bvi captains log blog

I think I am running on empty this evening. What a busy day it has been. It included dropping one guest at the airport at 8 AM, getting to Roadtown to drop one at the ferry at 915. Getting the laundry off the boat and last weeks back, getting the rest of the guests off bar one, going to...wait for it!...Supa Valu, Cash and Carry, Riteway, One Mart, and the French Deli to provision for the charter next few days, going to a British Virgin Islands SCUBA Organization Meeting, getting the new guys back on and being up at Marina Cay by 415 to go to Michael Beans! I do have to admit I fudged today and bought a dessert tonight instead of making one, but riteway Bakery has these wonderful whole frozen Black and White Espresso Cakes that cost $55.30, but I have quite developed a liking for lately!!
Last night the guys Sang us a song which they had made, and applauded, which gave us all a warm fuzzy feeling!

Far away where the nights are gay
and the sun shines brightly on the mountain tp
We took a trip on a sailing ship and when we reached tortola we made a stop...

Well I'm glad to say we are down this way, away from winter for many a day
The worry of work begins to fade as we live large on the Promenade...

Kerry she feeds us, everyone
Joe Cap and John B take up all the sun..
Keenan drinks out the bar at Willy T's
and Larry drinks absinthe with pain if not ease..

Well I'm glad to say we are down this way, away from winter for many a day
The worry of work begins to fade as we live large on the Promenade...

Chad and Simeon work to further world peace,
Landing this sorry lot after catch and release
Doug and Joe did ok in the sack,
And Ken has succumbed to Kenny Walker Black..

Well I'm glad to say we are down this way, away from winter for many a day
The worry of work begins to fade as we live large on the Promenade...

Lou left the bar cuz he was spent
while Chris keeps hammering 4 %
If you join a game you better think twice cuz Bazzas playing with loaded dice!!

Well I'm glad to say we are down this way, away from winter for many a day
The worry of work begins to fade as we live large on the Promenade...

All this and great voices as well!

Then it was time for a game of "Mafia" after dinner, but I think some took the opportunity to nap!!

Our new group was looking perky and smiley as they pulled up to the boat...

Some of the many time repeats did not even take off their shoes before they found their way to the beer locker (and did not have to be told where it was either!)

Marina Cay was calling our name, as Beans only plays Monday through Thursday and off they went. Bazza and I followed in a bit just for half and hour to watch the show... Note for my mother...being on charter has helped me get back in shape (everything is relative) as for the first time since we hired Richard and Lisa I managed to make it up the hill at Marina Cay without stopping for a breath half way up!!

Some of our guests (and crew) seemed to bond and have a good time...

and others of our guests really enjoyed the entertainment and sang along with every word! It was cute to watch!

I made an early escape to get dinner ready, and they all made it back safe and sound...

Dinner was downed quickly...

ALong with dessert, coffee and liqueurs as there is some kind of game on tonight so it is off to shore for them to watch!

Updated from Sophisticated Lady on Traveltalkonline today...the saga continues...

We're still here just prepping 'Sophisticated Lady' for sea... found out yesterday the parts were scanned in to DHL Haiti at about 4pm yesterday... Yahoo!! 6 minutes later they were re-scanned as clearance delayed... Guess now we've entered the realm of the Haitian waiting game. They arrived in the name of the head of the Haitian Rotary club, Dr Leger, so hopefully he'll be able to get in touch with customs and help the parts get through as quickly as possible.

Meantime, we've been busy cleaning and organizing and getting ready for our departure which will hopefully be before the weekend. They came with fuel this morning, had to come over in a little boat with 12 gallon drums and hand pump them in to the main tank... took a while, but we managed to get 72 gallons which topped up the main tank and filled all our jerry cans to the top... means that if we can sail at least 150 miles towards destination, we should have enough fuel to motor the rest of the way even after factoring going upwind against the current. If we have to motor the first half of the trip, then we'll probably stop in Santo Domingo first to top up again, just to be safe.

Some of the local guys have become good friends and are doing all they can to help. Yesterday they asked to borrow snorkel gear from us... two guys went down and scraped our hull and another one came back later with several lobsters and some fish. Then the guys started coming in dug out canoes with containers of water... anything they could find... buckets, empty bleach bottles, cooler bottles, etc... they started making trips and filling our tanks with water from a local cistern that recently filled up with fresh rain water from all the rain we had the other night... that's another story in itself... we weren't expecting rain as it hasn't rained since we've been here, but it came down in buckets, and we were off the boat and had left several hatches open... needless to say, we've been drying things out ever since!

