Fri 1st
Spend half the day recovering and the other half removing rust stains from the deck caused by red hot iron filings flying all over from the angle grinding. Dive under yacht in an attempt to find a torch that may have fallen overboard...no luck. We get a visit from Miranda, there is no karaoke this week as she has received a letter from “the big people” in St Vincent.
Sat 2nd
Dinner party on Tjeldøy
Sun 3rd
Begin preparations for a long (4 day) sail to the USVIs (United states Virgin Islands); put Teflon spray on blocks, engine belt, water and oil checks, check winches, stow anchor securely.
Mon 4th
We put our old anchor up for sail on the morning cruisers net. We do not have time to get dressed before the first dinghy arrives to view it. An old rusty Brittany with no galvanisation left, but it goes for about £50. The boat is 20kg lighter.
Tues 5th
We check out at customs and Immigration then say a few goodbyes pick up some bread and slip the mooring. 12:30 and we are off into the Caribbean sea. During the night we have full sail, three reefs, 1 reef, then end up with two until morning. We are taking two to three hour watches and between us we see one tanker and one cruise ship all night. AIS (new automatic identification system) identifies one vessel behind us briefly but we must be going faster as it does not re-appear.
Wed 6th
Wind has dropped and forecast is for even less. We have all sails up and throughout the day manage no more than 6 knots. Wind moved round to south and drops so we begin to discuss going to Saba, a Dutch island in the north Caribbean, instead of St John or St Croix (Croy) as originally planned. Spend half the day trying to request and download a GRIB (weather) file using our recently acquired SSB. Request finally, successfully confirmed but still await file which may not be available until after midnight.
We see a sailfish / marlin, they seem to glide very smoothly through the water with the sail / fin vertical and straight beautiful to watch.
Thur 7th
We get a grib (weather) file via the SSB and are now sure the wind will die on us. We sail on towards St Croix. The wind comes around behind us and we decide to try the Asymmetric spinnaker. When we finally get this up we discover that it is in fact symmetrical. In any case the wind drops and we take it down. However we are now in a position to motor all the way to St Croix as we have sufficient diesel left for the shortened distance.
On the approach to St Croix at night I see the luminescence from hundreds of squid that are all feeding near the surface, a little later hundreds of small fish and later still larger fish, though not so many. It is a fascinating way to while away the hours on a night watch.
Fri 8th
6:30 in the morning and St Croix is sighted, by 9:00 we are on a pontoon in the marina. We do the paperwork for the marina and head to customs and immigration (called Customs and Border Control in the US!). There is a helpful guy outside who asks if we have ships papers and our B1 visa – yes, good we can continue inside and have photo and finger print checks against his (our) bio data on his computer. A couple of hours rest then dinghy over to the board-walk, pretty colours and new buildings on the front give way to old buildings in a Dutch style further away from the shoreline. This is another typical tourist area with usual tut for sale. We head back to the marina bar for sundowners and after meeting a few locals we eat the best mahi mahi we have ever tasted in a very light batter with large size chips made from real potatoes, most unusual. Lisa, one of the locals is trying to find white balloons. We eventually discover that her husband is going out deep sea fishing with 1000 ft plus lines; they tie white balloons to the line every 100ft to check the depth. We play “Corn hole”. You get four bags of corn and try to throw them into a hole on the top centre of a 2x4 ft board on a slant. One point for hitting the board, three for getting in the hole, you can knock any corn bag into the hole or off the board to adjust the score. Four people play, two at each end..further details on request. I explain our local pub game “Aunt Sally” and they immediately decide to fabricate some sticks and a dolly. Oxfordshire may have to hold the world championships in St Croix!
Sat 9th
First thing in the morning, about 11am, we go to chandlers and get away with about 200$ including $50 for “Magik” boat cleaner. spend the rest of the morning deep cleaning the boat, check out from the marina and move across the bay to anchor. The marina is not the best, but it is the most expensive we have come across x 3!
Surprisingly the Majik boat cleaner removes all the rust stains from everything, Manureva looks the best she has ever done. We fill up with the cheapest diesel to date and head out of the marina.
Sun 10th
Rest day with a visit to Rum Runners to watch the rugby; unfortunately they cannot get the right channel so we have lunch and get back to the boat.
