how I would cope without a garden to tend while sailing.  I jokingly said that I was going to walk around the islands wearing a placard that read “WILL GARDEN FOR FRESH FRUIT & VEGGIES”.  It hasn’t come to that yet, but the truth is my gardening urges have torn at me often ashore when I see fruit or vegetables dangling on a vine inside someone’s fence, a weedy area, or an unkempt tropical plant.
     My Dad once told me that our family name, GLISTA, meant “worm”.  Afterward, my aunt (who made multiple trips to Poland) and a number of polite Polski acquaintances offered “of the earth” as a translation.  No matter how you look at it, the GLISTA name suits my immediate family well, as virtually everyone is totally into nurturing and growing. 
     I cleaned and saved a pickle jar recently and finally made a first attempt at cultivating some fresh sprouts on board Exit Strategy.  The captain kept looking at me and the jar sideways.  I could tell he was thinking, What is she gonna make me eat now…

Voila! Crispy, crunchy mung bean sprouts in 36 hours.

PS:  Happy 60^th Birthday to Captain Dan!
(Don’t feel too sorry for him.  He wasn’t served the sprouts today, but did enjoy homemade full milkfatted, buttered, sugared banana cream pie.)

Another Crossing

It was time to sail on.  Dan let me take the helm for the first hour.  He even complimented me on how well I had kept the vessel into the wind when he raised the main and let out the headsail.  He was impressed that I was able to hold the course of 15’ pretty solidly.  I thought, “Has he forgotten that I know how to do this?  I know how to take orders.  I’m learning when to question the captain’s decisions and when to shut up.”  Then he took the helm and never let me have it back.

The passage to St. John from St. Croix is usually about a 5 hour beam reach.  This trip was just that except we had fully reefed both sails in anticipation of a rougher go than usual due to the constant 20-25 knot winds.  We’ve done this crossing a number of times and they were all sunny and pleasant, allowing time to nap, troll for dinner, or sun.  This time was very different.  We didn’t experience any rain, but the winds and waves made it necessary to hold on constantly.  It’s a good thing that the water was warm because every so often a huge wave breached the cockpit and drenched us.  All I could do was laugh and hold on tighter.  (I have no pictures to offer because I couldn’t risk ruining another camera.)

OUT OF AFRICA

6-30-11

A rusty colored residue was found settled in the grooves on deck this morning as we swayed on a mooring ball off of Christiansted, St. Croix.  We clean and polish Exit Strategy’s rigging on a regular basis, so it was odd to find so many rusty traces about the topsides.  Astute “First & Last Mate” that I am- I immediately alerted the Captain.  He merely tsk-tsked at my report and said that had I been up early enough, I would have heard the radio news reporter explain that an immense African dust storm loomed over the Sahara Desert last week and the dust was carried here and deposited throughout the Caribbean Islands over the past few days. 

So, we have seen the sands of the Sahara without stepping one foot on the great continent of Africa.  (AND the cleaning of the rigging can be stalled for another time.)

Another Lip Piercing

...or Yet Another Fish Story
   We were moving along at a pretty good clip as we made the 35 mile crossing from the eastern coast of St. John to St. Croix-USVI.  Captain Dan said we were probably going too fast to put out a pole, but a few moments later that's just what he did.  It wasn't long before the drag on Dan's Ugly Stick (fishing gear brand, for you nonfishing readers) began to reel!  Then it stopped abruptly.  I suggested that we bring in the line to check the hook for seaweed.  When he began reeling it in, his drag began screaming again and the line was being pulled out at a high rate.  Dan held fast to the pole and tried to tighten the drag, but in an instant the line snapped free! The size of our lost dinner must have been great because the eyes on the rod were bent flat.
   So there is yet another huge fish swimming around in the Caribbean waters with a colorful, huge, and often expensive lure piercing its lip compliments of the crew of Exit Strategy.

We suspect it could have been a fish like this one.
(Thank you, Google Images.)

   

Trip Home

May 25-June 11, 2011
       It was no surprise that Captain Dan had the vessel in tip top shape when I returned from a trip back home to attend family parties. My God-daughter Kimmie celebrated her 40th birthday in style at her house in Dunedin, FL. in late May. Then our son's family asked me to come up to their house in Indianapolis for a visit, so while there I drove up to Michigan for the weekend to see our daughter's family and my Mom. 
        This morning having my coffee on deck in Honeymoon Bay,Water Island- USVI, I look out over the channel to St. Thomas and am reminded of sitting on Kimmie's terrace with a morning cup and watching the manatee glide by and the mullets jump. At this hour, Honeymoon Beach is quiet and calls to mind the whimsical sight of barefooted Lyla, Mino, & Maya digging in the small sandbox behind Grandma Glista's house.  I find comfort daily that both the sun and moon that rise and set are the same represented by Lyla's sun-moon "clock" in her room.  And these warm memories will fuel me until my next sortie stateside.   

