Can the Princess and the Sailor find
true happiness on vacation? The answer is an unequivocal YES, and I
can tell you the secret.
The story begins a few years ago on
the Caribbean island of Antigua. I (the Sailor) had just completed
an Atlantic crossing and was visiting friends there. I decided to
take a dive course during my stay, and began the fundamentals in the
pool of a very upscale resort. By the pool, I caught my first
glimpse of Princess Annie, who was staying at the resort (should
this have been a hint?) and she glimpsed me back. By the end of my
course, I was awarded with not one but two licenses; divemaster and
marriage!
We set up home in Charlotte NC for
practical reasons, but the land locked Sailor soon began to feel the
call of the sea. How, though, could I fulfill the urge to run before
the wind and avail myself of the company of the Princess at the same
time?
One day Annie handed me some
brochures she had requested from a yacht charter brokerage. My dusty,
salt spray bereft nostrils flared as I devoured the photos of
untrammeled tropical islands, sleek sailing yachts and undersea
encounters. Annie was captivated by the below deck accommodations
and the outstanding menus- all the comforts of home in a Caribbean
paradise. My only reservation was that I would not be in control of
the vessel. As it turned out I was wrong. Annie's good sense
prevailed, and we booked the trip.
We had outlined our requirements with
the brokerage by phone, (food preferences, sleeping arrangements,
water toys, destinations etc.) and we subsequently chose a Irwin 65'
'Capital Gain', which could very comfortably sleep 6 guests. The aft
cabin with king size bed and en suite bathroom was the deciding
factor. A happy compromise between serious rail down passages and
the air conditioned comfort and space desired by Annie. Because of 'Capital
Gain's' spaciousness, we persuaded our good friends Grant, Marie,
Bob and Sandy who are always looking for new experiences to share
our adventure.
Following a surprisingly easy flight
to St. Thomas, a short cab ride took us to Yacht Haven Marina. Even
from dockside we could see that our yacht was going to live up to
all our expectations. We boarded 'Capital Gain' to the warm welcome
of Capt. Brock Johnson and his wife Capt.Barbara.
I will admit that up to this point,
in spite of all the information we received from our broker and
having talked to Brock on the phone, I still had some reservations.
Any lingering doubts were soon dispelled as we toured the boat and
shed our stateside burdens in the staterooms.
Our small group was filled with
excited anticipation. Neither the Sailor or the Princess were
disappointed, we both felt in our element. Our yacht sparkled from
bow to stern, meticulously and lovingly maintained both above and
below decks.
It is at this point that the contrast
between a crewed yacht and a bareboat is most obvious. Although
these professionals make it look easy, a great deal of work is
involved in operating a charter vessel. Obviously, preparations for
our arrival began long before we left for the islands.
'Capital Gain' was provisioned
according to our food and bar preferences, (including my favorite
brand of beer!) and there was even a small sail for the windsurfer,
so we could all use it regardless our level of expertise.
Following a short safety and
familiarization briefing by our Captain and a light lunch we cast
off and headed out to sea. We gathered in the cockpit and Brock
piloted us along the SE coast of St. Thomas. I was so engrossed in
the beauty of the numerous small islands and cays I forgot to be
upset about not being "in charge"!
Before clearing the windward passage
between St.Thomas and St.John and entering the waters of the British
Virgin Islands en route to Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, we all felt
we had entered a different dimention. And, indeed, we were now in
the exhilarating world of cruising--not just transplanted armchair
tourists but active participants in the exclusive and unique 'yachtie'
lifestyle.
As Brock maneuvered 'Capital Gain' by
Pull and Be Damn' Point at the entrance to Great Harbour, he
recounted some 18th. Century Privateering tales. The sovereignty of
the BVIs was hotly contested by European colonialists, as well as,
pirates, and they all left their legacies. This amalgamation gives
rise to names like : Sir Francis Drake Channel, Deadman's Bay,
Treasure Point (all inspiration to R.L.Stevensons in-residence
writing of "Treasure Island"), the Spanish named Virgin
Gorda and Anegada, and the Dutch Jost Van Dyke. The BVI's 50 or so
islands and cays are now a British Colony and the cruising grounds
are considered among the finest in the world.
