USVI



Looking E to USVI 1/2 way from Culebra



Looking W to Culebra





While Earl only gave Puerto Rico and us a slight shot, it whacked the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) much more severely. We saw way more a dozen sailboat wrecks on St. Thomas and St. John plus devastation to the reefs.

Along the shoreline we saw evidence – mainly brown bushes and shrubs – above the beach of the 12’ to– 18’ waves that swung in from the south ripping up the coral, flinging it onto the shore and discoloring the vegetation. Needless to say the snorkeling was lousy.





After a ride over to Cruz Bay, St. John and the National Park Headquarters for information, we motored into the 20 to 25 k wind past Caneel Bay, too rough; Hawlksnest Bay, too rough; Trunk Bay, too rough; and half way to Francis Bay, also too rough.



Charlotte Amalie



Charlotte Amalie



We turned tail and sailed back down wind past Great St. James Island, Jersey Bay, Packet Rock and Barrel of Beef into Charlotte Amalie Harbour where we anchored across from the cruise dock with just one (it can handle two) ship, Carnival Victory, tied along side. I have never seen so much shopping, both at Havensight (east of downtown) and Charlotte Amalie. Literally hundreds of jewelry, liquor, clothing, tourist junques, etc. stores are one right next to another with some stuffs all in the same store. How they survive I do not know, and everything is closed on the 3 or 4 non cruise ship days. It’s all very orderly and friendly with no shop owner hawking his wares from the front of the store.



Linda and Pinheys at 99 Steps





Linda below Blue Beard's Castle



 Police are everywhere you turn which seems to have tamped down their poor reputation for crime against tourists. However, the locals do tell you to be smart jus’ like seeing any large city.



Linda's new dress - Woooow!!!



We took the “Dolla’” cab/bus – a heavy truck pickup with rows of seats and a metal roof - to Red Hook on the southeast end of the island. By the way, cab/taxis are quite expensive and heavily and loudly solicited on every street, doorway, shady spot and corner. The ride turned out to be two dollars as the price and distance went up. Very cute place which was in the throes of a chicken wing cooking contest (feeding frenzy) for the benefit of a childrens’ home. We people-watched from a bar overlooking the parking lot where it was held. Boy, those Hooters girls sure are scrimply stacked. Seems there are to be elections shortly as a Democratic candidate for office was glad-handing crowd with his “I’m your best friend and will take care of you” smile.



Brewers Bay



 

We’ve anchored since yesterday in Brewer Bay, right next to the airport and runway, just west of Charlotte Amalie. It has a park and beach at its head and is very lovely with clear water and a sand bottom. You can always tell a good anchorage if we make water, and we are. The noise which one would think would be terrible is not at all. The planes come in mostly during the day (none after 9 p.m.) and with noise abatement are rather quiet. Don’t tell anyone (the cruising guide hasn’t figured it out either) ‘cause we’re the only ones anchored here very close to Charlotte Amalie. Monday we’ll head back to Culebra where I hope to find my meds at the post office General Delivery as the Rx company screwed up the last order and I’m about to run out.



Pirate ship motoring over to cruise ship dock



 

OK, it’s time for the Great Haircut Debate to begin. Does Harry’s crew cut win out for convenience (no combing in the a.m.; after a wind tousle; a hat muss; a swim; a rain; etc.) or lose to past beauty (no vanity/conceit intended)? Here are some pictures, I hope, to help you decide. Please comment on the blog and I’ll publish the results after a modicum of time, but not so quickly that it’ll gown out before October 22 if long hair wins.

 

 

Culebra Revisited






Salinas harbour and Marina





Rob and Lauren Dehaan of Arita



Steve and Sue Penhey of Lose Change

We’re baaack! Anchored (on a DRNA free mooring ball behind Rob's head) to the left of the entrance and behind the reef at Ensenada Honda. After our stay in Salinas with all its nutrients Kūhela developed a moss and barnacle skirt. I know, all boats do this, but Kūhela does it twice. So I mask, fin and rub from the surface as low as I can go. Then get out the SCUBA regulator and the oil-less air compressor with 70’ hose and do the bottom ⅔rds. Oh woe is me having to “cut the grass” every month or so, unlike Florida in the day when it was every 4 days in the summer. That’s the price we cruisers have to pay to stay afloat. Oh, hum.


I went into the local post office and retrieved my very late (lost) birthday card from my dear friends Peggy and Jack in Titusville. Seems a very green iguana holding a frozen margarita is asking, “Got lime?” Inside it says, “Celebrate like the cold-blooded party animal you are! Happy Birthday.” Cute, huh?!?! All the rest of the cards seem to have been returned or are still lost. No, I don’t get it either.

