BVI July 31 - August 9, 2017 (Part 7)

Sometimes I like sleeping without a/c, but last night the winds were non-existent, therefore very pleased with the generator. I heard the ball tap our hull once or twice during the night and once up top I noticed boats pointing in all different directions in both mooring fields. In the still of the night I started to make coffee and boil water for tea, night you ask? you see...I was up at 0500hr this time. I did get 6-7 hours of good sleep though. When the skies lightened I could see that turtles are also early risers, like that. Very beautiful and peaceful morning on Maho Bay.












I lowered the dinghy preparing for Donna and I to head over to the self pay National Park mooring station. Moorings are $26, I remember thinking that's a funny number. You can pay by credit card if you like, just fill out the form. The form asked for the mooring ball number, NOT fearing prosecution we made one up! Note to self, remember your mooring ball number in the USVI. We puttered around the shores of Francis and Maho with coffee in hand watching the sunrise and nodding to other early risers.




















Once Sydney and Craig woke up we hopped back in the dinghy and we dropped Donna off at Maho point to snorkel her way in to the beach. She happily reported that the blue tang and angels were abundant. The rest of us dinged to shore via the dinghy channel. What's nice here is that the whole length of the beach is a marked swim area. This also helps protect the grasses and the turtles love it there. I checked out the big parcel of land adjacent to the beach that is listed for sale. I hear it's zoned residential/commercial? They have cautiously cleared just enough to expose an old home I've never seen before. I hope the new owner does something positive with the 6-1/2 acres priced at 8 million, any buddy want in? It was a great morning for a walk and swim.






















We decided to take a cruise back to Cruz Bay so the ladies could shop some more and we wanted to visit the hammock where Donna said yes 26 years ago. So off we went, but first lets cruise out past Whistling Cay to try to get a wifi signal that we didn't have on the ball. I was curious about the weather front I had been watching. Wifi quickly lit up and I discovered the front had been blown apart, like that! Cruz Bay here we come.




















Another calm dinghy ride into the National Park docks and we headed straight to the North Shore Deli in Mongoose Junction for a tasty sandwich. Then SCORE! Big Planet had a pair of flip flops made just for me, for what it's worth OluKai flip flops are like walking on air! We took a break from shopping and grabbed a beer and a stool at the Tap Room home of the St John Brewery, great beer.













To verify my weather observations I would ask store clerks along the way what they knew, it seems they really don't concern themselves much about the weather. With new flops we trekked across town to visit Gallows Point. We told the woman at the desk that we honeymooned there 25 years ago and asked if we could walk to the hammock, after signing in we were allowed to proceed. It's a beautiful resort, lush gardens, very well maintained and oh the memories!
















My memory from this visit, it was hot as blazes and we wanted to be in the water! First a stop at the Dolphin Market for some provisions. Would you believe a case of Presidente was $42, at Leverick we paid $28, they crazy! We put all of our provisions in the Polar Bear cooler and off we went. Next stop, Waterlemon Cay at Leinster Bay.













During our approach a nice rainbow touched down in the bay, cool. A boat just released a ball next to the cay and there is where we would park Orion, good timing! Like the majority of the islands, it's beautiful here. Folks jumped in the water quickly and started snorkeling over to the cay. There were sightings of large groups of squid, rays, turtles, schools of fish and another small lemon shark.

















It had been a long day! Darkness fell upon us rather quickly after we arrived so it was time for dinner. Orion's galley is very well equipped and I liked cooking with the large window and slider open. Not only were we dazzled by the colors of the sunset, but soon after came the full moon we were looking forward to, it lit up the mooring field, perfect.
















To be continued...Cheers!

USVI has enacted a "Sin Tax" on beer,cigarettes,sodas and alcohol.
$12 a case on foreign beers!!

http://newsofstjohn.com/2017/03/23/the-sin-tax-is-now-law/

Love the rainbow pic!

One end in Sopers and the other Leinster, cool.

Updated with pics

Great photos and report, thank you

Thanks Latadjust!!