​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:  Magens Bay Anchorage, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled:  0
Weather:  Mostly sunny, breezy (10-15), low-80s
Highlights: Today's weather was lovely - first day in awhile that winds have died and the sun came out to stay.  Amy did a couple loads of laundry this morning while Terry worked on boat projects - mostly minor stuff that's been waiting for a slow day at anchor.  We've had occasional water in the laundry room, so we moved the cut-off valves for the washer/dryer, sealed the dryer vent with silicone, and tightened all the water line connections.  Put a locking handle on the front hatch, mounted a couple of clothes hooks on the cabin and head doors, and made a nice perch for Wilson at the helm station.  Amy went over to the beach this afternoon for a quick walk-about (sand was lovely, but drinks are expensive, and not much to offer for shopping), then we ate left-overs for dinner tonight.  Turned on the U/W lights while we played a round of dominoes after dinner, then watched the tarpon feed under the boat and did a bit of star gazing on the tramp before turning in for the night.

​Current Location:  Magens Bay Anchorage, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled:  0
Weather:  Partly cloudy, occasional showers, windy (15-25), high-70s
Highlights: Lazy couple of days in Magens Bay anchorage.  We left Kelly's Bay around noon Saturday, and had a good downwind sail past St. Johns and along the north side of St. Thomas, dropping anchor around 3PM.  Magens Bay is a large, well protected bay with a beautiful beach that gets packed every day with cruise ship tourists, but we were one of only 2 boats anchored off the beach.  Turned the UW lights on during dinner, and had dozens of large tarpons under the boat almost immediately to keep us company.  Spent the days catching up on emails, working on music library, baking some rolls, and lazing around on the deck - life couldn't get any better!

Current Location:  Kelly's Bay Mooring, Norman Island, BVI
Miles Traveled:  5
Weather:  Partly cloudy, occasional showers, windy (20-25), high-70s
Highlights: Morning trips to the grocery store and ATM before settling up with the marina ($25/day flat fee for electric - ouch!), then cast off the dock lines and had a quick 1-hour motor across the Drake Passage to Norman's Island.  Original plan was to find a mooring inside the Bight, but noticed a free mooring available in Kelly's Cove just before the bight, so grabbed that instead for a much quieter day.  Terry did a bit of snorkeling around the cliffs (clear water, cool rock formations, good variety of fish) while Amy relaxed and read on the boat.  Dinner of spaghetti with clam sauce, then watched a bit of TV before bedtime.

​Current Location:  Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola, BVI 
Miles Traveled:  0 
Weather:  Partly cloudy, occasional showers, windy (20-25), mid-70s 
Highlights: Workers (Sanchez and Hassan) from Parts and Power arrived after breakfast today, and after running some additional tests on the electrical systems, determine that the issue is in the fuel system rather than in the wiring.  Couple of additional tests, drop in a new fuel pump, and bada bing, bada boom, generator is purring like a kitten.  Irritating that the entire problem was mis-diagnosed so badly first time, but we learned more about the system, and knowledge is priceless.  Got some lunch after they left, then walked over to the chandlery to pick up a couple of items (ok, we ended up with about 25 items by the time we left), then over to the grocery store to pick up some groceries.  BBQ chicken with pasta salad and 3-bean salad for dinner tonight, then some light reading before turning in for an early night's rest.

​Current Location:  Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola, BVI 
Miles Traveled:  5 
Weather:  Partly cloudy, occasional showers, windy (20-25), mid-70s 
Highlights: Took the dinghy into the ferry dock to clear into the BVIs this morning.  Cost us $82.00 and a lecture about not clearing in the previous evening.  OK, understood that they want us to clear in ASAP, but they close at 5PM, we're flying our Q flag, nobody left the boat, and we're at their office first thing when they open next day.  Anyway, we just nodded and said yes ma'am, we'll do better next time, then collected all our stamped docs, paid our fee, and went off to get some breakfast at Omar's.  Back to the boat around 10, waited for a few rain showers to pass through, then dropped the mooring ball and motored out into strong headwinds and 5-6 foot seas, arriving in Nanny Cay marina around 2PM.  Got checked in, then scoped out the marina a bit before coming back to the boat for dinner and a movie (Hacksaw Ridge).  Workers will be coming tomorrow to fix the generator - will be nice to finally have that issue behind us

