Back in St. Thomas by ferry

Dawn and I are enjoying air-conditioned comfort in the Windward Passage Hotel in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI after a 1 1/4 hour ferry ride from Virgin Gorda. It is quite a difference from living on Cat Tales in a dusty boatyard in Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda, BVI. We've also spent a night in a beautiful apartment back in Spanish Town, so we've had our long, hot showers; and feel part of the normal world again.

The Boatyard Blues were not that bad, with great feelings of accomplishment and levels of efficiency within all the chores Dawn and I tackled. Indeed, it was our efficiency that has afforded us three nights off the boat before being rocketed back to Canada. The preparation of the bottom was done in jig time, and the painting of the bottom was done in a morning - although a morning that started at 6:30.

We had some real fun at the end of each day, thanks to sharing suppers with Steve and Maria of s/v Aspen. Although we met for supper four times, two evening meals were actually spectacular, thanks to them and their rental car. One took place on the highest restaurant/deck in Virgin Gorda, looking down over all of North Sound. The second was in the pretty resort of Leverick Bay.

We have also been lucky to have their company while traveling to the USVI, and during our time here.

We're all set to fly tomorrow and again on Sunday, and hope to catch up with our Canadian friends and family soon!!

Boatyard Blues BVI

Cat Tales is on the hard, in Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour.  We woke up early to rain, and had to close the hatches - after ripping away the mosquito screens to get at them.   We're just lamenting over what jobs we can do if the rain continues.  Not a real problem: I can always tear down, clean, lubricate and reassemble the head/toilet, as we can't use it here...   It is 8 am, the coffee has worked on me, and there is no stop to the rain, so I'll have to hike over to the toilets in the downpour.

Okay, I'm back.  It wasn't so bad:  just a traipse around the deeper puddles, a jump over a minor stream, but a step into one super soft bunch of mud. 

We last wrote from Guana Island.   Though the wind took its time decreasing, Dawn, Kristin and I swam into the rock face and found some wonderful snorkeling around stag coral.  Besides the usual guys, we found major schools of bait fish, around 6 large tarpons just short of 4 feet, and one 5 foot shark.  We are still arguing about what kind of shark it was.  It was grey, with a head somewhat like a nurse shark, but narrower and pointier.  It was neither afraid nor interested in us.

Dawn and I left Guana on Sunday, April 20th, and enjoyed two nights in Cane Garden Bay, where we did laundry and enjoyed the beach scene, just the two of us.  We then sailed to Jost Van Dyke Island, and spent three nights there, mostly enjoying the beach and bar scene with Steve and Maria of s/v Aspen.  We continued with Steve and Maria to Norman's Bight, where we kind of did the same.  We had a supper on the Willy T, a floating restaurant; where we were totally entertained by the antics of the youngish tourists flitting around quite drunk with skimpy swimwear.   Frankly, some girls would walk by and I felt I should pay somebody.

We also had an excellent hike on Norman Island.  The trails are quite fabulous, and we have determined that there are 4 more hikes for us to do there next year.

Leaving Norman on Monday, we had our last sail, and it was an excellent one: one tack straight up the Sir Francis Drake Channel all the way to Spanish Town.  We had three nights on the water, taking care of the jobs we could do, including changing oil and glycol in the two engines.  Tough work, actually, with a waste oil pump that failed on us in the middle of the operation.

The work has continued since being hauled out on Thursday.  I had to take time out yesterday to run around with the hot water tank to see if I could get it fixed.  The local welder said he just couldn't take the time to re-weld a 1996 tank that is at the end of its useful life, so I am working with the chandler to see if he can get a new one before next year.  I have already bypassed the connections for the water and glycol, so no real panic.   The starboard engine is done, so we have a safe location to pile stuff to get at what isn't done...

So here we are, working through the chores.  As the sun has just made it, it is time to stop procrastinating and go back to the chores.  Here is how we sit with the list (Dawn's lists not included):

 

The balls and figures are loaded up with firewood awaiting the full moon for the party in Trellis Bay, BVI

The moon in one hand and a beer in the other!

Kristin had to reach a bit higher since the moon was on the rise!

Before lighting

the parking lot for the full moon party

Look at the pictures in the ball!  We watched how this was done in the workshop behind one of the buildings on the beach.

The kids had the best view of the flaming balls!

A man in a dinghy drove away from this boat with a line attached to the mast top. The kid hanging onto the line raised up to a tremendous height and then released his grip and dropped into the water.  After the first kid dropped, they boys remembered to land with their legs closed!!

A little bubbling pool at the end of a hike in Jost van Dyke, BVI

Haulout, Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, May 1st, 2014 - Flights home on May 10th and 11th.

Just enough room to get the travel lift out!  Now, the work begins!

Paula (s/v Magique) sent this photo from Bonaire where she and Brian have sailed this season.  This seahorse was wrapped around a pin on their outboard engine so she saved him and put him back.  Isn't this a beautiful shot!?  Thanks Paula.