Culebra, St Thomas, Yost Van Dyke

More in Culebra

This is the view from our boat.  The orange and white structure is a bridge that no longer functions.  They keep in painted nice and pretty.   We have speculated as to why.  You go under this bridge to get to a restaurant and also to the marina that sells gas and to a grocery store that has a good butcher.  We have been under it many times.  The boats are tied up to the town dock.  On the other side of the dock is where we tie the dingy when we go to town.

Hillside view of town from our boat.  So quiet and quaint compared to St Thomas

This is really cool.  I am so impressed.  I think these bags should be mandatory everywhere.  That is if in fact they really do decompose.  Still I am impressed that someone is trying to help the enviroment.  Both the grocery stores that we frequent in St Thomas have these bags.  

Off to Yost Van Dyke to meet Michael and Rebecca on Zero to Cruising.  Sad to leave our friends in St Thomas as we had just returned from Culebra but on and on we go.....   We last saw Michael and Rebecca in Grenada and really did not think we would see them again.  They have exciting news in their life that caused them to come to the BVI's.  We spent 3 days with them at Yost Van Dyke. 

   While in Great Harbor 3 porpoises swam by the boat.  Rebecca went out in her kayak and got a closer look.  Was fun to see them so close again.  Check out the color of the water.   From blue to green and then the beach.

While we were there, Rebecca and I worked on replacing the "glass" in the dodger of their boat.  It was a big job and took 2 days but we "got er done".  As you can tell from the picture we were not posing, we were busy working.

AHHHH  it looks so pretty.  The dodger is the windshield of a boat.  It is the part by Michael's legs.  Looks good eh?

It was great to see Michael and Rebecca.  Even though we worked for most of the days with them it is always a good feeling to help a fellow cruiser.  Both Rebecca and I learned a lot.

  I sure am glad that we did not have to make a pattern like Diana is on One White Tree.  Ross and Diana are getting ready to leave for Panama.  I am so sad for me but so happy for them.  Lots of prep work.

Our next stop is back to Nanny Cay.  We are scheduled to have the boat hauled out and both sail drives checked by the mechanic who replaced our cone clutch about 7 weeks ago.  

Culebra

For our valentine to each other we splurged and rented a jeep and drove around to see the island. Believe it or not the jeep was less $ than scooters or a golf cart!  It was a brand new 4 door jeep.   We did not get as far as we wanted.  Seemed like all the roads went to a dead end.  We had a good day and seeing the island close up was fun.

We did get to Flamenco Beach.  Kirk thought this bird reading the sign was worth a picture!  He was reading the red one when we stopped and then moved on to the one with the teal wavy lines.

Flamenco Beach was worth the trip.  It was a large bay with big reefs all around it.  This palm tree was still hanging in there.  The only problem was it is a tourist trap.  The people were arriving by the bus load.  While that did make for fun people watching and there were some winners,  the crowds took away from the beauty. 

You can see the reefs in the back ground.

OK so here is the nasty part.  The US left two tanks on this beach.  One is further up on land.  Disgusting.....   On Vieques the island next to Culebra there are places that you cannot go because the US used it for target practice and there are unexploded bombs on it.  NICE

Now I know where the dread locks look came from.  This is the roots of a palm tree.  You can barely see the bay and beach behind it.  Don't you think it looks like dreads?

At the other end of the island is this great reef.  We had stayed here in March with Nathan and Sarah and we picked up a mooring ball again.  This time we got to see it from land.  We drove till the road turned into a dirt potholed rocky path.  Kirk backed the jeep up a hill as we could go no further.

We were in Culebra for a week.  We went there cause there was a north swell coming and kirk did not want to be in St Thomas for it.    We got back to St Thomas on a Sunday and another swell is expected on Tuesday.  All in all it was a good trip.

