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April cruise of Lio Kai #252924
04/15/2021 04:28 PM
04/15/2021 04:28 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Redmond, WA
We are back aboard and I thought I'd start another thread where I comment on current protocols and our experiences for those that may be interested.

We flew SEA - MIA - STT and again Island Birds to EIS. Being the only two arrivals at the time, covid testing and C&I was extremely quick.
This time we received the vinyl red bracelets and only a single tracker (for the two of us), which apparently is defective and can't be charged. Oh well.

Provisions from Moorings and Caribbean Cellars were all aboard and things are looking good for getting off the dock in the AM.

Looking forward to another two weeks!


M4000 "Lio Kai"
BVI Sponsors
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #252925
04/15/2021 04:32 PM
04/15/2021 04:32 PM
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 155
Southeast of Disorder
Time Will Tell Offline
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Time Will Tell  Offline
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Southeast of Disorder
Looking forward to the updates! Have a great time!


Peter
s/y Time Will Tell (2019 Lagoon 42)
peter@syTimeWillTell.com

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #252934
04/15/2021 05:01 PM
04/15/2021 05:01 PM
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 126
Chesapeake Bay, USA
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Nibj Offline
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Chesapeake Bay, USA
Are you spending the first night at the Moorings base? We will be a driving in the mid afternoon and I wonder if we will have time to get everything done at the Moorings that day.

Thanks
Peter

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #252936
04/15/2021 05:09 PM
04/15/2021 05:09 PM
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 1
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seejoesail Offline
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Joined: Apr 2021
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Thanks for the updates
Following...

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #252937
04/15/2021 05:13 PM
04/15/2021 05:13 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Redmond, WA
We are staying at the base tonight. We probably arrived early enough to make it over to Peter or Norman, but we have a few small boat issues we want to address and the fellow who stores our paddleboards won't be able to bring them by until later this evening.

Will probably order food from MYC this evening.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253057
04/16/2021 02:40 PM
04/16/2021 02:40 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Redmond, WA
We received our day 0 (negative) test results in about 22 hours... I'm hoping this bodes well for our day 4 test.

We are just relaxing and hanging out in Benures bay and may give ordering from Pirate's a try.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253140
04/17/2021 02:53 PM
04/17/2021 02:53 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Redmond, WA
After an early dinner served by Pirates yesterday and a restful night in Benures, we had a very nice sail today. There was enough south in the wind to comfortably clear Beef Island from Peter on a close reach. We turned around in the vicinity of VGYH and sailed back to Peter Island Great Harbor.

Beautiful sailing conditions with a steady 15-18 kts and a relatively calm channel. We don't usually sail back and forth just for the heck of it, but with limited activities during quarantine it was definitely a nice way to spend a few hours.

There are certainly a lot more boats here than on our last two quarantine cruises. In December GH had one or two, in February about 5, now it's up to a dozen or so.

Ocean 7 is open and we may give their delivery service a try today.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: Nibj] #253177
04/18/2021 08:06 AM
04/18/2021 08:06 AM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,994
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GeorgeC1 Offline
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Originally Posted by Nibj
Are you spending the first night at the Moorings base? We will be a driving in the mid afternoon and I wonder if we will have time to get everything done at the Moorings that day.

Thanks
Peter


Hi Peter, I assume by driving you meant diving. If so and you are a sleepaboard the night before you should get off the dock by 11am.
G

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: GeorgeC1] #253192
04/18/2021 09:30 AM
04/18/2021 09:30 AM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
Originally Posted by GeorgeC1
Originally Posted by Nibj
Are you spending the first night at the Moorings base? We will be a driving in the mid afternoon and I wonder if we will have time to get everything done at the Moorings that day.

Thanks
Peter


Hi Peter, I assume by driving you meant diving. If so and you are a sleepaboard the night before you should get off the dock by 11am.
G


I read it as "arriving". With no in-person chart briefing and if you don't have any boat issues or require a boat briefing you can be off the dock quite quickly. Not being able to leave the boat eliminates the temptation to walk back an forth between reception, provisioning or Renport which can eat up time. Boats on the quarantine dock also do not tend to be boxed in.

We could easily have left that day if it wasn't for our paddleboards.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253218
04/18/2021 12:35 PM
04/18/2021 12:35 PM
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 1,345
Washington DC
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bailau Offline
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EZGoin-

What was transfer like at STJ to Island Birds to EIS? Nadia mentioned it takes about an hour after deplaning and you have check back in. I assume you don't need to show any test information in STJ airport...just your Island Birds receipt?

Thanks in advance

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253226
04/18/2021 03:18 PM
04/18/2021 03:18 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,994
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Offline
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Originally Posted by MrEZgoin
We received our day 0 (negative) test results in about 22 hours... I'm hoping this bodes well for our day 4 test.

We are just relaxing and hanging out in Benures bay and may give ordering from Pirate's a try.


I don’t know if you got the update but you can now return to the Moorings for your day 4 tests. Might be easier than Nanny Cay.

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: GeorgeC1] #253240
04/18/2021 04:58 PM
04/18/2021 04:58 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
Originally Posted by GeorgeC1
Originally Posted by MrEZgoin
We received our day 0 (negative) test results in about 22 hours... I'm hoping this bodes well for our day 4 test.

We are just relaxing and hanging out in Benures bay and may give ordering from Pirate's a try.


I don’t know if you got the update but you can now return to the Moorings for your day 4 tests. Might be easier than Nanny Cay.


