Cousin Sharen!!

So, I lied to you....you thought I was all done with sharing the Caribbean stories for the season...not even close!

I must first describe, in full and loving detail, our visit with cousin Sharen...then later (next blog) you get to hear of Shawn and Yasmeen...and then much later, there's much to tell of our sail to St. Croix and the visit with Jan, Mandy, and Merryn. 

Yes, I can hear all of the grand sighs beginning now.

Just remember that, despite the various blogs I've written, it's not always fun and games in the islands...sometimes we do need to sleep. And there's always the challenges of cleaning up the dive gear after we use it. Not to mention all of the hiking to various lookouts...that's not in everybody's "fun index", either.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the unending chore of restocking the rum. Yep...it's not a real easy life, but someone needs to take one for the team, occasionally.

Like most visitors to our boat, the guests, like Sharen
get to relieve us of our duties for a time. See...everyone
needs a break from the work every so often.  

This leaves me to do the tasks that I must do...
like testing the standing rigging for stability and attachments.
Sharen is learning a lot about boat maintenance!

Like with most of the visitors, Sharen joined us in a whirlwind tour of the BVI, with stops in Soper's Hole for customs (yep, that special place we all enjoy) Norman Island (where pirates hang out) North Sound of Virgin Gorda (where other pirates and various strange folk reside)

We always try to get people to join us on a hike
to the top of Norman Island...it is really a great view!

The staff at Saba Rock treat the visitors to a tarpon
feeding frenzy at about 5pm each day. It's their version
of catfish noodling.

There's quite a nice setting on the north side of Saba Rock
that overlooks the ocean and reefs.

Ahhh, below is one of our best places in the North Sound we like to visit....The Bitter End Yacht Club...a place most of us probably can't afford to stay at. That always leaves us with the need to put on our pirate hats and enjoy the place anyway!

All I wanted to do was dip Sharen down for great photo op,
but she wasn't having any of it. I guess she's used to the
Shelton family pranks.

Now, this is what pirates do best...use the facilities of the
resort. At least we brought our own towels. For some reason,
the cabana boys never stopped by, so we had to get the drinks ourselves.
Like I said...it's not always fun and games!

It just so happened to be St. Patty's day when we visited Michael Bean's "Happy ARRR" at Leverick Bay. Since Sharen is more than a bit Irish, she thought the "spirit" of the Irish needed to be well-represented.

No, our table didn't win the conch-blowing contest,
probably due to the free-flowing cocktails messing with
our good technique.

We sure loved having you visit us, Sharen!!!!

Another late addition...

After our stay at Coffin Island, we headed to Ponce, PR for a visit to the town and see the upcoming Carnival...PR's largest. Our group included Herb and Karen, from Aaranda.

I recommend a visit to Ponce for the scenery as well as the architecture...but not necessarily for the Carnival. The parade was nice, but our expectations were of a somewhat more elaborate affair...like what you'd see during Mardi Gras (anywhere). The 2014 Ponce Carnival featured a few costumed folks, some HS marching bands, a couple of carnival floats and a lot of youth groups (ages 8 and under) in uniforms. There were a number of booths set up around the center of the square, offering a host of souvenirs and food items...the usual things you see at most small town festivals. There were supposed to be a variety of bands playing, but we chose to leave before most of them played.

We discovered that the town square was near the final destination of the parade-goers and the bottle neck of the entries seemed to be right where we were standing. So we were able to check out each group of kids and the various bands in full detail...for up to 10 minutes at a time. All in all, it was a nice community parade. We stopped at a really nice sidewalk café for lunch and walked around the square to see all of the booths and vendors. Karen and Karen picked up some nice jewelry, of course, while Herb and I looked for a place to get dessert.

A 1969 Chevelle!!!Yes I know it's a Malibu and it is
not a Chevelle SS, 400hp 396 V8 Big Block, 12 bolt main, with 4
speed manual transmission and positraction rear end...
but it still fits at the top of the best-car-ever-made category
and worthy of any parade!

Traveling buddies, Herb and Karen

The stage area, near the end of the parade route

I'm not sure if this is a good or bad creature.
The Bride of Chucky was riding in the car in the background...
maybe this wasn't meant to be a feel-good parade after all.

