Koinonia Sailing and RVing

Vessel Name: Koinonia II/III
Vessel Make/Model: Hunter 41DS/Winnebago Navion
Hailing Port: Jacksonville, Florida
Extra: Previous owners of a Hunter Marine 41DS sailboat
09 February 2019 | Salt Springs Ocala National Forest
23 December 2018 | Jacksonville, Florida
04 June 2013 | Jacksonville, Florida
17 May 2013 | Georgetown, Exumas, Bahamas
15 May 2013 | Yuma, Arizona
09 May 2013 | Many islands
10 April 2013
05 March 2013 | Nanny Cay - The Boat Yard
28 February 2013 | Virgin Gorda, Salt Island, and Peter Island
27 February 2013 | Virgin Gorda BVI
26 February 2013
15 February 2013
10 February 2013
Recent Blog Posts
28 February 2019

South Florida, the Everglades, and Southwest Florida

This was Our first real RV travel experience as we headed to South Florida and the Everglades! Our travels took us all the way to Flamingo Campgrounds and the Florida Bay, then across to the Cypress National Forest on our way to visit Linda's cousin Debbie and Aunt Mickey who is 99 years old! Along the [...]

09 February 2019 | Salt Springs Ocala National Forest

Ocala National Forest

Linda and I visited the Ocala National Forest Salt Springs campground for 2 nights. We hiked the Bear Swamp Trail several times and swam in the Salt Spring! We also did some low level biking around the campgrounds.

23 December 2018 | Jacksonville, Florida

Next phase of life...

It has been awhile since we returned from cruising aboard Koinonia II and since then, much has taken place in our lives. Linda and I are now planning to spend some time traveling around the US and Canada in our RV motorhome "Koinonia III".

05 May 2014

Koinonia II has new owners

Well I guess it wasi bound to happen Koinonia II has found some new owners...

04 June 2013 | Jacksonville, Florida

Home Again

Linda and I were planning to depart Nassau first thing Sunday morning June 2 with the option to spend the night in a Berry island anchorage or continue on to the West End of Grand Bahama island before crossing to Florida. However, the weather update Saturday morning showed a weather window that was [...]

17 May 2013 | Georgetown, Exumas, Bahamas

Linda returns to crew in Bahamas

With Koinonia anchored off of Stocking island, one mile from the dinghy dock in Victoria Lake, Geoegetown, and the wind blowing 15 to 20 knots, I headed to the airport to meet Linda upon her arrival back to Koinonia after a month of shore leave!

My Virgin island perspective

20 April 2013
Don
The Virgin Islands is a collection of islands owned by the US and the British. Additionally, there are also the Spanish Virgin Islands as part of the US territory of Puerto Rico. The Virgin Islands can be thought of as a string of islands that run east to west with the Sir Francis Drake channel running down the middle of them. The only two exceptions are the islands of British Anegada, 15 miles northeast of Virgin Gorda, and US St. Croix, about 30 miles south of St. John. Excluding these two islands, the distance from one end to the other is 42 miles. However, most of the cruising experience takes place within a 20 mile run. This compact cruising ground makes for some easy sailing and easy movements to calm anchorages depending on the direction the trade winds are blowing out of or if a north swell develops.

You could probably immerse yourself completely in what these islands offer in two weeks, certainly in four weeks which would include all the full moon parties! I spent seven weeks here and started to feel like a native after discovering all the economical grocery stores and laundry facilities as well as the quiet bays and the party bays where the charter boats tend to go. I also got a second nature about where to move the boat depending on the weather forecast. One has to pay attention to the trade winds as the tend to oscillate north to south of east. This leads to sea states that will eventually vary the same and some bays will become rolly depending on the sea direction. The north swells caused by the winter low pressure systems departing the US eastern seaboard will trump the trades and you will have to carefully pick your anchorage. Again, you do not have to go far to remedy any bad spot.

If you are cruising these islands for only one or two weeks, then a cruising itinerary can be followed as outlined in the cruising guides. However, any itinerary may need tweaking depending on the wind and sea conditions. This was true even in my case, since basically I was cruising one week at a time with different guests. The Virgin Islands are a Mecca for charter bases with the largest charter company the Moorings based out of the British island of Tortola. Dodging the charterers is not much of a consideration in St. Thomas or for that matter St. John's, but it is an issue for all of the BVI's as cruisers and charterers mix in masses.

