Blog

Well I guess we have been on Island Time and forgot to update our log as we have been reminded in numerous emails. We finally departed Fajardo PR on November 30th and we have done our share in raising the GNP (Gross National Product) of the Island. Our first stop was Red Hook in St Thomas. It was a great feeling to arrive in the Virgin Islands in our own boat as it was something we have dreamed about since our first charter experience here 15 years ago. The Red Hook area of St Thomas is a relatively quiet harbor away from the teaming activity of Charlotte Amalie. We were able to get all the supplies we needed and more importantly pick up a very special passenger, our sister in-law Stacey. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to take her around the Islands and show her some of our special stops in the BVI. We did a mini tour of Jost Van Dyke, Cooper Island and Caneel Bay on St Johns in the 4 days she was with us. Stacey was impressed that we were able to find her a beautiful rainbow everyday. The visit was too short but she has promised to return.

The last couple of weeks have been spent at anchor. We manage to change our environment (Island) every two to three days. The weather is a constant 85 degrees and sunny. Swimming and snorkeling is a daily event. It only seems to rain at night when the hatches are open.

This is the first time we have had to manage our power consumption over a long period of time. It has been quite a learning experience and as you might expect I am always the one that is overloading the system. Steven spends part of his day standing in front of the inverter electrical panel trying to compute the best way to optimize our available power. The cost of power was also a revelation that we had not anticipated. The price per KWH has varied from 15 cents to 45 cents depending on the Island when at the dock. We have computed the cost at anchor to be $25 per day in fuel for the generator running 7 hours per day. Just to give you an idea, two days at one marina was $90, just for electricity!! Another advantage of being at anchor is that the constant stream of mechanics and repairmen has finally stopped!! Water, which is not an issue for us as we make our own from seawater, is 12 cents per gallon at the dock!

Our boat is decorated for Christmas which is not that common here as most of the boats are weekly charters whose passengers will not be here over the holidays. We put up some lights while anchored in Norman Island and several dinghies came by asking if we were the Thornton which is a Pirate Ship Bar that is a permanent fixture in the Harbor. We told them we were out of liquor and pointed them in the right direction.

We are currently in Christiansted Harbor, St. Croix. We arrived yesterday and plan to stay for the Christmas Boat Parade on Saturday Night and then head back to the BVI where we will be through Christmas Day. We have 27 family and friend arriving in St Thomas on 12/25 so we will be in St Thomas for few days before we head to Jost Van Dyke for New Years Eve at Foxy’s.

We want to wish everyone a very happy and healthy holiday season.