Where Is The Far Reach--Part III

[John Stone]

This afternoon I prepared the boat for sailing tomorrow. Since I will be out in the Caribbean Sea, if only for a short distance, I hauled Sweet Pea up on deck and inverted her into her chocks. I took down and stowed the sun awnings and also the sail covers. It's only 7 to 8 nautical miles to Lameshur Bay. But if there are a bunch of boats there (doubtful as few people go outside) I could end up sailing further down the coast. Winds are, however, forecasted to be light for this time of year.

Attached below is a screen shot of the Remora with a hook in its mouth. I also attached a GoPro shot of the Far Reach taken as I swam back to the boat.

Life is good.

[Vincent]

John: Great pictures, looks like you are having a good time for the most part, except for the cat litter box of valedictorians.
With Boris Johnson getting rid of the mandates in the UK, are you hearing any news on whether the BVI will follow suit? If they open will you head over there for part of this trip?

[John Stone]

John: Great pictures, looks like you are having a good time for the most part, except for the cat litter box of valedictorians.
With Boris Johnson getting rid of the mandates in the UK, are you hearing any news on whether the BVI will follow suit? If they open will you head over there for part of this trip?

Vincent, Not for the most part...I am having fun for the whole part. That was a small thing. A blip. It was more humorous than aggravating. There are a lot of boats and a lot of people here. There are going to be tempers on occasions. There is going to be bad behavior sometimes. There is nothing that keeps A-holes away from the cruising community.

Case in point. I just sailed in to Salt Pond Bay. One mooring left. I am securing the mains'l as I motor into the bay. A charter cat cut me off and took the mooring. Not cool. They knew it was not cool. They acted like they were still in NOVA snatching a parking place from someone who had been waiting for that slot. "Character is fate" the wise old Greek observed. I know the name of their boat. It will catch up to them at some point. Anyway I circled around a couple times and another cat owner said they were dropping off and I picked up a mooring in a few minutes. No shouting. No cussing. No worries. My blood pressure is great. I'm going snorkeling.

The BVI is open. If fully vaccinated and a negative approved test 48 hours before arrival via the BVI portal no quarantine required. If not fully vaccinated or you arrive more than 48 hours after negative test then you must be tested on arrival (it's expensive) and you go into quarantine for a week I think). Gayle and I will head over soon enough.

P.S. Our Co-Ed miscreants (I use the term humorously) are moored two boats up in Salt Pond. They waved when I came in. I waved back. I bet they behave great tonight.

****I updated this post to reflect a quick internet search of the BVI Covid Protocols.

[John Stone]

I wasted no time getting into the water. The reefs are not in good shape here in the VI. Same problems reefs are having all over the world. Tremendous bleaching. It's sad. I try not to think about it having seen some gorgeous vibrant reefs in my life. I focus on individual corals and the fish. The water is lovely.

[John Stone]

Today I just goofed off. OK you got me there...I goof off most days. I slept in. Ate breakfast. Three of the five moorings opened briefly. I moved a little closer to the beach. The one closest to the beach opened too but I didn't take it, as it felt too close to the shore for my comfort.

I swam for a long while and shot some video. The water is very clear out on the reef. Still pretty clear around the boat too but out on the reef is amazing. After swimming I just lounged about. Stood on top of the dinghy and glassed the shoreline and hills with the binoculars. I could see St Croix pretty well about 30nm directly south. I read for a couple hours. Almost finished with GWTW...959 pages. What a joy it is to read in an unhurried uninterrupted fashion.

I'll probably head back to St Thomas Sunday. About 17nm due west.

[John Stone]

My last day at Salt Pond Bay. What a neat place.

I putzed around on the boat working on a few projects. I have the new servo blade I ordered from Cape Horn in late Dec. I took it out and filed the notches deeper. I'll test it in the light air sail back to St Thomas tomorrow. Wind will be aft and is only forecasted for 10-11 kts.

In the four nights/five days I have been here there has not been one mononhull in the bay. Not one. All cats all the time. The world is changing. I'm not digging it. There are so many people on the cats they just socialize among themselves. These are not all charter cats. Some are private owned. It's a sad thing to see.

I need to go down island and soon.

I spent more time in the water today. Ran across another sea turtle. I watched him for a long time. Very shy creatures. Very graceful. I'll swing through Lameshur Bay tomorrow on way back to ST to see what it's like.