Yes, thanks, that is what we are doing this time. We just returned to the Moorings base and should have our day 4 test early tomorrow AM.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: bailau] #253242
04/18/2021 05:12 PM
04/18/2021 05:12 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Redmond, WA
Originally Posted by bailau
EZGoin-

What was transfer like at STJ to Island Birds to EIS? Nadia mentioned it takes about an hour after deplaning and you have check back in. I assume you don't need to show any test information in STJ airport...just your Island Birds receipt?

Thanks in advance


I'm not entirely sure which airport you mean... STT or SJU? I assume STT (St. Thomas). We used Island Birds from STT to EIS three times now (and twice on the return).

I believe we did have to show our USVI travel authorization and covid test on arrival at STT. After that, just exit the terminal and head right to the smaller terminal that has the local Caribbean operators like Cape Air. The pilot comes into the terminal to pick us up and takes us out to the aircraft. Nadia scheduled our flight for 2:30 with a 1:48 arrival at STT, so less than an hour.

The pilot will also help with USVI immigration on the return and can take your luggage through customs so they will not be opened. Overall as convenient as can be, can definitely recommend based on our experience.

We have a ferry reservation this time for the return, purely to save some money. Will see how that goes.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253246
04/18/2021 05:29 PM
04/18/2021 05:29 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,003
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sail445 Offline
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Note: STJ doesn’t have an airport

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253248
04/18/2021 05:37 PM
04/18/2021 05:37 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
Fine weather and fairly light winds today... to help pass the time we sailed from Great Harbor around Great Dog and back down to the Moorings base where we will spend the night to get the earliest available appointment for our day 4 test at Peebles. We are attempting to make arrangements for a rendezvous dive with Sail Caribbean a few days from now.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253254
04/18/2021 06:23 PM
04/18/2021 06:23 PM
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 1,345
Washington DC
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bailau Offline
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sorry SJU...we are DCA to SJU and then island birds to EIS as we usually do...

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253345
04/19/2021 01:19 PM
04/19/2021 01:19 PM
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 44
SRQ
Nanchip Offline
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SRQ
Does anyone know if one place is quicker than the other in regard to the processing of the Day #4 test results? As we have nothing to do but sail around it might be worth it to return to the Moorings if it will expedite the procedure..

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253347
04/19/2021 01:23 PM
04/19/2021 01:23 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
JasonHelmbrecht Offline
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JasonHelmbrecht  Offline
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Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
All tests go to the 1 lab at the hospital and get processed in batches of 115 (I think) so I doubt there's much difference.


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253369
04/19/2021 04:58 PM
04/19/2021 04:58 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
We had a nice day today. Got an early taxi from the Moorings base to Peebles and were first in line for our day 4 test. We were back at our boat before 9AM.

Left the base to do some more sailing, but wind was more East today and after 4 tacks only got me to Dead Chest, I was reminded why I typically motor up the channel.
Headed to George Dog to do some snorkeling (which I interpret as being OK to do in quarantine... in any case there was no other boat around to infect - and we are vaccinated anyway).

We had a nice swim... probably haven't snorkeled there since our first visit to the BVI, mostly because nearby Great Dog was so much better.

Really nice broad reach back down the channel back to Great Harbor where my wife is making dinner onboard. We've set up a dive on Thursday.

I'm really going to try to no wait on pins and needles for our Q release tomorrow... obsessively checking my phone, etc. That got me into trouble last time. We'll make the best of the day, probably sail around again, conditions should be much like today.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253370
04/19/2021 05:09 PM
04/19/2021 05:09 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
JasonHelmbrecht Offline
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JasonHelmbrecht  Offline
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Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
Good luck. Fingers crossed for an early release!


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253372
04/19/2021 05:29 PM
04/19/2021 05:29 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
We had a nice day today. Got an early taxi from the Moorings base to Peebles and were first in line for our day 4 test. We were back at our boat before 9AM.

Left the base to do some more sailing, but wind was more East today and after 4 tacks only got me to Dead Chest, I was reminded why I typically motor up the channel.
Headed to George Dog to do some snorkeling (which I interpret as being OK to do in quarantine... in any case there was no other boat around to infect - and we are vaccinated anyway).

We had a nice swim... probably haven't snorkeled there since our first visit to the BVI, mostly because nearby Great Dog was so much better.

Really nice broad reach back down the channel back to Great Harbor where my wife is making dinner onboard. We've set up a dive on Thursday.

I'm really going to try to no wait on pins and needles for our Q release tomorrow... obsessively checking my phone, etc. That got me into trouble last time. We'll make the best of the day, probably sail around again, conditions should be much like today.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253384
04/19/2021 09:42 PM
04/19/2021 09:42 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,994
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Offline
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GeorgeC1  Offline
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Really appreciate your updates. On the fence about moving my June trip to the USVI. Waiting to see how your trip turns out!
G

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253414
04/20/2021 09:36 AM
04/20/2021 09:36 AM
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 75
Winter Park, FL
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MKGrey Offline
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Winter Park, FL
We are following closely, as well. Our trip is the first week of June, and your updates are very helpful in knowing what to expect.

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253426
04/20/2021 11:30 AM
04/20/2021 11:30 AM
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,131
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MIDiver Offline
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Thanks for the updates. We were there in March and headed back for several weeks in mid-June.

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253436
04/20/2021 12:19 PM
04/20/2021 12:19 PM
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 1,345
Washington DC
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bailau Offline
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we are mid June as well so very much appreciate the input here

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253476
04/20/2021 03:56 PM
04/20/2021 03:56 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Redmond, WA
Released!

We received our day 4 test results about 25 hours after taking the test.

