Just Call Me Skippa

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

Hiking St John

I did some serious hiking yesterday on the Jonny Horn Trail. I lit out from the old church built during the slave trading days of 1753 which also serves as the start of the Jonny Horn Trail. Dodging the numerous wild donkeys I hiked nearly straight up for the first half mile. One thing I have bummed about since my arrival on St. John is my running routine has halted. To dangerous to run on these skinny roads. However if I can keep up the amount of walking I have doing to should be able to stave off an early demise. So the first section of the trail was tough but invigorating. The trail pretty much hugged a ridge line in dry forest scrub land and every now and again a beautiful view north toward Tortola BVI's came into view. At the end of the tail on was rewarded with Watermelon Bay and Watermelon Cay. Pretty much what you would expect on the north coast of St. John. Calm, clear beautiful water. It also is a turtle nesting area and I could see all kinds of turtles poking about as turtles tend to do. I was also able to skulk around some old ruins left over from the sugar plantations in the 1700's. All in all a great day other than the massive blister on my heal!

Capt Chris

Free Flu Shot

Things have slowed down to such a crawl that the big news is I lined up with the locals at the Fire Station in Coral Bay to get my influenza shot. It was a real community event. I came equipped with my thick health record that the Coast Guard kept for me for 20 years. It was supposed to be sent to the VA and I was told that if I wanted a copy I was more than welcome to make one myself! Oh joy what fun making copies of chest xray's at the office copy machine. Just another one of those irritating issues from my military days. The kind of irritant one tends to forget as time passes. They surely failed to show that scene in "The Guardian." So I swiped my record before it could be shipped off to the VA. When I was standing in line with all the hippies I clearly looked very squared away. It pains me that no one including me had a clue where to log the shot in my phat record, but I did log it in Google's snazzy online health record.

I have now been in St John for a week and still getting a routine down. The wind has really picked up to Christmas trade velocity. For the next three days wind is easterly at 25 knots and with the squall activity, at times the wind hits 35 knots. The mooring field that I am in has developed a small ground swell. So things aboard have become a little bumpy. In fact I have surprised that all of Coral Bay is pretty much exposed to the east and therefore the anchorage is not smooth when the wind is up. I suspect that I am spoiled from my time in Puerto Rico. Salinas really is a top notch place in terms of protection. It is fine though. The mooring that Jeff and Susan have loaned me are on three sand screws. To explain as I just learned what sand screws are. They are three to six feet long and resemble a large drill bit with about a 1 inch shank. It is threaded only at the tip. They are then simply twisted into the sand to the hilt. So Christa is riding on three of them via one line that has been nicely spliced in a seaman like fashion to all three screws. I believe it to be a pretty powerful set up.

Now again I can't claim to be the photographer of this here photo. But it was taken from one of the numerous hiking trails on St. John. I was intending to do some hiking this weekend but the weather is a bit sketchy so I wait it out. But the first trail will be the one that overlooks Coral Bay from a ridge line and then meanders down to the north shore to Haulover Bay. I really haven't had a chance yet to do much exploring but hope to do some soon. Mean while I have been working on my communications program. My cellphone is being relayed from towers in The British Virgin Islands at a rate of 3 dollars a minute. But I can get back on to the Sprint tower in Cruz Bay but have to take the 45 minute bus ride and even then I'm on my day time minutes as the bus runs only during the day. I have found a couple of free wi-fi signals that I can use with my iTouch but it is not feasable to sit on the side of the road with said laptop and Skype. But The Donkey Diner does have very good wi-fi that I can use to skype with but 30 days cost $60 big ones.

That is the way it goes in paradise. This in St John are very expensive and the local people have to work pretty hard to make ends meet. I had a philly cheese steak the other day at a cost of $13 bucks and your average breakfast will set you back 10 to 12 beans. On a positive note the bus is only a buck into Cruz Bay and you get free wi-fi in the park. So that is that.

More later from the Donkey Diner.

Capt Chris

Happy Veterans Day!

Good day to all you fellow vets out there! I'm blogging from the park bench here in Cruz Bay St. John waiting for the Veterans Day Parade. Like many things in islands communities nothing is on schedule and alot of confusion reigns. But who cares! I'm a retired Vet.

So I snapped this gem of a picture from the dink of Christa tugging at her mooring in Coral Bay. The mooring sits behind a reef which is from where I took the shot. i did some snorkeling off Christa bow yesterday. The reef was very nice with all kinds of tropical fish and big ole lobster lodged under a coral head. Could be dinner!

