Adventures with our Fearless and Fantastic Friends
As our regular readers will be aware, we always ask our visiting friends and family to write a blog entry. Here is the entry from Louise and Hugh.
Driven by our long standing and dear friends’ kindness and encouragement to be able to tolerate a ‘land lovin’ Nelly-wet-leg’ and a ‘sea bear’ we arrived on St Thomas and took a taxi to rendezvous at Port Amelie - for this voyage
Seeing Mikey waving on the quay and Gloria smiling on Cotinga, the years (which may have clung to our bodies) melted away and we were off!
Stugeroned up we left for Christmas Cove, which despite the lack of Christmas trees, was joyously beautiful. Snorkeling was to be the first activity as there was plenty of marine life. Having only snorkeled once - and badly - I was a little apprehensive as the mermaid and mermen pulled on snorkel, mask and flippers with ease. Mikey reassured me that I could ‘get kitted out’ once I had navigated getting into a swinging dingy - my first challenge!
Once in the water my panic took over as I saw their flippers get smaller and smaller and however hard I bit onto the snorkel and tried to put my head under to look through the mask - I was fighting a losing battle. They looked dolphin-like, whereas I was more akin to a drowning cat with flippers! But although I did see a starfish, which was close to the dinghy, I missed the parrot fish and the slippery dick as I was too busy focussing on getting round the island.
We sailed on to Jost Van Dyke - a beautiful island where we walked, ate at Foxy’s and laughed a lot reminiscing and catching up with our lives on either side of the pond. That night, however, was also my first experience of a dead of night boat-on-boat fracas. We woke to Mikey shouting ‘crew’ and Gloria blowing a horn at 1am - I am pleased we both managed to grab ‘loose covers’ to scramble on deck. I know what you’re thinking- why did I think I was ‘crew’- who knows - when actually they were trying to wake the crew of the catamaran that had drifted, and was now bumping into the front of the boat. Few words were spoken but they turned on their engine and motored off ‘tail between the legs’ or as salty sea dogs say ‘down in their scuppers’; see, I’m getting the hang of this sailing malarky. We saw the ramming crew the next day but there were no apologies - so I’m thinking they must have been French or maybe their skipper was the ‘Dick Van Dyke’ of ‘Jost Van Dyke’.
I have learnt that weather in the USVI and BVIs’ is changeable - one minute sunny, then squall, then windy, plenty of big chops and then calm - but regardless of the weather any two yachts in sight of each other are in a race. Huge enjoyment for Hugh and Mikey - as they won - and endured by Gloria and me. Drink our wake, Sunsail!
Less panicked snorkeling meant I saw more and began to feel more like Marina (a reference to all those Singray fans). We all saw wonderful iridescent fish near the caves, however, I still had not mastered getting back into the dingy and so reality returned as I ‘flobber-dobbered’ and was hauled into the boat!
We then went to Gorda Sound and moored in a cove overlooking an amazing reef that opened up into the sea beyond. Entertainment included seeing a flock of flying flamingoes, 2 turtles and a night heron before the night was completed by an amazing firework display (which we guessed was for the guests on Necker island but we had prime seats!). We lazed on the boat (its exhausting doing nothing but bobbing around), went for drinks at Saba island and had a magical meal at the ‘Bitter End’ yacht club.
It was a rolling return to head into Great Harbor on Peter island, but once moored, the gusts and goats made for great entertainment. Eating on board has been exceptional and what Mikey can do in his ‘galley’ earns him a Gilbert star or two!
Our memories of days with our dear friends will remain long after I stop swaying and taking stugeron (anti-seasickness meds) - as will the wonderful wildlife and their strange names - such as Boobys. However, our heart-felt and emotional memories are of the joy of sharing a beautiful place with such dear and beautiful friends.
I will end with words (familiar to me and so apt for this experience) that capture spending time with Mike and Gloria: “ we are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams”- Thank you for making sweet music with us and fulfilling many dreams - thank you xxx
Louise and Hugh
18 23.142 N, 64 42.084 W
Great picture Gloria! Dress is beautiful. Charlotte
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