We were out sailing when the email came in, and after taking down the yellow flag, turned SW on a nice broad reach and picked up a mooring at the Indians.
Had a very nice snorkel there... good (but not great) visibility and one other boat. There is more sargassum in the channel than I have seen on any previous trip. We have sailed through rafts that took two knots off our speed. We haven't really visited any beaches yet, so not sure how much of a problem it is on shore.

So now we are free to visit shore restaurants. The bad news is that many places have significantly reduced their opening hours since February. Pirate's Bight is only open Thursday-Sunday. Cooper Island is similar. So today it will be the Willy T and we were planning to go to Cooper tomorrow to go diving on Thursday morning, but we won't be able to eat there :-(

There are more boats currently in Benures Bay than in the Bight.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253477
04/20/2021 03:58 PM
04/20/2021 03:58 PM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
JasonHelmbrecht Offline
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JasonHelmbrecht  Offline
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Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
Originally Posted by MrEZgoin
Released!

We received our day 4 test results about 25 hours after taking the test.

We were out sailing when the email came in, and after taking down the yellow flag, turned SW on a nice broad reach and picked up a mooring at the Indians.
Had a very nice snorkel there... good (but not great) visibility and one other boat. There is more sargassum in the channel than I have seen on any previous trip. We have sailed through rafts that took two knots off our speed. We haven't really visited any beaches yet, so not sure how much of a problem it is on shore.

So now we are free to visit shore restaurants. The bad news is that many places have significantly reduced their opening hours since February. Pirate's Bight is only open Thursday-Sunday. Cooper Island is similar. So today it will be the Willy T and we were planning to go to Cooper tomorrow to go diving on Thursday morning, but we won't be able to eat there :-(

There are more boats currently in Benures Bay than in the Bight.

Congrats! Willy T has fresh wahoo today that will be great!


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: JasonHelmbrecht] #253497
04/20/2021 06:25 PM
04/20/2021 06:25 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
Originally Posted by JasonHelmbrecht
Originally Posted by MrEZgoin
Released!

We received our day 4 test results about 25 hours after taking the test.

We were out sailing when the email came in, and after taking down the yellow flag, turned SW on a nice broad reach and picked up a mooring at the Indians.
Had a very nice snorkel there... good (but not great) visibility and one other boat. There is more sargassum in the channel than I have seen on any previous trip. We have sailed through rafts that took two knots off our speed. We haven't really visited any beaches yet, so not sure how much of a problem it is on shore.

So now we are free to visit shore restaurants. The bad news is that many places have significantly reduced their opening hours since February. Pirate's Bight is only open Thursday-Sunday. Cooper Island is similar. So today it will be the Willy T and we were planning to go to Cooper tomorrow to go diving on Thursday morning, but we won't be able to eat there :-(

There are more boats currently in Benures Bay than in the Bight.

Congrats! Willy T has fresh wahoo today that will be great!


Thanks Jason! We just got back and that's what we both had :-)


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253524
04/21/2021 09:03 AM
04/21/2021 09:03 AM
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 62
mfringsley Offline
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Posts: 62
This has been one of the most insightful posts considering the times we are in! Thanks a ton for taking the time to give us all the play by play...

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253561
04/21/2021 01:11 PM
04/21/2021 01:11 PM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 17,029
Tortola/ Sonoma, California
Manpot Offline
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Manpot  Offline
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Indeed..thanks from all of us Jonesing to "get home"..

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253597
04/21/2021 08:17 PM
04/21/2021 08:17 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Redmond, WA
Wow, thanks so much for all the kind comments... I made sure to read them to my wife to help quiet the doubts that she had regarding anyone being interested in any of this :-)

Today we had nice weather in the morning and moved from the Bight to a mooring at the Caves, where I enjoyed some paddle boarding and we went snorkeling in the caves and around treasure point. This was really nice, better than I remembered. I don't know if the area is still recovering from Irma or if the lack of boats and the attendant rafts of noodles and snorkelers made for more abundant marine life. Visibility was also very good, and we spotted a stingray and barracuda off treasure point.

Since we are set to rendezvous with Sail Caribbean tomorrow morning, we headed to Cooper Island in the early afternoon. This involved motoring directly into wind and waves and was not all that pleasant compared to the sailing we have been doing. Salt Island passage always seems to be particularly rough, and the E wind was around 20 kts.

By the time we reached Manchioneel Bay, the weather had turned somewhat and it was cloudy, rolly, squally and we had showers through the afternoon. With the bar and restaurant also closed, it was far from the most inviting vibe at CIBC. Not much to do but relax on the boat and read.

As we were coming into the mooring field, there were a few boats and several groups of swimmers, some around a boat on one of the outer buoys and another group that seemed to be swimming to Cistern Rock. As we were tying up, a Moorings PC "MAI TAI TIME" came charging through the mooring field at a speed that struck me as really reckless. Minutes later, a M4800 passed us at a distance of about 8 feet on the way to their boaty ball. Why?? The boat name was "Amused". I was not.

The water and weather has calmed down now and we are looking forward to our dives tomorrow, location still TBD. They will be our first dives in at least a year and a half.



M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253598
04/21/2021 08:19 PM
04/21/2021 08:19 PM
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Posts: 3,003
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sail445 Offline
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Just be obedient and bow to their every whim

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253601
04/21/2021 08:45 PM
04/21/2021 08:45 PM
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,131
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MIDiver Offline
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We saw some very bad PC behavior on our trip last month. Very bad.

Have a GREAT time diving!!!!!!’

