Spanish Virgin Islands - Puerto Rico

We had a lovely sail to Culebra in the Spanish Virgin Islands. Once we arrived, Andrew got onto the Roam App to check in. This time we didn't have to go in to the office.

Dinghy dock we didn't use

Ben, on Kintaro, dropped anchor next to us. Later that evening he came over to our boat for a sundowner. He said that he had received a 12-month cruising permit for the USA via email, for free. Andrew hadn't seen an option to get one, so the next day phoned customs and asked about it. The lady said that he needed to go into the office to enquire about it. 

Kintaro

We had found a dinghy dock in the cut which was far more protected from the swell than the public dock. Although we had to walk along a canal past a chicken coop, we were happy as it was also a shortcut to the shop. 

Tiny supermarket

Ferry Dock

Leaving our dinghy there, we walked the 2 or so kilometers to the airport. The young man who was on duty was very helpful and friendly. He said it was the first time he was on his own in the office so he had to call the boss when he wasn't sure what to do. The short story is, because we are a South African flagged boat, we do not qualify for a cruising permit, because SA does not have reciprocal relations with the USA. 

Even though the humans on the boat were checked in and did not have to pay anything, the boat had to be checked in and we had to pay $37. We were then told that we had to come back when we were leaving to check out, and pay another $37. We weren't very happy with this development, but there is nothing you can do but hand over the cash!

The weather was not good while we were there. There was a strong wind and the bay was very choppy. The conditions were not suitable to leave the bay as the seas were big. We ended up staying on the boat most of the time and didn't see much of the island.

Every time we went ashore, we got soaking wet on the trip back. We were also worried about boats dragging. We had watched one charter boat as he tried to anchor in three different places before finally deciding not to anchor on top of everyone else. 

One stop shop that was never open

Barber shop

Airport

We had accumulated rather a lot of washing, so while Andrew went back to Customs to check out, I did some washing at the laundromat. It only takes quarters and cost $4. I could not work out how to put the coins in. I tried every permutation, except the right one. Thank goodness a lady came in to collect her laundry and she went to call the owner at the bakery next door. He came in and told me I had to put two quarters in each slot and one in the last one. I would never have thought of that! Felt super silly!

Andrew took ages at Customs. Apparently they weren't there when he got there and then it was back and forth about what was the right thing to do. Eventually they agreed that he had to pay another $37 to leave! He was told again that we must report to the next port. This is going to be an expensive business if we need to pay for every port! Bear in mind that Culebra is a municipality of Puerto Rico. In our minds, we were already checked into the country. I wonder what would have happened if we had never enquired about a cruising permit?

After a few days, the wind had abated enough for us to leave. We set sail for Isla Palominos which is a tiny island just off Puerto Rico. It is a bit of a party island during the day, with charter boats and small craft ferrying people to and fro. But in the evening it was beautiful. There were only a couple of other boats with us for the night.

 

Isla Palominos 

Sunrise

We only stayed there overnight. The following morning we set sail for the capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan.

US Virgin Islands - St Thomas

On Saturday, 13^th January, at 14:00, we left Saint Martin and pointed the bow towards US Virgin Islands.

 

We are never sure what we are going to get on an overnight sail, so we prepare the boat for the worst. We make sure everything is stowed away, all lockers are closed properly and anything we can’t fit in a locker goes on our main bunk. Andrew and I don’t sleep in our cabin on a passage, but sleep in the saloon. This is just in case either of us are needed up in the cockpit in a hurry. 

 

I feel like we have had more bad passages than good ones recently. This one was particularly bad. The wind was coming from directly behind us. We put out the pole for the Genoa so that it wouldn’t flap around. The main was shading the Genoa which prevented the Genoa from getting the most out of the wind, so we pulled the main across to the starboard side so that we were sailing wing-on-wing. This didn’t make much difference and as the sun was setting, we put the main back on the port side.

 

I can handle wind but sea state is another story. We knew the waves were going to be 1 – 2 meters but they were going faster than us making the boat corkscrew every time the wave went below us. And then we developed two new creaks in the bulkhead. The pops and groans sounding like gunfire with every twist and turn of the waves.

 

There was only a fingernail moon which meant the stars were out in full force.

The entrance to Charlotte Amalie was quite hair raising! There are reefs on either side of the entrance with red and green markers showing the way. In South Africa one has the red marker on the left when entering a bay, but out here the red one has to be on the right.