We anchored in Great Harbour and were
charmed by the vista. Other yachts lolled in the calm turquoise
waters, and the white sandy beach was sparsely dotted with tiny
wooden buildings housing small shops and the Customs House.
Jost (as it's known in these parts)
is a small island (4 miles long) north west of Tortola and a popular
destination for boaters of all types, especially those that truly
want to get away from it all. Like the rest of the BVIs, a carefully
maintained balance of nature and tourism. A handful of cars on
unpaved roads is as close to downtown as you can get. There are more
bar stools on Jost than natives (about 140) hence earning the title
'Party Island' of the BVI. Jost is mountainous and lush and has some
outstanding beaches scattered with pretty island houses and beach
hostelries that resound to the tales of last night's anchoring sagas
mingled with Bob Marley.
A short dingy ride to the dock landed
us within a few steps of our official business and Foxy's. Brock
took care of "formalities" while we poked around this
corner of paradise. At the end of the scimitar shaped beach we found
ourselves at Foxy's.
Caribbean cruisers and voyagers from
all over the world will almost certainly land on these shores, and
Foxy's Tamarind is a "must stop". The profusion of
business cards and banknotes left by visitors that adorn all
available surfaces testifies to the truly cosmopolitan nature of
this tiny speck in the ocean. We were lucky to find Foxy himself
sitting in the shade of a palm tree cradling his somewhat battered
guitar. As we entered he launched into a calypso serenade, his
lyrics a clever mix of individual observation interspersed with a
bit of political satire. As more people filtered in, we enjoyed
Foxy's musical humor, and struck up conversations with boat owners
and guests from other yachts anchored for the night.
It was agreeably surreal to sample
such diversity in this tiny and pristine beach setting. Yes, the
Sailor was lost in the tropics, and the Princess was happily
immersed in reggae laced with a whiff of rum! The heady atmosphere,
the tropical sun and the whiff soon had us on the beach and into a
"jump-up" (an impromptu party with dancing in several
languages!)
Brock and Barbara returned to Capital
Gain after arranging to pick us up at around 6:30 for dinner back on
board. Our groups disparate eating habits had looked to me like a
recipe for nautical culinary disaster, not quite on the scale of the
Titanic, nevertheless, I imagined, a challenge for Barbara. The
Princess leans towards exotic fare, Grant and Bob are 'meat and
potatoes' guys, Marie eats no red meat, Sandy counts beans like a
demented CPA and I, (some seadog!) am allergic to seafood!
Seated around the candle lit cockpit
table set with all the china and crystal a Princess could ever want,
our appetites sharpened by the tangy sea air and the days activities,
we were ready to eat! This would not be the last time that Barbara
would amaze and delight us with her culinary expertise. Not only was
she able to cope with our (we all had to agree) peculiar needs, she
also presented us with her own published cook book.
Over dessert we recalled 6 different
nationalities that we had met at Foxy's that afternoon, and Marie
made us add a seventh-the Californian actor and his wife she met by
the bakery. (She thinks California is another country.) Appreciation
of the unusual and the freedom of the ocean is the common thread
that binds us.
Relaxing, sipping coffee and liqueurs,
we took in the balmy night air and discussed our itinerary for the
next day. Decisions! Decisions! Should we aim to be on Peter Island
for dinner? Could we arrange a rendezvous dive for me while the non
divers snorkeled? Are there enough days left in our week to sail to
Anegada? Sandy sensibly suggested we decide in the morning.
The sun rose early and so did we. A
quick injection of juice and coffee was followed by a 'sprint swim'
to a nearby deserted beach, (The ladies took the float mats out for
sea trials.) staying just long enough to let the sun dry us off. We
had disagreed on many issues in the course of our long friendship (Grant
voted for Perot! and Bob was a fully paid up member of 'The Flat
Earth Society'?!) but we had to agree, this was pretty darn close to
our kind of paradise.
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