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: sail445] #253603
04/21/2021 09:05 PM
04/21/2021 09:05 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Redmond, WA
Originally Posted by sail445
Just be obedient and bow to their every whim


Is that in reference to wives, power cats or dive leaders? :-)


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253607
04/21/2021 09:57 PM
04/21/2021 09:57 PM
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Posts: 1,345
Washington DC
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bailau Offline
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The former and the latter...not all of us PCers feel the need to race to an already reserved boaty ball or any other type...

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: bailau] #253610
04/21/2021 10:11 PM
04/21/2021 10:11 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Redmond, WA
Originally Posted by bailau
The former and the latter...not all of us PCers feel the need to race to an already reserved boaty ball or any other type...


No blanket bias against PCs on my part intended!


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253613
04/21/2021 10:22 PM
04/21/2021 10:22 PM
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Washington DC
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bailau Offline
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Non taken my friend...

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253712
04/22/2021 08:09 PM
04/22/2021 08:09 PM
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Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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We met Sail Caribbean Divers at the CIBC dock this morning. Familiar boat (Endeavor) and dive master. Went out to Carvel rock first, but it was deemed too rough. Tried the Rhone next, but there was too much current. So we ended up at Ginger steps, which we have certainly done a number of times before but was probably a good choice for our fist dive since January 2020.

There were only two other divers along (who live on Tortola). Conditions were quite good and we had a very enjoyable first dive. Reef sharks, a large sting ray, big lobsters, etc. The second dive at Painted Walls was also very nice. We are not such seasoned divers that it doesn't take a bit of review and acclimatization and were both very glad we went. We may try to get in another dive near the end of our trip.

Afterwards we had lunch and drinks at CIBC, which did not disappoint. They have really upped their game in both food and the cocktails. The weather was really nice and it felt much more like one of our old favorites. Even the funky smell (presumably rotting seaweed) that was a bit unpleasant in the mooring field somehow seemed absent on shore.

We left for North Sound in the afternoon, picked up a few provisions at Chef's Pantry and plan to head to Anegada in the morning.
We also scheduled our (hopefully final!) exit covid test at JVD which means we have to be in Great Harbor the morning of the 26th.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253716
04/22/2021 08:15 PM
04/22/2021 08:15 PM
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Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
JasonHelmbrecht Offline
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See you in Anegada tomorrow! Dinner at Sid's??? It's an island hot spot on Friday nights...


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: JasonHelmbrecht] #253725
04/22/2021 09:39 PM
04/22/2021 09:39 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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Originally Posted by JasonHelmbrecht
See you in Anegada tomorrow! Dinner at Sid's??? It's an island hot spot on Friday nights...


Thanks, very possibly! I've been loving the jerk lobster at Wonky Dog but might be time to try something new. Will discuss it with the admiral... do you already have plans to be there? We are not exactly night owls :-)


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #253740
04/23/2021 07:21 AM
04/23/2021 07:21 AM
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Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
JasonHelmbrecht Offline
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Originally Posted by MrEZgoin
Originally Posted by JasonHelmbrecht
See you in Anegada tomorrow! Dinner at Sid's??? It's an island hot spot on Friday nights...


Thanks, very possibly! I've been loving the jerk lobster at Wonky Dog but might be time to try something new. Will discuss it with the admiral... do you already have plans to be there? We are not exactly night owls :-)


No reservations yet but will either be there or Wonky Dog.


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: JasonHelmbrecht] #253810
04/23/2021 12:25 PM
04/23/2021 12:25 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Originally Posted by JasonHelmbrecht
Originally Posted by MrEZgoin
Originally Posted by JasonHelmbrecht
See you in Anegada tomorrow! Dinner at Sid's??? It's an island hot spot on Friday nights...


Thanks, very possibly! I've been loving the jerk lobster at Wonky Dog but might be time to try something new. Will discuss it with the admiral... do you already have plans to be there? We are not exactly night owls :-)


No reservations yet but will either be there or Wonky Dog.

Sent you a message


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254047
04/25/2021 03:22 PM
04/25/2021 03:22 PM
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Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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We had a great (and fast) passage from Leverick to Anegada on Friday, had a relaxing afternoon on the boat and a great dinner at the Wonky Dog. The jerk mango lobster has become my favorite.

We decided to spend Saturday exploring on land and I have to admit I never quite understood the enthusiasm for Anegada that is felt by many here, but I finally get it.
When we first visited 12 years ago, we had read a big build-up about snorkeling at Loblolly bay and it fell far short of our expectations. Probably the conditions weren't the best, but it was mainly the health (or lack thereof) of the reef that made it so disappointing. The flat, scrubby island just didn't seem to measure up to the more hilly and lush islands in our eyes.

Well, we had a great day - rented a Moke for the day and made a pretty complete tour of the island and the establishments that were open. I was hesitant to even go into the water at Flash of Beauty, but at my said it was pretty good and indeed I actually had a great time winding my way through the coral heads. Certainly the coral was probably once in much better condition, but with appropriate expectations I was able to focus on the good rather than the bad. I had a stingray swim right underneath me and bury itself in the sand directly below. Almost right afterwards, a six foot nurse shark (probably one of the largest I've seen) crossed right underneath, almost close enough to touch. Barracuda and many other fish hiding below the coral ledges, and numerous potential swim throughs. A spot I will definitely will want to do again.

We visited Anegada Beach Club, which we had not seen and is absolutely lovely. We crossed paths with Jason Helmbrecht at Cow Wreck and had a nice chat. Fun to put a face to the name! Late lunch of Lobster Tacos at Sid's. Great weather - the day could not have been more enjoyable.

