Visual Wonders of the US Virgin Islands for you to Savor while on your private Charteryacht.

This picture was shot from the cockpit of my Charteryacht while in Christmas Cove on Great St. James Island, USVI. A common first-nighting place when your charter begins from St. Thomas. Sunset is a perfect time to spot the legendary Green Flash. And yes, it's really true. They are quite commonly seen in the Virgin Islands when conditions are just right.

  Dock lore has it that, back in the '70's and beyond, when the charter yachts who had no charter over Christmas (a rare event these days), they would all gather here to celebrate together. And then there's some pesky rumor of an historical event which states that Christopher Columbus landed here on a Christmas Day. You decide.

 

Ahhhh, the wonders of the Caribbean! Let's focus on some of the US Virgin Islands for starters. 

All these beautiful pictures were taken with a simple point and shoot Digital camera from my charter sailboat. (Except where noted, below.)
Nothing fancy. You see, the Islands are so perfect in every detail, you need no fancy camera, really. All raw, Nature at its finest. Enjoy this portfolio. Our many charter guests were captivated and vowed to come back again and again. And they did.

After colors from a glorious sunset. Facing East from the boat's bow in the US Virgin Islands.

Then, just after the Sun sets, run to the bow, which faces East usually, to catch the "after-colors" often more spectacular than the actual sunset  itself. Mom Nature really pours it on doesn't she? Ahhhh.

 Morning dawns. Facing East, from the bow. The Sun's rays shoot upward thru the low, distant clouds. Glory in the skies!  
After breakfast, we are now moving East to St. John in the USVI, the jewel in the crown of the US National Park Service. More the one-half of this lovely island with its rich and colorful fringing reefs are protected by the Park Service leaving it unspoiled for you to see it in all its raw beauty.

Distant squall seen on your short journey to St. John, USVI. And as quickly as it forms, it moves on out to sea. 

The early morning sunrays are just a small preview of the majesty yet to come. The most beautiful skies in all the world will be witnessed from the deck of your Charteryacht. Unobstructed horizons, seldom seen in the life of a usual land-lubber, will send you running for your camera as you gently sail along to the next snorkel stop. 

And now, there you are. All alone on your private charteryacht. After a refreshing lunch, get ready to explore some of the Park land which surrounds you. 

Southwind, Charteryacht, in St. John, Salt Pond Bay. World-renowned snorkeling and nature hiking. 

Gin clear water. Friendly sealife.
Who could ask for more?

Limin' in the hammock!

                              Oh, what to do all day, what to do? 

Oh, I know, we'll take a hike up to Ram Head, St. John USVI.

But first, we'll go to see the petroglyphs on the Reef Bay Trail.

Excerpted from www.seestjohn.com.

 "Who carved the petroglyphs?"

"Although no one knows for certain, the most likely answer to this question is that the petroglyphs were created by the pre-Columbian inhabitants of St. John known as the Taino."

Petroglyphs on Reef Bay Trail, St. John, USVI

Happy Charterer enjoying the cool of the forest and stream.

 Next Hike: Ram Head, St John, US Virgin Islands

Sights seen on your way to Ram Head.

 

Salt and wind-weathered ancient tree on the shore of Salt Pond Bay, St John, USVI. The "beach" is make up of ancient, blue cobblestones AKA "Blue Bitch". Aptly named, as it is one of the hardest rocks known on Earth. Also they are very prized as pavers, but the Park status keeps them safe for us to enjoy.

You will also walk through a grove of lignum vitae trees. A few remain after ancient shipwrights used so many for bearings in old sailing ships. As hard as the Blue Bitch is among rocks, these remaining trees are among the hardest in the world. 

 Ancient Lignum Vitae tree

 

Turks Cap cactus. 

Eat the succulent fruit (pluck carefully!) It tastes just like strawberries. But you have to beat the lizards, thrushies and sugar birds to them first!

Take heart. The hike is not all that arduous but you must wear sensible shoes. Watch out for the CatchandKeep cactus. They are a form of Jolla cactus AKA jumping cactus and will stick in your toes. You will also likely be joined by some friendly goats.

Here is your reward! 

 Atop Ram Head looking West

Jump off point to Africa!! (but don't do it. There's so much more to see and do.)
Smiles all around.

You will be breathing some of the cleanest air on this beautiful Blue Green Earth.
The views are breathtaking. 

