Trip report: 03/13/02 to 03/22/02 Bareboat charter with V.I.P. Yacht Charters<br><br>Flights went flawlessly from Syracuse, NY to Philadelphia to St. Thomas. We rent a car when we arrive in St. Thomas to allow us the flexibility of grocery shopping, going out to dinner, etc. at what ever pace and time we need. (that way we’re not tied to a taxi driver’s schedule). So, got the provisions, stocked the boat, and headed off to dinner at Molly Malone’s, and “after dinner drinks” at Duffy’s across the street. (what’s that, I can’t hear you, there’s a huge speaker in my ear). Got a good nights sleep, and were up early the next morning, ready to go.<br><br>Day 1: Ran from Jersey Bay up to Soper’s Hole to clear customs. Nice trip, easy in, easy out. The couple that was with us this trip had never been down before, so they were intrigued by the customs office; lot’s of paper, lot’s of staff, no computers, slow pace. I kind of like it, myself. After clearing customs, we were off to Cane Garden Bay, for our first night out. Found a mooring with no problem, hooked up, and were off to walk the beach and sample the local fare. Thumbs up on all accounts. We’ve gone to the little jewelry stand next to Rhymer’s the last two times down. She’s got some nice things. Had lunch at Rhymer’s, a few beers up and down the beach, and back to the boat for dinner. Grilled some steaks we got at the Red Hook Market. WOW, were they good. I rarely eat red meat, so this was a real treat for me.<br><br>Day 2: Crew member down for the count; too much red wine with his steak. Oh well, we’re off to Trellis bay. Along the way, we hear a mayday, to which Coast Guard San Juan responds. Turns out to be a mid 20’s sail boat that has lost his steering. He’s at anchor, in no danger, so CG San Juan sternly but politely asks him to switch to 22A. No response. CG again requests to change channel. Sail boat responds that he’s just a tourist and “doesn’t understand that lingo”. I turned the VHF down after that. Hooked up in Trellis, and hopped in the dink to drop off some trash. Man, did it stink there that day. They were dumping dredgings on the Beef Island runway, and I assume that’s what was so odiferous. The sick crew member was set back even further by the aroma. So, we headed over to Marina Cay, and spent the rest of a very delightful day there, having dinner at Pusser’s.<br><br>Day 3: From Marina Cay we headed up to North Sound, and tied up at The Bitter End. Had a Cuban and a beer for lunch, did a little shopping, and headed out in the dink to the beach bar on Prickly Pear, and then to Saba Rock. The last time we were there, Pirates Pub was still there. What a difference. Flush toilets and everything. I liked the old place better. Dinner on board that night.<br><br>Day 4: Off to Anegada. Easy run up; just some small swells from the NE. Hit the mooring ball about 10:30 or so. Had some lunch and headed off to walk the beach west of Neptune’s Treasure. It was a gorgeous day, and a short walk turned into a long walk. We ended up at Cow Wreck Bay. Re-hydrated there, and took a taxi back to the boat. That night we had lobster at the Anegada Reef Hotel. It was a dinner I’d been waiting for since November of 1999, when we were at Leverick Bay, with a trip up to Anegada scheduled for the next morning. Hurricane Lenny changed those plans for us. So, needless to say, my appetite was whetted. As, many of you know, it is a meal worth the wait. I wasn’t disappointed. Outstanding evening, great food, good wine, right on the star lit beach. Doesn’t get any better. Sigh………………………..<br><br>Day 5: Another morning of perfect weather. Left Anegada, and headed for Spanish Town, to tie up in Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor. Nice ride, and no sweat getting a slip in the marina. Had a real shower, some lunch and headed off to show the new folks the baths and some of the beaches between Spanish Town and the Baths. Perfect day. Back to the boat, and our friends had dinner at a new (to us anyway) place called “The Rock”. They liked it. We went to the Bath & Turtle for a chicken roti. (one of my favorite places for roti). Wasn’t disappointed. Sacked out, and had a little squall during the night to was off the salt. Thanks, rain gods………<br><br>Day 6: Topped off the water tank, and we’re off to Cooper. Got on a mooring close in. Another perfect day. Had some lunch on board, hit the beach bar, and went over to snorkel the rocks at the south end of the bay. It was good, but I’ve seen more fish other times we’ve been down. This is the first time we’ve gone in March. The weather in general was fabulous. Warm days, and cool nights. Never ran the AC at night except when we were on a dock. Dinner that night at the Cooper Island Beach Club. Another epicurean delight. <br><br>Day 7: Up early, and off to the Bight at Norman. Can’t believe how many mooring balls there are there now. It doesn’t seem that long ago that you were on the hook when you went there. From what I hear, that situation may change. I guess mooring balls don’t occur “naturally”. Billy Bones was still open, so we had lunch there. Spent the majority of the afternoon just hanging out at Willy T’s, and the aft deck of the boat, trying not to think about the fact that the vacation was drawing to a close. Oh well, there’s always next time. Had dinner on board, and hit the hay.<br><br>Day 8: Made a quick run back to West End, and hopped on a mooring. It was a little crowded, but not too bad. Sat around, had lunch at Pusser’s and did a little shopping. When the sun finally set, we headed over to the Jolly Roger for dinner. It was good to see Louis and Kay again. We don’t really know them, but I used to work with Kay’s brother, casually knew her sister, and we know a fellow that was a partner of Louis’s in a previous life. Anyway, Louis is my fantasy hero. I’m sure it’s a lot harder than it looks to run a business like his, but he sure makes it look easy, and alluring. Dinner was outstanding, as always. Sadly, we headed back to the boat for our last night out.<br><br>Day 9: Started the diesels for the last time, dropped the pennant and headed back to St. Thomas. Absolutely perfect weather, and great seas. Unfortunately, for our last ride for a while. On the way back, very near Pillsbury Sound, a BVI customs go-fast went by us like we were standing still. I don’t know if they were on a mission, or just out for a ride. I couldn’t blame them if it was the latter. Docked up, topped off the fuel (and paid for same); not too bad, only 194 gallons. Checked out with V.I.P. and were off to the airport. Cleared through everything there relatively painlessly, and, alas, were soon in the air back to sunny (read: snowy) upstate NY. <br><br>High points of the week: Walking the beach on Anegeda, the food everywhere, the perfect weather and sea conditions. Low points: Haven’t thought of any yet. <br><br>If I knew when the next trip was, I’d already have the countdown counter on my desktop. Oh well, we’ll plan one soon. Hope this wasn’t too boring. I’m not much of a writer…<br><br>davemon<br><br><br>