St. John, USVI

We've been here 2 weeks & now the vacation part can begin!!  Steve has been a patient, supportive Captain as I've been trying to keep my current stateside boss happy as well as stoke the potential for my own business down here in the islands.  We finally have a day to be nothin' but lazy.  It's been so nice to be back on the island that I called home 15 years ago & to see my great pals from back then, Mean Jean, Cid & Mary Pat!  MP is originally from Kentucky & started the Kentucky Derby celebration at my very favorite bar/grill, Skinny Leg's, 30-odd years ago.  All the crusty pirates & hippie locals don some kind of hat & fill 'em with the bougainvilleas, hibiscus & other flora that is found all over down here.  One lady even glued a plastic horse to the top of her hat.  Below is Steve joining in the tradition.  I'm happy to say that all of my ol' pals are now big fans of Steve.

We'll most likely leave the US waters in a bit & head for Jost Van Dyke for a day or 2.  It is blissful to not know where we will head after that - I relinquish my need to have a plan, hard as that may be to believe.  I've only got a week left to soak up the Caribbean - will have to make my tan last until December when we'll come back.  We're seriously looking at some charter boats/businesses, dreaming that we'll offer week long charters to 2-3 couples or a family here in the USVI/BVI.  We looked at a beautiful 45' cat yesterday & spent a few hours with the owners.  Fingers are crossed that something will work out!!  Might be another year or so before it comes to fruition, but the dream lives on.  

In the meantime, if any of y'all cruisers happen to pass through the USVI, I highly recommend St John as a place to land for a few days.  There are tons of moorings in Francis Bay and a very gentle swell much unlike our previous spot, roly-poly Hull Bay.  Right up the big staircase from the beach in the middle is the little store at Maho Bay Campgrounds that I used to run & found my natural foods calling (they don't have much in the way of natural foods anymore & I mean to fix that!).  They also have a shuttle to town if you need & a very decent restaurant.  The beaches here are pristine, as it's all smack dab in the middle of the National Park that covers most of St. John.  Good trails to hike, the Annaburg plantation ruins just up the road to visit & quiet, quiet, quiet!!  The east end of the island is where you can find Coral Bay, a very cool little sleepy village that is home to Skinny Leg's, an awesome bar & grill with yummy cheeseburgers & local beer.  Their motto is "same day service" and the dress code only requires 2 teeth.  Nice folks all over the place!!

We're sending out a big round of hugs for all y'all!

A few pictures

Pictures are courtesy of Deb.

 Ol San Juan is filled with sculpture

Sunshine trees 

Joy on the Paseo de la Princessa 

Forest of Spires 

Just cool 

My favorite captain contemplating Ol' San Juan 

Me in a previous life, that would be Deb 

Leaving Fajardo - clouds over rainforest 

Captain Smiley 

Arriving in St. Thomas

Sunset at surfer point 

I love Hull Bay 

Captain in the sunset 

Stand up Warriors at play 

 Get up, Stand up!

 Proud American Boat

My home in the Caribbean

I am waaaaaaay behind...

Time to catch up...

I spent a few days at Marina Pescadaria in Puerto Real, Puerto Rico.  The owner of the marina, Jose, is very friendly.  Next to the marina office is a small convenience store owned and run by Fernando Mantilla.  He drove me to customs to check back in to the US.  He grew up in the Salinas area and has been sailing his whole life.  He has raced throughout the Caribbean, we hit it off right away, except he smokes like a chimney.  I ended up hiring him and his friend Manuel Portela to move my boat from Puerto Real to Fajardo while I flew home to Austin.

Yes, I am planning on moving to Austin, my girlfriend Deb lives there in an awesome house on top of Cat Mountain.  I loaded up as much stuff as I could carry and flew in to Austin on the 7th of April.  I got settled in the new house, actually had to buy a dresser for my clothes.  It kinda feels like I am going in the opposite direction from where I want to be but Deb is not ready to move the the Caribbean yet, close but not yet.

On the 25th Deb and I flew to San Juan Puerto Rico, she has business down there, both for her "real" job and for the food brokerage she is starting in the Caribbean.  We spent 4 days between San Juan and Fajardo.  Fernando and Manuel left the boat in great shape.  We left Marina Del Rey on Saturday the 30th and sailed to Culebra.  It was a rough trip, motor sailed the whole way, emphasis on motor.  Straight in to the wind(15-20 knots) and waves and current.  If we didn't need to be in St. Thomas on Monday we would not have left, plus Deb only has so much vacation time.  Sunday's sail from Culebra to Hull Bay in St. Thomas was much the same as the day before.  We were greeted by two of Deb's friends on paddle boards as we cam in to the anchorage.  They have lived here 15 plus years and showed us the best place to anchor.  There were 2 other boats in this small bay but we still have plenty of room.  The downside is that we are getting a cross swell here, it make sleeping and everything else more difficult.  We may move to the next bay over(Megan's Bay) later today.  Deb had to pick up her business partner at the airport this morning, he flew in from PR, she will be working most of the day, so I am just goofing off.  Might go for a run and the bottom of the boat needs a good scrubbing, at least on the waterline.

We are under a flood watch until tomorrow morning, it was sunny this morning but the clouds are starting to roll in.

Hopefully I can get Deb to do some guest posts, I am sure she will be better and doing them more frequently than me