Today we sailed to JVD, a bit more wind (and a bit more south) would have made it an even better sail, but still very beautiful and relaxing. Tomorrow morning we go for our exit covid test and have a dive lined up with JVD Scuba (who we have not used before) directly afterward.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254102
04/26/2021 08:20 AM
04/26/2021 08:20 AM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
JasonHelmbrecht Offline
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JasonHelmbrecht  Offline
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Originally Posted by MrEZgoin
We had a great (and fast) passage from Leverick to Anegada on Friday, had a relaxing afternoon on the boat and a great dinner at the Wonky Dog. The jerk mango lobster has become my favorite.

We decided to spend Saturday exploring on land and I have to admit I never quite understood the enthusiasm for Anegada that is felt by many here, but I finally get it.
When we first visited 12 years ago, we had read a big build-up about snorkeling at Loblolly bay and it fell far short of our expectations. Probably the conditions weren't the best, but it was mainly the health (or lack thereof) of the reef that made it so disappointing. The flat, scrubby island just didn't seem to measure up to the more hilly and lush islands in our eyes.

Well, we had a great day - rented a Moke for the day and made a pretty complete tour of the island and the establishments that were open. I was hesitant to even go into the water at Flash of Beauty, but at my said it was pretty good and indeed I actually had a great time winding my way through the coral heads. Certainly the coral was probably once in much better condition, but with appropriate expectations I was able to focus on the good rather than the bad. I had a stingray swim right underneath me and bury itself in the sand directly below. Almost right afterwards, a six foot nurse shark (probably one of the largest I've seen) crossed right underneath, almost close enough to touch. Barracuda and many other fish hiding below the coral ledges, and numerous potential swim throughs. A spot I will definitely will want to do again.

We visited Anegada Beach Club, which we had not seen and is absolutely lovely. We crossed paths with Jason Helmbrecht at Cow Wreck and had a nice chat. Fun to put a face to the name! Late lunch of Lobster Tacos at Sid's. Great weather - the day could not have been more enjoyable.

Today we sailed to JVD, a bit more wind (and a bit more south) would have made it an even better sail, but still very beautiful and relaxing. Tomorrow morning we go for our exit covid test and have a dive lined up with JVD Scuba (who we have not used before) directly afterward.

Great to run into you! Glad you enjoyed Anegada.


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254152
04/26/2021 05:46 PM
04/26/2021 05:46 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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Dinghying to the main dock and a short walk to the JVD health clinic, there were seven people in line ahead of us. Once things got started (the porch had to be carefully swept first, etc :-), it didn't take all that long. The swab procedure is still pretty stinging, but I'm holding out hope that it will be our last one.

Our scuba trip was scheduled to begin 9:30, which left time for a quick coffee at the Tipsy Shark. Ordered Cappuccinos, but the espresso machine was acting up so we had to settle for drip.

Afterwards we got our rental equipment at JVD Scuba and had a chat with the owner who is a long time JVD resident and business owner and expressed passionate misgivings about the coming protocol changes, because as it stands the arrival quotas of 120 air passengers and 50 ferry passengers remain unchanged, making the relaxed protocols somewhat moot if people are finding that they are unable to get transportation to the islands. Apparently, BVI residents who want to travel to USVI are now finding increased motivation to get vaccinated and vaccination rates are increasing, but these day travelers are also taking a large share of the incoming travel quota when they return. Incoming ferries are booked out for months.

Having done all our diving with Sail Caribbean Divers, there was quite a contrast in how this dive was run. It was a fairly small boat (with no head), but the biggest difference was that we were 5 customers to one dive leader who also drove the boat. We have never gone on a dive excursion where someone did not remain onboard. The equipment was all a bit older as well.

The other three guests were quite inexperienced, so the first dive a fairly shallow (40'-45') dive at Sandy Spit. One guest in particular used his air supply rather quickly and my wife and I were signaled to stay together and continue diving on our own while he returned the other party to the boat. Not exactly worrisome, but we weren't quite mentally prepared for it.

One bonus of going with a different outfit is that the sites were unfamiliar to us and the second site "Playground" is on the back side of Green Cay and deeper at around 75'. One of the other party elected to stay on board, possibly because he was self conscious about having cut our first dive short.

This was a really nice dive, we were approached by several small reef sharks, spotted an eagle ray and most remarkably, a manta ray - the first we have seen outside Hawaii where they are attracted with lights.

We left Great Harbor early afternoon and mostly motored back to Norman and picked up a ball near the Willy T.



M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254153
04/26/2021 06:05 PM
04/26/2021 06:05 PM
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MIDiver Offline
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Enjoying your daily reports. We are planning to dive during our June trip. Tentatively with Sunchaser in North Sound and were thinking about booking with Colin at JVD Scuba as well and checking out the area (I am Rhone’d out so won’t be adding that to the list). Older equipment? I don’t really want to bring my own for a few dives. Honest condition assessment? Not a big fan of Dive BVI either last trips with them were really rushed. Guess Busy Bee on St. John has spoiled me.

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MIDiver] #254158
04/26/2021 07:52 PM
04/26/2021 07:52 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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Originally Posted by MIDiver
Enjoying your daily reports. We are planning to dive during our June trip. Tentatively with Sunchaser in North Sound and were thinking about booking with Colin at JVD Scuba as well and checking out the area (I am Rhone’d out so won’t be adding that to the list). Older equipment? I don’t really want to bring my own for a few dives. Honest condition assessment? Not a big fan of Dive BVI either last trips with them were really rushed. Guess Busy Bee on St. John has spoiled me.