Mon 10th
We take a $2-50 bus trip to Sunny Isles, a shopping centre where we can get local mobile phones for $15. Our quad bands do not work as St Croix uses a different channel. Find a guitar shop and get some new strings (da'darrio!). I am trying to find a Fender Squire Telecaster Classic Vibe 50, but no luck. The guy has loads of classic guitars including Gibson 335 but will not sell any. He says when he has fixed one you can make him an offer.
Tue 12th
Faff about re-dropping anchor, get second anchor fouled and need to dive on it, wrap dinghy painter around prop and dive on that...Christiansted is an awkward anchorage as there is a strong current part of the time and winds at 90 degrees so everyone spins about in a different way. We meet up with Lyne and Eric with their two jack russells from Amarula and swap stories since we have not seen them for about 5 months.
Wed 13th
We have been disappointed by our new anchor, as yet it has not proved reliable. Move boat out behind reef, its a shallow tricky zigzag through a mass of boats moored close together behind protestant beach, but there is loads of space behind the reef in 4 metres so very happy – so far. We watch sea-planes landing and taking off in the channel less than 50 metres away. Looking out North towards the reef there is a huge surf that crashes over it accompanied by a constant crashing sound – hope that puts us to sleep better than the music last night. We visit a Mexican restaurant to see off Tony and Jessica from Rajin Cajun. There is a jam with a couple of mandolins and three guitars. Mostly yeehah music with a couple of nice blues numbers. We discover (local) margaritas at $1-50 after we have spent $9 on the tourist ones.
Thurs 14th
A day tour out by bus to Fredericksted in the far west of St Croix. 30 miles each way and a non tourist bus costs $4 return ($48 by tourist bus). The place has a pretty colourful façade but most shops were shut as there was no cruise ship docked. They get about two per week. On the return journey we stop off at the Botanical Gardens, quite the best we have seen in the Antilles to date. Back on board Manureva has been going round in circles but has not tripped the anchor.
Fri 15th
Trudy snorkels around the boat, the anchor is ¾ dug in but has not moved in two nights; things are looking up. Spend a half day reviewing the USVI marine guide; this mainly advertises all the duty free shopping available. We plan to go to St John next but it looks like you have to take a mooring at $15 each night so will probably only stay a couple of nights before heading to St Thomas. St Thomas gets up to 8 cruise ships per day! Masses of duty free arcades and malls. We don't expect to like this, however Water island, about a mile off shore is free from tourism and many live-aboards stay here for half the season.
Sat 16th
St Patrick's Day parade in St Croix. For an as yet unidentified reason Paddy's day is one of the two biggest events of the year, the other one is Christmas. This year the parade had nearly 50 entries from the local Harley Davidson club, classic cars, school bands, mobile bars (free if they like you), drum majorettes, to a girl swinging by a ribbon from a scaffolding erected on the back of a truck, easily the most entertaining. Most costumes are shades of green and very rarely you see a spectator not in green. They chuck plastic jewellery and sweets at you from various floats. After a few hours we head for Luncharia, the Mexican restaurant. For an enchilada. They are rubbish, shredded chicken in a liquid cheese sauce heated in the microwave, wish we never bothered. The St Croix Blues band were playing which made it worthwhile.
Sun 17th
St Patrick's Day official. We had planned to set off for St John today but on waking there are black clouds around and the wind is up over 20 knots. We expected this weather to arrive in two days time so are staying put, on the boat, and monitoring UGRIB and NOAA.
Mon 18th
For the last few days we have been one of three yachts just outside the entry channel, however today we are on our own. We have been watching the seaplanes land in the bay close by but today we have had two at once landing each side of us together and later a pilot opens his window and waves at Trudy whilst she is doing her on deck exercises!
Tues 19th
Weather has finally improved with less squalls, less wind and more sun. Last minute shop before heading off for St John.
