Sailboat Cruise, Virgin Islands, July/August 2007

Overview:

In July and August 2007, eight of us took a one-week sailing cruise in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) and the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Six of us live on St. Croix, while Paco and Barbara live in Texas. This year, we started our cruise in St. Thomas, since it's easier to get there than to Tortola, especially from St. Croix, and since provisioning is cheaper in St. Thomas. We picked a 40 foot sailing catamaran from VIP Yacht Charters. Our yacht had air conditioning, which proved to be tempermental, but we enjoyed it when we could, since summer nights tend to be warm in the Virgin Islands. We spent a total of two days in the USVI (St. Thomas and St. John), and five days in the BVI, where we visited some of the same destinations from our 2006 BVI cruise (web page), along with some new spots. We had fun!

Day 1

• Barbara & Paco arrived on St. Thomas yesterday.
• Jamila, Bobbow, Adele, John, Kim & Larry flew from St. Croix to St. Thomas today on SeaFlight, a new on-demand charter airline, and we all met at the airport.
• Our driver Wendy took us to VIP Yacht Charters at Compass Point Marina, then took the women for provisioning while the men did the boat briefings aboard our yacht Son Spirit.
• VIP handed us the yacht late, so there'll be no fuel charge upon return.
• Motored and sailed to St. John.
• Caneel Bay and Hawknest Bay were too rough with wakes of boat traffic passing to the north, so we moored at Francis Bay.
• Dinner on board: Shrimp scampi and risotto.
• Ran the air conditioning overnight.

Sunset at Francis Bay	Jamila, John, Larry, Paco, limin' at Francis Bay	Kim, Barbara, Adele, limin' along
Larry, John, Paco	Jamila, Barbara, Adele, Kim, in the salon	Shark!

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Day 2

• Sailed to Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, BVI for customs (which took Bobbow 3 trips for forgotten documents).
• We explored Foxy's, the wooden boat project, and other areas.
  Lunch on board.
• Motored to White Bay, Jost Van Dyke and swam ashore to Soggy Dollar Bar for painkillers and other drinks.
• Motored to Cane Garden Bay, Tortola and moored.
• Dinner at Myett's.
• Skipped the full moon party at Bomba Shack.
• Air conditioning wouldn't run overnight.

Sunrise at Francis Bay	The Island Sloop Project, Great Harbour	John at White Bay
Cane Garden Bay	Sunset at Cane Garden Bay	Kim and Larry at Myett's

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Day 3

• VIP said get to North Sound tonight for A/C repair.
• We skipped the Caves and the Rhone, and motored/sailed to Indians for snorkeling, and The Baths for boulder trail and snorkeling.
• Motored to North Sound, Virgin Gorda. Moored at Saba Rock.
• Albert came and looked at A/C, but it was already working OK.
• Buffet dinner at Bitter End Yacht Club.
• Some visited Saba Rock.

Paco at the helm	The Indians	John and Bobbow
Paco and Barbara at The Baths	Saba Rock by day	Jamila, Adele, Kim, John at North Sound
Everybody at North Sound	Saba Rock by dusk	Adele and John at Bitter End Yacht Club

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Day 4

• Sailed out of North Sound, but no Yacht Shots BVI to photograph us.
• Sailed to Anegada and moored.
• Free drinks at Potter's By The Sea.
• Taxi to Loblolly Beach for lunch, excellent snorkeling, and drinks.
• Shopping at Purple Turtle.
• Lobster dinner at Potter's By The Sea.

Adele at the helm	Paco and Bobbow	Loblolly Beach, Anegada
Larry and Kim at the Big Bamboo	Barbara and Paco at Loblolly Beach	Dinner at Potter's By The Sea, before
Adele and Kim at Potter's	Barbara and Jamila at Potter's	Dinner at Potter's By The Sea, after

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Day 5

• Sailed to Monkey Point, Guana Island/Tortola. Took up dinghy motor under way.
• Lunch on board. Excellent snorkeling.
• Motored to Trellis Bay, moored.
• Shopping ashore.
• Wendel taxied us to Fat Hog Bob's for dinner and dog bite.
• Couldn't start generator, so no A/C.

Larry on lookout	Monkey Point	Paco at Monkey Point
Paco, John, Kim at Fat Hog Bob's	Larry, Barbara, Adele, Bob at Fat Hog Bob's	John and Kim at Fat Hog Bob's

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Day 6

• VIP sent Clavi to hot-wire our generator, which we left on for the duration.
• Paco & Barbara to clinics for dog bite on hand. Others shopped and relaxed in Trellis Bay.
• Lunch on board.
• Motor sailed to Green Cay, anchored overnight.
• Dinner on board. Some bioluminescence.

A yacht named Cruzan Rhumb II, Trellis Bay

Sandy Spit

John holding the anchor chain

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Day 7

• Sailed to Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI for customs and immigration.
• Lunch and shopping in Cruz Bay.
• Pounding motor sail to Great Lameshur Bay.
• Excellent snorkeling.
• Take-out BBQ chicken dinner on board.
• Saw night diving.

Gulls on the dinghy, Green Cay	Bobbow, Cruz Bay	Cruz Bay
Kim and Bobbow, Great Lameshur Bay	"What happens on board, stays on board"	Crew returning from snorkeling, Great Lameshur Bay

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Day 8

• More snorkeling in Great Lameshur Bay.
• Motored to VIP, Compass Point Marina, St. Thomas.
• Wendy taxied us to airport, and we tipped her with unused food and drink.
• Paco & Barbara flew to Dallas, the rest flew to St. Croix.

Great Lameshur Bay

Barbara, Adele, Jamila, en route to St. Thomas

En route to St. Thomas

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