To deal with the great demand for the best anchorages, As a point of strategy, I always tried to depart my overnight anchorage in time to arrive at my next anchorage about the time the other yachts are leaving for their next anchorage, which usually results in a good choice of either a free anchor spot or a nice mooring spot. Usually a good arrival time is around 10:00 am. If this is just a lunch stop, I try to leave no later than 2:00 pm to find my overnight anchorage. This usually results in arriving between 3:00 and 4:00 pm, allowing time for a final late afternoon swim or some kayaking.

One of the biggest challenges with cruising the Virgin Islands is moving back and forth between the USVIs and the BVIs where one has to check in and out of the BVIs and into the US. This is more of a hassle than an expense, but the BVIs charge over $20 each time; however, the authorities will issue an in and out permit for just a 3 day stay, and sometimes up to a 4 day stay. Otherwise you have to checkout separately. My favorite place to check in or out in BVIs was Great Harbor Jost Van Dyke. My second choice was West End Tortola.

The host yacht making crew changes has several options: (1) drop off or pick up crew in St. Thomas or (2) have the crew take the ferry or fly into Tortola. The last option saves the host yacht captain based in the BVIs some money and hassle of transiting to the USVIs, but at the cost and hassle of the arriving or departing crew. I always choose to make crew changes in St. Thomas. If this is the choice, then, you have a myriad of options to choose. I either stayed at American Yacht Harbor marina in Red Hook or anchored in the Charlotte Amalie harbor. Charlotte Amalie is the capital of the USVI's and a very big harbor with lots of anchor room or pick up a mooring at cost. In fact, it is not unusual to see up to seven cruise ships in port here. One could also stay in the more expensive Crown Bay marina or the even more expensive Yacht Haven Grande where the super yachts moor. Also, other anchorages exist along the southern coast all the way to the airport. All of them except one will require transportation, so I choose to anchor between the historic town center and Yacht Haven Grande. This allowed me easy access to taxis, grocery stores, and sightseeing the historic town.

When staying at American Yacht Harbor marina in Red Hook bay, I would usually rent a car to drop off and pick up the crew. This is more expensive than a taxi, but afforded more flexibility to go shopping at more inexpensive grocery stores like Cost U Less and the Food Center, as well as The Budget Marine store. I made 5 crew changes while in the Virgin Islands and they all went well with only minor hassle with the weather.

Since Red Hook bay opens to the east, it can be challenging getting in and out of your slip assignment. You can also find an anchor spot out in the bay, but it always looked too rough for me. It can get a little rolly in Charlotte Amalie harbor as well when the wind blows south of east for too long and the dinghy ride can get a little wet to weather bringing new crew and luggage back to the boat. Red Hook does provide the benefit of a shorter passage over the rough seas to St. John to begin the Virgin Island experience. However, Red Hook does not have a Customs and Immigration office to check in to the USVI and the best option is to go to Cruz Bay, St. Johns before arriving at Red Hook. When leaving, you do not need to check out of USVI.

I have one recommendation for your cruising experience in the USVI's and that is to spend a day and night Anchored in Megan's Bay on the north side of St. Thomas. This is usually a very quiet spot that is usually void of other cruisers and the beach is world famously beautiful!

If one has a short stay or wants to avoid the hassle of checking into the BVIs, then you could easily spend 3 to 4 days enjoying the island of St. John where 70% of the island is a national park with many hiking trails. I suggest starting off in Caneel bay your first day and either make the dinghy ride around to the town of Cruz Bay or hike the rugged trail starting just behind the beach over to town. Either way has its pros and cons, but Cruz Bay is worth the visit even if it is just for a some groceries!

Next, make a lunch stop at Trunk bay before moving on to the well protected Maho bay. Trunk bay in settled weather is a great place to snorkel. If you like you can swim the underwater trail maintained by the park service which includes placards of information about the coral. Or you could avoid the cruise ship crowd and swim on the other side of Trunk bay. After a good swim and lunch, head over to Maho bay which is also adjacent to Francis Bay. Either Bay's mooring spots are well protected from the trade wind seas and even any northeast swells. Maho bay is my favorite for its clear pristine waters and beach. You can take your dinghy around to the beach in Francis Bay and pick up the trail that leads to the road that leads to the old Annaberg sugar plantation or you could spend some time walking up the steps to a restaurant at the top of a glorified camp ground which may be on its last leg of life since it recently changed ownership.

