Capt Chris, 80's, light NE breeze
12/05/2008, Coral Bay St. John USVI

I haven't had the chance to take a pictures while aboard Sadie Sea, but I'll try and work on that next week. Monday was my first day operating SS without the owner Ben aboard. It is an easy boat to handle, 40ft Linsey Trawler with a single screw and a big ole Detroit Diesel. So it was the normal 40 minute run from Cruz Bay to Reef Bay to pick up the hikers that the National Parks Service leads and sponsors. Of course day one, the winds were NE at 25 knots, so the seas were crappy. Once we got Saddie on the mooring I hop into the inflatable to head to the beach and pluck the hikers off. With the weather, a swell was running on the beach which makes the extraction that much more difficult. I usually run 6 folks at a time back to Saddie. I have to give constant task direction to the people and repeat things over and over again and still people end up splayed into the bottom of the inflatable. With a good natured smile I let them work things out. Dropping them off on the swim platform of SS is equally as exciting as again people don't listen or they just prefer to do things their own way. So I always say just prior to the approach, "always stand clear of the ladder boss." No one thus far has gotten that joke, but I find it highly amusing especially seeing that day by day I look more and more like Cap'n Ron.

So after safely herding all hands aboard I gave my safety spiel peppered with witisisms and I headed below to fire up the engine. The engine announced it didn't have enough power to turn the engine over. Wuups. So I emerge from the engine room to face 30 pasty faced tourists and announce it's my first day on the job. Not the smartest things I have ever done. So with a quick phone call to Ben, we did some things over the phone, but in the end, Ben in true Cap'n Ron style removed the battery from his ailing jeep, camendeered a boat and came out to save the day. Of course we still had to roll in the 7 foot swell back to Cruz Bay. I do have to say the passengers were good sports really, but their confidence had been shaken. I redeemed myself by expertly putting SS starboard side too the National Parks Pier. Little did they know that any chuckle head can put boat to the dock, but for once I kept my yap shut.

Capt Chris

PS: As an admin item please take the time to sign my guest book. Link to the right!

Comments [2]

Capt Chris, 80's breezy
12/02/2008, Coral Bay St. John USVI

As of yesterday the official hurricane season ended. Christa and I made it through thankfully but not without significant stress and worry. As I mentioned before, I just don't think I possess the type of personality that belongs in the belt during the season. In the graphic you can see a pretty fair number of storms. But what you don't see are all the disturbed weather that popped up everywhere that never really developed but are wear on you mentally nearly as much as a named storm.

It was one for the record books. The 10th busiest ever recorded. First time ever a major hurricane was recorded in five separate months. Hurricane Paloma was the second strongest hurricane ever recorded in November at 145 MPH. And of course we had Omar which went the opposite direction of the vast majority of hurricanes. So all in all I am lucky, but not feeling stoked about it.

Wonder where I'll be next season?

Capt Chris

Comments [3]

Capt Chris, 80's breezy
12/02/2008, Hawksnest Cove North Coast St John

Comments [1]

Capt Chris, 80 degree's, wind calm
11/27/2008, Coral Bay St. John USVI

On this Thanksgiving I have much to be thankful for. Take yesterday, the day I snapped this picture from Christa's spreader. It was such a beautiful day. The wind has eased up allowing the water to be less stirred and even clearer. During normal easterly trades a ground swell can develop but over the last days the wind has been northeast preventing any kind of ground swell. I arise with the sun, crack on a pot of coffee and watch the sun rise. As the temperature warms into the low 80's I take the dingy ashore and make the 5-minute stroll along the beach and round up onto the path and catch the bus, which is on time. I step off a few minutes later to dine at the Donkey Diner and check the weather and email. I quickly gather the local news from the staff, power was out.......came back on.......could be off later.......T-Day fiesta at Skinny Legs....blah blah blah. I love it. I hitch a ride back to the beach and retrace my path back to Christa. But wait, a new boat anchored off Christa quarter? It's Lori aboard Sill who I met in Culebra who knows Jeff and Susan the owners of the mooring I'm swing on. Lori pilots a 25 foot Hunter with no engine, a hardy sailor no doubt. She is in town for the Coral Bay Regatta. After polite chit chat I take a long snorkel trip out to the reef and spend a few moments scrubbing Christa's bottom. I spent the rest of the day reading and eating Spanish rice from Trader Joe's.

