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Current Location: Crown Bay Marina, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled: 9 Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy (10-15), low-80s Highlights: Mark and Terry went snorkeling first thing this morning around the small island in Christmas Cove. Saw a couple of sand rays, one eagle ray, and a nasty-looking barracuda, but not many fish, and coral was mostly dead. Breakfast back on the boat, then dropped the mooring ball around 10AM and motor-sailed over to Buck Island to find some turtles. Grabbed a mooring ball around 11, then Mark and Diana went snorkeling while the rest of us had some lunch and relaxed. Saw lots of turtles, a couple of rays, and quite a few day-charters in and out of the mooring field. We hung around until about 2:30, then headed over to Crown Bay Marina on St. Thomas, last stop for the Kingsley clan. Docked and secured by 3:30, relaxed on the boat for a bit, then headed over to the local pub (Tickles) for drinks, dinner, and to watch some of the NCAA basketball games. Back to the boat around 7PM to relax, reminisce, and celebrate a wonderful week together in the Virgin Islands.
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Current Location: Christmas Cove Mooring, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled: 10 Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy (10-15), low-80s Highlights: Early morning hike back up the Johnny Horn trail for some pictures, then off to Christmas Cove, arriving around 2:30, where we grabbed the last available mooring. Relaxed and read during the afternoon, then over to the famous Pizza Pi boat to pick up pizzas for dinner. Played dominos again after supper, where revenge was achieved by the old folks. Watched tarpon gather in the blue lights under the boat, and enjoyed the last super moon of 2019 before turning in for the night. Current Location: Leinster Bay Mooring, St. Johns, USVI
Miles Traveled: 9 Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy (10-15), low-80s Highlights: Leisurely breakfast on the boat, then dropped the mooring ball around 11 and motor-sailed down to Leinster Bay, grabbing a mooring ball around 12:30. Snorkeling, relaxing, and a late afternoon hike up the Johnny Horn trail before dinner of chicken and veggie kabobs from the grill. Played dominos after dinner, where the old folk were thoroughly schooled by the youngster in the group. Current Location: Francis Bay Mooring, St. Johns, USVI
Miles Traveled: 8 Weather: Mostly sunny, calm (5-10), occasional showers, low-80s Highlights: Leisurely breakfast, then Terry topped up the water tanks while Amy and Diana did a quick run to the grocery store. Settled up with the marina, picked up a bag of ice, then by 10:00 we had cast of the lines and motored in calm seas over to Francis Bay. Picked up a mooring ball around 11:30, had some lunch, then we spent the rest of the afternoon paddle boarding, snorkeling, reading, and napping. Dinner tonight of shrimp over black beans and rice, with ice cream for dessert, then played another game of 3-13 (this time Diana topped the field). Checked out the stars for a bit before bedtime. Current Location: American Yacht Harbor Marina, Red Hook, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled: 4 Weather: Mostly sunny, calm (5-10), low-80s Highlights: Finished cleaning and organizing the boat this morning to get ready for our next guests, then dropped the mooring ball at 1PM and motored over to the marina. Arrived around 1:30, but our assigned slip was still occupied, so we had to circle around outside the harbor for awhile until they cleared out. Finally backed into the slip at 2PM, with Diana, Tom, and Mark arriving just in time to catch our lines for us. Got the boat secured, luggage aboard, guests settled in and oriented with drinks in hand, checked into the marina, then relaxed and enjoyed the weather on the boat. Quick trip to Moe's (grocery store) before dinner, then Amy (with Diana's help) fixed us a fabulous dinner of sweet sausage, peppers, and onions over pasta. Terry and Tom did a quick trip to Moe's to pick up some ice cream to top off brownies for desert, then a game of 3-13 (where the youngster beat up on the old folks) before turning in for the night. Current Location: Honeymoon Bay Mooring, St. Johns, USVI
Miles Traveled: 0 Weather: Mostly sunny, calm (5-10), occasional showers, low-80s Highlights: Did some light cleaning this morning, then took the dinghy into Cruz Bay for lunch and some more groceries. Had a very nice lunch at High Tide. Amy had the Mahi fish tocos, and Terry had the Mahi burger - both very good. Watched the 2nd half of the NC State comeback over Clemson, then off to Dolphin Market. Back to the boat around 3PM, read and relaxed the rest of the day, then watched Butterfly Effect 2 before bedtime. Current Location: Honeymoon Bay Mooring, St. Johns, USVI