I don't want to imply that the equipment wasn't serviceable or adequately maintained. The BCDs were a little faded and hoses a little cracked. I'm really don't consider myself qualified to meaningfully distinguish the functional from the purely cosmetic when it comes to the condition of diving gear. We didn't have any trouble with any of it. Take it mainly as a commentary on that we are very used to how SCD runs things having done most of our diving with them. My wife did find herself in the water on the second dive with 1400 psi in her tank (probably the same tank from the first dive). She did notice it before descending and it was corrected. I attribute this to our dive leader having a lot to take care of, anchoring the boat, etc. Overall it was far from a negative experience, and we have a better sense of what kinds of questions to ask when diving with an unfamiliar operator so that there are no surprises.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254180
04/27/2021 08:07 AM
04/27/2021 08:07 AM
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GeorgeC1 Offline
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There is a lot wrong with a diver ending up in the water with 1400 PSI however I would split the responsibility fifty fifty between the dive master and diver.

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: GeorgeC1] #254181
04/27/2021 08:10 AM
04/27/2021 08:10 AM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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Originally Posted by GeorgeC1
There is a lot wrong with a diver ending up in the water with 1400 PSI however I would split the responsibility fifty fifty between the dive master and diver.


agreed


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254258
04/27/2021 08:52 PM
04/27/2021 08:52 PM
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Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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We enjoyed a nice day at Norman Island today, paddleboarding the caves and the Bight, snorkeling the Indians and Treasure Point again (visibiity was excellent) and having another fresh Wahoo at Willy T where we chatted with a group from OK that own another L40 that we've been seeing off and on.

Received our exit test results from yesterday morning about mid-day, and applied for (and received) our USVI travel authorization. We will have to return to the base tomorrow afternoon since our Ferry is scheduled for an early 8:00 departure and we have been advised to be there early.

Had a bit of trouble with the dinghy motor; I assumed it was prop ventilation and adjusted the tilt stop to put the prop a bit deeper in the water. I also checked the prop nut and nothing seemed loose, but I wonder if there could be some something else going on.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254260
04/27/2021 09:26 PM
04/27/2021 09:26 PM
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GeorgeC1 Offline
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If the prop hits something or is run in sand there is a rubber coupler in the prop hub that can get spun. Once that happens the prop will quickly get progressively worse until it will barely function past idle. It’s a 5 minute fix for the chase boat to swap out the prop. If the engine seems to rev normally but you are getting minimal thrust that almost guarantees that is the problem. The initial hit to the prop could even have been on a prior charter or the hub can wear out from long term use. It should continue to function at idle.
G

Last edited by GeorgeC1; 04/27/2021 09:30 PM.
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: GeorgeC1] #254265
04/28/2021 06:05 AM
04/28/2021 06:05 AM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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Originally Posted by GeorgeC1
If the prop hits something or is run in sand there is a rubber coupler in the prop hub that can get spun. Once that happens the prop will quickly get progressively worse until it will barely function past idle. It’s a 5 minute fix for the chase boat to swap out the prop. If the engine seems to rev normally but you are getting minimal thrust that almost guarantees that is the problem. The initial hit to the prop could even have been on a prior charter or the hub can wear out from long term use. It should continue to function at idle.
G


This sounds possible, though we certainly didn't hit anything. It only happened a few times, always at planing speeds but not during acceleration. We didn't use the dinghy much.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254366
04/28/2021 06:09 PM
04/28/2021 06:09 PM
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Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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We are safely back at the dock, but not without a bit of excitement.

The weather wasn't looking good for another go at snorkeling the Indians, so we decided to head back to the base early so that we could take our time getting things sorted and possibly wait for a break in the weather for docking.

As we got into the channel it became clear that there was no avoiding the dark clouds that were coming our way, much more than an isolated shower. Visibility kept getting worse and the rain intensified.

As we were passing the western tip of Peter Island, I thought I heard some low frequency noise, but my hearing is not the greatest and I wasn't sure. But sure enough, with visibility perhaps a thousand feet, a very large freighter came into view off our starboard bow and heading to cross our path at about a 45 degree angle. It appeared to be heading for Peter Island Passage.

Needless to say, I quickly disengaged the autopilot and hastily changed course about 90 degrees to starboard. Truly Murphy's Law at work... at no time in the six weeks we have been cruising the area during covid did we see a single large vessel underway; it would have to be during the worst visibility and on a collision course, or very close to it. Made me wish these boats had AIS, nobody needs that kind of surprise.

The wind, which had backed all the way to NNW, lightened, but the system stalled over the islands and it rained for the next several hours.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254368
04/28/2021 06:20 PM
04/28/2021 06:20 PM
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Posts: 1,901
Maine
Breeze Offline
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What a rude surprise. Makes you wonder why Karma chose you, and specifically that sort of a karmic attack to throw at you. Glad you passed the test, but also really glad everyone, as well as the boat, is safe.

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: Breeze] #254374
04/28/2021 07:51 PM
04/28/2021 07:51 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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When it comes down to it I guess I don't really believe there are such forces at work, but I do spend a lot of time analyzing my actions and decisions, trying to make sure that I learn as much as possible from the incident.

It was, as you said, a rude surprise but still far from disaster. I was fully alert to the situation and there was no delay between the ship coming into view and my seeing it and taking evasive action. Some considerations in no particular order:

1. I would not have left a place of safety in the conditions I found myself in. They developed en route and were neither so serious or proximate to my point of departure to suggest returning.

