In critiquing your itinerary, I wonder if you could have skipped the St. John stop? It would have saved a night in usvi. On the way east, instead of banging your way into the wind for 8 hours, sail to st croix and overnight there. That might be 1 tack. Next day sail straight north to sopers hole. I read that recommendation in cruising world in the last year.
We seriously thought about that and it is a good idea. I think we could have made ST. Croix in one tack (winds were E/SE so I never closely checked). I hadn't asked BVIYC if St. Croix was ok, I kind of wanted to do Francis Bay, one of my favorites and I was trying to minimize long segments for the girlfriend but I think I failed on that idea.
How did you manage getting out of the dingy in Esperanza? It's quite a climb out of the dinghy up onto the dock.
We went to the long dock, the most easterly. On the west side there is a part in the middle that is lower with steps up to the top. The step up wasn't too bad. I was more worried to find a bunch of kids playing in it but every time I looked no one was near it.
I have never looked for the hiking trail on salt island. Where do you pick it up?
I think with the drought the pond was very low but plenty of beach. We anchored by the dock and walked counter clockwise around. The trail looks like a goat trail, it's on the north east edge of the pond. It was only 100 yards or so to the top and gave a good view of the pond and the area between Salt and Ginger Islands.