One could also get to the old Annaberg plantation from an anchorage in Leinster/Watermelon Bay, but I had no experience with those anchorages due to weather conditions. I also had no experiences with the southern side of St. John including Coral Bay and Hurricane Hole due to the lack of interest there and weather conditions being marginal. However, one could visit Coral Bay by taxi service which is readily available right next to the beach in Maho bay. In fact, the taxi service is another option to get to the town of Cruz Bay at $7 per person each way.

If you have more time and inclination to visit the BVIs, then from St. John, you could head to either West End, Tortola or Great Harbor, Jost Van Dyke to clear Customs and Immigration. If you plan to spend the night at either one, then you may want to look for a hole among the mooring buoys to anchor or just pick up a mooring for $30 per night. Someone will come to your boat to collect, usually in the late afternoon. Both harbors have good protection from the trade winds and excellent protection from the north swells. I prefer Great Harbor if I plan to spend the night. West end is more appealing for a nice lunch stop which I might do when I leave Great Harbor to begin my cruise around the BVIs. From the West End, a.k.a. Sopers Hole, I usually head to the Bight of Norman Island where one could be lucky to find an anchor spot right in front of the Pirates restaurant or right near the floating restaurant known as Willy T's which can be very loud late into the night. From here you can make the typical cruiser circuit of stops like the HMS Rhone wreck site or the Baths. The moorings at these sites are maintained by the BVIs park service and are free for day use only. If your yacht is over 60 feet, you must anchor out to sea behind the mooring fields.

If you are planning to attend a full moon party like the one at Trellis bay, then I recommend arriving early afternoon or even in the morning if you want to avoid the chaos that occurs in trying to anchor in a crowd. Also, you have to be careful not to end up in the restricted area at the end of the airport runway.

If the trade winds blow out of the north for several days, then you might find the south side of Peter Island to be an attractive option to explore. I highly recommend Money Bay for its great collection of sea fans. Even though we circumnavigated most of the islands, we did not make any overnight stays in the southern sides of St. John, Peter, Norman, Salt island, or Virgin Gorda. However, it appeared that some do stay overnight and thus doable in east trade winds.

We did stay comfortably overnight in several spots along the southern coast of Tortola including Road Town and of course Nanny Cay (which really is not a Cay), where we had our boat hauled out for bottom paint among other repair jobs. It was really a nice boatyard to spend 3 days on the hard.

