Well we made it! A bit rough for about an hour but other than that all is good. Presently anchored in Charlotte Amalie harbour, Long Bay. Last night met up with Much Mischief friends at The Greenhouse for appetizers. Currently having lunch at Tickles after spending two hours at AT&T; Result is new phone.......they could not figure out how to get wifi on the old one.
December 31... update...Food at Tickles was better than last year but the number of yellow jackets made me very uncomfortable. As always, Greenhouse calamari were good as were the nachos. Last night happy hour at The Turtle $2 beers and very good wings and mahi tacos for $5 were excellent. Tonight will go to Room with a View to try out their calamari.
Water at Crown Bay was 16 cents a gallon, fuel $2.95\US gallon and the on road price for diesel is $3.40. Culebra water was 25 cents a gallon, diesel was 70 cents a litre, PR water at Palmas 2 cents.....all in US currency.
Mooring balls at St John have increased to $26 a day with a limited stay of 30 days for 2016. Don't know what prices are in the BVIs yet.
We were going to rent a car for tomorrow but the fellow was gouging us. We decided to have salmon for dinner tonight and stay put on the boat. We walked the 99 plus steps to Blackbeards Castle but it was closed. No cruise ships in today which is surprising. However the views of the habour and the outlook to Water Island was just gorgeous.
January 4...We have been busy! We took a cab up to Bluebeards Castle Hotel two days ago to visit Room with a View. The restaurant was quite formal, luckily we dressed up a bit. It is a large hotel actually with a nice pool and other restaurants which are outdoors and a bit more casual. And a large oil painting of the actual Charlotte Amalie. Wine $5 and appetizers $5 for happy hour. Gorgeous views. Walked back to the harbour which was all downhill.
Rented a car yesterday and toured the island.
There are two surprises here......one a gondola that takes visitors to see the entire bay although if they visited other places they would have the same view for no charge. Near the cruise ship docks which we had never been to on that side, there is a replica of the Little Mermaid in half size, the same that sits in the harbour at Copenhagen. She was created by the Danish Sculptor, Edvard Eriksen.
There are two surprises here......one a gondola that takes visitors to see the entire bay although if they visited other places they would have the same view for no charge. Near the cruise ship docks which we had never been to on that side, there is a replica of the Little Mermaid in half size, the same that sits in the harbour at Copenhagen. She was created by the Danish Sculptor, Edvard Eriksen.
Lots of curving roads and up and down hills. Spent time at Magens Bay which is an anchorage being quite wide open with a reef in the middle. There were two boats anchored. This is probably the nicest beach on the island. Continued our drive to Sapphire Bay, another anchorage and marina, but sure wouldn't want to anchor there. Could see St. John from the shore.
Today was a shopping day with the car. Home Depot, CostULess and Food Centre and a new route to Yacht Haven Grand.
Blue Beards Castle
Lovely Charlotte