After that they came back with a full basket of fresh fruits from the local village... including a kind of passion fruit we've never seen before... they are small and orange and are so light and feel like plastic, you'd swear they were ornamental... but you cut them open and pour the contents into a pitcher of water and stir and you an excellent juice! Apparently the locals say it makes an excellent drink when mixed with rum and a bit of sugar... have to try that one when we get back to Tortola! They also brought us lemons and limes, oranges, and the biggest papayas I've ever seen... as big as footballs!

We're trying to think of ways to look after these guys for helping us so much, they've been going to unbelievable lengths. Our cash supply is pretty much depleted, but we're thinking maybe we can leave them some of our snorkel gear and replace it when back in Tortola. They really enjoy using it, and seems to really help them with catching food.

We may leave some of our spare life jackets for the ferries as well... they pile so many people into these little boats powered by small outboards, and then head out across 5-6 miles of open ocean to the mainland... thinking we should bring them some safety gear for the boats next time! They know we don't have any cash, but I think we'll try and leave them whatever we can that we don't need, and try and replace it when we get back. One thing would be great to send them is a box of silicone caulking tubes so they can patch up their canoes and small boats... every boat leaks and they constantly have to bail while paddling around in them... I think a little silicone would go a long way here!

Anyway, managed to get a few more pictures uploaded, so here's a few recent ones...


One of the local sloops sending us off on our original departure


Life at sea before we got hit


'Sophisticated Lady' at anchor in Caye Cook Bay, Ile La Vache


Happily and safely back on land Christmas morning


A local missionary escorting us by dinghy across the channel to Les Cayes


One of the local ferries to the mainland


Downtown Les Cayes


the local market in Les Cayes


Locals at the market


More of the market


Filling up the water tanks onboard

We need to make longer days on charter sometimes! When you try and fit everything you do in a week into 3 days, the hours run out pretty quick! Most of my pictures today are diving pictures. The guys did Willy T's last night, and we were up and at the Caves for breakfast and snorkeling followed by a trip up to Salt Island to dive the RMS Rhone. I was not going in the water today, as I had a lot of work to do, but the current was running stronger then I had seen it for many years there and I quickly took the opportunity to split the group and take some of the divers in!

I am not sure whether we "saw" the wreck as opposed to "swept past the Rhone" in the current...

Could not even get on the wreck in spots, so we headed to the deep end down current (knowing that my husband had promised to pick us up in the dinghy)

We swept by the outside, turned around and came up the bow...(yes, the visibility was this clear, with all that current what do you suppose?)

We then thought that maybe we would find less current inside the wreck so in we went...

We spied a large turtle sitting in the back there with the bait fish... Was I ever glad I had brought my camera as I was not going to, as it was such a last minute dive, but Bazza got it together for me in 2 minutes I think!

Sharp crisp picture of a shell! Shame about the head!!!

Tried again, still no head! By this time he was past me!

BUT I turned around and kept shooting and I really like this shot!

Then he stayed inside and let us watch him, in fact we could have picked him up, he was so unscared!

We attempted to swim out of the boat where you normally do and turn around and take pictures again, but nope, the current was too strong!

We had to turn around and go back the way we came in and it was like an amusement ride, you just tried to steer as it whipped us right through and out!

The divers loved it, I loved the turtle, and the dinghy picked us up so it was perfect!

We had lunch underway to the Baths, did a tour of the Baths and were at Marina Cay and anchored by 430 for MIchael Beans HAPPPYYY AAAARRRRR show! I stayed on the boat where I could hear all the songs (and my mens voices) perfectly.
An early drop tomorrow and then an early pick up tomorrow afternoon, and off we go again.

As always, it seemed to be a very busy day on Promenade. We slogged it after breakfast, no sailing, all the way from Jost over to Little Harbour on Peter Island. Windy was nonexistent really to do any sailing today... Once at Peter Island I took in the certified divers for a swim...

We saw a great lobster, although there is a lot of this soft blue growth over much of the reef. I am not sure what it is at all...

A nice little fish...

A couple rays hanging around, we were in for 64 minutes so it was just a nice relaxing dive.

While we were in Simeon had 3 smiley brand new resort divers....

New way of doing resort dives maybe??? From the ladder?? Who knows!

They were looking like pros though when I came upon them at the end of our dive, mask clearing and all sorts going on!

Now Tom just looks like he is scared to death here and begging for his life...(maybe he was!)

I am not sure whether I am getting a peace, victory or OK Sign here!

This is the dive instructors version of "COME HERE" The hoses on the BC's come in very handy sometimes!

Some chose to just stand on deck and supervise...

We had caught a little Tuna trolling up here, so he was slated to become sushimi at Cocktail hour. They call this a "false tuna" for some reason!

