"Shit just got real"

I seem to be having a serious case of deja vu... Repeatedly.  For months now, time and time again I have stopped in my tracks, frozen.  For that moment, I have stood there in sheer terror quietly thinking to myself - "Shit just got real".

I always thought that when the time finally came for us to make our move to the Caribbean, it would be so easy.  Because I have such malice for Connecticut, I thought that when the time came there would literally be smoke rolling off my tires and this state that I have detested for ten years would be nothing more than a fading landscape in my rear-view mirror.  Wow, was I ever wrong.  No surprise there really, I tend to be very talented at being wrong.

The truth of the matter is that making the decision to pursue our dreams was and is terrifying.  We are leaving a known with financial security to venture into something entirely new with an uncertain outcome.  We are leaving careers that we have built and maintained to try something new that we might not be successful at.  Maybe I just don't have the balls, but for me it was far harder than I ever imagined.  I have to keep reminding myself that we are also leaving a place that was literally killing us.  We are leaving a place where although we had good careers and income, we lacked anything vaguely resembling a life.  I have to keep remembering we are getting the chance of a lifetime to follow our dreams and create a new life.

After weighing all the pros and cons, eventually a hard decision has to be made which can not be reversed.  It's a lot like jumping into the deep end of a cold pool.  You want to swim, you know you can swim, but that water is cold.  You just left the diving board and there is literally no turning back.  That's where we are right now - in limbo.  We are far from the diving board, hanging in mid-air.  We have been looking forward to the swim ahead for a long time, but we are terrified of hitting that cold water for the first time.  The unknown is unnerving.  "Shit just got real".

When I met with my boss, whom I have known and highly respected for ten years now, and explained what we intended to with a resignation, "Shit just got real".  When we rented a UHaul trailer and pulled a load of "stuff" to our summer house, "Shit just got real".  The day we officially closed on, and became owners of a 50 foot yacht, "Shit just got real".  Our house was listed on the market, and a few showings later we were signing offers and contracts, "Shit just got real".

And now, as I sit here writing this, I'm surrounded by boxes marked "Ship to boat", "Summer house", etc.  We have spent our weekend sorting through all our life possessions, and preparing for an estate sale of the remaining contents of our house, furniture, etc.  "Shit just got real".  This is really happening.  We are hanging in the air off of the diving board, with an inevitable big splash coming our way.  Thank goodness the water in the Caribbean is warm.

BVI Sailing Charter 2013

Preparing to anchor in Anegada, BVI

Fidelity moored near Saba Rock, Virgin Gorda

After completing our American Sailing Association certifications earlier in the year, we decided one more crewed charter would do us well to gain some more experience before venturing out on our own on a bareboat charter (chartering a yacht alone, no crew or captain).  After working with our broker, we found "Fedelity", a 46 foot Jeanneau operated by Bob and Debbie Anderson.  Bob is also an ASA instructor, so we figured he would probably be willing to allow us to do a lot of hands-on operation and give us lots of great advice.  He did on both counts.

After three days spent in our beloved island of St. John, Bob and Debbie picked us up at the National Park dock in Cruz Bay.  Given our previous sailing charters, we held fairly high expectations from Bob, Debbie, and Fidelity.  It was very clear early in the charter, that our expectations would not only be met, but they would be far surpassed.

Fidelity was in pristine condition and she was our first introduction into a more modern monohull.  Our previous monohull experiences were on Morgan Out Island 41's.  While these venerable boats made for comfortable conditions and good sailing, they are an older design and much has changed.  Fidelity has many of the features I would look for in a yacht to live aboard - huge aft cockpit with a very usable folding table, a "sugar scoop" swim platform at the stern, and a very spacious layout with a nicely comfortable saloon.  She was a three cabin, three head layout making her great for chartering.  The forward stateroom, which was our accommodation for our week aboard, is the owner's suit complete with en-suite head.