2. The weather information I consulted (windguru) was not sufficiently specific or up to date to give me an accurate idea of the coming weather. I should see if there isn't something better. WX?

3. I should have asked my wife (whose hearing is better) to confirm the sound. She might also have been able to get a better sense of it's direction. I considered it at the time, but didn't want to alarm her. In hindsight that was certainly a case of misplaced priorities.

4. Maybe I should have proactively turned toward the nearest shallow water, which in this case was Peter Island. In hindsight certainly.

Last edited by MrEZgoin; 04/28/2021 08:16 PM.

M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254375
04/28/2021 07:54 PM
04/28/2021 07:54 PM
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Washington DC
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bailau Offline
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thanks for the recap...I do that myself and appreciate learning from others

glad it turned out ok...

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254377
04/28/2021 09:15 PM
04/28/2021 09:15 PM
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Those kind of storms have left me uncomfortable on many occasions in the BVI. The weather can quickly drop the visibility under 1000 feet. The strange thing I have noticed is sometime what looks pretty innocuous can really hammer you. I was down there many years ago when a small buildup you might not give to much thought about turned into heavy rain and 50 knot winds. A monohull under full sail was knocked down with all hatches open and sank almost immediately at the deepest point in the FSD. Thankfully everyone was rescued. Strangely after several months under water the boat was salvaged by one of the dive companies and towed to Peter. They drained the water and oil out of the engine, put new oil and a battery in and it fired up! The boat was motored over to Tortola and fixed.
AIS is a great feature. I suspect it will show up on more charterboats in the future. There are portable AIS systems that will work with a IPad at very reasonable cost.


Last edited by GeorgeC1; 04/28/2021 09:23 PM.
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254379
04/28/2021 09:45 PM
04/28/2021 09:45 PM
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Memphis, BVI, CT
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RatmansWife Offline
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It must be very scary on a sailboat (at sea level). We are at ~200', with a view from Anegada all the way down the SFD. We can see the storms roll in and the rain come across the water.

One time I thought we could beat the rain back from Trellis. Within minutes we couldn't see anything and were freezing cold. Never again.

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: GeorgeC1] #254387
04/29/2021 05:34 AM
04/29/2021 05:34 AM
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Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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Originally Posted by GeorgeC1
Those kind of storms have left me uncomfortable on many occasions in the BVI. The weather can quickly drop the visibility under 1000 feet. The strange thing I have noticed is sometime what looks pretty innocuous can really hammer you. I was down there many years ago when a small buildup you might not give to much thought about turned into heavy rain and 50 knot winds. A monohull under full sail was knocked down with all hatches open and sank almost immediately at the deepest point in the FSD. Thankfully everyone was rescued. Strangely after several months under water the boat was salvaged by one of the dive companies and towed to Peter. They drained the water and oil out of the engine, put new oil and a battery in and it fired up! The boat was motored over to Tortola and fixed.
AIS is a great feature. I suspect it will show up on more charterboats in the future. There are portable AIS systems that will work with a IPad at very reasonable cost.



I remember hearing about that incident. We were fortunate in that there were no strong winds or seas associated with this, really only reduced visibility.

I see online that a receive-only Raymarine AIS unit is only about $500 and probably easily integrated. I wish I could get Moorings to do it.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254407
04/29/2021 09:09 AM
04/29/2021 09:09 AM
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Posts: 833
Houston, Texas
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The Moorings 45.3 we chartered in 2018 and the 46.3 we've chartered for this July both show "VHF with AIS (receiving only)" but we never investigated to see if it indeed picks up AIS information.

This year we're doing a sleep aboard because of quarantine reasons so will have time to do things like check this out and load waypoints into the chartplotter.

Last edited by louismcc; 04/29/2021 09:13 AM.

Louis from Houston
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254410
04/29/2021 09:27 AM
04/29/2021 09:27 AM
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Posts: 155
Southeast of Disorder
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Originally Posted by MrEZgoin

I see online that a receive-only Raymarine AIS unit is only about $500 and probably easily integrated. I wish I could get Moorings to do it.


Many (most even?) newer VHF radios seem to have AIS integrated into them - receive at least. I know on my Lagoon it is tied to the chartplotter from the factory. The rub is that if you didn't turn the radio on in the morning when you get underway, the AIS data doesn't show! Don't ask me how I found that out one day....! Duh....

Sounds like you guys had a great trip - close encounter not withstanding. Of course that was just the sea gods giving you a good story to tell your friends at the bar!

Safe journey home!


Peter
s/y Time Will Tell (2019 Lagoon 42)
peter@syTimeWillTell.com

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: louismcc] #254419
04/29/2021 11:05 AM
04/29/2021 11:05 AM
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Redmond, WA
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
Originally Posted by louismcc
The Moorings 45.3 we chartered in 2018 and the 46.3 we've chartered for this July both show "VHF with AIS (receiving only)" but we never investigated to see if it indeed picks up AIS information.

This year we're doing a sleep aboard because of quarantine reasons so will have time to do things like check this out and load waypoints into the chartplotter.


I'm guessing that means the VHF radio includes the frequencies used for vhs, but there may be an additional seatalk module required to feed data to the chart plotter (mfd). I'll be curious to know what you find out, thanks.

EDIT: on a little further research a ais capable vhf may be all that is required. The Ray55 in our boat doesn't seem to support it. A standalone AIS receiver may require it's own antenna, so a VHF upgrade could be the best solution for me.

