Thursday, February 20, 2014 The neighbors have Conquered!

2 weeks of laughter - snorkel marathons - new adventures - and Olympic competitions (in honor of the winter Olympics going on now in Russia) and Gold goes to ... The Neighbors....who completely wore us OUT! But we wouldn't have it any other way...

It all started Wednesday, Feb 5th when after nearly 2 hours on the tarmac in Chicago, and a sprint thru the Charlotte Airport for a 20 minute connection they arrived in St Thomas...On time...if you can believe that! And the laughs begin! Everyone went right to their berths, and stripped to island appropriate attire before a dinner at Tickles.

Thursday we headed out slowly as we were only headed to Christmas Cove. It was the usual bumpy ride, and a few discovered they did not have the iron constitution they had hoped for...but once moored in CC all was well again. Let the snorkel Olympics begin! After lunch it was into the water where Eels, turtles and the various other critters we love showed themselves for Mark, Linda, Jim and I - while Donna relaxed on board with Cap'n Jim and Jerri & Herb began the first heat of the Kayak runs...They found a stony beach and claimed much pirate booty. Then we all lined up to watch the sun set into the sea and lo...the Green Flash made its appearance! For those who had not seen it, it was a rare treat...except for one, who was a little disappointed...appearently all the Green Flash Hype led her to expect a little more 'flash'. We promised to work harder for tomorrow!

Friday it was up and out and since we decided to do most of the 'to weather' legs together to make our crew a little more comfortable, we headed straight to Lamshur. It was a rough and rocky ride, but calm and peaceful when we arrived, with a beautiful anchorage. We took the hikers ashore, and after they had hiked their fill it was back to the boat for a snorkel along the wall. A large Remora was camped out under the boat, making getting into and out of the water an event in itself, as it would charge us aggressively...only to turn away 4 feet away...fun! We spotted a turtle here and rays heading back to the boat. And, a catch phrase for the trip was coined as when trying to point out something or other to Linda she advised...."I have an obstructed view!" which did not apply to the Green Flash which we did see again tonight...a rare treat two nights in a row.

Saturday, Feb 8th - We decided to spend another day here, and while Cap'n Jim was out of commission due to a newly discovered allergic reaction, a bunch of us headed to shore to check out the VIERS Research Station that one of the scientists mentioned to Jim and Linda yesterday after their hike. It was an easy 20 minute walk from the dingy dock, and we discovered a busy hive of activity populated with volunteers who happily gave us a tour of the complex, and allowed us to tour the Tektite project museum. Back in 1969-1970 they sunk a habitat here under the water for astronaut training. The only thing left under water are the footings, but the museum has a wealth of information and photos about the project and was a really interesting tour.

After we got back to the boat, Herb & Jerri headed to the beach, and Jim & Linda off to snorkel where they were rewarded with a spotted eagle ray feeding on some unsuspecting sea creature..VERY COOL!

Sunday we decided to head to Sopers where we checked in and did a little shopping, and then it was off to Norman Island, ahhhh, The Bight! While Mark hiked, Jerri & Herb Kayaked, Donna chilled in the water on the noodle, and Linda & Jim Snorkeled...we just love this place! Tonight was Fajita night....but before we enjoyed dinner... the dreaded Caribbean Viper jumped out and bit Linda right on the leg! Fortunately, the bite is NOT poisonous...and looks suspiciously like an indentation made by a barbeque fork...it's a dangerous place here in the galley...dangers lurking at every turn!

Monday, Feb 10th...Finally our helmsman, Herb got to work as we hoisted all sail and beat our way up the channel! 6 good, tight tacks, and a great sail! BVI Yacht shots was in the channel and we nearly ran him down as he photographed all of us on the foredeck (sans Herb, who was working) posing for the camera!

Along the way we saw a sleek racing sloop, zipping up the channel with Mylar sails, that look grey in the sun. Not the sort of sailing vessel we are used to seeing in the channel. As we entered the North sound, we found out where he went as there is a international regatta of One Design Racers, (Dutch, Italian, Sweedish, etc) buoy racing around the sound. Black hulls, grey sails and white spinnakers made quite the picture as they jockey for position.

We picked up a can at Leverick, and took everyone to shore to enjoy fresh water showers, and the start of happy hour, while I gave Jim a haircut and we took care of a little boat maintenance...then joined everyone ashore, and enjoyed the incomparable Michal Beans! Our first Gold Medal was secured by Mark, as Conch Blower...and took home a bottle of rum as the boat prize! Good thing...you can never have enough rum! And in the class of 'it's a small world'...Jim ran into his brother Patrick's Boss from West Dundee at home...Really, what are the odds?!