Our forward stateroom

Unlike the shallow draft full keeled Morgans I trained on, Fidelity is a fin keel, lighter displacement boat.  At the helm there was a tremendous difference in the responsiveness of the boat.  While the Morgans felt like a graceful war horse, Fidelity felt more like a tuned sports car.  Helm changes were immediate, pinching in heavy wind was easy and I felt very connected with the 46 feet of boat beneath me.  On the other hand, the gear and forces behind them were massive.  I was awkward and uncoordinated working the sheets and halyards.  It had been six months since I had crewed a boat this size and I really struggled to find a rhythm.  On our first morning while putting the final tension on the main halyard, a block at the base of the mast failed.  I had read about such a failure, but I can assure you reading about it does no justice to seeing it happen first hand.  To be honest, it scared the hell out of me - it also reaffirmed how serious this type of gear and the handling of it really is.  Throughout the week, I found myself clumsy at times which really shook my confidence.  I compare it to the basketball player that hasn't played in some time.  In the player's head, he knows his approximate level of play, and with it comes confidence that it will be achieved.  When he gets on the court and a pass comes his way, he throws up an air-ball.  He hasn't lost that skill, but that level is not immediately at his grasp and it's a shock.  That immediate shock is exactly what I went through.  Captain Anderson coached me through this, and I'm glad he was there.  During our week aboard, we soaked up a lot of knowledge from him.

Sharon at the helm of Fidelity

Preparing to anchor near Little Jost

One thing we were pleasantly unprepared for, was the spectacular culinary show with which we were treated for each and every meal.  When booking a crewed yacht charter, the chef and his or her sample menus are always taken under great consideration.  When we booked Fidelity, we knew we would be eating well, but we had no idea that Debbie had grossly understated her abilities and talent in the galley.  Nor did we know the lengths that Bob and Debbie go to present meals Al fresco in the cockpit at a level that would make high-end restaurants embarrassed.  Seared sushi grade Ahi tuna, mango Mahi-mahi, delectable shrimp, indulgent breakfasts, and amazingly appetizing lunches - a menu designed and organized to our every tasty desire.  Debbie spent countless hours in the galley, making each meal an event to remember, and Bob had gathered a wine selection based on our tastes that did not fail to impress.  

Our charter with Fidelity found us hitting everything on our itinerary, plus a few unexpected side trips offered up by Bob.  Our favorites were all visited - Norman Island, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda.  We also took in a lot of new territory.  We snorkeled the "Indians" near Norman Island for the first time this year, a place we have been meaning to go over the years but somehow passed up for other activities.  On one particular day, our goal was to sail to Marina Cay.  We were excited about our visit - Marina Cay was another spot that has been on our to-do list for many years.  Once underway, Bob offered the suggestion of heading over to Cooper island on our way.  We took the dinghy from Cooper Island, to Salt Island and the wreck of the RMS Rhone for snorkeling - more places high on our to-do list "someday".  The eerie-factor at the Rhone was high, and it was spectacular snorkeling the wreck while divers took a closer look beneath us.  Salt Island was great for wandering around and exploring.  Towards the west end of the island lies a makeshift graveyard where islanders buried the dead that washed ashore from the Rhone's demise.  

The incredibly flat island of Anegada, due north of Virgin Gorda, was also on the itinerary we asked of Bob.

Sunset in Anegada

 The sail there and back was well worth it, and proved to be a very relaxing experience with the sails set and the autopilot steering our course.  We arrived far earlier than Sharon and I had imagined we would, which allowed for us to do a good amount of island exploration and visiting many of the local watering holes.  It was immediately apparent that we would want to return there in the future, so we moved around the island like a sampler platter of appetizers with the intent that we will know exactly what we want to see and do the next time our hull meanders into this beautiful anchorage.  And when you hear Jimmy Buffett talk about Anegada lobster - take his word for it...  Or ours.  This is something not to be missed.

Our week aboard with Bob and Debbie was a great way to end our crewed charter experiences.  It was horrendously depressing to see it come to an end, but with every end comes a new beginning.  This was such a great stepping stone towards our ultimate goal, allowing us to log more hours under a professional while still having a vacation of a lifetime.   