I thought this was a happy kind of costume...but I'm not so
sure, now

We toured one of the older homes in the area, and there were
a lot of really neat features, but I found the
stand-alone shower pretty cool: side sprays, overhead spray
each with their own controls...and pre-1940.
...our "modern culture" seems to always imply that we know
so much more than those of the past. It just goes to show
that we're not so smart after all!

We needed to head back to St. Thomas and pick up cousin Sharen for a visit with us, so we said our goodbyes to Herb and Karen and slogged our way eastward. Our next stop was a return to Bahia de Jobos, then on to Patillas, PR. (where we saw a manatee in the water under our dinghy) and then to Culebra. Each stop was just for the night, then we were off again. There were some long days of sailing/motoring to windward, but the weather was great and the waves were small... less than 3'. It took us 4 days to sail from Ponce to Water Island for our provisioning.

On our way with a 6am Sunrise at Bahia de Jobos.
A nice send-off for our rip back to the USVI

  

Back on Duty

Man, it's been a long time since I've blogged our adventure. Much has happened, both in the islands as well as after our return to the US. I think I/we will be best served if I give you the "Reader's Digest" version and bring it all back to our current status.

Our Culebran and Monkey Island trip was a prelude to sailing over to and then along the southern coast of Puerto Rico. We met up with our good friends, Herb and Karen in "Aaranda" (Beneteau 361 like ours) at Palmas Del Mar marina to prepare for our buddy-sail with them...we needed to get provisions and do laundry. By the way...how many of you have ever taken your dirty laundry to Walmart to get it cleaned? The Laundromat was inside the store where you would normally see the hairdresser. The lady weighed our bag by lifting it off the counter to estimate the weight/cost. She said it would be done about 9pm, so we headed into the store for our groceries and supplies and then back to the boat to store it all. It was a first for us, also....$9.00 and 3 hours later, the clothes were washed/folded and waiting for our return. Talk about service!


The rental car story was a little interesting...the lady gave us the keys and two complimentary drink cards at the local tiki hut beach bar! We still aren't sure if we were meant to drink our free libations before or after our excursion in the car. Oh, I was just reminded to share with you something wonderful and exciting...just like 4 years ago, we discovered that my driver's license was expired again! Yeah!!! This meant that Karen had to do All of the driving in Puerto Rico...AGAIN!!! Man, I just love being chauffeured with a chance to gawk around.

Our 1st two places we wanted to share with you are Bahia de Jobos (Jobos Bay) and the town of Salinas.




I just love these stylish hats. They convey to people
that we are real Caribbean turistas!

You could easily get lost in the many turns these
mangrove channels make. I tied bright yellow flagging
on the mangrove branches to find our way back out.

We kept the dinghy speed low so as to not
spook the manatees...it worked...we didn't
see any!

No, I didn't tie yellow ribbons on the mangrove tree branches. We spent time here, both on our trip west and then on the return trip back eastward.
Salinas is a small town located along the southern shore of Puerto Rico. We did get to see a manatee here, while entering the anchorage. It swam up and grabbed a quick breath and then re-submerged before we could get a photo. From a distance, it reminded me of a big, grey slug.

A monument to the fishermen of Salinas

This is what happens to boats when their owners stop paying
slip fees...they are removed from the slip, pulled to shore and
beached. I don't know how long it's been here, but the mangroves
appear to have taken over residence.

Just foolin' around

Salinas harbor is a very nice anchorage, if you can avoid all
of the moorings.

We enjoyed some very nice nights in Salinas, as the water was almost flat-calm the entire time we spent there. We left Salinas for Isla de Caja de Muertos (the Spanish way to say Coffin Island)

From a distance, Isla Muertos does look a little like a body
laying down, thus "Coffin Island".

Here's the greeting we got...a nice little snake, just waiting
for a tasty morsel...or a hand to bite.

I found a little snow to lay down in next to some plants
that looked like worms...

Actually, they are just cactus and a cloudy sky...sillly!
There's probably never been snow on this island.