"The eastern coast of Ram Head Point is totally exposed to the tradewinds. If you were sailing east from here, your next landfall would be Africa. The air you will be breathing on this beach is unarguably the cleanest, freshest and most invigorating air in the world.
The trail switches back several times through a cactus environment and leads to the tip of Ram Head Point.
The rock that makes up this headland is the oldest rock found on St. John. Evidence supporting this theory was gained when geologists, using diamond tipped drills, bored into the rock at Ram Head. They drilled down over one half a mile before breaking through the last of the rock. The new substance brought up by the drill was examined and shown to be the same material that makes up the ocean floor, indicating that no other rock was there before it."
Humbling isn't it?


Excerpted from St. John Beach Guide. More information to be found HERE.

So come and walk in the footsteps of so many happy Charterers. As for them, your first time will not be your last.
From the annals of a Charteryacht owner sailing  in the Waters of the US and British Virgin Islands for more than 10 years. 
www.slipaweighcharters.com
margo@slipaweighcharters.com 

Special Offer for Sailing for One Couple in the Virgin Islands!

View this nice Island Packet Sailboat HERE

S/Y Because is offering a

1 week 2 passenger charter rate of

$3800 
(normally $4,500)
 for charters booked during
March-June 30, 2013

Included:
Fuel, Water, Light Breakfast and Lunch

 
NOT included: Dinner, Bar, Moorings per night, BVI taxes/ Cruising fees, Dockage, or Diving

  Contact us for more details. This special offer will not last long. 

Slip Aweigh Charters, Inc.

Charter Broker, CYBA International

Member: www.cyba.net and www.vicl.org

www.yachtchartersusvi.com

info@yachtchartersusvi.com

US Phone/Fax: 1.866.297.0163

Florida Office: 1.727.289.4372

Florida Cell: 1.727.324.9471

SKYPE name: charterlady

Sailing terms, explained. Kind of.......

Perplexing boating terminology, explained. Next post will be fun facts we’ll bet you didn’t know.

Heard onboard:

“What did he say????

Pull the what?”

 “The folk’s castle???  What? We’re in the ocean here!”

“What’s the vang?”  (Wang, when spoken with a German accent!) Did he say twang??

Oh, I’m so confused.

You know?  We were often asked by those who took our ASA sailing instruction course on board our charter boat: “Why do I have to know what all this means?”

Answer: So you know what the heck you’re doing. And everybody else on board knows what you're doing, too.

“Twang thingie” doesn’t get it when a line needs to be tended STAT!! Take the time to learn.

It can make the difference in a fun day on the water or a “fire drill” and bad feelings all around.

Consider a professionally conducted sailing course.  Slip Aweigh offers several charters geared to onboard sailing instruction.  At the end of the week aboard, and with your certificate in hand, you’re on your way to your dreamboat ownership or bareboat chartering on your own where you could qualify to be the Skipper! We ended up creating "monsters" who not only chartered by themselves but even bought their own very nice boats!

It will change your life, and in a very good way.

You will become addicted. Be careful ! We were NOT careful and are so grateful for that!! Whatta life!! 

________________________________________________________________

Winch? 

                                                                               

or

Wench?

Below find just a few examples of terminology on sailing boats.

The Skipper can be of either gender, male or female. It just doesn’t matter. To be accepted as “Skipper” does NOT depend on any Captain’s License. Usually the most competent sailor is in this position.

Sailing boats and decisions made aboard cannot be made by a “committee”.  This is most important especially when under way. And there are several reasons why. When decisions have to be made, and quickly, as can happen when the situation takes the proverbial trip into the “handbasket”, there can only be ONE person who gives the command to the crew.  

 Probabable conversation before the OOOPS happens:  “Oh, my dear, I wonder if we should not go that way instead.” $&*%%*^grnch!!!!! “Uhhhhhh,  oh, my.”

We are Skippers, both of us, but one, only one person is given the final say.  In advance, that decision is made. And spending time arguing about it can only lead to less than ideal outcomes. HOWEVER, that is not to say that the crew members are not essential to the peaceful day on the water, or especially, on long passagemaking. Seasoned sailors, i.e. couples, who share many miles under the keel know this. And no one’s feelings are hurt. So, take heed or else get keelhauled or worse……ARGGGHHHH!

The worst possible outcome of an unhappy Skipper is that your rum ration will be withdrawn. I'd rather walk the plank!! 

Off ye go, Matey!! Say HI to Davey Jones for me.....Arrrrrghhhhhh!!

______________________________________________________________________

Dolphin striker is a vertical spar (pole) under the end of the most pointy front part of a sailboat to extend and support the rigging. It also helps support the head stay to keep the mast upright.  Always a good idea!  No, don’t worry. Dolphins are too fast for it!

