Attempt to take on St Thomas
Our initial thoughts were: St Thomas is not an easy one to go to (and they don’t seem to make outsiders feel welcome?}... no public moorings available ... only private ones and the harbours and marinas are mostly full! So anchoring in a very safe spot is the only way that we can leave the yacht for the day and go and explore the island! ....or stay in lovely friendly St Johns, and take a ferry to St Thomas for the day!
So we turned around and head back for St Johns.... this time we are going to go into a bay that is specifically indicated for snorkelling! I am so excited!
It is great exercise as well as fun! BZN it was....Bay Zonder Naam! Well ... not really BZN ... but that is what we called it as none of our literature gave it a name!... it is just south of Salt Pond Bay before going around Ram Head Point.

Very protected ... and the best of all is ... we are the only boat there!!! It was our own private bay and coral beach for one day! There are not many of them around here...! Snorkelling just made me realise again ... the purest of colours are to be found under water! The Purple, Blue, Yellow and Green ...its pure pigments strait from the Creator-Artist’s pallet! So vibrant and almost mesmerizing.... Almost illuminatingly bright!
We went around to Hurricane Hole (day stops only!) great for Canoeing! ... it was pouring at times ... a great opportunity for the captain to get me to help him clean the hull while he was sitting with a bucket of soapy water in the Canoe and I have the back and front of the canoe on ropes “steering” him around the yacht…like a puppeteer! Coral Bay is just a 5 min dingy trip away and we had to go and get fresh milk and potatoes and find some internet hub!(our credit card is now playing up all the time .... with pretty serious repercussions ! So we need to make contact to sort it out! And what a great little town it was! Especially “down town”! With an internet café ... the owner so friendly she just about helps you read your email! Ha! And Skinny Legs is the BEST shop in St John’s!!! A little Hippy Shop but with really cute and good quality stuff! I will have to get back there – too special to miss out on some of those clothes and bags! Our Credit card did not work at the time …but the Captain could see the sadness it left in my eyes… not getting that special bag and top… so he promise to go back to Tortola that way ( cute isn’t he?)
We went over to Great Lamsure Bay – too late and overcast for snorkelling (it is supposed to be excellent!) but we took a dinghy ride all along the coast with the most amazing rock formations! I couldn’t stop taking pictures! It is almost as if each of them has an ancient story to tell!
And that is where the Captain has made up his mind … that we are going to take on St Thomas and will not be intimidated by the fact that they don’t make outsiders feel welcome! We are heading for Charlotte Amalie – the main town on the island – and will anchor in the Harbour!
By the way Charlotte Amalie is named after a Danish Queen in the days when the US Virgin Islands still belonged to Denmark. A lovely name…