Entries by BVI Captains Log Blog

Our day started off at Great Thatch this morning...Brent, being the intrepid tracking dog, was taking the guests up to see the fort on Thatch. I did warn the guests that he has "been known" to wander all over the mountain before he found the right path! Brent was confident though, and off he went, machete in hand...

He found the path up right spot on, termite nests and all.

We had had a discussion about making sure you are actually touching trees on your way up and NOT cactuses...

They found the large crabs that live in holes..

and an artistic display of some of the old bottle pieces up there...

They found our geocache right where it was supposed to be...

Then they went to find the graves, Patty thought it was quite thoughtful of them to provide aloe vera plants all the way along so she could put it on her various scratches! We aim to please...Planted those last summer just for our guests.

Our intrepid explorer then zigged when he should have zagged and made it to the Salt Pond instead of the ocean. "Fine" he thinks, I will just cut across the shallow end of the salt pond to the ocean. He leads the way. And is immediately sucked down into quicksand like mud, exclaiming that it is NOT like the Salt Ponds on Salt Island...

They made a hasty retreat and went back up and around where they found us lying off shore waiting for them.

We then went for a snorkel down the shoreline...It was, as always pretty... This is Irma, our 84 year old!

And Andy our 82 year old! They could swim the pants off of me!

We saw coral banded lobster, and several large puffer fish, schools of Blue tang, and of course bait fish...

Then I got the universal sign for shark, or "Mullet" as we are supposed to call them for one little lady on the boat!

And yep, there he was. A proper shark too, I have to look him up!

By the time we were out of the water the buns were ready to go into the oven for lunch, and we had lunch before going for a sail over to Norman Island this afternoon.

Oh yeah, I forgot the inevitable, tweezers and needles that were needed after the trip up the hill!

They snorkeled at the caves and the lounger came out...

We gathered for cocktail hour...

Well, some did, some wondered why we were interrupting their nap, until they tasted the Bushwackers and then we managed to finish a few pitchers of them!

Brent is practicing being a guest here and decided he quite liked it...Don't get used to it Brent!

Seems in no time at all it was time for dinner, and it was Mahi Mahi on the barbecue tonight along with fresh homemade ice cream....



I think Bazza has a bait fish in the water to see what we catch tonight, but no serious fishing going on....

I think I left you about dinner last night. It was good, and we ate lots of seafood. I opted for a ham and cheese sandwich.

I think it was an early night all the way around...and today we spent most of the morning enjoying the snorkeling at Monkey Point. Brent took them on a snorkeling safari and took some great underwater pictures.

The Sergeant Majors at the bottom of the boat...

Snorkeling...

I am not sure which is the right way up on this picture the fish are so thick!







Brent's Flamingo Tongues...



BLue Tangs...

Turtle...

More blue tangs...

and the turtle again! They snorkeled for quite a time.

And then hung out on the noodles...

The territory is quite busy this week with boats, there were boats circling waiting for our ball, so we threw up the spinnaker and made our way down to Jost Van Dyke. I had to take this picture as we actually PASSED someone under sail! Does not happen that often!!

We had lunch under sail...

Here is my green onion and herb focaccia bread...

We made it to a very busy Soggy Dollar Bar at Jost Van Dyke. There were boats everywhere. Most of the younger crew went in for a drink (or maybe three!) and some took a well deserved nap after the strenuous sail....

It appears that a couple tuna appeared in my galley sink while I was in my cabin...

But that is OK as Bazza taught Brent how to not only clean the fish, but also sear and serve it! So Brent was promoted to head chef and I wandered away until the fish was gone out of the galley...

We only had one person who was determined they were not missing the tuna!

Sunset came around, we are now anchored down at Great Thatch after ANOTHER stop at Pussers Bar at Sopers Hole....

And the rest of the guests showed up for cocktail hour eventually as well...



There was a ton of bird and fish activity off of Little Thatch while the guests were in at Pussers, so I took the opportunity to jump in the water while the boat circled above me waiting.
Lots of pretty black coral....



