Return to the Virgins

Back in the Virgins again!! It IS like coming home. Everything is so comfortable, familiar and easy. We check in at Cruz Bay, St. John then head to Francis Bay - our favorite tucked away spot on a mooring near turtles, great snorkeling, clean water and away from cities and cruise ships. The park rangers we meet three years ago are still here, remembered us and clued us in on the "Senior Pass" - half price mooring fee for "older" citizens. Denny qualifies so we were off to get the necessary card at the National Park Office. Friends arrive in St. Thomas on the 18th - we have two weeks before we need to be there.

The dedicated fisherman, Denny, throws his line in every available time he can. While at Francis he caught something we'd not seen close-up before - a remora - the fish that attaches itself to sharks to eat the algae off the shark's skin - a symbiotic relationship. They are the weirdest looking fish around - it's like someone stepped on their heads and flattened them leaving a boot print on the flattened top. Once it was identified - back into the water it went but only after a discussion as to whether it was edible or not. It's not! Strange thing was that as Denny was reeling it in it attached itself to the bottom of the boat for a brief moment. He thought he had a whopper or a big snag.

With projects to complete before Anne/Tim/Scot/Evan arrive we decide to head to St. Thomas so that chandleries and thus parts would be close by and we would be near the airport for their arrival on the 18th. The biggest job was replacing the headliner - the foam backed vinyl material for the ceiling of the boat - 7.5 yards of it that we had carried back with us from the US. This was to be spray glued to the thin, 4' x 8' plywood sheets that are attached to the fiberglass ceiling by wood strips - a major, frustrating job. The old headliner, original equipment, had come unglued over the last year and was literally falling off the ceiling in various spots. It took the better part of a day but the galley, settee area and aft cabin are finished and look spectacular, when we can get more material, the head and v-berth will be changed. Meals planned, groceries purchased, fuel and water topped up, and laundry done we are ready for friends.

The Perrys arrive a day late due to a BIG storm in the US and we leave for the British Virgins early the following morning. We want to spend Christmas at the Bitter End, Virgin Gorda. It is the last of the BVs before the Anegada Passage but a well protected, large sound with much going on and friends, Tom and PJ on ConchdOut waiting. One night on a mooring in Francis Bay, check-in to the BVIs in Sopers Hole, Tortola and from there it is a 35 miles jaunt with darkness descending at 6:00 pm. It is a long, upwind, up current sail - so we motor sail. Too far to make it all the way we end up at anchor outside of SpanishTown Harbor about 1.5 hours out of our destination as darkness fell. An early morning motor had us in Gorda Sound where we picked up a mooring ball at Saba Rock - free water. Once again visitors brought strong wind (gusts to 35K), high seas, and squalls but we were tucked in and secure so that the four days here over Christmas passed quickly with always something to do. Eight of us (Tom and PJ too) had Christmas dinner on Kyeta - not turkey but pork tenderloin with all the trimmings and delicious just the same.

One night at anchor in Gorda Sound before leaving for Normans Cay and we were looking forward to a quick, downwind sail as winds lightened a bit but continued from the same direction. On one of our jibs the main traveler snapped - a quick stop at Spanish Town chandlery for new line and we were on our way once more. Normans, snorkel the Caves, Christmas Cove and back to Charlotte Amalia it was another quick ten days. We loved having Perrys on board - yes all four of them - and would invite them to return anytime. They day they left the weather changed and it was to be a gorgeous, calm, sunny, warm rest of 2008. We spent a quiet New Year's Eve with just the two of us on Kyeta watching spectacular fireworks in Charlotte Amalia - launched about 100 yards from the boat.

A Happy and Joyful New Year to all!

Where in the World is Kyeta?

So one might ask "Where is Kyeta"? Not only did the four months in Michigan disappear quickly but the three months since returning to the Caribbean did equally so. Where have we gone? What have we done? Where are we going?

We arrived back in Antigua October 29th knowing it would be a short stay this season as we wanted to get to St. Martin quickly - new sails arriving and friends visiting in November. We landed, prepped the boat and launched all within a week but with election coverage watching in between the work. After much involvement with the Obama campaign this summer my only request was to be someplace to watch election night and if Obama won then Inauguration Day also. We spent November 4th night glued to the TV in the villa we rented with friends. Elated we were!!! The next day we moved onto Kyeta, finished projects and by the end of the week were at anchor in our favorite spot in Jolly Harbor. Our Canadian buddies on Nancy Dawson celebrated our new president with a champagne brunch for us. It was a happy day.

The weather cooperated enough for us to make a two day trip to St. Martin. A MUCH better crossing to St. Kitts than last spring from St. Kitts as the winds were with us and the day sunny and warm. We "Q" flagged it near the main harbor for the night and left at 6 am the next morning for another gorgeous sail to Marigot on the French side of St. Martin. Two 11 hour days of perfect sailing - not bad. We dropped anchor to overnight and await early morning check-in at customs. We love this place and have been here a number of times over the last 15 years. This is the town for chocolate croissants, latte, French cheese and wines so after checking in we hit our favorite little coffee place on the main street near the market. Things were as delicious as our memories recalled.

The three weeks in St. Martin were productive. We picked up new Quantum Sails for Kyeta. The old were original (1991) sails and desperately needed replacing. We had discussed this for years and now finally they were here. After a sea trial, a few minor adjustments and a new reefing line, Denny is a happy man. The SSB cable was replaced with a new attachment brought by friends from home - the SSB works now. We take advantage of being here as laundry, errands, provisioning, fuel and all the necessary duties of boat living are easier in St. Martin than many other islands. Things are convenient and less expensive. We are ready!!!

Friends spent time over Thanksgiving but it was one of those "windy,gusty, north swell" times and we were stuck in the anchorage. We did manage to get to a couple of beaches, drive around the island, and do happy hour a few times with friends. Seems it always happens that weather is less than cooperative during visits, but it was wonderful to see them and to be able to share a bit of our world with them.

Once again we needed to be on the move - friends coming to the Virgin Islands on December 18th. The stretch from St. Martin to the Virgins is about 100 miles across the "Anegada Passage" known to cruisers as the "Oh, My Godda Passage" something to consider and do in good conditions. We watch for a good weather opportunity and take the first we see. Our friends Rick and Carey on "Memory" cross with us. Leaving at 4:00 pm into the setting sun on 12/4 and arriving the following morning in the USVI as the sun rose in the east we were thankful for another wonderful, easy night crossing. We'd been here so often chartering and on Kyeta heading south we felt like we were home.