​Current Location:  Soper's Hole Anchorage, Tortola, BVI 
Miles Traveled:  10 
Weather:  Mostly cloudy, showers, windy (20-25 knots), mid-70s 
Highlights: Saw Karen and Steve off after breakfast, then did a couple loads of laundry, defrosted the fridge, and squared away the boat before our noon checkout time.  Left the marina around 12:30, and motored into strong headwinds over to Soper's Hole, picking up a mooring ball around 3:30PM.  We're scheduled to be in Road Town on Friday morning to have our generator fixed, so thought we should clear in to the BVIs early.  Soper's Hole is a deep, sheltered bay, surrounded by steep hills and a sleepy town, but was hard hit by Irma, and we still see lot's of damage needing repairs.  We grabbed a nap before dinner of mac and cheese, then relaxed and read the rest of the evening, turning in early for a good night's sleep.

Current Location:  American Yacht Harbor Marina, Red Hook, St. Thomas, USVI 
Miles Traveled:  8 
Weather:  Partly cloudy, showers, windy (15-25), mid-70s 
Highlights: Last vacation day for Karen and Steve today.  We're booked at the AYH marina tonight, but couldn't check in until 2PM, so lazed around the boat until around noon.  Dropped the mooring ball, raised the sails, and headed over to St. Thomas.  Wind was directly behind us, and we were trying to sail wing-and-wing, but a rain shower with very gusty winds caught us flat-footed, and we had a few dicey minutes trying to get control of flapping sails.  Pulled in the jib, and for a bit we motor-sailed with just the main, but even that seemed very unstable, so finally dropped the main and motored the rest of the way over.  Arrived at the marina around 2:30 and topped off the fuel tanks before finding our slip.  Spent the rest of the afternoon filling the water tanks, doing laundry, and getting Karen and Steve packed up before dinner.  Pizza night at the Island Girl Pub for dinner, with ice cream back at the boat for dessert before turning in.

Current Location:  Leinster Bay Anchorage, St. Johns, USVI 
Miles Traveled:  0 
Weather:  Partly cloudy, breezy (15-20), mid-70s 
Highlights: Karen, Steve, and Amy set off for a hike after breakfast, starting near the sugar mill, and then winding their way along the shoreline.  Terry's foot (rope burn) is still bothering him, so figured he would do the drop-off/pick-up, and otherwise stay off it for a few days.  Reading, relaxing, and naps on the agenda for the afternoon, then steaks and potatoes from the grill with greek salad for dinner.  Brownies for dessert, then a couple of games of dominos before turning in for the night.

​Current Location:  Leinster Bay Anchorage, St. Johns, USVI 
Miles Traveled:  6 
Weather:  Sunny, calm (5-10 knots), low-70s 
Highlights: Motored around the NE shore of St. Johns after breakfast, and picked up a mooring ball in Leinster Bay around 11.  Very picturesque and sheltered bay, surrounded by hills, islands, and beaches.  Karen, Steve, and Amy went snorkeling after lunch (some good fish, but coral was mostly dead, and water was murky).  Bit of paddle boarding, swimming, reading, and relaxing rest of the afternoon.  Dinner tonight of cilantra lime black beans and shrimp over rice for dinner tonight, with brownies for dessert, then a couple of games of Canadian Salad before bedtime.

