family

This is Kerry checking in from Victoria still. We have not needed the air conditioning here once! Pretty good hey! I am not sure where the weeks are flying but flying there are. For those who follow my husbands projects: It is a good thing we arrived at my parents place where he could spread out, as my RV was not big enough for all this! I am not going to tell you what it is. Lets see if you can figure it out. My last guess tonight once it started being painted was jungle gym furniture! Before that it was just outside patio furniture!!







NOw this was over several days and by the time we got to having blue things hanging on the trees to dry, I though maybe it was a new way of doing Xmas in July!!



Here is something much more recognizable though, my T bone steak from last night and it was quite good as well!


Interesting thread coming in to my inbox on buying a charter yacht at one of the first tier companies. We have always known this, that it is just as inexpensive to charter!
"I have analyzed a couple of proposals and proforma statements from
**** for Charter Yacht Ownership on a couple different
boats. I sat down with my accountant and we looked at the proposals
in detail - guarenteed income, ROI, cost of money invested, buy back,
tax incentives, realistic use, etc.

The bottom line is that it is cheaper for me to charter for 4 to 6
weeks per year than it is to own. In fact, the ROI they offered,
about 9%, would have to closer to 12% to 13% to even breakeven
comparing 4 to 6 charter weeks a year to owning.

One bothersome detail is that should I wish to use the boat for more
weeks than what they offer (both high season and last minute) then
all I get is a 15% discount off rack rates, even the specific boat I
would own. They said "no exceptions." So it appears they would
rather have the boat sit at the dock rather than let the owner use
his own boat should there be no charter. Checking their website, it
appears that I can get more than a 15% discount if I want a last
minute charter. Under those circumstances, they penalize you with
higher rates because you are an owner.

Yes, the **** is offereing me a $100K "discount." But it really
isn't a discount, only a discount on paper on their inflated retail
value of that model. Their proforma ROI and estimated value at the end
of charter are based on the discounted price rather than the their
stated "true value" original price, which means they don't even believe
their own marketing hype. Now if they offered the ROI and a guaranteed
buy back on the original retail value, that would make their offer more
interesting."
End of interesting quote and thread!

The only thing I know is that someone has to be making money otherwise they would not do it...Oh wait, forget I said that, isn't that the airlines strategy?

The very successful Marine Awareness Guide is looking for a way to move forward. Here are a couple notes on it from a recent meeting if anyone has any thoughts?
➢ We are looking at a future run (possibly Aug ???) with edits including:
• Removing “2008” from the cover to have an endless run (or at least until it really needs updating)
• Removing pgs. 54-55 (IYOR) and replacing it with a climate change page and Use of moorings (what to do it gets caught on a prop, proper techniques, etc)
• Addition of NPT moorings & site names
• Editing various minor errors (incl. change of turtle closed season)
• Any errors you have found, please let me know
➢ Costs will be $327.60 per box ($2.73 a copy) for cost of changes, printing & shipping – will need $12,500 up front before printing.
➢ We are looking at seeking partnerships on more of an annual basis (to alleviate numerous letters from both NPT, CFD seeking funding). Specifics still need to be worked out but funding will go towards various activities / projects by both NPT & CFD. Potential to have funds directed towards specific projects (BVI CD Atlas, Marine Awareness Guide, Fisherman’s Day, etc).

And one more exciting thing tonight! It looks like there is going to be a photography competition for your picture of coral on stamps! THat is neat. We were featured on a stamp back in 1992. I shall give more details when they are released, but 2009 they will be looking for great shots of coral!
Basically it is a coral reef photo contest open to everyone in which the 5 winning photos will be part of a 5-year BVI Postal stamp series “protecting our environment, safeguarding our future”.

2009 – Coral reefs
2010 – Endemics of the BVI (photos of species found no where else in the world)
2011 – Coastlines of the BVI
2012 – Wetlands of the BVI
2013 - Forest / watershed