Wed 20th
Wake at 07:00 and prepare to leave for St John. Weather is good, a few fluffy clouds and wind is a pleasant 15 knots. We are out of the channel by eight and set off with one reef in; a perfect day sail spent trying to spot whales that supposedly migrate at this time of year. None seen, we pass chocolate bay and visit Great Cruz bay. It is full of approximately 50 private moorings with two spots to anchor, both taken. So we head for Cruz bay. There are spaces outside the bay but only private mooring allowed within. We sure feel welcome here! We put the watermaker on and drop anchor. Have a bit of trouble anchoring in sand and rocks. When I check the watermaker the port bilge is rapidly filling with water! Watermaker off; water still pouring into the bilge; fresh water pump off and it drops to a dribble. Investigation shows that a recently fitted fresh water hose supplying the watermaker flushing system has ruptured. It looks like engine room heat might have caused a blister. We now have no water until this can be repaired. We search for spare hose and an hour later a bodge has been achieved that will allow us water for a few days until we get a better hose. Of course we now have a wet bilge and the old problem with the sail drive seal has reappeared so we have a constant alarm every time we use the port engine! A cup of tea later and Trudy heads down to the engine bilge to try to dry the seal. I check the internet, several signals, but all for Gallows Point Hotel. We cannot use it. We are anchored outside Cruz bay and a succession of motor boats race past us kicking up enormous wake making this very uncomfortable! Tomorrow we will have to move. We dinghy into town and visit the National Park office for details of their moorings.
Thur 21st
Little wind so we motor round to Maho bay. This is in the St John National park; like ¾ of the island! Mooring here are compulsory and cost $15 per night. The idea is that if no one anchors the sea bed will be preserved and the wildlife will flourish. We cannot remember ever being in a place with so little life. They operate an “honesty” system for payment. The long list of regulation includes a note that payment for an overnight stay must be made before 5pm. Our neighbours inform us that there is a small raft at the other side of the bay where we can pay. We dinghy over and there is a small pelican (waterproof) box with biros and envelopes inside. You fill out a form on the envelope put your $15 inside, take a receipt and post the envelope in a small steel post box. At 5pm the national park officers come around to check if you have paid. (some honesty system..) It is so quiet and calm that you can hear conversations on boats 200 metres away.
Fri 22nd
We head back to Cruz bay and anchor in the same spot as Wednesday. Dinghy into town and park on the ferry dock. We catch a dollar bus to the other end of the island and check out Coral bay. St John's main highway is a steep climb through forest to a view over the bays in the south east. Coral bay has four restaurants and a mini mart. A half hour later we get the bus back. Cruz bay is another duty free shopper's paradise, lots of brightly coloured shacks selling jewellery clothes and art. And several restaurants and bars happy hour 3 to 7! a couple of “pain killers” and its back to the boat.
Sat 23rd
Watch the St Thomas Rolex regatta races over the weekend loads of black sails and huge colourful spinnakers.
Mon 25th
Trudy sees what she believes are two sharks under the boat. I am not convinced; I have seen a sharksucker which very much resembles a shark.
Tue 26th
Travel all of 3 miles to the next island, St Thomas. We get a dollar bus to the chandlers and supermarket, but the bus only goes one way around the island and we get a taxi back by mistake! They look/are the same. A dollar one way and eight dollars the other. We are anchored in Red Hook bay, slightly more comfortable than Cruz bay but loads more ferries buzzing about until midnight.
Thur 28th
Head off west around St Thomas to Druiff bay on Water island, about 10 miles. Park next to Ross and Diana from “One White Tree” haven’t seen them since Trinidad. We are in the process of dropping the anchor and Ross is already telling us about the jam on Sunday. Trudy dives on the anchor, which is perfectly set and swims off to catch up on gossip with Diana. A couple of hours later and “La Luna” drops anchor and Stu dinghies over to say hi. (not seen since Grenada time before last) He and Barb have been on a mooring in order to fix their engine. It rains! For about a half hour. Can't remember the last time we had rain. Wind shifts during rain and we have to get wet re-anchoring!
Fri 29th
Windy and rain so stayed on boat.
Sat 30th
Went dinghy ashore about 2 miles into Charlotte Amalie where there are thousands of tourist shops selling diamonds pandora and other jewellery watches etc. also a large range of electronics and camera equipment all “duty free”. This town is prepared for up to eight cruise ships at once, luckily there is one in town. We walk for 5 hours in order to save an $8 cab and spend more than that on curing blister! I had planned to buy a new guitar and Trudy was looking for a robust waterproof camera. (After 3 hour) We find both shops together and as it is lunch time we are forced to go to “Hooters”, the only suitable restaurant around...a further 2 hour walk and we are back near the dingy and the local supermarket. We need to prep for tomorrow's jam and pot luck dinner on the beach.
Sun 31st
Rain and wind so bad that the beach jam is cancelled and everyone stays on their boats! I expect you are feeling sorry for us...
Hope everyone had a good Easter!
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