See the spotted drum in this picture?

Tons of Mackerel...

Tons of different kinds of Angel Fish as well! I see more here then at any other spot in the BVI.

I just liked these unusual (healthy) coral...



Although these are showing quite a bit of damage...

Horse Eyed Jack with the sun in the background...

Lots of Squirrel Fish. There were actually some healthy sized schools of fish down here. Of course, right in the current lines...

Tarpon everywhere following the bait balls...



I am not even sure you could call these silversides yet, they are so tiny. There is many in this picture, but you may not be able to see them...

Steak for dinner tonight! and it is 930 and officially past my bedtime! I hear the women have been whooping the guys behinds at Catch Phrase every night, although each side seems to be accusing the others of cheating every morning!

I think this blog entry is going to be big on pictures and small on written words. I have had a hot hot day, and I look like a tomato!
First some pictures from last night, after we anchored at the west end of Anegada...Nothing special, just looking around us at another gorgeous evening...





The start of sunset...

DInner time...



and an absolutely gorgeous sunset just on dark......

For the billion people who emailed me asking where SImeon is...well, here he is!

Bazza had something break on his generator today which meant we had no power of any kind... That quickly meant I was not making a lot of hot meals in the galley so I elected to take most of the guests and Brent and go look at the cottages sliding into the water up on the point... We saw Pelicans on the way up...

I love them sitting in the trees!

Yes, they are still slipping into the sea, here are the random pictures of them today in no order at all (remember, many pictures, little words!)















We elected Brent to anchor the dinghy out while we went walking...

And we walked...and walked...all the way up to Cow Wreck Beach as a matter of fact!











We found Brittlestars out of the water and put him back...

and walked some more...



Happiness was finding the bar!

I knew it was a long walk back so I elected to not stay long and start the trek back slowly...

Squalls and clouds were coming in a bit...









We could see more as we upped anchor, including all the HI HO windsurfers going back in to the channel...

We had a strange sight at noon, lunch totally upstairs, not buffet! That does not happen much anymore...

We pass our version of the projects on Scrub Island, saying that construction will be completed in 31 days but it does not look like construction will be completed in 31 days!





For entertainment I decided to feed the fish and birds while the guests went ashore at Marina Cay







Our guests enjoyed their stop at Marina Cay, walking around and having RUM



They climbed the hill and waled the grounds...

Too pictures of Promenade in the distance...

Then it was back to the boat and SImeon helped them catch up with their charts and where they have been this week...

Andy and Irma are a great couple, and so active and full of like for people in their mid 80's but they kind of look like goofy and goofette here!

We mad our way over to Monkey Point for overnight, and i have mostly spent the afternoon and evening trying to cool myself down. People who don't go in the sun much and who have Roseaca should not go walking on the beach for hours. I had bags of icecubes down my top (they were calling it my Victorias Secret Water Bra!) headbands of ice around my head and I could barely function!

I have been on this yacht for 12 years now and NEVER, not once, been up the mast. Nor have I had a desire too, not particularly liking heights.
This morning I was minding my own business, chopping up things for ceviche in the galley when my husband came into the galley and mentioned that he thought I should go up to the top of the mast and take some pictures. It must have been the energy drink I had in my hand, but I thought "yes, I should" the colors of the water, sky and reefs were outstanding today. It was a very small moment of bravery followed by wondering what in the hell I had agreed to.
He promised me that i did not actually have to climb the mast, that they would winch me up....
GULP... I first asked him if he had the queen sized version of the harness and what it was rated for!

He desperately tried not to giggle as he was refitting me...(smart man)

I took extra lenses with me, as I wanted to get some wide angles of the boat as well as the sea...

My heart was beating quickly and I shrieked quite a bit going up!

By the time I reached the top there was not a chance I was changing lenses, so I blindly swept around taking a few pictures...

They yelled up that I could let go of the mast and lean back, but their was not one single chance in hell that i was doing that!