[Jim Walsh]

Those underwater shots are great. The shot of the green turtle is in a class by itself. Just perfect.
I had a green turtle swim up beside me while I was cooling off swimming around the boat. I didn’t notice it till it was at arms length. I don’t know which of us was more startled. I’m not fond of things sneaking up on me in salt water, thankfully this was a benign creature.

[John Stone]

Underway at 0842. More on that later. Checked out Great and Little Lameshur Bays. Very nice. Sailing west down the coast. East wind 10-12 g 15. Broad reach. Probably put the pole up later. Speed 6.2 kts.

[John Stone]

Now we're are balanced nicely. Pole up and wing and wing. Wind vane steering easily. Wind now about 15 g 18.

[John Stone]

Yesterday I hauled ice. Today was water day. I made two trips hauling 30 gallons each time. That topped all the tanks up, filled the solar shower, the sitz tub shower, and left me two five gallon collapsible jugs for more solar showers.

Then, I topped off the 2 gallon outboard jug with gas. I poured the gallon of diesel left in the storage jug into the diesel tank, filled the diesel jug up with 5.5 gallons topped off diesel tank with 2 more gallons.

Tonight was Tuesday pizza night on one of the big ketches in Elephant Bay where a bunch of us meet to share a meal and tell tall tails once per week. It's a lot of fun. There is a ton of experience there with a number of folks having circumnavigated and spent their entire lives sailing in the West Indies and beyond.

Gayle arrives tomorrow. Yay!

[wikakaru]

Hey John,

I'm back on the forum after a little hiatus. I've been enjoying catching up on reading about your cruise. I especially liked the story about the noisy neighbors and the disembodied voice from ashore. We certainly had our share of noisy neighbors at anchor while we were cruising, but never Zeus booming down from Olympus! More often for us the problem was bars ashore where the music thudded on until 3AM. I'm sure you've been to The Bight on Norman Island or White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. Much of the Caribbean is like that, though maybe less so since the pandemic. Beach bars and charter cats are just a few of the many reasons I prefer cruising Maine. Nary a one in sight, nor in earshot. I can't recall having a noisy neighbor in Maine aside from the engines of the lobster boats getting started at first light. Just saying...you really need to plan a cruise north for the summer one of these years.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[John Stone]

Hey John,

I'm back on the forum after a little hiatus. I've been enjoying catching up on reading about your cruise. I especially liked the story about the noisy neighbors and the disembodied voice from ashore. We certainly had our share of noisy neighbors at anchor while we were cruising, but never Zeus booming down from Olympus! More often for us the problem was bars ashore where the music thudded on until 3AM. I'm sure you've been to The Bight on Norman Island or White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. Much of the Caribbean is like that, though maybe less so since the pandemic. Beach bars and charter cats are just a few of the many reasons I prefer cruising Maine. Nary a one in sight, nor in earshot. I can't recall having a noisy neighbor in Maine aside from the engines of the lobster boats getting started at first light. Just saying...you really need to plan a cruise north for the summer one of these years.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

Jim, I'm glad you enjoyed the stories. It's been fun. I know exactly of what you speak. Foxys and Corsairs both in JVD can be loud pretty late too. But we haven't yet ventured over to the BVI this voyage. I would like to sail in Maine. I brought my Maine Coast guidebook by the Tafts y'all New Englanders recommended I purchase. Never know where I might end up this summer. And if I don't make it this summer I plan to get there eventually. Would love to get some good photos of the FR under sail.

Speaking of which--a friend sent me some video of the FR sailing out of the mooring field 19 Jan and then sailing back in on 30 Jan. Still pictures posted below.

[Jim Walsh]

Nice pictures. The one thing in short supply is photos of singlehanders under sail.

[wikakaru]

Nice! I like the way the dark bulwarks really show off the shear line, especially in that middle photo. I'd love to have the chance to photograph Far Reach under full working sail in a nice steady breeze. Please look me up when you finally get to Maine.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[John Stone]

Nice! I like the way the dark bulwarks really show off the shear line, especially in that middle photo. I'd love to have the chance to photograph Far Reach under full working sail in a nice steady breeze. Please look me up when you finally get to Maine.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

I'd love to have some photos of the FR by you Jim. You really know how to capture the unique beauty of each boat you photograph.