Miles Traveled: 14 Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy (10-15), occasional showers, low-80s Highlights: Slept late, then relaxed and read until around noon. Raised anchor after lunch and motor-sailed in light winds over to Honeymoon Bay, grabbing a mooring ball around 2PM. Took the dinghy into town, stopped off at the National Park office to pick up a lifetime senior pass for Terry (yeah, half-price mooring balls!!), swung by Paradise Gas to fill up the propane tank, then up to the grocery store for a few items. Back to the boat around 5, then grilled chicken with corn on the cob and pasta salad for dinner tonight. Relaxed and read rest of the evening before turning in for the night. Current Location: Magens Bay Anchorage, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled: 0 Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy (15-20), low-80s Highlights: Ran the watermaker for a couple of hours this morning, did a load of laundry, and caught up on emails, reading, and other chores the rest of the day. Crab salad sandwiches with avacado/mango salad on the side for dinner, then watched The Butterfly Effect on DVD before turning in for the night. Current Location: Leinster Bay Mooring, St. Johns, USVI
Miles Traveled: 27 Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy (15-20), low-80s Highlights: Dropped the mooring ball around 8:30 this morning and had a nice sail south out to the deep water mark (approx 5NM) to get some fishing in. Winds were directly from the east between 15 and 20 knots, so had one reef in the main and a full genoa out, averaging between 6 and 7 knots most of the way. Paralleled the drop-off line NE for a few miles, then finally turned due north, rounded the east end of St. Johns, then sailed west over to Leinster Bay, grabbing a mooring ball around 1PM. Read, napped, and played cards for most of the afternoon, then Terry dropped Helen, David, and Amy on the shore for some beach combing. Stopped by "We are Nuts" to say hello to Steve and Ann Sidlowski, who we know from Facebook, but had never met in person. Pork tenderloin from the grill with cous cous, creamed corn, and veggies for dinner, then relaxed and chatted the rest of the evening. Current Location: Little Lameshur Bay Mooring, St. Johns, USVI
Miles Traveled: 0 Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy (15-20), low-80s Highlights: Had a leisurely breakfast of bacon, eggs, and fruit, then Terry took David and Helen in the dinghy over to Rams Head Peninsula so they could get some hiking in. After they returned, all of us dinghied over to one of the snorkeling buoys in Greater Lameshur Bay to check out some of the underwater scenery. One of the best spots we've been at so far - no lobster, but lots of cool rock formations, good variety of fish, and nice clear water. Back to the boat late afternoon, got some paddle boarding in, then enjoyed beef, chicken, and veggie tortilla wraps for dinner. Played a couple of rounds of dominoes before turning in for the night. Current Location: Little Lameshur Bay Mooring, St. Johns, USVI
Miles Traveled: 28 Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy (15-20), mid-80s Highlights: Lifted anchor around 11AM, raised the sails, and had a very nice day sailing south out to deep water to get some fishing in. Winds were steady from the east at 15-20 so we had a reef in the main, but still averaged about 6.5 to 7 knots most of the way out and back in. Didn't catch any fish, and seas were a bit choppy, but otherwise was a great sailing day. Arrived in Little Lameshur Bay around 3:30, dropped the sails, picked up a mooring ball, then spent the rest of the afternoon paddle boarding, reading, napping, and relaxing. Grilled chicken tenders with cole slaw and brownies for dinner tonight, then taught David and Helen how to play 3-13 before turning in for the night. Current Location: Rendezvous Bay Anchorage, St. Johns, USVI
Miles Traveled: 9 Weather: Mostly sunny, windy (15-25), occasional brief showers, low-80s Highlights: Dropped the mooring ball around 8AM today, decided waves were too big (6-8 foot seas) to sail down to St. Croix, so instead motored into strong headwinds over to the south shore of St. Johns. Dropped anchor around 10:30 in Rendezvous Bay (the 2 mooring balls were for private use only), then relaxed, ate lunch, and got some reading and napping in. David and Terry took the dinghy over to the rocky shore to snorkel for lobster, but no luck finding any, so grilled steaks with rice and veggies for dinner tonight. Broke out the dominos and played a couple of games before turning in for the night. Current Location: Buck Island Mooring, Buck Island, USVI
Miles Traveled: 8 Weather: Mostly sunny, windy (15-25), morning shower, low-80s Highlights: Started our day by getting some early morning shopping done for last minute items, including a lobster snare, then cast off the lines around 10:30 and motor-sailed out to Buck Island, a few miles due south of St. Thomas. Picked up a mooring ball in the west-end bay and snorkeled around for a bit. Some interesting rock formations, but very few fish, and no live coral anywhere. Decided to motor around the island to the north shore bay where we had seen lots of turtles during our previous trip. Picked up a mooring ball, then ate lunch while watching several other tour boats. David and Terry went snorkeling around 4PM after all the tour boats had left, and were able to swim with about 5 turtles, plus a sting ray, which was pretty cool. Around 5, we decided that the bay was getting pretty rolly, so motored back around to the west end bay and picked up a mooring ball there instead. Current Location: American Yacht Harbor Marina, Red Hook, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled: 3 Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy (10-15), low-80s Highlights: Dropped the mooring ball late morning and motored around the point into Red Hook, arriving at AYH around