Current Location:  Honeymoon Bay Anchorage, St. Johns, USVI 
Miles Traveled:  31 
Weather:  Sunny, breezy (10-15 knots), high-70s 
Highlights: Took the dinghy into town for a quick groceries run, then raised anchor at 10AM and headed over to the USVIs.  Had a great motor-sail up to and across the north shore of St. Thomas (averaging about 6.5 knots), then over to Honeymoon Bay in St. Johns.  Had SE winds for a close reach most of the trip, then motor-sailed last stretch, and picked up a mooring buoy around 4PM.  Anchorage was crowded, but we found a buoy close to Lyla (Max and Giullia), and were able to get a quick update of their adventures of the past week.  Unfortunately, they're headed back to PR first light, but hopefully we'll connect again next week.  Dinner tonight was tortilla wraps with chicken and beef, served with baked beans and cole slaw.  Played a couple of rounds of dominoes before turning in for the night.

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.

​Current Location:  North Culebrita Bay Anchorage, Culebrita Island, Puerto Rico
Miles Traveled:  0
Weather:  
Highlights: Were treated to an early morning shower and a full double rainbow this morning - vivid colors that you don't often see away from the ocean.  Ate breakfast while watching turtles swim around the boat, then decided to hike up to the lighthouse up on the hill overlooking our anchorage.  Trail was easy to follow, and we had goats, geckos, and hermit crabs to keep us company.  The lighthouse is pretty much in ruins, and the stairs leading to the top of the tower were all rusted away, but the walls to the many rooms (at least 12) were still standing, and it must have been a pretty impressive structure in its heyday.  Got back to the boat around noon for lunch, R&R, and swimming.  Got the SUPs out, but it was pretty rough, and nobody was very successful in staying dry for very long.  Grilled a pork tenderloin for dinner tonight, served with veggies and couscous, with coconut bars for dessert.  Played a couple of games of 3-13 and watched the fish under the boat before turning in for the night.

​Current Location:  North Culebrita Bay Anchorage, Culebrita Island, Puerto Rico
Miles Traveled:  14
Weather:  Mostly sunny, windy (15-20 knots), high-70s
Highlights: Started our day with a leisurely breakfast, then raised anchor around 10 and sailed about 14 miles over to the north bay anchorage on Culebrita.  Trip started slow, with fitful winds and calm seas, but after we cleared the west end of St. Thomas, both wind and waves picked up, and by the time we got to the bay, waves were in the 4-5 foot range, and our guests were getting a little green.  We happily dropped anchor in the calm bay shortly after noon, fixed some lunch, then relaxed and napped for awhile.  Had about 15 boats in the bay when we dropped anchor, but they all left before 5, and we had the bay to ourselves after that.  Hiked down the beach to the "Jacuzzi", but the waves were crashing pretty hard against the rocks, so we didn't venture into the baths.  Sat up on the rocks and enjoyed a drink before coming back to the boat.  Steve had caught a nice Spanish Mackerel on our way over from St. Thomas, so we filleted, grilled, and served it up for dinner with pasta and cole slaw.  Brownies and the last of the ice cream for dessert, then watched the stars come out before turning in early after a long, but fun-filled day.

​Current Location:  Brewer's Bay Anchorage, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled:  4
Weather:  Mostly sunny, occasional showers, breezy, low-80s
Highlights: Woke up this morning to a boat covered in soot and ash - not happy!  Apparently, there's a massive pile of hurricane debris about 2 blocks to the east (windward) of the marina, and they're loading it onto barges to ship off shore.  Stirring it up creates dust that's blown into the marina.  Terry was able to wash most of it off while Amy did a couple loads of laundry, but we were tracking it around the boat most of the day.  Went to the grocery store for a final provisioning run, then Karen and Steve arrived about 4:30, ending a long trip that started in Orlando at 2 AM.  We had orginally planned to spend a 2nd night at the marina, but didn't want to wake up to another messy boat, so we left the marina at 5:30 and motored back to Brewer's Bay.  Dinner of sausage and peppers with pasta, then brownies with ice cream for dessert.  Turned on the UW lights and had a school of tarpon for our evening entertainment before turning in early - long day for everyone, especially our guests!

