Untitled

Untitled seems like the only reasonable start to the skipper's reveries on this voyage.

I don't know where we are  though I know the lat/long puts us at Leverick Bay on Virgin Gorda.

On a hill, overlooking the stereotypical beautiful multi-colored waters of the Caribbean.

Yesterday I was walking down a dock to get block ice, a rare commodity in these parts, vaguely remembering I unsuccessfully tried the same thing at the same dock a couple of years ago, but insisting that I still give it a try once again...and then it suddenly dawned on me:  I have nothing to do.  The identity/anxiety attack did not begin as I still have lots of report writing to finish and send back to Boston.  

But this is a low-impact time down here, and it's actually fun to do some brain work while exploring existential entropy with sunscreen and demon rum.  Ah, for the life of a pirate.

More to follow sometime in the future if the creek don't rise and the good Lord is willing.

Fair winds,

Roger

 

St Croix to Virgin Gorda

Rog and I headed out from St Croix Friday at about 8:00 AM and had a one tack sail all the way to Virgin Gorda. we had the added treat of a pod of about 14 dolphins swimming along with us for over 5 minutes. We couldn't believe it. By 3:00pm we moored off of Spanish Town in Virgin Gorda where we looked out at very big cruse ships, motor and sail. The Stanzlers and Ellen and Ben joined us for the afternoon and then had us for dinner at Little Dix. We loved having friends aboard and Little Dix was simple and elegant with a spectacular setting.

Psychologically, it's been  wild and crazy, for me anyway. The captain can speak for himself.  I have found myself worried about whether I'm having enough fun, whether I have enough to do, whether I can entertain myself, whether I can handle being so aquatically dependent, whether we can afford this. Today I feel happy and settled and feel like this angst is all about being insecure about a life change (albeit time limited) and just going with it and figuring out how to manage all these issues. Finally, Roger and I can do whatever  we want, and will. It's a big adjustment, all of a sudden having no schedule and a completely different lifestyle. So, next, John and Helen arrive on Saturday and we're going to figure out how to have the boat scraped, painted and waxed. Karmela needs constant grooming...All is well, continually interesting.

Looking out at the BIG boats off of Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda

Harris goes up the mast

Karmela's topping lift is replaced

Our topping lift had snapped on the way to St Croix so we waited for 4 days to get it fixed. Happily, Harris was able to get to the top of the mast and run a new line through the mast. Now our boom swings free again, rather than resting on the canvas cover of our cockpit. We are finally ready to head to Virgin Gorda to see Margie Stanzler and family if the weather will permit us to sail. It's very windy and choppy. We hope tomorrow will be better.

Map of the Caribbean

Sunrise in and heading out of Vieques

From Vieques to St Croix

Roger and I decided to leave Vieques after two nights and sail to St Croix. We left just after sunrise, as you can see, and arrived in St Croix at about 4:30 in the afternoon. We sailed for 6 hours and motored for 3. It was a rough, rainy, beat against the wind journey where we were exhausted and thoroughly nauseated. I wasn't scared, just worried that I hate sailing. The only fun was sitting on the trampoline in the pouring rain, yellow slicker on and guiding streams of water down our arms and back, bouncing like  jelly beans as we crashed through the waves.

Having now been in Christiansted, St Croix for almost 24 hours, I can attest that it was well worth it. We are in a safe anchorage with sting rays jumping out of the water and oyster catchers and herons nearby. We also have access to free internet. I think we may be beginning to get into the groove. This is a pastel town with welcoming people and great places to shop and eat. Ruby has settled in with Robin and Hana, so all is well.

Cap'n speaking:  no, not thoroughly nauseated - just moments of minor queasiness...no shoveling or mopping up req'd.  We're beginning to meet some most interesting folks - people who left the hurly burly hustle and bustle of business on the mainland for the more leisurely pace of island life....At this moment, with barely a cloud in the sky, there's a small white sail beginning to appear on the horizon...everything moves slowly unless the wind is 25 knots.  We're on the boat now-it's always moving, fast or slow, but always moving.

Happy Valentine's Day

Rog and I are now on Vieques. Pretty sparse. A nice fellow in an inn is letting us use his Apple. I will make this brief. We spent last night off the south western coast of Vieques, having sailed from Isla Palomino. At that small island there were iguanas everywhere with white heads and orange legs hanging out in the trees. 

I have been in a small crisis for the past 2 days. I think I'm overwhelmed by the idea of being on this big sea and knowing so little about how to survive on it without Roger. So, I hope to turn the corner from feelings of utter incompetence to learning mode. I hope to learn some sailing abilities so I'm not so frighteningly dependent.

Other than that, the water is lovely and Roger and I seem to have launched this adventure.

still not far from Fajardo

Well, let's see, we had a nice few days with Roger's mom, Margie. She wined and dined us around town and at the Conquistador. She also gave us a micro wave for the Karmela which makes making coffee a breeze(winds are currently on our minds). Good for her for getting on the boat and braving the seas and lines and sun!

Now we are bouncing back and forth from Isla Palominas and Fajardo for electrical concerns. I think the word is shake down. That's okay, every time we're back in Fajardo I can use the computer and stay in touch with Mary around Amanda's progress. It sounds like it will be today!

Isla Palominas is lovely, especially in the morning when boom boxes aren't blaring. The island is full of huge rabbits and has a nice trail to the top where you can see Culebra and Vieques and the Virgins. 

What do I do all day? Clean a lot (oy) read and stare out at the ocean. Roger putters with the boat. We swam and walked and ate grilled chicken with spanish rice after having scorched the pork beyond recognition.

It's really pretty. See the rainbow? Wow.

San Juan,Fajardo and Isla Palominas

Ann and Zig get us to Logan January 31,2009

We made it

It is February 4th and we're in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. We left the day after Anna flew off to Buenos Aires. As you can see we brought many, many suitcases. What have we been doing? We've been spending a lot of money setting the Karmela up. I hope this stops soon or we'll be back in 7 weeks instead of seven months. We have been strolling the aisles of Walmart, West Marine,Grande supermarket, Bed Bath and Beyond and Sears. Days of pulling things off aisles and bringing flimsy bags of food, boat stuff and even a microwave back to the boat.  Our boat absorbs it all though and she's looking good.

We managed to sail out to Palomino Island yesterday and the sail was a perfect run. Wind behind us, smooth waters, aqua sea. It was nice. 

Margie Fox, Roger's mother is visiting for 4 days and we're trying to be entertaining with moderate success.  We'll go out to dinner soon and after she leaves, the eating out will be seriously cut back. 

I'm still not skinny. Roger is looking better, more relaxed although today he complained of being so parched he was fartin dust. Better go get a dust buster for the captain.