Tuesday, November 25. 2008
Sopers Hole, West End
We seemed to have packed a lot of activities into today and managed to make it a total of maybe two miles! We started with a dive and a snorkel on Great Thatch, although some went for the more leisurely activities...
Then we went on to snorkel boarding, predatoring, banana boating, water skiing and who knows what else. The look of concentration determined to get up on one ski!
And he is up!
Finally late this afternoon we went for a llloooonnnngggg sail, from Great Thatch to Sopers Hole, but we tacked back and forth in the pleasant wind now and it gave me an opportunity to take some pictures of the guests and the boat under sail...
I stopped over to see Glory of Christiansted as I have a couple people who are booked on Davids boat this week! They have loved the strong wind for sailing the last couple days. Unfortunately, they, like my guests have not figured out how to keep their shorts on the line either!!
We hit Sopers Hole about sunset and it was straight onto fishing. One more time! But we were very successful before dinner even hit the table. One Tarpon...
And one Horse Eyed Jack! After they caught these I made them come have dinner before they could go back fishing!
Some of you may laugh at this picture. These are mouse and rat traps! Remember I pondered a couple weeks ago on whether we would get creatures again on board now that we were using a dock again? Well we did! Quite quickly apparently. I noticed I had cracker packages gnawed into! Not knowing what we had on board we went for all kinds of traps and poison. Well, we win! He did not last long on board, but it goes to show that we will have to keep this kind of stuff out now that we are using dock again. I am questionning whether using a dock is worth it after all. Yep, this was not my brochure tourism moment either, I am not sure many people would admit that they found one on board!
Then we went on to snorkel boarding, predatoring, banana boating, water skiing and who knows what else. The look of concentration determined to get up on one ski!
And he is up!
Finally late this afternoon we went for a llloooonnnngggg sail, from Great Thatch to Sopers Hole, but we tacked back and forth in the pleasant wind now and it gave me an opportunity to take some pictures of the guests and the boat under sail...
I stopped over to see Glory of Christiansted as I have a couple people who are booked on Davids boat this week! They have loved the strong wind for sailing the last couple days. Unfortunately, they, like my guests have not figured out how to keep their shorts on the line either!!
We hit Sopers Hole about sunset and it was straight onto fishing. One more time! But we were very successful before dinner even hit the table. One Tarpon...
And one Horse Eyed Jack! After they caught these I made them come have dinner before they could go back fishing!
Some of you may laugh at this picture. These are mouse and rat traps! Remember I pondered a couple weeks ago on whether we would get creatures again on board now that we were using a dock again? Well we did! Quite quickly apparently. I noticed I had cracker packages gnawed into! Not knowing what we had on board we went for all kinds of traps and poison. Well, we win! He did not last long on board, but it goes to show that we will have to keep this kind of stuff out now that we are using dock again. I am questionning whether using a dock is worth it after all. Yep, this was not my brochure tourism moment either, I am not sure many people would admit that they found one on board!
Monday, November 24. 2008
Great Thatch Island, BVI
My guests that are coming in a couple weeks, Swim Vacation, who swims around the British Virgin Islands...Really...!!! emailed me today and asked me if I could turn off the wind before they got here. They have about ten days, so it hopefully will be fine for them! I would dearly love to turn off the wind for a bit though, I get "wind stress" quite easily. I guess I am not a true sailor then!
We were up at the crack of dawn to move the boat so they could snorkel before breakfast, and I thought them jumping in in the middle of the bight in 20 plus knot winds was not the best idea, so we moved to Water Point. The wind was not too bad this AM. We had a snorkel and a dive, and then it was time for Bazza to give a sailing lesson to a few of the guys so they could sail the boat.
Our turn to drink pina coladas on the back deck I guess! I asked our helmsmen Crae where we were going and the shrug says it all I think, however, he did tell me we hit our hull speed sailing at 10.3 knots, so that was impressive.
We sailed down to Great Thatch in short time and watched all the monohulls leaned over like crazy tacking back and forth across the channel. The gap in between great Thatch and Tortola must have been running 6 foot seas today! Very gusty this afternoon.
I felt like Susie Homemaker or Martha Stewart today with all the trays I had lined up to go in the oven! Quite enjoyed it (did not have to do sails!)