My impressions of St. John are just as billed. A pretty mellow enclave indeed. It is much more mountainous than I expected with the roads very narrow, steep with all kinds of twists. This surely will impact my running as I don't think I can handle the hills! Where I'm based out of, Coral Bay, sits on the east end of the Island. I can easily see the British Virgin Islands but a scant few miles to the east. But, Coral Bay is a very small hippie town with all kinds of interesting folks. i have to say folks seem to be very friendly. Right out of the gate Bill from Marlat and another fellow who also lives on the island, Steve have been just great. For a new person who enters an unknown environment there kindness makes all of the difference. Bill took me to Cruz Bay in his ride and pointed out all the particulars, schooled me in the bus system and pretty much welcomed me to town. Beautiful! Of course this tone is in line with Jeff and Susan from Free Spirit who offered me the use of the mooring in the first place.

So logistics will be a challenge as not everything is within arms length. But then again when everything in paradise is easy it tends to be overun which I think is why Coral Bay remains a very unique outpost. But like all beautiful places the island of St. John is under significant development pressure. But back to logistics. To get ashore I take the dink and beach her, walk along the shore line sometimes in the water and at others, during low tide along the beach. Then up to the road where it is a half hour walk to the sleepy Coral Bay village. When it is calm I will be able to take the dink into town. But the good news is the bus comes along once an hour and for a buck will take you all the way to Cruz Bay on the west end where the ferry from St. Thomas arrives. Or you can just get off in Coral Bay. As an aside hitch hiking is standard here, but you don't stick your thumb out. You point with your index finger in the direction your going which can be tough because they drive on the left side here. Go figure. This explains why on day one I was dissed as I had my thumb out! The next day the finger got me to where I needed to be. So Coral Bay does have a small market with everything one needs, some breakfast joints and a very famous open air bar called Skinny Legs.

I think that does it for today's post as I'm tired of tying. On an admin note I've added a few more pictures to my google photos and I know I may have some grammatical errors but I'm typing fast and sitting in a park.

Later

Capt Chris

St John To Port

Well it seems I have really arrived in a paradise like place. But let me explain this mornings sailing. Christa and I continue to beat to windward which as you all know I just can't stand. The conditions could always be worse, but earlier in the week the weather folk were predicting some pretty light wind. That really has not materialized and in fact later on this week the wind is supposed to pick up to 15 to 22 knots for the foreseeable future. So instead of being stuck in the large metropolis of Charlotte Amalie for weeks on end I decided to head to St. John. Anchor was up about 4:15am and I peeled my way out of the harbor with great caution as it is a busy place. The forecast called for 12 knots out the ESE and that is pretty much what I had. Between St. Thomas and St. John is a sound called Pilsbury Sound. The seas were lumpy and chaotic due to a lot of current. However Christa was running strong with a full main and the Yanmar cranking along at 2500rmp.

Now awhile back in Salinas I had met a very nice couple on SV Free Spirit and they had offered the use of their mooring in Coral Bay. Of course I am all over it! So I had been in touch with Free Spirits neighbor on St. John, Bill from SV Marlat who coincidentally had left a comment on this blog saying to keep an eye open for Jeff and Susan on Free Spirit. Another great small world story. Any who as I pulled behind johnsons reef there was Bill on Marlat who directed me to said mooring. Beautiful. The beauty of the place is shocking to the senses. More later.


Capt Chris

New Town New Culture

I departed Ensenada Dakity and sadly waved to Wandering Dolphin as I made my way out of the cut. I finally left Puerto Rico astern yesterday morning. I slipped the mooring at sunrise on a southeast 5-10 knot forecast and light seas for the 20 mile trip to windward. The conditions were a little more lumpy than I had anticipated and it was the first time I've had to contend with any kind of current. Nothing to get sweaty about though, but it did cause the sea to be a bit bumpy. Once I arrived it was a bit of a to do to find a spot. I had intended on anchoring on the west side of Water Island where the guide indicated it was nice and protected. However the water was very deep and where the water depth was manageable private moorings existed. After nearly two hours of trying to get things worked out I started locking up. So I headed straight to the hustle and busl of the Charlotte Amalie main harbor where I am anchored right off the cruise ship dock. It is a little crowded but not nearly as much as I thought and also a couple of boats I recognize from my travels are here as well. Really looking forward to having Wandering Dolphin make the 20 mile jump....so hurry up!

I am anchored right off the newly built Yacht Haven complex that caters to the mega yacht industry. The area has beautiful facilities with shops. I have already located my core needs of coffee shop (of which I sit currently) a bookstore and a marine store. So today, my first full day here in St. Thomas will be spent checking out some sights. I have a small fuel leak and need to find a Yanmar dealer to discuss and buy some fuel hose. Yesterday it rained buckets with some thunderstorms late in the afternoon and evening. Hopefully it will be a little nicer today.

So future plans include me heading to St. Johns likely on Sunday. I have been focused on St. Johns for quiet awhile and look forward to spending at least a month or more on said island.