Last edited by MrEZgoin; 04/29/2021 11:35 AM. Reason: Added info

M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: GeorgeC1] #254421
04/29/2021 12:55 PM
04/29/2021 12:55 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 962
Middleburg, VA
cwoody Offline
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cwoody  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 962
Middleburg, VA
Originally Posted by GeorgeC1
There are portable AIS systems that will work with a IPad at very reasonable cost.


The Marine Traffic app is a great option for viewing vessels with AIS send capabilities.
There are some $$ features available but the basic app is free.

Just had to replace my B&G VHF with AIS (receive only) on my boat.
Upgrading to a B&G with AIS transceiver (send and receive).
Better to "See and be seen"!

BTW - AIS works off of your regular VHF antenna

Last edited by cwoody; 04/29/2021 01:03 PM.

Chuck W.

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: cwoody] #254422
04/29/2021 12:58 PM
04/29/2021 12:58 PM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
Originally Posted by cwoody
Originally Posted by GeorgeC1
There are portable AIS systems that will work with a IPad at very reasonable cost.


The Marine Traffic app is a great option for viewing vessels with AIS send capabilities.
There are some $$ features available but the basic app is free.



Thanks for the tip. Is that really sufficiently real-time to help in such a situation?


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: cwoody] #254423
04/29/2021 12:58 PM
04/29/2021 12:58 PM
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 155
Southeast of Disorder
Time Will Tell Offline
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Time Will Tell  Offline
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Joined: May 2019
Posts: 155
Southeast of Disorder
Originally Posted by cwoody
Originally Posted by GeorgeC1
There are portable AIS systems that will work with a IPad at very reasonable cost.


The Marine Traffic app is a great option for viewing vessels with AIS send capabilities.
There are some $$ features available but the basic app is free.




True, but I am not sure I want to be pulling up much stuff on my iPad in a heavy squall! Already running on the chartplotter is so much handier!


Peter
s/y Time Will Tell (2019 Lagoon 42)
peter@syTimeWillTell.com

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: Time Will Tell] #254424
04/29/2021 01:06 PM
04/29/2021 01:06 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 245
Charlotte
K
Knotthead Offline
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Knotthead  Offline
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Posts: 245
Charlotte
I have AIS on my boat and it is very interesting and gives you information but there are many vessels out there without it including some of the inter island freighters we see in the BVI that do not have AIS. So it will warn you sometimes but doesnt replace the need to keep watch.

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254425
04/29/2021 01:12 PM
04/29/2021 01:12 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 962
Middleburg, VA
cwoody Offline
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cwoody  Offline
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Posts: 962
Middleburg, VA
[/quote] Is that really sufficiently real-time to help in such a situation? [/quote]

When you see weather coming or before you leave the mooring at quick look can tell you a lot.
While the AIS has been out on my VHF, I use it all the time on the Chesapeake Bay.
I can watch a freighter coming from miles away.

The Marine Traffic information on freighters tells where they have been and where they are heading and warns you if you are in danger.

Just another tool to help keep your boat safe.

Having AIS built into you chart plotter is a win win!

Last edited by cwoody; 04/29/2021 01:14 PM.

Chuck W.

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254474
04/30/2021 08:52 AM
04/30/2021 08:52 AM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
MrEZgoin Offline OP
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MrEZgoin  Offline OP
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 793
Redmond, WA
Well we made it home safely, but it's always a long trip back - around 20 hours.

A taxi took us the short distance to the ferry terminal. We were advised to arrive early and were there at 7:00 for our 8:00 sailing. There were already about 7 people ahead of us. The line went quickly. I showed printouts of my ferry reservation, exit test, and USVI travel authorization. I would advise having these on paper if at all possible. The fare was $60 each plus fees and $10 per checked bag (and they check small rollers), $10 departure tax.

They were very diligent with the check in process... spraying the glass of the booths between every traveler. Temperature check and lots of hand sanitizer. We were on the Bomba Charger, presumably at quota capacity of 50, or near that number.

The ferry left and arrived about thirty minutes late. It did not cause us a problem, but passengers with tight connections were nervous.

The C&I process didn't take too long with that number of people. Showed exit test and travel authorization again.
Then there was another national guard checkpoint to check these documents.

We took this board's advice and went to Emerald Beach via taxi. We had a nice table right at the edge of the beach - certainly beats waiting in the terminal.

Back in Seattle after midnight. Thanks for taking the time to read all this and for the comments.


M4000 "Lio Kai"
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254484
04/30/2021 09:33 AM
04/30/2021 09:33 AM
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,131
M
MIDiver Offline
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MIDiver  Offline
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Glad you made it home safely. Thanks for the running updates!

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254485
04/30/2021 09:37 AM
04/30/2021 09:37 AM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
JasonHelmbrecht Offline
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JasonHelmbrecht  Offline
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Posts: 3,359
Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
Great thread! Thanks for all the info...


JasonHelmbrecht
Coconut Breeze Villas
Cane Garden Bay
reservations@coconutbreezevillas.com
www.coconutbreezevillas.com
Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254486
04/30/2021 09:47 AM
04/30/2021 09:47 AM
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 155
Southeast of Disorder
Time Will Tell Offline
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Time Will Tell  Offline
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Posts: 155
Southeast of Disorder
Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to post - it is very much appreciated! Welcome home!


Peter
s/y Time Will Tell (2019 Lagoon 42)
peter@syTimeWillTell.com

Re: April cruise of Lio Kai [Re: MrEZgoin] #254488
04/30/2021 09:56 AM
04/30/2021 09:56 AM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 735
Panama City Beach, Florida
xrayman67 Offline
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xrayman67  Offline
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Panama City Beach, Florida
Great information! Thanks for posting!

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