We anchored at great thatch so bazza could take most of them on the hike up to the fort to find the geocache of ours. We waved them goodbye, and promptly felt like we were in a wind tunnel. Good thing we are so wide and stable, otherwise, quite frankly, it would have been hell sitting there.
They found the geocache and signed our book and all enjoyed the trip up there immensely. give teenagers anything to do with a machete and they are straight on it I guess.
They found a few treasures up there, and I cannot believe they found another flat iron. I think that is half a dozen that have been found there now. I cannot believe that people pressed clothes so much back then!
We tucked into a nice quite cove nearby for the evening and about the time I put dinner on the table, the tarpon started jumping on the line left and right. 3 strikes and large jumps in a row, our fishermen just have to learn a little patience with the Tarpon though, as unless you let them run and play them in and out and tire them out for 45 minutes, you lose them very quickly! I did a fruit crumble with homemade ice cream tonight and one of the guests pronounced it one of the best desserts he has ever had in his life and I think that is high praise! 9 pm and except for the fishermen, it is bed time on the yacht again...
I would think Richard and Lisa would be getting close to getting across the Atlantic by now and here, they thought early this week they would sail in anyways...
We were up at the crack of dawn to move the boat so they could snorkel before breakfast, and I thought them jumping in in the middle of the bight in 20 plus knot winds was not the best idea, so we moved to Water Point. The wind was not too bad this AM. We had a snorkel and a dive, and then it was time for Bazza to give a sailing lesson to a few of the guys so they could sail the boat.
Our turn to drink pina coladas on the back deck I guess! I asked our helmsmen Crae where we were going and the shrug says it all I think, however, he did tell me we hit our hull speed sailing at 10.3 knots, so that was impressive.
We sailed down to Great Thatch in short time and watched all the monohulls leaned over like crazy tacking back and forth across the channel. The gap in between great Thatch and Tortola must have been running 6 foot seas today! Very gusty this afternoon.
I felt like Susie Homemaker or Martha Stewart today with all the trays I had lined up to go in the oven! Quite enjoyed it (did not have to do sails!)
We anchored at great thatch so bazza could take most of them on the hike up to the fort to find the geocache of ours. We waved them goodbye, and promptly felt like we were in a wind tunnel. Good thing we are so wide and stable, otherwise, quite frankly, it would have been hell sitting there.
They found the geocache and signed our book and all enjoyed the trip up there immensely. give teenagers anything to do with a machete and they are straight on it I guess.
They found a few treasures up there, and I cannot believe they found another flat iron. I think that is half a dozen that have been found there now. I cannot believe that people pressed clothes so much back then!
We tucked into a nice quite cove nearby for the evening and about the time I put dinner on the table, the tarpon started jumping on the line left and right. 3 strikes and large jumps in a row, our fishermen just have to learn a little patience with the Tarpon though, as unless you let them run and play them in and out and tire them out for 45 minutes, you lose them very quickly! I did a fruit crumble with homemade ice cream tonight and one of the guests pronounced it one of the best desserts he has ever had in his life and I think that is high praise! 9 pm and except for the fishermen, it is bed time on the yacht again...
I would think Richard and Lisa would be getting close to getting across the Atlantic by now and here, they thought early this week they would sail in anyways...
Sunday, November 23. 2008
The Bight, Norman Island
What a gusty day it was today! Overnighting at Great Harbor on Peter Island we took one look at the channel and decided we were NOT turning STARBOARD out there.
I found a couple pictures from when we went out to dinner at the Dove on Friday night. Courtesy of Richard and Lisa who had bought us a gift certificate for Xmas last year and we used before it expired! Been there once before, and truthfully, it is not my cup of tea, I am more a plain meat and potatoes type girl then all these bits of flavor mixed together and prettily arranged. But, the food was good, Bazza had beet and cabbage soup for an appetizer...
I had Brie Cheese and then Ribe Eye steak with asparagus deep fried in mustard something and a lemon potato puree of some kind. It was very good. Definitely a wine bar type hang out for the financial types after work.
And this is what happens in the BVI when you have contact with sea urchins! Simba managed to do that tying a stern line or some such. Looks very painful so stay away from those black sea urchins! The spines go right through your fins as well.