noon. First slip they assigned to us was too narrow, which caused a bit of stress for us, but no harm done, and we settled into our 2nd assigned slip around 1PM. Got secured, connected, and checked in, then walked over to the grocery store (Buddy's) to stock up for the week. Back to the boat around 3:30, just in time to welcome David and Helen aboard from their long trip from Maryland. Got them settled in, unpacked, and comfortable with drinks and snacks, then relaxed on the boat until dinner time. Walked over to the Brew and Tap for take-out burgers and fries, then back to the boat to eat, relax, and get caught up on family and friends. Early bedtime for everyone after a long travel day. Current Location: Christmas Cove Mooring, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled: 15 Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy (10-20), low-80s Highlights: We were running low on water, so hauled out the watermaker and added about 50 gallons to our tanks. With the generator fixed, watermaker seems to be working fine also, so that's a relief. Raised anchor around 10:30 and headed over to Christmas Cove, with a scheduled "touch and go" along the way to drop a bathroom key off at Crown Bay marina. Arrived at Christmas Cove around 1PM, grabbed one of the last mooring balls available, then ordered lunch from the famous Pizza Pi boat that resides here in the cove. Pizza wasn't the best we've ever had, but was pretty cool doing a pick-up by dinghy (yes, they also deliver). While we were enjoying lunch, Captain Tim on Meow motored in with a boat full of partiers and dropped anchor nearby. We took the dinghy over to say hello and catch up, but he had his hands full, so we didn't stay. He and Judy are still together, but she's currently in Boston visiting with a new grandbaby. We defrosted the fridge this afternoon (didn't really need it, but figured with guests on board the next few weeks, we should get it done), then lazed around the rest of the afternoon and evening. Tomorrow we'll head over to AYH marina to provision and pick up David and Helen. Current Location: Brewer's Bay Anchorage, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled: 0 Weather: Mostly sunny, breezy (10-15), low-80s Highlights: Cleaned out some closets and cupboards today, did a load of laundry and some spot cleaning on the deck, and continued the never-ending job of polishing the stainless steel. David and Helen will be visiting us for a week, so we're trying to get the boat ready before they arrive this Sunday. Napped and read during the afternoon, then Amy fixed beef stroganoff over pasta for dinner tonight. Read and watched a bit of TV before bedtime. Tomorrow, we'll head over to Christmas Cove and see if we can find a free mooring ball for the night - we stayed there a couple of nights back in November 2016 when we chartered with Captain Tim on Meow. Current Location: Brewer's Bay Anchorage, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled: 15 Weather: Mostly sunny, occasional showers, windy (15-25), high-70s Highlights: Decided after breakfast that it was time to go exploring and lobster hunting, so pulled up anchor and headed out the bay and sailed west along the north shore of St. Thomas. We were looking for a calm bay where we could drop anchor and snorkel, but winds were too strong and seas were pretty high. Checked out Santa Maria Bay, Little Bordeaux Bay, and Botany Bay, but waves were breaking all the way into shore, so we finally went all the way around Botany Bay Point and found a quiet spot on the south side of West Cay. Dropped anchor and snorkeled around the boat; saw clear water, lots of fish and some cool rock formations, but no lobster to be found. Had some lunch, raised anchor, then motored into strong headwinds into Brewers Bay, dropping anchor again around 4PM. Beef and veggie shish kabobs on the grill with rice and apple sauce for dinner tonight, then light reading and watched some TV before turning in early. Current Location: Culebra Harbor Anchorage, Culebra, Puerto Rico Miles Traveled: 3 Weather: Mostly sunny, occasional showers, breezy, low-80s Highlights: We've had a very quiet, laid-back couple of days since our last update. We stayed another day at the Culebrita anchorage, then moved around the point to Almodovar Bay on Culebra, and stayed there a few days. Wind has been blowing hard all week (15-20 knots), and waves have been 5-6 outside, but we've enjoyed very calm seas at the anchorages. Days have been filled with snorkeling, looking for lobster (no luck), reading, and relaxing, with delicious meals, good conversations, and competitive (and so far not bloody) games of dominoes and cards. We had both anchorages pretty much to ourselves, so we've very much enjoyed the peace and quiet. Finally decided to re-join civilization yesterday morning, and motored into Culebra harbor. Amy, Steve, and Karen hiked (and thumbed) over to Flamenco Beach to see the "third best beach in the world" (according to TripAdvisor), while Terry stayed on board and caught up on some engine maintenance. Went to dinner at the Dinghy Dock, then walked over to the local store for some ice cream before returning to the boat for a couple games of cards. This is our last night in the Spanish Virgin Islands - winds and waves are settling down tomorrow, so we'll head over to St. Johns for the rest of Karen and Steve's vacation. |
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