Tuesday, morning started out with some shouting on boats near us and we see a boat in gear moving forward on its mooring about to run into the boat ahead of it. It looked like a near miss, from our angle...but it was pretty darn funny to watch the skipper, completely naked, run up to the bow of the boat and look over as if the mooring lines had magically detached themselves, and the boat was drifting (forward, into the wind?! - I don't think so!). After most of the rush had passed us by we dropped the mooring and headed over to take on Water...5 days, 8 people...90 gallons...now that's Gold Medal Water conservation...a team event!

Around noon, we headed to shore and took a taxi up to Hog Heaven. For me it was a treat to be a passenger on this trip...and even Jerri made it without needing any of her flying buddies! Of course, we all enjoyed a drink when we got there! Then, the beauty of the north sound spread out at our feet. With all the boats bobbing like jewels, and the race boats again zipping around the racecourse. The service wonderful, the food outstanding, the view incredible...and the company stellar. Today...a very good day!

Wednesday, Feb 12...it's for the dogs...Great Dog that is, and we ducked out of the sound and headed south for a snorkel stop. As it was a little cloudy we decided to try Great Dog, the west side, which would be dark-ish anyway...and it turned out to be a rare treat. It was a little swelly here, so only Jim, Linda, Mark and I jumped in and as we neared the shore the boys spotted a big, dark something...as we rounded the formation into what we think is called 'the chimney' there it was and Linda pops up to say....'Oh my goodness...it's an Electric Ray!' Oh no it isn't.....its a 4 ft nurse shark, feeding 10-12 feet below us! WOW - we got Video...and if I could figure out how to post it...you could see it. But trust me...it was there...and sweeping back and forth for 5-10 minutes! So very cool!

After jumping back on board we headed over to Trellis Bay, and after picking up a can we headed to shore to wander and shop, then ended up having lunch at the Trellis Café, which was excellent.
Then the fearless trio headed out to explore Bellamy reef, in the center of the Bay. We saw a Burr fish, masquerading as a rock, several Lobsters, enough for all of us to dine happily tonight, and a nice little reef on the outer end. I also found some of my own pirate booty..a nearly new, 'out of the box and into the sea' West Marine Boat hook, sitting on the bottom in 7 feet of water. The advertisement on the hook says...'It Floats' ... maybe, but not for long!
Our friends Rex & Dixie from Wonderland are here and stop over to enjoy happy hour with us..a fun pair!

Thursday, Feb 13th - As we kept Jim & Linda from snorkeling for two days while we were at Leverick Bay..they are making up for it now, with 2 snorkels yesterday, and the first today at Monkey point. This was an amazing snorkel, and all but Herb and Cap'n Jim joined us as we frolicked with the silversides, the snapper, the flounder, turtle and octopus! There is no north swell, and the waters are lovely and calm here! So we can get into places that are normally too rough. We headed over to White Bay to take one of the new overnight moorings and while Jim & Linda snorkeled for the second time, Mark & Donna & then Herb & Jerri enjoyed the Kayak, heading to shore and exploring the beach, which Jerri informs me rivals any of the South Pacific beaches they have seen. Then later....the third snorkel for Jim & Linda, and Jerri & I joined them to head over to the beach. A little rough going in the water...but we made it just fine, and it was a easy run back to the boat after we were done on the beach. The collector came, A young man named Jo, who gave us a little information about the island and told us there was really great snorkeling along the northern side of the island. We decide to head there tomorrow.

And a great decision it turned out to be. We took a mooring right in front of the beach he mentioned and Mark, Jim, Linda & I swam in. WOW! The coral here is incredible! Jo mentioned that it looked like you were swimming into caverns, but that there was always a way to get out, and he was right...all along us we saw the most amazing coral heads...and the silversides were so thick we nearly missed seeing the 6 foot Tarpon (not kidding!) it was the Arnold Swartzenegger of Tarpon! And while, beside the silversides there are not a lot of fish here, what is here is BIG...like the giant tarpon, or the two lobsters that were easily 3 feet long...without the antennae...or the 2 crabs we saw as big as dinner plates...plus an adult spotted drum and an eel - a magnificent experience! After heading back to the boat, we petitioned the Captain to stay overnight and so headed back out in the afternoon, with Cap'n Jim, for another great snorkel. However, we had to do a temporary fin repair on one of Cap'n Jim's fin straps which broke just as we were getting in the water... thankfully the repair held....almost all the way back to the boat!