Capt Chris

Ensenada Dakity Anchorage

Here is an aerial view of Christa's current position, located behind a wonderful barrier reef. The anchorage has multiple free moorings put in by the Department of Natural Resources and is clearly a favorite of most cruisers. I moved out to the anchorage a couple of days ago. I don't have to rave about how beautiful it is, the picture tells the story. I spent a couple of hours yesterday in "big blue" which is my kayak. As an aside, I could have an entire separate blog for "big blue", which has seen its share of adventure. Both with and without me. Anyway it was a very calm and peaceful morning and I simply skulked along the reef and shoreline. Critters abound in this sparely populated part of the island.

To get to town is a little bit of a to do. It is about a 30 minute brisk walk one way. So what most cruisers do is simply spend a few days out at the reef and go back to town in the big boat for a few days to resupply. It would be a very easy pattern for me to fall into. But.....

A very calm few days are in store for the next few days in the NE Caribbean. I plan on taking advantage to make some easy easting. It already has been 8 days since I arrived in Culebra. Tomorrow mooring I plan on slipping the mooring for the 20 mile jump to St. Thomas USVI where I'll spend some time and then it is onto St. Johns USVI. I likely will spend a month or more in St. Johns as I await the arrival of Janina in December.

Have a nice day!

Capt Chris

The Reefs of Culebra

Team Wandering Dolphin swung by this morning in "The Bus" for a snorkeling expedition to the reefs on the western shore. The mission was a total success. The reefs and the associated aquatic critters were equal to or better than what I experienced in the Bahamas. We visited two different reefs each choked with healthy fan coral, brain coral and all kinds of tropical fish. After the viewing we headed for a beautiful beach with picnic tables and had some lunch. Wrapped things of up by 12:30pm just in time for some afternoon rest! Now I have to confess that I did not take said picture. The picture was taken by Team Prudence who have spent the huricanne season here in Culebra. But the picture was taken on the same reef from today and in any event it represents exactly what we experienced today.

It has been one of those near perfect days. Nothing in the future to worry about and much to anticipate, the present is near perfect with gentle trades and many options. I've been playing my guitar and doing alot of reading. I have an evening run and a nice meal to look forward to. More later.

Capt Chris

Happy Halloween!

I continue to get my bearings on Culebra. Case in point I made my way over to Casa Ensenada to get my haircut from an English lady named Karen. Here are the results. My forehead continues to expand in lock step with the economic bailout plan. What can I say I am a retiree.

I like Culebra very much. For starters I think the temperature is 5 to 10 degrees cooler than Salinas with a fresh breeze even blowing at night. There seems to be a modest amount of cruisers and gringos that run businesses around the island. I hate to say it but it is a fact that the gringos simply run more efficient services. This is not to imply that the locals are not friendly. On the contrary the place seems very friendly. I did have a puking incident after a bean dish this afternoon at Mamacitas. I think my body is rejecting beans as the last time I had them several weeks back in Salinas I had the same reaction. So I feel much better but missed the kids haunted house deal with the Burton crew at Abbey School. But Wandering Dolphin and I, minus the kids are going back to Mamacitas for a late night Halloween bash. I'll avoid the beans and dress as the guy with a new haircut.

Capt Chris

Today's Photo

I'm getting my groove back no doubt. Today I took a hike in early afternoon and made my way to a hill with a big ole cistern on top where I snapped this pic. Christa sits amongst the sailboats yander. I also made my way to the library which is par for me as many of you know I love books and libraries. What is really cool about the Culebra library is that Sheryle from Prudence works their. The Culebra library is actually a trailer that runs on a Kubota diesel generator with a very nice selection. Now it may not have the charm of the Boston library in term of structure but it was purchased and then donated by an American family that bought and dedicated it in honor of there daughter who died in a plane crash in 1996. Plus it has AC, always critical to the cruiser in the tropics.

So I was able to gather all relevant information needed for a stay. Located the marine store, propane guy, gas station, laundry facility and breakfast joint. Prudence also schooled me in the numerous reefs to go snorkeling around. Another big piece of news is I located an English lady who cuts hair. I have not had a haircut in 13 months, and I think it is time.

This evening I went for an evening run which is always a thrill when you don't know the terrain, but I found a nice 4 mile circuit around the harbor that has a few hills.

Now I do have to remind myself it still is hurricane season and a system is midway between the Cape Verdes and the Lesser Antilles. All the experts agree that it should sheer itself apart in a day or two. But I am in a much more exposed position here in Culebra, although mangroves do exist here. The harbor is completely sealed off from the sea but in certain directions you can have up to 1 mile of fetch. In any event November hurricanes in this area are rare although pesky depressions and Tropical Storms can creep up. Enough of that. Have a nice day!

Capt Chris