Motoring to pull up the anchor

"Crowded" Cow-wreck beach, Anegada

Island Characters: Seddy Callwood

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke

Sharon and I swimming in White Bay, Jost Van Dyke
while aboard  S/V Antiquity, 2011

Each year when we sail throughout the Virgin Islands, one of our favorite stops is the island of Jost Van Dyke.  Located just north of Tortola, Jost Van Dyke is the home to only about 300ish people.  When one imagines the absolute perfect beach bar, this is where that image comes to fruition.  We try to spend an entire day doing a pub-crawl across the island visiting all of our favorite watering holes.

Seddy Callwood's "One Love Bar"

On the western end of the beach in White Bay, "One Love Bar" will be found.  And if you are lucky, it's owner Seddy Callwood will be on hand.  On our first visit to One Love, we walked into the mostly empty sand floor establishment and ordered a couple Bushwackers.  By the way, if you have never had a Bushwacker - I highly recommend it.  As a friendly bartender made our drinks, we noticed that the only other customer at the time was slumped over the bar, seemingly inebriated.  Our drinks were just about ready when our fellow patron slowly sprang to life and began to mumble incoherently to Sharon.  His voice was barely audible, and heavily slurred.  We weren't quite sure he was even speaking English.  He became more animated, and seemingly agitated as he continued to attempt to communicate with Sharon.  It was awkward, and I felt tension rising.  I  put my drink down and moved closer thinking I needed to put space between Sharon and our local drunkard, while inserting myself between them.  This is usually how bad stories happen, so I was trying to be friendly while still positioning myself in case I needed to "thump" this guy.  He became even more animated and was now getting loud, speaking in a tongue which we could not distinguish.  Just when I thought the situation was headed south, he stood up straight, and spoke clear coherent English - we had just met Seddy and experienced his first prank of the day...

Seddy Callwood

Seddy, is son of the famous Foxy Callwood - owner of Foxy's Tamarind Bar and fellow island character.  I'll get to him in a later post...  Seddy is known to provide entertainment for visitors to his bar in the form of magic tricks and pranks.  His slight of hand, and his mystical-Rasta-meets-David-Copperfield demeanor add a whole new fun flavor to his spontaneous bar room act.  He performed quite a few tricks at the bar while we enjoyed a few rounds of drinks.  His bar, One Love, is an open air powder sand floor hut adorned in what seems like a million buoys.  Inside, like many island bars, the ceiling is covered with things past guests have left behind.  There are too many bikinis, t-shirts, flags and pennants to even count.  One Love seems to play second fiddle to the more famous Soggy Dollar bar just down the beach which I think is a bonus.  There are simply less people that venture here, leaving more of Seddy's tricks for the rest of us.  So when you visit White Bay, stop in and say hello to Seddy.  I've found one of his best tricks is making your sobriety disappear.

Not the greatest picture, but the only one I got of us with Seddy

Island Characters: Peter Hoschl

"Angel's Rest" Bar, Coral Bay St. John

As time goes on, I plan on introducing some of the "characters" I've met during my island travels.  What is a character?  A character to me is someone who stands out among others.  A character is someone who stands out not because they dress funny or because they seek childish attention in shock value like present day "celebrities", but rather because they have an interesting story to share.  There is something about them that draws others to them.

Peter Hoschl, owner/creator, "Angel's Rest"

Peter Hoschl is the owner and creator of "Angel's Rest" bar.  If ever there was a horse of a different color - this bar is it.  Anyone who has ever spent time on a pontoon boat will appreciate this.  Peter is a self described hippy, with a background in construction.  He rescued this 40 foot - yes I said 40 foot - pontoon boat and did a frame-up build of Angel's Rest himself.  On top of the massive pontoon frame, Peter constructed a typical island bar, complete with glass table and chairs, entrances to port and starboard, day beds for lounging forward, and a ladder leading to an upstairs "porch" complete with loungers aft.  Under the glass table and chairs is a circular cutout in the floor, allowing for easy viewing of graceful sea turtles swimming below.  I'm not even sure what to call the bathroom aboard Angel's Rest.  On land in a house, it would be called a bathroom.  On a boat, it's called a head.  I'll leave you to decide whether Angel's rest is a floating house/bar, or a boat.