St. Barthelemy, FWI

May 10-17, 2011

This, our second trip to St. Barth’s, was unhurried and allowed more time to do the “touristy” things we’d missed on our previous 24 hour stop. We walked the historic tour up and down the hills that surround the Port of Gustavia.  We shopped the “End of the Season Sales” and came away with some great bargains.  We lazed around Shell Beach that literally has more shells than sand.  We snorkeled the Reserve Naturelle of Anse de Colombier, another area donated by the Rockerfellers. While there we hiked up and around the rocky ridge to Anse de Flamands  to have lunch at a beachside cafe. 

Capt. Dan and a real anchor.



Entertained by the local sailing school



<>

Relaxing on Shell Beach



Going Dutch

We finally sailed on to explore some of St. Maarten, the Dutch side. Our first stop took us to the dock at Captain Oliver’s Marina in Oyster Pond Bay with the objective of synchronizing our batteries.  NO, No, we didn’t lose any overboard (again).  This time we plugged into shore power to give them a total charge so they’d work more efficiently. 

A few days in Phillipsburg proved to be interesting as it is a hustling, bustling, bargain shoppers “Mecca” IF there’s a cruise ship in port. There were so many shops here that Dan & I split up and went our separate ways.  We made a few good purchases and were delighted that the prices were mainly in US dollars or Netherland Antilles florins which are worth less than dollars. On the French side, we had gotten used to everything being priced in euros and kept trying to mentally convert from euros to US dollars to determine if we were getting a good deal.  There’s a beautiful beach here and a rainbow of coordinated umbrellas and chaise loungers appeared daily when the ships were in.

Simpson Bay is another long stretch of perfect sand lined with 2-4 story resorts/condo complexes.  We anchored here for a few days while we contemplated our next course.  Watching the Simpson Lagoon Bridge traffic provided some entertainment, as it opens only three times daily so vessels can jockey their way into or out of the lagoon.   

"RUM is the answer..."

“What was the question?”  Island t-shirts emblazoned with this saying are a favorite although neither of us owns one yet.  This blog entry has nothing to do with rum or any sort of liquid libation, but it does focus on us finding solutions for two problems that have perplexed us since Exit Strategy became our home.

Problem #1: Our refrigerator-freezer has ample space, but has never seemed to keep its contents cool enough consistently.  About a week ago, I was laying around for a few days trying to get over a 48 hr. flu that Dan passed on to me after his 48 hr. bout.  In between dozing on the settee in the salon, I began to review the ES Boat Manual and discovered that we had been setting the thermostat for the fridge-freezer incorrectly.  As soon as I felt stronger, I defrosted and cleaned it and reset the thermostat according to the manual.  VOILA, it’s fixed!

Problem #2:  We had family sail with us during the first three months of this year. (That wasn’t the problem.)  During each trip, we experienced varying degrees of trouble with the engine.  Oil was added and filters checked; fuel filters were changed more than once; additives were put in the fuel tank to clean it; a new fuel tank gauge was installed; starter battery was fully charged and tested. Dan even thoroughly studied the engine manual.  Yesterday, we sought the help of St. Maarten’s Horizon Yacht Charter staff.  Ian asked a lot of detailed questions and then said, “Get a new starter battery.”  We did and ALLELUIA, it’s fixed!

Roughing It

The anchorages north and east of St. Martin have been extremely uncomfortable!  We've learned how to "tuck into" a cove to reduce the exposure to excessive wind and swell.  Nevertheless, in the past four days, we've spent some very rough nights on board without being driven to seasickness, thank goodness.  The Captain and I are ready for a peaceful night's rest. 
 

Look how tired I am trying to rest on a rock!

 

Hiked around Tintamare, an out island that is part of St. Martin's
 Nature Reserve. (This is not our boat.)

 

The surf at Orient Bay anchorage never calmed down.
  Our sorties ashore for sunning and lunch at the famed Club Orient
provided much needed respite. (Don't fret-we sat on our beach towels.)

 

Ilet Pinel, another out island in the Nature Reserve,
 seemed promising for a quiet night, mais non.
 It did have a great nature hike, though, and the warmest water!