Last Nights Sunset As Viewed From Christa

Capt Chris, SE 10 KNOTS, SUNNY, 82 DEGREES
01/31/2009, Honeymoon Beach Water Island St Thomas USVI

I snapped this gem last night!

Enjoy!

Capt Chris

A Short Move Inside

Capt Chris
01/29/2009, Honeymoon Beach Water Island St Thomas USVI

Honeymoon Bay is not all that big and can get crowed so when I arrived a week or two ago I set the hook on the outside. The outside has some advantages such as not being on the inside and the wind blows more steady giving max support of the wind gen. But the outside does have some downsides. For starters it is not the inside, it is pretty deep at 32 feet, you can be subject to some swell and the buzz of many dingys going into and out of Crown Bay Marina. So yesterday when some room opened up I fired the Yanmar and hauled up on my 160 feet of chain/rode to stake my claim on the inside. As I approached my spot I could see the Burton's on Wandering Dolphin "hanging out" watching all the comings and goings. I got the anchor down in a relatively tight spot and moments later a squall came ripping through. I quickly acknowledged that it's "just a little squall" and hunkered down. The nice thing is now I know my anchor is well set after a couple of 30 plus knot gusts. Thus far I'm liking it on the inside. Just a tad less roll and a tad less wind. To top it all off, Susan and Hale from SV Cayuga delivered my new canvas splash shields for the cockpit. They look great! They now will start working on my new dodger and mainsail cover. I am changing all the canvas to an off white color and will have "Christa" sewed into the mainsail cover. Pics to follow upon delivery.

Another nice addition to my week is running. Susan from Cayuga is a runner as well and have gone together a couple of times. As I have mentioned before the hills in the Virgins are a killer. Water Island is no exceptions, but the route is beautiful and the quality of the workout is fantastic. I'll try and remember to bring the camera next time and get the money shot of the Honey Moon anchorage as seen through the eyes of runners. So as you can see I have been dreadfully busy since my arrival back in St Thomas. Boats tend to deliver an endless worklist and Christa is no exception. Each day I try to tackle something. Up coming projects include resurfacing the caprails with Cetol, drilling holes to mount the new (old oars for the dink) servicing the outboard, pickling the watermaker, mounting the tillerpilot for use with the monitor, changing the engine oil and it goes on and on. But that is how we roll!

Capt Chris

Update

Capt Chris, 80's, winds East 15 to 20 knots
01/26/2009, Honeymoon Beach Water Island St Thomas USVI

It has been a busy few days since my arrival back in St Thomas so I thought I might bore you with the mundane details of my life. I appreciate all the well wishes and medical advice I have been receiving about my fungal infection on my left index finger. The infection had taken a turn to negative town and had a serious eruption. I decided to dash back to the doctor and see what the deal was. The fungus in the nail was being treated properly with meds and is going away, but the skin portion was in horrible shape. So armed with my new prescription I jmped on the Safari which is the local taxi service and headed to Kmart. I am happy to report that my Tricare Insurance that I have via the military has pretty much worked as advertised. It is the usual government program that requires a substantial amount of patience and perseverance. I was able to walk out of Kmart with a 3 dollar copay for a 100 plus med. And most importantly within 24 hours the infection started a quick retreat. I'm am on the mend.

Another issue I've been working on is the Transportation Safety Workers Identification card or TWIC. From what I gather if you're a licensed mariner or work in any transportation field such as the railroad or TSA, your required to have this ID or the Masters License is voided. It is a post 911-security thing. So I went through all the hoops and made the application in person. Now a full FBI background check is done and once that is complete then they issue the card. I had to have fingerprints and palm prints done and pay the $132 fee. So it should be ready for pick up here in St Thomas in a month. So I will have to stay in St Thomas at least till then.

I also made contact with a company that is an employment placement service for the mega yacht industry. I put together my resume and all my documents from the service time and the company created a file for me. So apparently how it works is the Captain of you of these gigantic yachts go to the employment service and stipulates the position that needs filling. The service then hands over a few resumes fitting the description and then the captain decides based on the resume who he/she would like to interview. So I'm now out there and if something comes up I'll certainly look at.

In other business news I headed on over to the VA Clinic to get registered with the VA. I waited a year from retirement to register as they have a financial means test to determine cost shares to the patient. It is the dirty little secret that just because your were in the military does not mean you get free health care. They base the patient's portion on financial health. So they would have based my situation on my last year of active duty but now they will base it upon my retirement pay. So I have taking the time here in St Thomas to learn as much as I can about my health care situation so in case I get sick or injured I will have a clue as to what my options are.

In boat news, I have been equally as busy. I contracted with the nice folks on SV Cayuga to stretch out some new canvas for Christa. I'm having spray shields put in to help with protection in the cockpit. I also having estimates for a new dodger and mainsail cover done. If the price is right I'll have those items stitched up. I have a bunch of other nickel dime projects that need to be done and they all add up to a buck fifty. The new Yamaha 4hp 4 stroke in working like a champ and I'm very pleased. As soon as the break in period is done I'll take it back to offshore marine for its 10-hour servicing. As far as sailing south the only thing pushing me to leave sooner rather than later is the presence of Tom and Amy on Sandpiper who are now on their way to Bequia. I really want to meet up with them in the southern Caribbean. So current thoughts are to wait until I get my TWIC, wait for northeast wind, put Christa on a comfortable course and sail toward the southern Caribbean and land at whatever island allows a comfortable sail. Many people who spend a great deal of time in the Caribbean sail in that fashion. They don't plan on a destination they plan on a nice sail and land where the elements allow. For me I think I can fetch up in Martinique, Dominica or St Lucia without to much of a strain assuming a good weather window. Other than the Tom and Amy factor, I feel no rush to bolt and still have plenty of time till next hurricane season.

More Later

Capt Chris