The old lighthouse, circa late-1800's, built by the Spanish

Looking up the lighthouse stairway

Looking down...

The whole island is set up as a park with covered
pavilions, trails, a nice dock and even a large composting
toilet. We definitely recommend a visit, especially if you want
to wander inside the lighthouse...it's getting pretty rickety inside.

Culebran Drift

Sailing from St. Thomas to Culebra is a nice, swift run of about 17 miles…and a little over 3 1/2 hours, if you can make about 5 knots or better. We pulled into Ensenada Honda shortly after 2pm and anchored about 200 yards from the famous “Dingy Dock Restaurant”. Our 1^st stop ashore was Zaco Tacos, Karen’s favorite Culebran eatery. All of the streamers, decorations, etc were in place on the street and storefront. Nope it wasn’t for us. They were setting up for a benefit dinner for the local school. Dinner was being served at 5pm. Karen had been having daydreams about their hibiscus tea. Oh well…it was already 3pm, so we headed over to the Dingy Dock. We were told they were under new management and the food was much better now. There were a lot of folks there…especially cruisers. No one was eating. When we asked for a menu, they told us that they stop serving meals between 3pm and 5pm…not even a side of fries or nachos…just alcohol…and it was now 3:20. So we settled on some drinks and I asked for a Modelo Negra…a tasty, dark beer. The bartender said “wrong country” and I settled for a Corona. Light colored. Weak flavored. Beer. Karen did better…she ordered a tea of some sort. Oh yeah…the afternoon’s meal was served on the boat by my lovely KAREN! It was waaay better than what they were serving on-island.

Here's a nice Culebran sunset

 One of the excursions we like to make while we’re here is to the produce market, held on Tuesdays and Fridays each week. You need to get there early if you want the best selection. I believe they bring it over on the ferry from Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Good selection, great prices and fresh vegetables/fruit.

Next, we sailed on to Cayo Santiago...Monkey Island! We had an even better sail, with wind at our backs for about 20 miles...averaging better than 6 knots and, sometimes, hitting over 8 surfing down the fronts of the waves. YAHOO!! Man we love them new sails!! We found a nice, somewhat quiet anchorage in the lee of the island, but I'm sure it can get pretty rolly here with waves wrapping around the ends of the island. The following morning we set out to take some photos of the island and see monkeys. I thought they would be on the shore waving us over and asking for bananas. We saw a few, but they seemed more interested in each other. Later in the day, there was a small runabout leaving the island with a number of folks on it. They were some of the researchers from the university, and only one could speak English. She didn't think it was too funny when I asked for a tour of the island. "Stay off the island"....I think she said!

The sign doesn't quite say it all...they should put
a couple more notices on the bottom..."These monkeys
are known to bite" and "These monkeys are known
carriers of Hepatitis B"

Here's one...taunting us to come ashore and pet it

Cayo Santiago is where more than 400 rhesus monkeys were turned loose about 50 years ago. The monkeys get fed, probably get shots and whatever else needed to make their lives better. It seems to me that they're not too good at creating "carbon copies," because, now, there are just over 900. If those were American teenagers turned loose for that long, there would be a need to get a larger island to hold the population. Anyway, if you want more info you can google it or go to this page:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayo_Santiago



And....here's Monkey sunset for you!

 

Hassle Island, USVI

Like my dad always says: "It's a poor day if you don't learn something new"

Here are a couple of websites dedicated to your continuing knowledge of the islands:

 



http://www.hasselisland.org/      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassel_Island,_U.S._Virgin_Islands
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creque_Marine_Railway

Just when you thought this was going to be an easy read, I'm springing a test on you!

 

Your introduction....

Hassle Island is located just south of the Charlotte Amalie Harbor, St. Thomas. We've anchored near it and sailed past it so many times, yet never toured on it. It's not a large island...less than a mile long and about 1/4 mile at its widest. There are goats, iguanas and birds on it, but few people. Most of the island is a park now, serving those venturous souls that want a nice stroll up semi-steep trails in the hot sun and wind.

 

By now, I suppose you have read all about the island from the links given above, so here's your test:

 

Name the places in the pictures...