Jo came back to collect on the moorings and we thanked him profusely for the tip about snorkeling here...and he told us to check out his photography site...photographyjo.com...beautiful.

After a beautiful sunset over Jost van Dyke, then dinner, we all piled out to the foredeck to watch the full moon rise over Guana Island....magical. It was a very calm night, and we were the only people in the bay. It was an absolutely special place, and a fantastic day.

Saturday, Feb 15th - a few of us started the day watching the full moon set into the sea...or almost into the sea as there were some clouds on the horizon...then dawn arrived...and shortly it was time to head out to Sopers, for some shopping on our way to Norman Island. It was busy, busy when we got there...and it took us 45 minutes to get a can. A gold medal to the Captain for maneuvering in these tight quarters and strong winds, with all the moving boat traffic. After the shoppers were back, We headed out to Norman Island and took a can close up on the right so the snorkelers had the easy in and out.

Finally...Donna's Floatilla boats, that we have been waiting all week for, arrive, however they were not nearly as entertaining as usual, and we had to look for other entertainment.

Sunday...at last, a day we are not moving, so we had a hot cooked breakfast before breaking out the water toys and enjoying all the Bight has to offer. We eventually moved cans, to my favorite, right off the wall. We made the permanent repair to Cap'n Jim's fins, and while snorkeling Jim H spotted another adult Drum, and later Linda spotted 2 tiny juvenile spotted drum, hanging together in a little hole. We also had a big Barracuda eye-ball us as we swam by. Saw hundreds (maybe thousands?) of silversides 3-4 inches long, and swam with and thru them, and watched the Jacks come thru and feed on them. Many squid, and one banded Jawfish that looks much like a pebble...until it moves out or into its home...
I am always amazed at the variety here, and how you can snorkel over the same ground time and time again, and see something different every time. The Bight remains one of my very favorite places!

The Gold Medal for Snorkeling goes to Linda, with Silver to Jim H....it was Neck & Neck until after lunch one day when Linda said.."OK..." as she prepared to exit the table and prepare for the afternoon event and Jim H shouts out..."Nobody move!" effectively trapping her where she sat.. so close, Holt...so very close!

Monday, it is more, more, more of the same...on Sunday we kayaked Mark in to hike the island then Herb & Jerri went to retrieve him, and Mark just relaxed as he was ferried back...then he took a long swim again in the afternoon...so on Monday...we had him do a biathalon. We gave him a dry pack, and had him swim into the beach, put on his shoes, hike, then swim back....needless to say it was an early night for him!

We had other Gold Medal winners this week...Karen took one for her Fridge-packing, and another for never missing a mooring ball...and Donna took one gold and one silver for her exceptional foredeck work. A Gold went to Herb for the Best Bronzing Tan...with the silver going to Mark in that event. Jerri took a silver in infraction rectification...it was nearly a gold, but the pearl Jerri, the pearl.

The Gold Medal for Vigilance goes to the Captain, as he most often was found on the boat with binoculered eyes on the Snorklers and Kayakers making sure all were safe and sound.

We also had a hotly contested Can Crushing contest, in which Jim H took the Gold by a slim margin, with the Silver going to Mark....there was some protest regarding the regulation size of the cans...but the competition Judge, Linda...called a fair and impartial match!

Tuesday, Feb 18th and we are off to Sopers Hole...Again, this time to check out and head back to St. Thomas. Our helmsman Herb, ran us across the channel under Jib, in a comfortable run...until we ran into a mess of traffic just south of West End, and the Cap'n had to bring the engines into play. Then, we were running west back to Crown Bay. We got in at 2 and after a few chores headed immediately to customs, which took a little longer than expected..but finally we had cleared and were off to town, and lunch, which turned into dinner at The Green House.
After the walk back we broke out the computer and downloaded all the photos and spent the evening reviewing our wonderful 2 weeks!

Wednesday, Feb 19th...and time to prepare to head home!

After everyone got ready and packed we wandered over to Crown Bay Cruise ship dock and then Jim H, Linda, Jerri & I hopped into a cab and went downtown for a little more adventure. We found it in the historical walking tour of Blackbeard's castle where we hiked up the down path, past the amber waterfall and the rum tasting..then up the top half of the 99 steps, and up again to the castle. We did about half the tour...then it was time to head back for lunch. Before we knew it it was 3pm and time for them to head to the airport...

We had a GREAT time, explored multiple new places and still didn't see it all...oh well.... There is always next time!