You get bad weather even in the Caribbean

The weather around the NE Caribbean and the Virgin Islands has been a bit dodgy since Pete and Claire arrived and seems to be only clearing up now.  We have had high winds constantly for the last few days, around 20kts  and gusting to 25 to 30kts with pretty cloudy skies.  This kind of weather puts a damper on things and Nic especially does not like it.  The wind whistles through the rigging and shakes the canvas dodger and bimini constantly creating a racket on deck.  Whenever you go on deck and leave the shelter of the dodger you get assailed by the wind.  The temperature is still pleasant and the water warm so its still possible to swim or walk around.

Breakfast from Calley, Pete and Claire

Pete managed to get his luggage back after a day of running around.  He decided that the only way he was going to get it was to get back to the airport as the information number American Airlines had given him was next to useless.  In order to retrieve his bag he first had to dingy off the boat into Cruz Bay in the USVI where we were anchored and buy some island clothes.  Then, looking more relaxed, he started out by clearing immigration and boarding a ferry to West End in Tortolla in the British Virgin Islands.  Once at the BVI he had to clear into the BVI territory and catch a cab across Tortolla to Beef island where the airport is.  Having got his case he then had to reverse the entire journey.  But at least he retrieved his bag.  He got his clothes and we got our emergency supplies.  

Having retrieved the lost bag we were free to get underway and moved to a couple of different anchorages on the North side of St Johns seeking a sheltered location to sit out the next few days.    We were waiting for the wind and seas to abate sufficiently so we could make the 30NM passage south to St Croix.  We ended up in a beautiful bay called Francis Bay.  There were a number of other yachts there with the same idea.  Its an interesting place with a couple of beautiful beaches fringing the bay.  We spent a couple of nights here and managed to get some polishing work done on the boat, some schooling and Pete managed to fix a repair I had carried out on the dingy which had not taken.

t the BVI he had to clear into the BVI territory and catch a cab across Tortolla to Beef island where the airport is.  Having got his case he then had to reverse the entire journey.  But at least he retrieved his bag.  He got his clothes and we got our emergency supplies.  

Having retrieved the lost bag we were free to get underway and moved to a couple of different anchorages on the North side of St Johns seeking a sheltered location to sit out the next few days.    We were waiting for the wind and seas to abate sufficiently so we could make the 30NM passage south to St Croix.  We ended up in a beautiful bay called Francis Bay.  There were a number of other yachts there with the same idea.  Its an interesting place with a couple of beautiful beaches fringing the bay.  We spent a couple of nights here and managed to get some polishing work done on the boat, some schooling and Pete managed to fix a repair I had carried out on the dingy which had not taken.

Many hazards in the Caribbean

Ashore there are the ruins of an old Danish schoolhouse and a sugar plantation and mill which was really interesting.  At one time (1800’s) the Danes used slave labour to grow sugar on plantations all over the islands.  One of the big plantations was at a place called Annaberg which was close to Francis Bay.  One afternoon we went ashore and walked to the ruins. The factory is set on a slightly elevated piece of ground facing Tortolla across a stretch of water called the Narrows.  The ruins are dominated by a huge stone structure which used to be a windmill which they used to crush the sugar cane.  When the wind was not blowing there was a horse drawn mill which could be used.  The ruins of the slave quarters and the processing houses can all be seen and the place is overgrown with trees and bushes.  In its day the hillsides around the factory which are now covered in short trees would have had sugar cane growing on terraces.  The sugar would be crushed and turned into either crystals or molasses and then shipped out.  Once slavery was abolished it became uneconomical and the industry stopped.

The old wind mill at Annaberg

View across narrows from the ruins

We shifted anchorages once to a place on the south side of the island called Coral Bay.  The weather was improving and we wanted to be closer to a departure point for St Croix (pronounced St Croy).  We hung out on a mooring for the best part of the day and then motored in and anchored off the township in the bay.  There were quite a few yachts anchored around us, a number of which looked like they had been there for a while.  There were also quite a few sunk in the harbour which is probably due in no small no part to the presence of a small moored houseboat which turns out to be a floating bar.  Initially it sounds like a fantastic idea but upon closer inspection the safety implications are quite extensive.  That evening we dinghied ashore for a look around and dinner.  Coral Bay is a pretty quiet place and reputed to be the place to come to get away from tourists on St Johns.  We walked around a bit and found a nice place to eat.

Tropical fruits

The wind had slowly been coming down and by the next morning it looked good for the crossing to St Croix.  We got going around 0800 in a fantastic 15kt easterly eventually having all three of Dulcinea’s sails flying.  One of the great things about having Pete and Claire on is that they are really keen on the sailing and especially for Scott with Pete here he can almost shut down and hand over to Pete.  The sail over to St Croix was fantastic with boat sailing around 7kts on average.  You can see the coast of St Croix almost as soon as you leave St Johns.  We motored into the harbour of Christiansted just after lunch.  The route into the harbour is strewn with reef and shallow spots but thankfully the channels are well marked.  We picked our way carefully in as far as we could go and then anchored right under the guns of the old fort and off Protestant Island.  

Christiansted Fort on St Croix

On first glance the island looks very ordered and neat.  The town itself lies in a natural bay with a backdrop of green rolling hills studded with houses.  From where we are anchored we can see the fort right on the waterfront, an old church and a number of other old colonial type buildings which are low lying (two or three story max) and all coloured yellow, white, pink or some other pastel shade all slightly set back.  There are a few Danish flags flying above the buildings alongside the US ones.  On one side of us is the main harbour and wharfs and on the other, the shoreside becomes a broadwalk with shops and cafes behind it.   Claire and Peter managed to get ashore immediately but the Andersons had to get on with school.  

Plan is to have a look around tomorrow.