Red right returning

Love the multi coloured houses

Cruise ship

We arrived in Charlotte Amalie, USVI at around 11:30 am and dropped anchor with relief. Andrew got on the roam app to check in. We weren't sure it would work, and although it did, we still had to go in to show our passports and visas. So we dropped the dinghy and went off looking for a place to leave it. We only managed to find a place where they charged us $10 for the pleasure of leaving our dinghy at the dock.

Charlotte Amalie

Cruise ship leaving

We walked to customs and managed to get in just before the people from the ferry got into line. Photo, fingerprints, stamp in our passports and we were in. The harried customs official was too busy to answer our questions about a cruising permit but did say that we didn't need to check out when we left. 

Night Lights

We spent a morning ashore exploring the town. There was a cruise ship in the bay so it was very busy.

Always have to find Calypso

Off the beaten track

We considered stopping somewhere for a refreshment, but they were just too pricey.

Happy hour: $1 off usual price

Haven't seen traffic lights in ages, even horizontal ones

Andrew's sea plane

The airport was close by and we loved watching the sea planes arriving and taking off. 

Sea plane take off

See on Calypso Instagram for a video

Ferry

We bought a new dinghy in Saint Martin and they had attached this painter to the boat. After about a week Andrew noticed that it was wearing through. Thank goodness as it was just a matter of time before we could have lost the dinghy!

Dinghy painter

We left Charlotte Amalie and went around the corner to Christmas Cove. We were worried that it would be full, so went fairly early in the morning. There was plenty of space but we still anchored behind everyone.

We had been in Christmas Cove for a couple of days watching the various boats come and go when one night at around midnight I woke up to someone shouting next to our boat. I looked out the port light to see a boat with no lights on the mast going past like a ghost ship. Hearing more shouting I woke Andrew up and we went to the cockpit to see what was going on. A guy in a dinghy was following a boat that had slipped loose from its mooring ball and heading straight toward rocks. Our dinghy was up on the davits so we were not able to go and help. Another chap went and helped the first guy try and drag the boat back to safety. They tried to drop the anchor, but it was too deep so the boat continued to drag out to sea. In the meanwhile, the Coast Guard had been called on channel 16. They said that a boat had been deployed to come and help. The Coast Guard arrived about 15 to 20 minutes later and took over. They managed to get the boat back on its mooring ball. It was such a close call. I am not sure if the first guy got in between our boat and the floater, but, wow, what a disaster it could have been! Not to mention hitting the rocks.

Day charter boat

There is a boat called Pizza Pi which sells, yes you guessed it, pizza and stromboli. You can go and collect or get it delivered. Andrew was desperate for a pizza so we looked up their menu on the web. The price for the pizza ranged from $36 to $38 and then in fine print: 18% gratuity added to all orders and a $5 fee for delivery of orders less than $40. We did the maths, $42 for one pizza collected at the boat. R764 for one pizza. Sadly the bursar said no to pizza. Andrew was most disappointed!

After a few days we decided it was time to move. We upped anchor and sailed to Magens Bay, St Thomas, USVI. 

Entrance to Magens Bay

Houses with a view

It is a beautiful bay which was fairly empty when we got there. It is deep with a shallow section close to the shore. The beach is very popular and many people get there by car. We discovered that there is a fee to enter from the land, but we didn't have to pay anything.

We dinghied ashore to go for a much needed walk. They have a section where you can take your dinghy ashore and drop off people. But you were not allowed to pull your dinghy onto the beach. Andrew had to anchor it a little way off and swim to shore.

Pelicans

Life saver? Didn't look up once as we passed

Supper

The wonderful thing about this lifestyle is that you bump into people you have met in previous anchorages. We had seen Antivasen many times in our first year and even painted boat names with them at Paradise Beach Club in Carriacou. Phil had contacted us when we were in New York and asked if we would meet up with his dad who had a boat part for him. We took it to Trinidad with us and saw Phil there just before he splashed. 

And who should glide past us, but Phil on Antivasen. He popped past later and we had a lovely catch up.

We met Ben on Kintaro in Trinidad. He gave us a basil plant. Unfortunately we were leaving as well, so we passed the basil plant on to Mark, who succeeded in killing it before our return. We were sitting in the cockpit enjoying the view when Kintaro came and dropped anchor next to us. We said hello, but he was busy with a visitor, so we didn't see him much in Magens Bay.

We spent a morning on the beach with Phil and his buddy boat friends. They had come from the Bahamas so had lots of good tips and advice. 

We could have stayed in Magens Bay for weeks, but we were running low on food and it was time to make a move to Spanish Virgins Islands.