Simba thought that I always put up mean pics of him, so I did get an action shot of him scrubbing the cockpit today...
And these guests were trained early, we already have them bringing their plates down to the galley (maybe it was because they did not want them to blow away!) now we just have to train them to wash them as well!!
We had 4 intrepid divers, that were mostly all resort divers and we really had to search for a calm enough spot to get them in the water. We finally settled on Black tip Reef of the west end of Peter, gusty but doable...
Then it was onto the caves and Bight and I think about every crewed and bareboat charter yacht in the BVI was down in this area due to the weather today. Very gusty along the caves, so we sent the dinghy along with the snorkelers on look out and then headed over to the Bight as out in the middle looked about the calmest place to anchor in the entire area!
We had a late afternoon banana boat ride, with the guests determined to stay on and the driver determined to get them off...
We have had several items blown overboard in the last day with this wind, shorts, more shorts, hats and more hats. We had an impromptu man overboard drill to retrieve this hat!
Willy T's seemed to be hopping so we sent the adults over at cocktail hour while the younger members stayed and fished. We had much better luck then last night!
This was interesting, two hooks with squid on the line and we got two fish on it at the same time.
Some, did become live bait, and we have had three very large hits tonight, that we know had to be very massive sharks, as we had on strong line, and these fish were freight trains and took everything we had. Nothing we could do to stop them.
We watched these people and this dinghy for awhile (Was it you??) as we could not figure out if and why they really wanted the dinghy pulled out there on the rocks! Seemed awfully strange, but I am sure there was a purpose.
We gave up the camera and then pictures were taken of us. I think the lettuce look is glamorous and suits me...
Not as much of a sunset tonight as it was pretty cloudy. We certainly hope the wind does lay down a bit overnight.
Had a delitray made up for me this weekend at Deli France, which is where Clarence Thomas used to be. Very French in there! The bread was great, and the tray was pricey and a bit too "french" for my boat and such, but a good source for those who are into these things here.
It is 9 PM and I think it is just about bed time all the way around on the boat it appears, so off I go too.
I found a couple pictures from when we went out to dinner at the Dove on Friday night. Courtesy of Richard and Lisa who had bought us a gift certificate for Xmas last year and we used before it expired! Been there once before, and truthfully, it is not my cup of tea, I am more a plain meat and potatoes type girl then all these bits of flavor mixed together and prettily arranged. But, the food was good, Bazza had beet and cabbage soup for an appetizer...
I had Brie Cheese and then Ribe Eye steak with asparagus deep fried in mustard something and a lemon potato puree of some kind. It was very good. Definitely a wine bar type hang out for the financial types after work.
And this is what happens in the BVI when you have contact with sea urchins! Simba managed to do that tying a stern line or some such. Looks very painful so stay away from those black sea urchins! The spines go right through your fins as well.
Simba thought that I always put up mean pics of him, so I did get an action shot of him scrubbing the cockpit today...
And these guests were trained early, we already have them bringing their plates down to the galley (maybe it was because they did not want them to blow away!) now we just have to train them to wash them as well!!
We had 4 intrepid divers, that were mostly all resort divers and we really had to search for a calm enough spot to get them in the water. We finally settled on Black tip Reef of the west end of Peter, gusty but doable...
Then it was onto the caves and Bight and I think about every crewed and bareboat charter yacht in the BVI was down in this area due to the weather today. Very gusty along the caves, so we sent the dinghy along with the snorkelers on look out and then headed over to the Bight as out in the middle looked about the calmest place to anchor in the entire area!
We had a late afternoon banana boat ride, with the guests determined to stay on and the driver determined to get them off...
We have had several items blown overboard in the last day with this wind, shorts, more shorts, hats and more hats. We had an impromptu man overboard drill to retrieve this hat!
Willy T's seemed to be hopping so we sent the adults over at cocktail hour while the younger members stayed and fished. We had much better luck then last night!
This was interesting, two hooks with squid on the line and we got two fish on it at the same time.
Some, did become live bait, and we have had three very large hits tonight, that we know had to be very massive sharks, as we had on strong line, and these fish were freight trains and took everything we had. Nothing we could do to stop them.
We watched these people and this dinghy for awhile (Was it you??) as we could not figure out if and why they really wanted the dinghy pulled out there on the rocks! Seemed awfully strange, but I am sure there was a purpose.
