Showing posts with label Leeward Islands. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leeward Islands. Show all posts

Sunday, January 29, 2012

CAPT. MIKE IN THE LEEWARD ISLANDS PART THREE: HEADING TO CULEBRA

It's been many years since I was in Charlotte Amalie harbor St. Thomas. We picked up a charter here on a 44 foot monohull back in the 1980's named Valkerie and another time when we had a weeks vacation on board one of the Windstar cruise ships in the 90's.

We left the St. John area bound for St. Thomas in late afternoon with a favoring trade wind and tied up to a mooring for the night near the old Navy submarine base area in St. Thomas. The area now houses a marina and some cruise ship docks. The shoreline nearby was littered with the wrecks of boats whose owners failed to reason with the Hurricane season and other storms:


The next morning we dropped off the mooring and headed out West Gregerie Channel for Culebra:

We passed Sail Rock. A uniquely shape geological form that is said to have fooled many pirates to appear to be a ship under sail.

They would sometimes fire a warning shot at it. The sound of which would echo off the rock surface and make it sound like return fire. Only when they got closer would they see that it was only a rock and not another ship to be plundered.

Things were moving along nicely as OPUS towed the twenty foot dingy:



We were breezing along when all of a sudden there was a crash at the stern. The dingy had crashed into the boarding ladder and smashed it up pretty good:

Well that's sailing! You are cruising along fine and then something happens not always in a positive direction. Capt. Billy scrambled and was able to save the bottom half of the ladder but, were were never able to quite get it back into shape to use. After about three hours we were in the channel heading into Ensenada Honda Culebra's major harbor:



 After we cleared the reef at the entrance we turned to port and picked up a mooring in Ensenada Dikity.




There were a few boats already there when we arrived:

Including this boat which seemed to have something missing:


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

CAPT. MIKE IN THE LEEWARD ISLANDS PART ONE

Well, it's that time of year when Capt. Mike's companion needs her winter vacation. BIANKA is laid up for the winter and the winter winds are starting to blow colder and colder. Lucky for Captain Mike she is partial to chartering a crewed multi hull sailboats and heading some place warm for some sun, snorkeling and and occasional dive. Capt. Mike knows enough to get along you have to go along. So go along I did.  While our trip to the Maldives last year was certainly one of our top trips, unless a winning lottery ticket comes our way that will remain just a very pleasant lifetime memory. For this years trip we decided to explore some old and new places in the Leeward Islands much closer to home. Starting in the U.S. Virgin Islands and then heading toward the Spanish Virgin Islands of Culebra and Vieques before embarking on Puerto Rico at Farado. At least that was the plan.

We started our trip flying to the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“By the way, maybe you can tell me some other hotels in town. The bartender says this one’s full.” He laughed. “Nope, not an empty room on the island.” “Damn,” I said. “Why worry?” he replied. “Sleep on the beach. Lots of people do—better than most hotels.” “Where?” I said. “Are there any close to town?” “Sure,” he replied, “but they’ll all be full. Your best bet is Lindbergh Beach, out by the airport. It’s the nicest.”- Hunter S. Thompson, THE RUM DIARY

I'm not sure about sleeping on the beach but, we did get a room at one of the two places to stay on Lindberg Beach and yes it is a nice beach.

Lindberg Bay was renamed for Charles Lindberg who flew to St. Thomas on January 31 1928 after his successful nonstop flight across the Atlantic.
Lindberg Bay was formally known as Mosquito Bay. But, happily it did not live up to it's previous name while we were there for two days.

Trading the city for a tropical dream
And if you meet anyone who's asking for me
Tell all you meet they can reach me
Right down on the beach
St. Thomas way
                                                                Sonny Rollins

After our relaxing stay it was a quick five minute taxi ride  to Charlotte Amalie  to meet the boat we had booked through Paradise Connections charters.

Captain Billy Pratt picked us up at the Crown Bay Marina and took us out to OPUS a 50 foot Piver  designed trimaran built in 1986 that would be our home for the next ten days.