The British and US Virgin Islands are a great cruising ground worthy of a 4 week visit, but with lots of charter boats and cruisers alike vying for the good spots. If you want more solitude, then the Spanish Virgin Islands are a good option or maybe break away to St. Croix or Anegada for 3 or 4 days.
Comments
Koinonia II/III's Photos - Main
Flamingo Lodge Campground Florida Bay
51 Photos
Created 18 March 2019
15 Photos
Created 20 February 2019
Recent pictures of Koinonia II, a Hunter 41 Deck Salon, as she is outfitted and ready for you to start cruising the Caribbean immediately!
81 Photos
Created 29 August 2013
30 Photos
Created 14 August 2013
Linda's Mom Joins the Crew
14 Photos
Created 25 April 2013
Pete and Debbie Join the Crew
18 Photos
Created 24 April 2013
Olivia Joins the Crew
23 Photos
Created 24 April 2013
Victoria and Trey Join the Crew
53 Photos
Created 11 April 2013
9 Photos
Created 31 March 2013
10 Photos
Created 13 March 2013
18 Photos
Created 6 March 2013
19 Photos
Created 4 March 2013
18 Photos
Created 3 March 2013
24 Photos
Created 3 March 2013
50 Photos
Created 2 March 2013
25 Photos
Created 1 March 2013
27 Photos
Created 13 February 2013
45 Photos
Created 2 February 2013
32 Photos
Created 24 January 2013
Pictures from St. Lucia
44 Photos
Created 16 January 2013
Pictures from the crew of Koinonia II (Captain Don, Doug Rosen, and Charlie Para) 26 days at sea starting from the Canary Islands to our first Caribbean landfall in Barbados.
17 Photos
Created 4 January 2013
Pictures of Don and Linda cruising through southern Italy, circumnavigating Sicily, and through the Aeolian Islands and on to Rome.
82 Photos
Created 30 August 2012
Pictures from Don, Linda, Patty Chambers, and Mike and Debbie Lindell cruising from Athens through the Corinth Canal, the Gulf of Corinth, the Gulf of Patras, and the Greek Ionian islands.
38 Photos
Created 26 August 2012
Pictures of Don, Linda, Victoria and Emily Jones cruising through the Cyclades in the Aegean sea.
71 Photos
Created 8 August 2012
Pictures from Don and Linda cruising through the Ionian islands of Greece, the Gulf of Patras, Gulf of Corinth, and the Corinth Canal on the way to Athens where we were joined by Rick and Sandy Elbracht. From there we cruised the Aegean sea all the way to Turkey and back including many of the Greek islands.
60 Photos
Created 30 July 2012
Pictures of Don and Linda visiting the Greek Island of Aegina in the Saronic Gulf
6 Photos
Created 11 June 2012
Pictures of Koinonia II traversing west to east towards Athens through the 3 mile long Corinth Canal
12 Photos
Created 10 June 2012
Pictures of Don and Linda's shore excursion to Delphi by bus from Galaxidi
14 Photos
Created 26 May 2012
Pictures of Don and Linda sailing from Ithaca to Galaxidhi through the Gulf of Patras and the Gulf of Corinth
6 Photos
Created 26 May 2012
Pictures of Don and Linda sailing to and cruising around Ithaca Greece
2 Photos
Created 26 May 2012
Pictures from Linda and Don's visits to the islands of Paxos and Levkas and through the Lefkas Canal.
16 Photos
Created 22 May 2012
Pictures of Don and Linda in Cavtat, Croatia, our port of exit from Croatia.
10 Photos
Created 14 May 2012
Pictures of Don and Linda touring Corfu Greece
15 Photos
Created 14 May 2012
Pictures from Don and Linda's cruise through the beautiful Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro.
18 Photos
Created 13 May 2012
Pictures from Don and Linda's visit to this very special and historical town.
47 Photos
Created 6 May 2012
Pictures of Linda and Don cruising through the Croatian Islands and Mainland
19 Photos
Created 3 May 2012
Pictures of Don and Linda returning to Zadar (Sukosan Marina Dalmajia) and Koinonia II which suffered through the cold European winter on the hard.
7 Photos
Created 1 May 2012
Pictures from Linda and Don touring Zagreb Croatia.
16 Photos
Created 25 April 2012
Pictures from Linda and Don touring Paris in April 2012
20 Photos
Created 25 April 2012
Pictures of family land touring around Italy.
11 Photos
Created 28 March 2012
Pictures of the Gilbert family in Croatia
20 Photos
Created 20 March 2012
Pictures from Don, Charlie, and Scott cruising around Croatia mainland and its islands. See sub-Albums.
1 Photo | 4 Sub-Albums
Created 19 August 2011
Pictures from our 4 days in Montenegro which includes the towns of Tivat, Kotor, Budva and touring around in a rental car.
19 Photos
Created 14 August 2011
Pictures from a very small resort town on the heal of Italy.
18 Photos
Created 10 August 2011
Pictures from around the port town of Crotone, the old Fort, and the archeological museum.
39 Photos
Created 10 August 2011
Pictures from around Sicily including Palermo
17 Photos
Created 28 July 2011
Pictures of our train ride through the country side of Sardegna.
37 Photos
Created 28 July 2011
Check out the photos in the Sub-Albums.
5 Sub-Albums
Created 15 July 2011
Pictures from the Spanish Enclave town of Cueta in North Africa. This town had lots of interesting architecture, statues, history and was very lively late at night.
20 Photos
Created 15 July 2011
Pictures of completing our Atlantic crossing and our stay in Gibraltor and our tour of the top of the Rock.
27 Photos
Created 12 July 2011
The second leg from Bermuda to the Azores and the Islands of the Azores
57 Photos
Created 13 June 2011
The first leg from Jacksonville to Bermuda and the Island of Bermuda
80 Photos
Created 13 June 2011
Koinonia II
10 Photos
Created 6 March 2011

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18 March 2019
51 Photos
20 February 2019
15 Photos