Joanne's Brother Jack and wife Cheryl joined us for a great 5 days where we had our first encounter with St John. What a beautiful Island, and more than a boaters paradise. This is also for campers, snorkelers, shoppers and beaching wonder. The U.S Parks system has done a fabulous job managing their half of the island, a gift from the Rockefellers.
We started in St. Thomas where we met Jack and Cheryl. It is an interesting sail East toward Tortola and the north end of St. John. You need the advice of your local guides and charts to properly make the trip East. Our target, Maho Bay and Francis Bay, are two side by side bays that are a great anchorage. We found a mooring in Maho Bay. The Parks system has an honor box to pay your mooring fees on a raft in between the two bays. We learned that there was a 100 step climb to a restaurant managed by the park rangers that served a nightly dinner. We made the march up the hill after bringing our dingy to the beach. Dinner was barbecue Mahi-Mahi. Excellent! But, what would you expect after 100 stairs. And, there was entertainment. She was a great vocalist who, on this evening, was emceeing an Open Mike night. There are some really talented campers. I am not sure I can say the same for the crew from Comocean. There are also a few strange ones! Campers, that is. Our first night was a bit rolly. Our newest learning, Maho Bay is not as protected as Francis Bay.
The next day we ventured down to Caneel Bay where we picked up a day mooring. Our plan was to go ashore, tour the Caneel Bay Resort and Restaurant and taxi into the town of Cruz Bay. Doyle's book alludes to a welcoming dock and visit. WRONG. We were met by a dock guard who pleasantly asked our intentions, and then described the "short dingy ride around the shore into town". We had great hamburgers in town at a bar just up from the ferry dock. Then we visited a very upscale, and enjoyable, shopping area known as Mongoose Junction. The dingy back to the boat was a little wet, and then we sailed back to Francis Bay for the night.
On the way back, we commented on the "yellow markers". What were they for? Well, beware of the yellow markers. There is a very large and very shallow reef between the Trunk Bay shore and the yellow markers!! This is Johnson Reef.
The next day we sailed around the East end of St John and entered Hurricane Hole. We anchored in Coral Harbor Doyles book describes a town with a few good restaurants and shops. On the east side of harbor is a dingy dock and a bar. Ok, not just a bar, but Skinny Legs... another famous hamburger spot in the Caribbean. What the town needs is a dingy dock near downtown. We quickly learned how treacherous the shore line was and how difficult it is to get to the other restaurants and shops. Skinny Legs, with its own dingy dock won out.