We gave up the camera and then pictures were taken of us. I think the lettuce look is glamorous and suits me...
Not as much of a sunset tonight as it was pretty cloudy. We certainly hope the wind does lay down a bit overnight.
Had a delitray made up for me this weekend at Deli France, which is where Clarence Thomas used to be. Very French in there! The bread was great, and the tray was pricey and a bit too "french" for my boat and such, but a good source for those who are into these things here.
It is 9 PM and I think it is just about bed time all the way around on the boat it appears, so off I go too.
Saturday, November 22. 2008
Peter Island, Thanksgiving Charter
My guests arrived today with...luggage!
They came in on the St Thomas ferry this morning and i am not sure when I have seen a more excited group. They were last on the boat 4 years ago, and have had this week booked for quite a long time.
Always nice to see smiling faces. Blowing really gusty out today, and I know I am always criticizing things on island, but I want you to note that we are just about to compliment someone. There is a guy on the ferry dock (you hear the ferries all the time calling Road Harbor Port. Road Harbour Port) and this is a guy who stands on the dock with a radio and directs ferries and traffic in and out. Bazza says that he has been quite helpful several times, and today he went above and beyond the call of duty coordinating with our guests and us when they arrived by ferry. It was very much appreciated!
Took a pic of the hospital while we were there, it is coming along...
We upped sail and headed over to Little Harbor on Peter Island. I almost caught my guest napping on the way over, but he opened those eyes about the time I snapped the picture.
Most of the rest enjoyed the sail over on the trampoline... We heard a call on the radio, on our way over from a "person" on one of the bulletin boards I frequent, Wild Meridian, hoping to catch up this week and that is always nice to meet people you know on line out on the water.
We pulled into Little Harbor and Simeon is really a nice guy, but he is looking mean here. I think he just wants me to disappear with my camera!!! Probably don't blame him. He asked me if I was Madonna and felt the need to document my entire life, well, yes!
The line was tied so we were stern too and the guests were immediately in the water for hours.
All the toys came out for the afternoon and everyone was pulled around on something.
Little harbor was actually pretty gusty, and filling up pretty full, with it being thanksgiving...Quite a shock on the system really after having the islands to ourselves for months. We upped anchor and made our way up to Great Harbour where we hoped to get some fishing in. The guys had taken the casting nets ashore earlier to get some bait fish. Unfortunately, we had a lot better luck with nets and scooping then we did with fishing tonight. Too windy and gusty we think. I told my guests they looked like crows here lined up on the way up over cocktail hour!
But it was an absolutely beautiful sunset...
The boys were putting out two anchors so we could stay close in for fishing tonight, but it looked weird whatever they were doing pulling things by hand...
The bird life on the point here was incredible. There must be a ton of bait fish in the water as I had never seem so many pelicans having such a good feed.
Dinner was gobbled down by all and it is now bed time!
They came in on the St Thomas ferry this morning and i am not sure when I have seen a more excited group. They were last on the boat 4 years ago, and have had this week booked for quite a long time.
Always nice to see smiling faces. Blowing really gusty out today, and I know I am always criticizing things on island, but I want you to note that we are just about to compliment someone. There is a guy on the ferry dock (you hear the ferries all the time calling Road Harbor Port. Road Harbour Port) and this is a guy who stands on the dock with a radio and directs ferries and traffic in and out. Bazza says that he has been quite helpful several times, and today he went above and beyond the call of duty coordinating with our guests and us when they arrived by ferry. It was very much appreciated!
Took a pic of the hospital while we were there, it is coming along...
We upped sail and headed over to Little Harbor on Peter Island. I almost caught my guest napping on the way over, but he opened those eyes about the time I snapped the picture.
Most of the rest enjoyed the sail over on the trampoline... We heard a call on the radio, on our way over from a "person" on one of the bulletin boards I frequent, Wild Meridian, hoping to catch up this week and that is always nice to meet people you know on line out on the water.
We pulled into Little Harbor and Simeon is really a nice guy, but he is looking mean here. I think he just wants me to disappear with my camera!!! Probably don't blame him. He asked me if I was Madonna and felt the need to document my entire life, well, yes!
The line was tied so we were stern too and the guests were immediately in the water for hours.