​Current Location:  Crown Bay Marina, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled:  4
Weather:  Mostly sunny, breezy, low-80s
Highlights: Raised anchor around 9 this morning after calling the marina to see if they would allow early checkin for us (no problem).  Motored around, docked and secured by 10:30, and Sanchez (tech guy for the generator) arrived shortly after.  Shortly after digging in and testing the system, he proclaimed that the "back end" of the generator was only producing power from one (of two) legs, and needed to be replaced.  Looks like it will be a very expensive and time-consuming process, since they need to order a new "back end".  Fortunately, system is still under warranty, so should be covered by Northern Lights.  Took a nap after he left, then we walked down to the grocery store (Pueblo's) to pick up a few things before dinner.  Pulled pork barbeque with fixings for dinner tonight, then watched the last episodes of GoT before turning in.  Big day tomorrow - Karen and Steve arrive!

Current Location:  Brewer's Bay Anchorage, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled:  0
Weather:  Partly cloudy, showers, calm, mid-80s
Highlights: Slept in this morning, then Terry fixed the broken hatch on one of the front storage compartments (hydraulic lid brace had come loose), with some help from Amy.  The generator is still acting up (stalls out whenever any load is applied to it), so we arranged to have a technician come out to the boat tomorrow.  Also made reservations at Crown Bay Marina for next 2 nights - will be easier for the tech guy to meet us there, and also an easy taxi ride from the airport for Karen and Steve.  Steaks on the grill tonight for dinner, plus a couple more episodes of season 7 of GoT before bedtime tonight.

​Current Location:  Brewer's Bay Anchorage, St. Thomas, USVI
Miles Traveled:  14
Weather:  Mostly sunny, breezy, low-80s
Highlights: Raised anchor around 11am and motored due east to Brewer's Bay - yeah, we have officially arrived in the US Virgin Islands!  Brewer's Bay is a very calm and protected body of water, with a nice beach and tall hills overlooking the bay, and except for the noise from the nearby airport, is a very nice anchorage.  We settled in around 1PM, grabbed some lunch and R&R, then worked on a bit of cleaning and organization before dinner.  Started watching season 7 of GoT during dinner, then turned on the blue lights and watched a school of tarpon play under the boat before finally turning in for the night.

​Current Location:  North Culebrita Bay Anchorage, Culebrita Island, Puerto Rico
Miles Traveled:  7
Weather:  Mostly sunny, breezy, low-80s
Highlights: Lifted anchor around 10AM and headed over to Culebrita Island to check out a couple of anchorages.  Tried to anchor on the west shore, but couldn't find a decent patch of sand, and no mooring balls were available, so we headed up around the point to the bay on the north end.  Turned out to be a great choice - bay and beaches are really pretty, and we saw a few turtles and an eagle ray around the boat.  There's a lighthouse that you can hike up to, and baths are a short walk up the shore from the beach (we'll do these later with Karen and Steve).  We did go snorkelling - water is clear, but not many fish, and coral is all almost totally dead.  Light dinner tonight of encheladas and salad, and finished season 6 of GoT.

​Current Location:  Culebra Harbor Anchorage, Culebra, Puerto Rico
Miles Traveled:  0
Weather:  Mostly sunny, breezy, high-70s
Highlights: Took the dinghy out to find a D's Garden (local produce market), where we picked up a mess of fresh veggies and fruits.  Back to the boat around noon, then read and relaxed until late afternoon.  Decided to scout out a couple of anchorages on the west side of the island, so took the dinghy through the small canal that bisects the town, then over to Cayo de Luis Pena. Lots of nice looking beaches and snorkelling spots - we'll explore more next week with Karen and Steve on board.  Back on the boat, turned on the GenSet to charge up the batteries, and still not running very smoothly - stalls whenever any load is put on the system.  Will need to work on it tomorrow - might be either a fuel blockage, dirty air filter, or maybe an air bubble in the gas lines.  Watched a couple more episodes of GoT before bed - almost done with Season 6.