Bosun’s Chair is a device used to suspend a person from a rope to perform work aloft.  It usually includes a more or less rigid seat, providing more comfort than even the best-padded straps for long-term use. And when you’re up there, look around. It’s gorgeous and a great place to take pictures from while at the masthead. And invariably, while you’re up there, the wind comes up and/or someone throws a wake to end ‘em all! Settle down, girl!!!

Special important note: Be very choosy about the person who will be hauling you up there and ultimately, easing you back down to the deck. Don’t make it your last trip in this world.

Shroud is usually made of wire rope or rod. (Rod is used much less often.) Some boats use high-tech line. But all serve the same purpose: Supporting your friend, the mast, on both sides.  But, not all boats have shrouds. Some manufacturers like Freedom Yachts have no shrouds.  What, you say? Yes, and the design, while a bit controversial, worked very well. Thanks in part to extra circumference in the mast itself.

Note to self: When moving around on deck of those boats, do NOT grab for a shroud as you will quickly be swimming with the fishes!

Sheets can be 250 count? 400 count? 600 Egyptian cotton? Nope. These are the lines which control all the sails and are part of the boat’s “running rigging”. Jib sheets, mainsheet, spinnaker sheet. All are sheets and are called lines. Loose reference point:  A rope is not called a line until it’s been given a job to do.

Who can name the actual number of true “ropes” on a boat? I can start you off with one.  Boltrope: a rope that is attached to the edge of a sail, usually, which is used as a slide into a slot.  

Go HERE for the answer. (Courtesy of Annapolis Sailing School)

Other examples of “lines” are: 1) Come here often? 2) What’s your sign? Sorry….couldn’t resist.

Stays  No, not as in corsets of old or a command you give your dog for him to ignore, but rather wires or supports used for keeping the mast vertical. Also called “standing rigging” for good reason. Notice the importance I keep placing on keeping the mast up there?? 

Foc’sle  The “forecastle” of a ship, commonly seen spelled as foc'sle to reflect the way the word was used by mariners, is the area where sailors sleep and congregate while off duty. The foc'sle is located in the forward part of the ship, also called the bow, and in front of the main mast. The foc'sle serves as accommodations for regular sailors, while officers of the ship are housed in other areas. Yeah, you wouldn’t want the hardworking crew to rub elbows with the Officers, now would you? (Of course, that was then, and this is now. "Elbow rubbing" is encouraged between consenting sailing adults. :)

Port   For a new sailor, there’s a couple of ways to remember what “port” means. Port has four letters and so does “left”. See? Port is the left side of the boat/ship. There’s not much more to learn except to learn it! It can mean the difference of a collision or going aground when entering a harbor. At night, the navigation lights are used, and the port side is displayed as red.  And starboard is green. Why? I don't know. It just is.

You will hear chatter on the VHF radio when encountering a passing situation: “Captain, port to port?” 

As for starboard? It's green. Don't ask me why. At least you don't have to remember it if you know what "port" is.

Second way to remember: Port, related to wine, has four letters, too. Cheers!

Tacks: No, not like thumbtacks.

 When a boat has to go to windward, it must “tack” i.e. change its direction to keep the bow about 35-40 degrees to the wind depending on the boat design.  No sailboat can sail directly into the wind. If it tries, it goes into “irons” and that is not a very useful place to be. The sails will slat (whip or flop back and forth depending on the wind strength) until by some lucky “fluke”, (yes, another term from the boating world) the bow “falls off” (THE BOW FELL OFF?? YIKES!) meaning it presents itself to the wind on one side or the other. Just another example of that pesky nautical talk. But, HOORAY, you can now proceed to the bar at the Marina. A happy eventuality, indeed. 

Fenders:  Picture the sound of “FEND OFF!! ” as a boat comes into the dock and heard all over  the marina. Hopefully that cry does not end with a punctuation Crrrrrruuuunnch!

Heavy walled vinyl air-filled cylinders for “fending off” docks, other boats, etc. Also make for a comfortable neck rest while at anchor.

Bumpers: Please, on cars, only. No place on any boat.

Rail Meat: Boy, Sailors are weird aren't they?????!

For sailboat racing: People who are invited aboard, with or without experience, to lend their weight to either side to increase speed on smaller racing boats. You only have to be agile enough to scramble across the deck which might be slanted at a 20-30 degree angle (Yikes!)  and able to take direction fast! Sometimes, you might even be asked to come back!

But seriously,  it’s a very good way to get introduced to the world of sailing.We all start with this experience and most survive it.

 

We at Slip Aweigh Charters  hope you have enjoyed these little bits of Nautical Knowledge.
Book your weeklong charter with Slip Aweigh and receive this little book as a gesture of our thanks.
It's humorous. You and your friends will love it!!