But really what Thanksgiving is all about is gratitude toward the folks aboard the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria whose arduous trip across the Atlantic started the whole shooting match. We owe an awful lot to those settlers. Unfortunately many contempory historians like to sling mud at those folks for shortcomings in community relations. The way I see it is Dutch and English settlers got together with a bunch of Indians to give thanks. A ground breaking ceremony of multiculturalism. Lets not forget that just prior to the revolution Britain passed a law stipulating that British Soldiers would be housed in the colonist's homes and the colonists would have to pick up the tab! Think about that! So I feel fortunate I won't have to share Christa with any Redcoats.

Thanksgiving is also about gratitude in general. So I am pretty grateful. Although I do have to say that just because I'm living what could be seen as this dreamy type life and it is great, don't be confused. But everyone has a happiness set point and as long as the basics in life are covered one's over all disposition doesn't change much. I find myself pretty much the same guy I was yesterday and the day before and the year before and on we go. Happiness is a top priority for me. I study the topic and try with all my might to make decision with this goal in mind. When I tack poorly life usually lets me know straight away and I try not to repeat. I'm not successful all the time, but a least I have a plan.

I am bummed I'm not with the family this Thanksgiving, but these are the rigors of my life style. I hope to improve on that aspect of my life. In any event happy Thanksgiving to all hands.

Capt Chris

Comments [6]

Capt Chris, 80's, light NE breeze
11/22/2008, St. John U.S. Virgin Islands

I took a job as a charter boat captain aboard the Sadie Sea making runs out of Cruz Bay St John. It will be nice to put my license to good use. Please take the time and surf on over to Sadie Sea's website by clicking on Sadie Sea above.

Many moons ago in Luperon I met a fellow named Casey who lives here on St John. You may recall Casey really came through in the clutch to help me out with my rear transmission seal. Well Case had told me about his buddy Ben who owns the Sadie Sea and that they could use a relief captain from time to time. You see many people hold six pack licenses on the island which means they can carry only six or less passengers where my license allows me any number of passengers only limited by the number of passengers the boat itself is certified to hold. So Sadie can run up to 37 passengers. So after meeting up with Casey the other day he made the introduction to Ben and off we went. On Thursday I sailed with Sadie on a run along the south coast to pick up hikers who hiked to the waters edge from the Reef Bay Trail. We lash Sadie up to a National Parks Mooring, run ashore in the ships tender pick up the hikers and transport back to the mother ship. Then it is about a 40 minute run back to Cruz Bay. Sadie Sea also does all manner of charter work from parties to dive and snorkel trips.

Ben and I hit it off just swimmingly. He is only 24 and bought the business from his mom who started it in 1989. He is a real business man and I love that. So on Monday I'll do a run with Ben and if I'm comfortable and can remember my safety spiel I give to the tourists the boat's all mine on Thursday. At present it looks like I'll do two runs a week and once the season really kicks in I may be running the boat five days a week.

Now this does beg the question of where do I stand in terms of my sailing adventure. No worries. It's on. Once Janina arrives we shall come up with a game plan for sailing for the rest of the season. We may stay here in St John for a month or two and make some quick bank and move on. I want to remain flexible. Like many my portfolio has taken a real beating and even though I am able to live off my pension, It would be tough for me to pass up the chance to make some extra cash along the way. Not to mention being a charter boat skipper in the Caribbean during the winter does sounds appealing now doesn't it?


Capt Chris....live from the Donkey Diner

Comments [5]