​Current Location:  Culebra Harbor Anchorage, Culebra, Puerto Rico
Miles Traveled:  24
Weather:  Mostly sunny, breezy (12-16 knots), high-70s
Highlights: Raised anchor around 10:30, motor-sailed east along the coast of Viequez, then had a lovely 2-hour sail north to Culebra.  Dropped anchor in the main harbor around 3PM, then relaxed and napped before heading over to the Dinghy Dock restaurant to watch the Super Bowl over burgers and beers.  Don (our neighbor from Palmas del Mar) and his family already had a table at the crowded pub, so we squeezed in with them to avoid the long waiting line.  Not a great view of the single TV, but enjoyed the company and conversation.  Back to the boat around 9 to watch the 2nd half, and also watched the tarpon play in the blue lights under the boat.

​Current Location:  Mosquito (Bio) Bay Anchorage, Viequez, Puerto Rico
Miles Traveled:  9
Weather:  Mostly sunny, occasional showers, breezy, high-70s
Highlights: Went snorkelling after breakfast this morning - not a lot of coral or fish to see, but Terry caught one lobster that we cooked up for lunch (lobster salad sandwiches).  Was very tasty.  Lifted anchor after lunch and motored around the point and down the coast about 8 miles to Mosquito Bay, which is also known as Bio Bay, due to the intense bioluminescence present in the water.  Conditions were perfect for viewing (calm with no moon), so we took the dinghy into the bay just after sunset.  No motors allowed in the bay, so we rowed out to the middle, and as the light disappeared and the stars came out, we started seeing all kinds of glowing in the water every time our oars touched, and we were also seeing dozens of fish trails as all kinds of fish swam around the boat.  We had a couple of groups of kayaks out in the bay sharing the experience with us.  Back to the boat around 10, then watched a couple more episodes of GoT before turning in.

​Current Location:  Green Beach Anchorage, Viequez, Puerto Rico
Miles Traveled:  13
Weather:  Partly cloudy, occasional showers, breezy, high-70s
Highlights: Filled the water tanks and finished stowing everything away this morning with a planned departure of around 11am.  Terry also pumped up the SUPs, we moved the mounts over to the port side of the boat, and secured the SUPs.  Said our goodbyes to Max and Giullia, plus the marina staff, and had started untying dock lines when the port engine died.  Wouldn't restart, but sounded like an air bubble had found it's way into the gas line, especially since Terry had changed out the fuel filters after we arrived at the marina.  One of the marina staff helped us bleed the line, then she started right up - problem solved!  Finally cleared the marina around noon, and motor-sailed into 15-20 knot head winds over to Green Beach anchorage on Viequez.  Caught a small barracuda on the way, and Terry cleaned it after we arrived at the anchorage.  Had it for dinner with rice and green beans - just as good 2nd time around!  Back to no internet, so started watching GoT again (Season 6).

​Current Location:  Palmas Del Mar Yacht Club, Humacao, PR
Miles Traveled:  0
Weather:  Partly cloudy, occasional showers, breezy, low-80s
Highlights: Rene and his nephew were here at 9 to finish the wax job, and left around 1PM - boat looks as good a new!  Reading and naps were in store for the afternoon, then Max and Giullia picked us up at 7 to head over to La Pescaderia.  Max and Terry had the lobster pasta, served in a bread bowl, Amy had the mahi-mahi, and Giullia ordered the yellow-tail.  Good choices all around, and we enjoyed getting to know them better.  They will be sailing the Virgin Islands until late February, so we will try to connect with them at a couple of anchorages in the near future.  Back to the boat around 9, watched a couple of episodes of Schitt's Creek, then off to bed.  Tomorrow is departure day - finally getting back out on the high seas!