Leaving the US Virgin Islands

 

We had a great time swimming, snorkeling, eating and playing UNO (card game) with our granddaughter in the various anchorages and bays around St John, USVI. Quinn brought her Mom with her, so she wouldn't miss out on the warm water.

She is a really a good diver for five and three-quarter plus years old. She saw a lot of fish!

The reefs around St John are pretty much devastated from the 2017 hurricane. There are a few corals that are hanging on and trying to regenerate.

Strategy session to discuss shell hunting

Flamingo cowrie hanging onto a soft fan coral

The Hawksbill turtle population seems really healthy, we saw them all around the boat in every anchorage. They appear to know they are protected while in the National Park --- letting us hang around very close to them watching as they graze.

We dropped our fun guests off at the St Thomas airport on Friday. This morning we left St Thomas and are anchored behind the reef in Bahia de Almodovar, Culebra, Puerto Rico. Well not exactly anchored, we are tied to a fairly well used and in need of some tender maintenance mooring buoy that says Day Use . The local in the boat next to us says they are for overnighters.

We had originally planned to do the 8 or 9 day trip from the Virgins direct to Beaufort, North Carolina. After looking at the weather predictions and seeing the Atlantic high pressure system move more westerly, it looked like we were going to have to take a passage much more westerly to avoid days of motoring. So, instead of going direct, we've decided on Plan B: Sail over to mainland Puerto Rico, do a little visit to the San Juan old town. Then do a 4 day passage to the Bahamas. Spend 4 or 5 days moving north in the Bahamas and snorkeling. Check the weather and do another 4 day passage to Beaufort. While it is pretty easy to show the rationalization for this approach, there just might be a touch of not quite ready to re-enter life in the US.

Paul