Today we are in Gorda Sound on a mooring at the Bitter End Yacht Club. They provided free moorings to the rally participants until Christmas. The Bitter End is a popular resort for shore bound guests who want to experience the Caribbean. It is quite pretty along the beach and would serve to satisfy any landlubbers need for warm weather and a beautiful view.

The dogs got a chance to go to shore today and they made the most of it. Swimming, chasing the ball, digging holes and rubbing their faces on dead stuff; what a dogs life.

We are slowly settling in. In a rush to leave Norfolk things didn't get put away and the storm help unload some cabinets and shelves. Most of the boat repairs have been made except for the port engine transmission. We have an appointment in St Thomas on December 8th to have a mechanic look at it. Everything points to a bad cone clutch in the saildrive.

We had dinner with Dave and Donna onboard Pas de Deux last night. More fresh caught Mahi. Tonight it's lasagna with them on our boat.

I'll check in with Thanksgiving wishes in a few days

Just to be sure everyone got the word we have arrived St Thomas (11/16 at 1930) and are now in the Crown Bay Marina dropping off crew and making repairs. The boat took a beating in the storm but we have made most of the repairs but still need to have the port transmission looked at by the experts. It doesn't want to go into gear and we suspect a clutch problem.

We have eaten quite well since arrival. All it takes is a flat serving table and good company. The crew of Pas de Deux came aboard last night with mahi and rainbow runner. We combined that with two pork tenderloins, green beans and ham and wild rice. All 9 managed to get around the salon table at the beginning of the meal but it was very tight at the finish.

Today we moved from Brewers Bay (see the rainbow picture along with others on the blog) to Crown Bay. Tom and Cindy Guminski had to begin the very long trip back to San Diego and the marina is but 5 minutes from the airport by cab.

Mike Eason and I hiked ("it is just around the corner...") to customs and immigration only to be told that if we are an American documented boat (we are) with all American crew (we were) and had touched no foreign lands in between (we didn't) that we didn't have to check in. Just as the captain believed, but no one believes the captain any more. We did have dinner with a Canadian Sunday night but I don't think that counted against us.

We also made a grocery run and had two wonderful restaurant meals. Today we washed the memory of really big waves in a wonderful fish chowder and conch fritters. I am also now super saturated with cold iced tea. It is such a delight to have more than two cubes at a time. "Warm beer and bread..." is how the song goes, you know.

The broken main halyard has been replaced, the TV antenna reinstalled, the bilge pump cleaned out, the dinghy outboard reignited, lifelines repaired, dinghy davit lift block replaced and countless other repair jobs performed. Tuesday we trudge off to find the Yanmar mechanic to work on the transmission clutch.

We are anxious to read some of the reports of the rescues during the storm. We don't have the whole story yet but heard that the Navy and Coast Guard stayed quite busy.

Mike heads home Wednesday so that means no company for 11 days. You each know where to find me so come on down before your feet freeze in place. The water temperature is in the 80's and the air temperature is the same. Why face a dismal winter chipping ice of your windshield when you could be down here complaining about the bright sunlight and your new sunburn.

One of the great mohawked and multi chained philosophers said it best "I pity the fool..."

We have added some pictures to the photo gallery.

Some are of the crew and some from the arrival destination of Brewer's Bay.

Right now we are in the Crown Bay Marina dropping crew off and making repairs.

I had promised regular blog entries for the trip down to the Virgin Islands. I did not anticipate the Great Storm of 2013 and the general malaise that comes with bouncing around at sea to cause me to miss posting entries, thus this one and the following few until we get to land will be short. Typing at sea for a two fingered typist is an ugly event. I hit letters, just not the ones I want to use. We got underway early on the 6th and had a good first 24 hours before we got headed by a south southeast wind that drove us offshore into a most ugly blow. It was quite the amusement park ride and I hate amusement park rides. Our peak wind was 43 knots which by itself is not overpowering but the fact that we couldn't run with the wind and waves made it a miserable day and night. That storm claimed a number of boats. We don't know all of the details as we have no newspaper delivery out here (731 miles to St Thomas) but we heard Coast Guard helicopters talking to boats that had lost the masts. A sad event for many sailors. By Saturday our appetites returned and we had a great dinner of Joan's home made chicken pot pie and tonight (Sunday) we had the world famous Scholl spaghetti with broiled garlic bread. The weather has improved quite nicely. We are all in shorts and tee shirts and starting to guess when we will make landfall on either St Thomas or St John depending on the time of day. No one ate for the first 72 hours and no one has missed a meal since. We are safe and survived the storm with only a few bits of damage or lost equipment but we didn't lose the boat or our live so getting through the storm is judged as a great success. Joan has hung a �"for sale�" sign out for her half of the boat but I think she may change her mind when we get to paradise. The dogs are fine. Sailor didn't know there was a storm and Gracie survived by sleeping in my arms. Their appetite is back also but they are bored. We miss everyone. Be safe. We will.

John

Here it is, finally. We are ready to head to the Caribbean, albeit on a delayed departure while awaiting better weather.

The crew this year is a seasoned one. Mike Eason, one of the best catamaran sailors around, Tom and Cindy Guminski, fresh in from San Diego and a well seasoned part of our offshore crew on previous trips, the Admiral, Joan, the boat dogs, Sailor & Gracie and me, the lowly boat driver.

The plan right now is to leave Wednesday along with our friends on Pas de Deux from Willoughby Harbor. We are just awaiting the go ahead from our weather router, Chris Parker, of the Marine Weather Center.

I will try to update the blog daily weather and boat conditions permitting.

Remember to come see us or follow along on the blog. Winter really stinks. We will do our best to stay away from it.

John

There are several ways to see where we are. There is the map to the right which you can click on but I am not sure it updates all of the time.

Any of the links under "Favorites" just under the map should so our position also.

Salty Dawg and Spot Connect may be the most accurate.