On the island, looking North. The ground is sloping toward the water. Steel rails are visible, leading into the water.
Yep, it's the Creque Marine Railway yard, where ships would enter the channel, set into a cradle, then hauled up the rails to be cleaned and worked on.

Hint: the gear assembly is located in the building, uphill from the rails....
these are the drive gears connected to the beam engine that pulled the ship in its cradle up the rails. For extra credit...what is a beam engine? Refresher information can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beam_engine

 

A better picture than the one in the Hassel Island website...
It's the cistern for the Leprosarium. What's a Leprosarium, you ask?
You haven't read your assignment, have you? Two demerits!

The Leprosarium is the facility on the island used to house the infectious leper patients. Now, you are telling me you don't have a clue what leprosy is? Two more demerits! Keep it up, and you are going to have a really large chalkboard assignment!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprosy

 

If you want to earn back your privileges and avoid staying after school, explain who James Hazzel is.

 

Moving on....you'll find this on top of the North hill of Hassel Island. This view is looking East-Northeast. What was the site used for?

 

I have to warn you...you are going to fail this course if you don't do a better job studying!!!

 



It's a fortification. A place to set cannons. On top of the hill. Overlooking the harbor entrance. Built by the British. Ahhhh, now you know it...yes it's Shipley's Battery.
http://www.hasselisland.org/sites/shipleys-battery/

Here's an easy question: who is standing in the center of the picture below, wearing the straw hat and looking a little paunchy? Yes, that was a "gimmee" question.

But the next question is the "gotcha": Where am I standing?

Ohhh, you did read some of the material assigned....

 

Standing at the entrance to the Hazzell Family Cemetary

Karen, standing uphill from mausoleum #5

For extra credit and a shot at redeeming yourself:

name the three items in the foreground of the photo below.

Tick, tock, tick, tock....

You see only two? Wrong, my padawan learner....on the left, is a ship's anchor, leaning against a large metal lathe and a diving bell on the right.The diving bell was used at the shipyard to lower men to the sea bottom to work on the underwater rails as well as the carriage assemblies used to haul the ships out of water.
The idea is better explained in the old illustration below:

Last hurrah at Norman...for awhile...

One of our favorite dive sites of the BVI is "Spyglass Wall"...

on the northern shore of Norman Island. By diving standards that others
may be used to, I'm sure this isn't a spectacular dive. But by
BVI standards, it's about as good as it gets. There's a lot of
coral dead/dying, but there's also a lot that is showing some new growth. The fish population is quite large, especially with the algae eaters such as the parrot fish as well as a lot of small residents...wrasse, blue tang and chromis.

 

But after diving it for over 8 times and showing pictures of the same,
I thought it would be time to add some

interest to the pictures....some new, temporary residents...
 

 

Here's a little Disney action...Donald is standing
on some old, algae covered coral, Mickey is behind
a small bit of star coral, Goofy is just being Goofy,
and Minnie is hiding behind a small tube sponge



No crabs in here!

Goofy hangin' out...notice the sponge is waving also...

Here's a nice-sized lionfish, just waiting for me to stick my hand
under the coral head

 

Karen is becoming quite a good diver, capable of out-swimming
me and leaving me in the bubbles...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since we had some spare time to work on the boat (between fun activities like diving) Karen got out the sewing machine...here's some new slipcovers for our settee cushions...
and I got to watch the fun!

 

 

 

Honestly, I can usually figure things out pretty well when it comes to mechanical stuff, but Karen has tried to show me numerous times how a sewing machine works...I'm still baffled! How does a thread on top and one on the bottom meet in the middle of some fabric and tie a knot? 

Below, was the one other mystery I've had in my life...a photo I took. I must have looked at this on the computer a dozen times before I figured out what it was. I couldn't even remember where it was taken or if it was of something above or below the water line.

See if you can figure it out...

 

 

 

It kind of looks like a feature on the planet Mars.

Here's a little closer shot...

 

 

 

Do you see it yet? I couldn't...


...and here's the last one...


 

 

Still can't make it out?

 

It's a crab in the sand on the beach at White Bay

on Jost Van Dyke!

 

I had to zoom the picture in to figure it out, also!