Friday, February 13, 2015

The Mice Will Play While the Cats Are Away 2/13/15


 Kari and Ryan flew out a couple weeks ago for family celebrations.  That left Jerry and I aboard Valkyrie for a few days of work before Jerry’s buddy Dale and his girlfriend Roni flew in for a week.   Work included getting in the water to scrape the grass and critters off the bottom of the boat.  (There’s one boat here at Water Island that has not moved in years.  Besides grass and barnacles there are little lobsters who have made their home in the growth around the propeller!)
After free Cruzan rum samples at the airport arrival gate we took Dale and Roni to the boat for dinner.  The next morning off to the “big” grocery store on St. Thomas – Pueblo for groceries and then to Honeymoon Beach.  Nothing like a burger at Heidi’s Honeymoon Grill to prompt a hike up to the fort at the top of the hill.  In just one day Dale and Roni experienced shopping here, sampled the Water Island cuisine, roamed the island, had a couple of painkillers, and listened to Barefoot Davis play at Dinghy’s Beach Bar.  The next morning – Roni’s first experience sailing as we beat our way to St. John in brisk winds.  Back and forth we tacked and strained our muscles cranking on the winches as we sailed to Bitter End on Virgin Gorda over the first few days.   Dale and Jerry had their “sailing fix” and marveled at the grace and speed of Valkyrie.  “It’s like sailing a big dinghy!” they’d exclaim and let out whoops as we whizzed by other sailboats.  Every anchorage we stopped at included a walk on shore for our guests to see the sights, feel the sand beneath their feet, and mingle with the locals and tourists.  Dinners in the cockpit at the end of each day followed by sailor’s tales and star gazing.  And then back through the BVIs with light winds the rest of the week.  Our whirlwind tour ended with tacking back and forth up Lindberg Bay on St. Thomas.  Lindberg Bay, appropriately named, as this is where the airport is just a short dinghy ride to the beach and up the road.  Hugs all around for Dale and Roni as they flew back to Florida with smiles, tans, and a boatload of memories.
Yacht at the Bitter End Yacht Club

Another yacht at the Bitter End.

Dale at the helm

Dale dreams of sailing his own boat to the Caribbean

Dale and Roni

Full moon at Cane Garden Bay

Galley Girl

Beautiful iguana

Jerry poses at the kiteboard equipment center at Bitter End

Roni enjoys a hammock at Peter Island

Dale and Roni at Sandy Spit

Sandy Spit thinking man

Sunset at Cane Garden Bay

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