It is always dangerous when you see these trays come out...

Things barely fit on the table between all the glasses, food, men and what have you. We did dishes for a long time afterwards!



After the cocktail hour was cleared away somehow an entirely different set of liquor bottles hit the table before dinner and a different game was going on....

I think this is the pre dinner "is there anything going on at Willy T's (as that is where we are anchored tonight)

A new menu item tonight. One I have not thought of before. Apparently Spaghetti and Meatballs goes very well with lobster, shrimp and scallop scampi!! I did not realize that, but there was a definite split in the group as far as meal choice tonight so we combined it all!

One of us had a birthday a couple days ago, and I am not sure what they were trying to give him here, but most people found it very funny and Joe was definitely not accepting it.

So ends another day on the boat...

This appeal for help was sent around by Harry Birch off of Fairwinds this weekend.


"Would it be possible to get a members notice about our situation here in Haiti.
As you know we left Tortolla with a cargo of outboard engines to diliver to the Island of Isle a Vache Haiti for Micheal Beans good Samaritain foundation
My engine broke down in St Thomas and we failed to get a mechanic to solve the problem. I decided that it was very important to get the engines here together with food cloths and medicines ect. However we sailed down under wind power,and found here that the engine is siezed. We also expeiranced a severe gale one day before arrival that damaged my mainsail,that also lost my dingy .
My funds are extreemly low and Carron who came on the voyage with Ricks yacht Sophiscated Lady has lent me the cost of two air tickets back from Jamica to Tortola . I plan to sail Fairwind on down wind to Jamica thenI must lift Fairwind in Port Antonio as I also have a shaft coupling problem that needs replacing.
My situation is somewhat fraught with anxiety as to where I will raise the money for the repairs and boat yard.
I volanteered for this charity project and I appeal to all cruising charter yacht owners to help me with funds in my time of distress.
Regards to all Harry"

You can read my original posting on the story here a couple blog posts below this entry.

When you think of a salty old sea dog, you think of Harry! Harry thought he was going to get into the crewed charter business a couple of years ago and spiffed up himself and his boat for all the brokers to see. Unfortunately, Harry, or those advising him, were not honest enough with him to tell him that he and Fairwinds did not really measure up to crewed charter yacht standards, even for the budget end. When we came on the boat, he had his rum bottle firmly in hand, and his cigarette ashtray was overflowing. He said his favorite type of guests would be honeymoon couples as they would be busy and he could sit upstairs in the cockpit and drink rum! Needless to say, his crewed chartering career did not go any further then that.

I have seen various schemes from him over the last couple years, attempting to survive in the Caribbean and live the dream. None of what I said above takes away from the act of kindness that he and Sophisticated Lady did in taking their boats with donations to Haiti, and now need help themselves.

Harry is another one of those Caribbean Characters you see in every Marina throughout the Caribbean, and I hope that he and his boat are safe and sound.

We are back on charter! Picked up all our men for this charter, and the weather is lovely...



Everyone sat around for a bit and got acquainted, as we had a few first timers on this charter...

Then we put my son Chad to work right away, with him complaining the entire time how we was sweating so much as it had gone from -40 to what felt like him to plus 40 in 24 hours! We had a lovely spinnaker run down to Great Thatch Island...

And had lunch underway. Thatch was lovely and we tucked into the corner for some snorkeling...

Chad and I went off to explore some garbage on the beach, it looked like big items that were not there a week ago. Still a ton of plastic bottles though...

Must have been remains of a boat washed up there, we found a kayak...

Beach balls, fire extinguishers, pumps, a couple gas cans....



This is looking from the beach up to Little Thatch and the West End of tortola...

Walked over to take a picture of the Salt Pond, and it sure smelt like a salt pond too!

A rare picture, Chad taking a picture of me on the beach! I think I have lost a pound or two believe it or not since coming back to work this fall...Only a billion more to go....

We made our way over to White Bay on Jost, which was nice and flat today. Lots of people there a well!

Of course we were packed in like sardines in there, all sense of seamanship goes out the window there with everyone getting close to the beach...

We sent everyone off in the dinghy to the Soggy Dollar Bar...

This little dinghy which is obviously the Soggy Dollars I thought was very cute...

Then it was on to Great Harbor, where the guys had meetings and did some work...

We had dinner (look at those smiles, some of those guys have posed for this picture before and just know to smile broadly so I will quickly go away and let them eat!)

It takes 4 people to make a football pool square thingy for the game tonight! We have many chiefs and one Indian....Everyone has gone into Corsairs to watch the ball game now and I am about off to bed!