Lisa Steve Superbowl and Pops

Lisa and Steve arrived on a Wednesday afternoon. Steve, who is a morning person, gotta love that!, announced that he wanted three things on this trip, fishing, snorkeling and watch the super bowl.   Sadly, on Thursday morning Lisa decided that she was sea sick.  Ugh  it was not sea sickness, she had a flu.  God Love Her, she stuck it out sick as a dog on Thursday while we rented a car and drove from Trellis Bay on Beef Island to Road Town on Tortola to get Steve a fishing license.  Then we (Kirk, Steve and Donna) had lunch at Nanny Cay's Peg Leg restaurant while Lisa slept on a chaise lounge under a palm tree at the beach. By Friday afternoon we were swimming in North Sound.  We had a great time.  Saw the mocko jumbies show at Leverick Bay BBQ in North Sound. The next day we sailed to Jost Van Dyke; Steve fished (no luck), we went to White Bay for the famous Soggy Dollar Bar's "Painkiller" on Jost Van Dyke, saw porpoises real close when in the dingy, enjoyed Super Bowl at Foxy's.  Next day we headed over to Benures Bay for some snorkeling then to the Virgin Gorda Baths and back to Trellis.

Cool houses Lisa liked.  These are on the end of Tortolla near Sopers Hole

The Baths.  You have to see them to believe how cool they are.

At the BBQ at Leverick Bay.  This Jumbie would not take no for an answer.  Lisa said her knees kept hitting the wall in front of her.

 

Swimming in North Sound.  I think Lisa and Steve are happy.  I know I was.

Super Bowl at Foxy's.  Ross and Diana sailed over from St Thomas to meet Lisa and Steve and hang out for the Super Bowl.  They even came to Benures Bay.  We had a great time. Thank you Nathan for letting me bring your Ravens shirt with me.

Under sail on our way to Benures.  Pictures compliments of Ross and Diana. 

Lunch with Dad and Carolyn 

The day after Lisa and Steve left, we met the cruise ship that Dad and Carolyn were on in Road Town.  Their friends Jo and Bob joined us.  We got in a taxi and road up over the mountain and saw the views of Tortola and then had lunch at Cane Garden Bay.  Was so super to see them.

Was a sad afternoon when we said goodbye.  No more Lisa and Steve or Pops and Carolyn.

Nanny Cay and Benures Bay

We headed over to Nanny Cay on Tortola Island in the BVI's to have the cone clutch replaced on the starboard engine.  It had stopped working right after Kelly and Andrew left. Kirk did tons of research and we waited till we found a mechanic that was recommended and off we went.  Sad to leave friends in St Thomas but our view from our slip was fabulous.  We had chartered out of Nanny Cay prior so we knew what to expect.  We had a good time people watching and even went out to dinner thanks to Grammy's Christmas present.

Early morning at Nanny Cay before we left.  Such a nice beach.

This is a crack up.  In case you can't read it, the sign says "Tree of Shame"  with broken and dinged props hanging from the tree.  Made you smile each time you walked by.

 

Back in Benures Bay.  Really is a favorite spot for both of us.  This is early morning sun coming over the mountain behind us shinning on the Indians.  The Indians are a favorite place to snorkel.  You can see the boat already there.  It is day mooring balls only. 

This sport fisher did not know what he was doing and his wife did not speak any English. Unfortunately, he hid down below while his wife tried to communicate.  This boat provided amusement for Kirk until in got stuck on the bottom near shore next to us. Then was the excitement started.  Lucky for them Kirk saved the day by pulling them off the bottom along with another dingy.  Kirk was afraid he burned up the dingy motor but it was ok.  Whew!

Diana and Donna perfecting the double kayak maneuvers.  Yes I did get wacked in the head a few times.  We laughed and laughed

                                   


We lost my hat.  Blew off my head.  We almost tipped a few times looking for it.

Luckily, Ross (who loves an excuse to swim) came and rescued my hat.  Such a good buddy

Ross and Diana had four friends from Canada come and spend a week or so on the boat with them.  They were tons of fun.  We had dinner and visits and hiked over the "mountain" on Norman Island to get to the Bight and visit Pirates for lunch.  Thanks again for all the fun and lunch Robbie, Susan, Josh and Lynn.  Here is the crew after the hike and lunch.  We still had to hike back over the mountain to the other side to get back to the boats.  Funny, it did not seems nearly as long on the way back.  Beautiful ocean view on the hike.  Thanks for sharing friends Ross and Diana

Back at home for year end work.  Not all work.  Dinner with the fam or part of the fam.  "our boys"

Yeah  Kel even made it in this one.  Sarah where are you?

Our new grand dog.  (Not the one with the hat)

Good ole Tilme

Kirk hung out in St Thomas while i was gone and got lots of boat chores completed.  Thanks to our friends who invited him over or he would have gone crazy.

We are so looking forward to our time with Lisa and Steve who arrived on Jan 30th.