All the toys came out for the afternoon and everyone was pulled around on something.
Little harbor was actually pretty gusty, and filling up pretty full, with it being thanksgiving...Quite a shock on the system really after having the islands to ourselves for months. We upped anchor and made our way up to Great Harbour where we hoped to get some fishing in. The guys had taken the casting nets ashore earlier to get some bait fish. Unfortunately, we had a lot better luck with nets and scooping then we did with fishing tonight. Too windy and gusty we think. I told my guests they looked like crows here lined up on the way up over cocktail hour!
But it was an absolutely beautiful sunset...
The boys were putting out two anchors so we could stay close in for fishing tonight, but it looked weird whatever they were doing pulling things by hand...
The bird life on the point here was incredible. There must be a ton of bait fish in the water as I had never seem so many pelicans having such a good feed.
Dinner was gobbled down by all and it is now bed time!
Friday, November 21. 2008
friday night on Tortola
Well it is a Friday night in Tortola. I have made my daily trip into town to go to the bank and various government offices. At one office waiting for forms instead of telling me to come back next week they are just picking the next day on the calendar I believe and telling me to come then so I just get to go in every day! Today was "still pending, come back Monday" yesterday was..well you get the idea! Still very dusty on island as well. I came the long way home from town today via Brewers, Josiahs etc as I wanted to see what the swell was like. We are supposed to have quite a large one, and yep, here is Brewers Bay
When I drove by there not much beach at all at the moment!
Then I went to look at Josiah's and it looked about the same, and no surfers out...
The swells did not look like they had great shape for surfing either.
Then I got back to the boat to find out my food (partial) order came while I was out and the driver dropped some eggs and mushrooms in the water and then just about kicked a case of beer we had sitting on the dock in as well! My interior cleaner complained all day that she was "seasick" (yes, we are tied up to dock...I told her that maybe she needed to get a cashiers job at One Mart then tongue in cheek)
Today was a bad produce day, what did come had to be mostly stripped down. I took this picture, as I had ordered no more then a dozen or so heads of romaine and lettuce and this is how much I had to take off and throw away to get down to decent bits!
Thought that was a bit excessive. I suppose with it being Thanksgiving week everyone and their dog is going out on the water this week! Anyways it all boiled down to such a little amount to fit in my fridge! I find these vegetable saver bags, although being very expensive and not found on island, really do help my produce make it through the week. I just have to make sure I take anything that is starting to rot off right away at the beginning. This procedure of putting them all in the bags usually lasts for a few charters every season until we get too busy and then I can't be bothered and just shop more often during the week!
Went back into Riteway tonight and waited in line for the cashier to finish fighting with some kind of supervisor as she was hungry and the doctor said she had to eat! Another one yelling at her to "serve the customer first"...and so ends another week on island and time to go back on the water tomorrow!
When I drove by there not much beach at all at the moment!
Then I went to look at Josiah's and it looked about the same, and no surfers out...
The swells did not look like they had great shape for surfing either.
Then I got back to the boat to find out my food (partial) order came while I was out and the driver dropped some eggs and mushrooms in the water and then just about kicked a case of beer we had sitting on the dock in as well! My interior cleaner complained all day that she was "seasick" (yes, we are tied up to dock...I told her that maybe she needed to get a cashiers job at One Mart then tongue in cheek)
Today was a bad produce day, what did come had to be mostly stripped down. I took this picture, as I had ordered no more then a dozen or so heads of romaine and lettuce and this is how much I had to take off and throw away to get down to decent bits!
Thought that was a bit excessive. I suppose with it being Thanksgiving week everyone and their dog is going out on the water this week! Anyways it all boiled down to such a little amount to fit in my fridge! I find these vegetable saver bags, although being very expensive and not found on island, really do help my produce make it through the week. I just have to make sure I take anything that is starting to rot off right away at the beginning. This procedure of putting them all in the bags usually lasts for a few charters every season until we get too busy and then I can't be bothered and just shop more often during the week!
Went back into Riteway tonight and waited in line for the cashier to finish fighting with some kind of supervisor as she was hungry and the doctor said she had to eat! Another one yelling at her to "serve the customer first"...and so ends another week on island and time to go back on the water tomorrow!
Beach flags flying this weekend...
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