Waiting for a Weather Window

Not a bad place to be stuck waiting

Saturday 1-18-14

Cheers Mates.  Yes, as you can tell by the accent in my greeting, we are still in the BVI's.  North Sound to be specific.  We were rushing about Thursday morning trying to get ready to depart that afternoon for Sint Maarten.  There are things that we have to do prior to a passage that just can't be done until right before we leave....and we put off doing others and thus the rushing.  Then we started getting conflicting weather information so we decided to wait and not depart on Thursday.  It looks like Sunday is our next weather window.  We plan to depart mid day for Sint Maarten.  In the mean time, North Sound is a pretty good place to be waiting.  We are getting some boat chores accomplished as well as some snorkeling (check out the kewl cannon's below) and socializing with fellow Salty Dawgs, locals and other yachties.

Cannons just on the reef just off Saba Rock - North Sound Virgin Gorda BVI's

So kewl

*Some of our pre-departure To Do's are:  disassemble and store the kayak, tape forward three hatches with gray tape (day of departure so we keep the breeze as long as we can), attach the staysail, stow everything securely below (this takes awhile), removed and stow dinghy motor on the rail, remove and stow dinghy gas tank in the bow, raise dinghy on arch and strap it down securely (only to have to re-secure it again once we are underway for awhile - argh), secure jerry cans, secure jacklines, get out our passage gear (harnesses, headlamps) etc......For short islands passages, we are going to try the dinghy on the arch (it's normal spot) vs deflating it and stowing it on deck.  This will allow us to get underway faster and launch the dinghy quicker when we make landfall.

Over The Road Island Transportation

The above taxi is the most common mode of transportation in the USVI.  Some are small like the one above, while others have 5 or even 6 rows of seats.  Most are decorated up very colorfully.  Many are airbrushed with pictures and portraits on the side and back - think pimp my Island Taxi type stuff.  On St Thomas, there are Safari buses.  These are just like the above but bigger with 6 rows that the seat 6 people in each row....side by side and at times practically sitting in your neighbors lap depending on the size of the people in your row.  The Safari buses look just like the tourist taxis but Safari Buses are what the locals use and cruisers.  Tourist taxis cost anywhere from $10 to $20+ per ride.  Safari Buses $1 or $2 if you ride the entire line  - thus cruisers use them!

Custom door - most jeeps were new, 4 door models

The most common mode of transportation on St John Island (aside from tourist taxis) is the Jeep.  They are everywhere.  This makes a lot of since with the steep hills.  There must be a dozen places to rent jeeps so the tourists not riding the tourist taxis were all roaming around St John Island in rented Jeeps - all the while trying to remember to drive on the left side of the road.  This made all our walking on the roads very exciting and at times a tad scary.  And yes, the US Virgin Islands are left hand driving.  I read an attempt to change that several years ago was strongly put down by the taxi drivers association.  Left hand driving intimidates some people enough that they won't rent cars and thus will need taxis. 

We took this for our friends Wayne and Jan

I was surprised by the lack of scooters and motorbikes.  We have visited other islands (Bermuda) where the island is overrun with scooters but not the Virgin Islands. 

Cruz Bay - St John USVI

Port channel into Cruz Bay

Cruz Bay is the only place to clear Customs and immigration into the USVI on St John.  The harbor is somewhat on the small side in terms of bays but very developed.  There is a reef on each side of the entrance and then two short channels.  The starboard channel is for big, fast ferry boats -island to island.  The port channel is for big, fast touristy boats (the kind that take you and 50 of your closest friends out for a 3 hour tour).  All moorings are private.  The cruising guide said the only anchorage was in the Y between the channels.  It was PACKED with local boats.  Some on moorings, some anchored.  No room to squeeze in.  None.  

Middle Y section and then starboard channel - sorry for the blur

There is a very small anchorage (4 boats max with very little scope out) just to the left of the port channel that has a 3 hour time limit.  However, it gets shallow fast.  All the boats coming and going in the channel (very close to this 3 hour anchorage as well as the starboard channel -which isn't really that far away) race in and out with very little regard to their wake, much like Lake Perry back in KS.  Can you say deja vous?  

Very close to shore and rocks

Because of all these factors, most yachts take a mooring ball around the corner at Caneel Bay and then dinghy around to Cruz Bay to check in.  Warning Caneel Bay is very, very rolly due to swell and numerous passing ferries.  If you are prone to seasickness at all – Caneel Bay could be tough.

sv Honey Ryder rolling in Caneel Bay

 In addition to checking in, Cruz Bay is a good place to provision at either the Dolphin or Starfish grocery stores and hit the ACE Hardware.

Dolphin grocery store - good selection

Very narrow aisles - notice it gets even narrower towards the far end

The National Park HQ is here and there is a huge assortment of restaurants and bars to choose from.  There is also a US Post Office for mailing and receiving packages.  Something we wish we would have known earlier as we had a package sent to Redhook on St Thomas.  

There are three dinghy docks- basically parking lots for all the dinghies.  One by the National Park HQ and the other two are on each side of the island to island ferry dock.