Cutout under the table

Tim swimming from S/V Magewind to
Angel's Rest for cocktails

Angel's Rest resides on a mooring in Coral Bay on the east end of the island of St. John in the USVI.  St. John has only two towns - Cruz Bay to the west, Coral Bay to the east.  Each day Peter fires up the two Evinrude outboard engines fitted to Angel's Rest, and leisurely motors to Hansen Bay in the far east tip of St. John where he sets anchor and opens up bar for anyone that wants to swim or dinghy to him.  Pricing?  That's easy.  Every drink is five dollars no matter what you order.  Drinks come served with entertaining jokes and stories as tall as the hills that make up the surrounding island.  Listening to Peter describe how he "checked out", and how Angel's Rest got its name is in and of itself worth at least a few rum cocktails.  I will warn you though - Peter pours with a heavy hand...  The swim back to shore or back to your yacht can be tricky.

Sharon saying good-bye for another year

Bar is closing - everybody off!

When the day is growing old and the sun flirts with the horizon, Peter will promptly exclaim with a grin - "Bar is closing.  Everybody off my boat".  Like a school of fish, patrons file off the side into the cool Caribbean water and swim off in their respective directions.  With anchor pulled up, and the sun now sinking into the sea, Peter motors off into the distance like a cool Caribbean cowboy.  Time to restock, a new day will soon come.

Usually I go home after the bar - here the bar goes home after me

The Drinking Man's Guide.....

We all dream of spending time at the quintessential palm lined white sand beach, surrounded by crystal blue waters.  After a day sailing, exploring, hiking, or whatever strikes your fancy - what better way to relax than by checking out the local watering hole.  This my friends, is something I excel at.  I would dare say I'm down right talented at sniffing out new tropical temptations.

Like any other subject, to become proficient one must study.  This requires sufficient resources.  In the British Virgin Islands, luckily these resources are easy to find.  There is no better guide for a little bar-ology than "The Drinking Man's Guide to the BVI" by Julian Putley.  This guide covers all the island haunts that even the most surly pirate would be proud of.

The book contains simple maps with numbered locations and legends showing each corresponding bar name.  Each numbered location corresponds to that bar's page in the book.  The  write up for each bar contains a catchy poem, a nice description, and usually a drink recipe or two for specialty drinks served there.  With a little bit of planning, and an understanding of how to get around in the Virgins, one can easily fit a good number of these bars into a week long visit.

One of our "more used" pages 

So...  What's better than a book that guides you through the best drinking in the BVIs?  This book has a kicker.  In the last pages of the book, each bar has a drink special and a place for a bartender to sign off.  Free drinks?  I ask you - what is better than free island drinks?  Through the years, Sharon and I have put quite a dent in our sign-offs.  We even ask bartenders to sign each year even though we have already enjoyed the free drink.  This book is a great memento
(sometimes you need these after a good night of rum) of your liquid exploration.

Autograph of Micheal "Beans", a great island character and popular musician

Coming soon to my "Sailing" page

S/V Island Dreamer, the boat we sailed and lived aboard while earning our ASA certifications

Sailing...  Now there's something I never pictured myself doing while growing up in the Adirondack mountains of New York.  On this page, I'll be documenting how we started sailing, the boats we have experienced, the memories we have made, and our progression from non-sailors, to hopefully confident skippers. 

From being passengers on a day charter, to exploring the Virgin Islands and Florida Keys on private charters, to our preparation to bareboat, be our own skippers, and eventually live aboard our own sailing yacht - it will all be here.

Sharon and I and Capts. Harold & Margie Ochstein after completing our ASA 104 Bareboat certification

At the helm of S/V Island Dreamer in the Florida Keys