Then I wanted down quickly, and that will be the last time for the next 12 years I do that! Yes, it was nice.
I did start a trend though, and EVERYONE on the boat took a trip up the mast! That is right people, the 84 year olds made less noise then I did going up this darn thing!!







This is such a beautiful corner of Anegada, a trip was made to Conch Mountain. The mountain was mentioned hundreds of years ago in records and our guests always love going to see it. Today was no exception.



Bazza mentioned something about him staying up wind of the performance!




Some snorkeled, and Sting Rays and Nurse Sharks were seen today...

After lunch we took a long leisurely spinnaker run down to Raffling Point on the other side of Anegada, catching a random barracuda and yellow tail snapper, but nothing edible.
All are now walking on the beach and I am heating the oil for conch fritters! The charter yacht ZIngara had the incredible good fortune of taking pictures of an ORCA, about an hour and a half from St Croix! I never even knew we had any down here!

Bazza must be going back to his Australian roots here! I have to remind him that it is MY hat not his!

Brent laptop had a problem. Brent was quite concerned when Bazza said he would look at it and it was in a billion pieces in his workshop. Apparently they all went back where they belonged and are working again any how...

First up today was a trip to the Baths. I am sure Irma is just snorkeling, but she looks like a seal who has lost her way to me...

Brent herded cats around the Baths I understand this morning, they were going every which way and when he came back he said I had to give them less options. For example, "You have two choices here guys, you can either take the dinghy to shore, OR you can go to shore by dinghy" He thinks that might help solve his problem! We will see...

Anyways they had a nice walk through the rocks, some just went backwards and double back as well...





After all that exercise it was time for some napping on board...



I saw Bazza come out the south side of the Baths and thought maybe he was
1) going trolling
2) getting out so he could get the spinnaker up
3) going to st martin
after this happening for awhile I finally had to give in and ask, and the answer was, hitting the south drop off so we could troll along it....I understand that we caught half a dozen fish, sushi grade tuna and sushimi grade tuna, mackerel (that somehow was let loose while someone went to find a knife...so much for dinner)...a rainbow runner and a couple barracudas...

This gave Brent a promotion from sous chef to chef as it is quite a bit of work to get the sushimi ready. I happily went down to sous chef and gathered up plates and drinks and took them upstairs for him!

IT all went at cocktail hour anyways...

We had a flat enough day that by the time we made it to the Rocus on the Anegada Reef we stopped for a snorkel, and a dive...
A school of some type of Jacks right under the boat. They were not the usual ones we see...

The winches on the 380 foot long wreck...

Fish...

Snorkelers...

More snorkelers...







Found our diver....

I quite like this picture...



A few groupers hanging around...











and an anemone right out in the open...

Some hummed the theme song of Titanic I am sure!

Some gathered to watch the hunters...

Some just assumed the afternoon position...



Some waited around for cocktail hour...

We are anchored right up by conch mountain, and of course, the scenery and sunset is spectacular. There is a nice breeze, the humidity is low and there is not a boat in sight. We cannot complain about that too much!

Barbecued ribs for dinner tonight...

I think the main entertainment is going to be watching the stars tonight. They will be gorgeous out here, tomorrow is a trip to see conch mountain, a snorkel and then probably to the beaches of Anegada...

Well this group mostly made it all the way over from Seattle Washington over a couple days and here they are arriving at our dock in the British Virgin Islands!

The first sit down...



Andy and his wife Irma were on Promenade probably 15 years ago and have now brought their children instead of their rowdy friends from the last time! 15 years ago was before we owned the boat.....

We had our "boat talk" while sailing up the channel to the Baths over cocktail hour...

Of course we had a laughing gull permanently on our engine, and we tried to feed him a cracker which he could not get to, the winds apparently were not right!

Brent did his towel demonstrations... and we anchored at the Baths right on sunset, so that gives us a perfect spot to explore the Baths in the morning.

8 guests this week! A piece of cake!!!