The weather has been wonderful this past week, so on top of relocating to Culebra via Vieques we are going to make a 12 nm passage to Charlotte Amalie, USVI and St. Thomas. We might take a peek at the BVI in spite of their cruising permit fee, too. I was sorry we couldn’t stay longer at Vieques – just one night - but Linda is still hurting from the accident and didn’t want to bounce around the island on a motor bike or golf cart just yet. We’ll go back later when she’s better healed.

Although I’ve heard about it I have never seen (been near) someone who came down with a recurring bout of malaria. Rob Dehaan of Arita got his in New Guinea years ago and it’s come back. Poor guy is down for the count with all the classic symptoms. Thank God he has his beautiful wife, Lauren, to nurse him back to health. Too bad she spells her name wrong. Should be like me, “Loren”.

Post Hurricane Earl - Salinas, PR

Well, we made it to the mangroves at Jobos in plenty of time: that is it wasn’t dark yet. Just inside the barrier islands and channel is a large 50+ acre lake with branches off it driving deeper into the mangroves where we’d normally hide. Listening to the National Weather Service we thought that Earl would keep heading NW of Puerto Rico and not be much of a threat to us on the S side of the island. We were right…winds never got to 40 kph even in the gusts, and we were able to stay in the lake away from the mangroves and their resident mosquitoes and no-see-ums and light airs. While we have “no-see-um screens” (very tight mesh screens), they also cut down the breeze that can pass thru so badly that we don’t like putting them up unless it’s absolutely necessary: hot, hot, and hotter! In the lake they, thankfully, weren’t necessary. At least twenty boats were snuggled down in the mangrove fingers with the skeeters and no-see-um. We went to bed with a stiff breeze and rain bands coming over every 20 or so minutes: no big deal, again very thankfully.


It seems at least that my children don’t understand about “the mangroves”. They lie behind barrier islands (Cayos de Barca) and inland another mile from the sea. They are trees with extensive root systems that thrive in salt water. Boats are able to get in-between the root systems (like into a cul de sac) and tie to them in multiple directions with multiple large lines. Add to this several anchors in the direction and counter direction (the winds switch as the ‘cane passes) of the winds and one is as snug as a bug can be it its rug. The trees block the wind and the roots not only break up the waves but also hold you gently – they are quite pliable - as you move (are pushed) up against them. Definitely better than a marina with all their risks: boats breaking lose; rigid dock lines over-riding the pilings; docks breaking up; etc.

Another question is what do we do when we need to evacuate from the boat to the nearest casino/hotel: hay, gotta go first class in these conditions ya know. Well we have our “Ditch Bag” with all our necessities: insurance and boat papers, cash, credit cards, passports, medicines, toiletries, etc. We dress as if we were going to make a run for it and make sure the dingy is ready to go. Then when we make the decision to evacuate to higher ground we step into the dingy with our bag and make a run for it to the nearest dingy dock and transportation further inland.

I forgot to mention our car accident: yes, Crash Arnold did it again. For those of you who do not know where this moniker came from, let me take you back to the 2004 and my Aunty Sally’s 90th birthday party in Honolulu. Seems I had a little too much to drink there and backing up was a challenge. At Coco Isle where were staying at my sister Suzy’s condo, I managed to back into the power distribution box for several of the condos across, thankfully, the street from my sister’s. Oh, did I mention it was Super Bowl Sunday morning and all the freezers, frigs, and TVs went out! I think you can guess how popular I was that day. So back to the present and we are headed to COSTCO and Homo Depot for some things. Three miles out of Fajardo I decided to change lanes around a PR driver (really, he was doing 30 mph in the 55mph SLOW lane).  I looked in the mirror and even turned my head (as Linda will testify) and missed seeing the car in my blind spot. Kias have a very, very tight turning radius and I managed to over steer when Linda yelled “Car, Car!!” As we spun to the right, we went into the concrete bridge barrier, bounced off and headed down the road backwards for maybe 20 feet. The air bags deployed (that’s for you, Jack) and Linda was sure she was in Heaven. She had the wind knocked out of her from the seat belt and the air bag and all she could see was white. In a moment she realized it was just the white air bag in her face surrounded by talcum powder. We both were bruised and Linda discovered a torn intercostal muscle or a broken rib three days later. She’s wearing a back brace that gives some support making the pain mostly bearable. Best part, it was a one car accident and no one was seriously hurt.

Gaston is looming E and S of us, but is having a hard time getting organized. Looks like it’ll just be a tropical storm when it passes S of Puerto Rico. But TS is just one mph below a class 1 hurricane so we’ll keep a wary eye on it over the next few days.

Happy Labor Day to all.