Photos:
1. The anchor locker into which Lara fell during the unfortunate grounding incident.
2. Blissfully ignorant crew...pre-grounding.
Today’s lesson: Always read and re-read the charts…even if you are familiar with the waters.
We got up this morning to motor around the corner to Crown Bay to anchor for the day in an anchorage we have used twice before. We needed to replenish our drinking water supply along with a few more groceries. The girls also wanted to spend the day shopping in Charlotte Amalie (St. Thomas).
We rounded the corner at Water Island and proceeded directly into the anchorage (along a route we had not used before). Lara was up front getting the anchor ready as we headed to what appeared to be a nice open spot in the anchorage with no boats (Warnings, anyone?). Just about the time Lara was getting ready to yell back to the blissfully ignorant Captain that it was looking pretty shallow, there was a terrific BANG followed immediately by an even bigger BANG as the boat came to a sudden stop on the reef we had not seen.
Fortunately, we were only going 2-3 knots at the time so the only damage was to the Captain’s pride and the First Mate’s wrist and foot (where she was thrown into the jib then into the anchor locker). We were able to back out with only a few additional light bumps and were soon in good water again. The best part is that we looked around and there were NO witnesses to this embarrassing debacle! Usually such antics are only performed in front of large and vocal crowds!
Lara took this with remarkable good humor (that is after she crawled out of the anchor locker). She did ask if we were now “even”, reference the unfortunate rounding up incident (see previous blog entry).
Emily (our Coast Guard Representative and designated Safety Officer) immediately announced that we should report this uncharted and highly dangerous hazard to navigation authorities. Unfortunately, when she asked the Captain to show her our position on the chart, they both noted that there is a clearly marked reef in the middle of the anchorage. As Jim’s grandfather (Rear Admiral Davis) used to say, “I’m sorry I brought this up!”
After everyone’s hearts started beating again and we confirmed that we weren’t taking on water, we got the boat anchored and Jim dove on the keel to assess things. There is now a reasonable divot in the front of the keel and large gouge down the bottom of the fin but otherwise no problems.
Once Jim was back on the boat, he found Lara tending her wounds (a few cuts, scrapes, bruises and one torn toenail). He immediately announced that this would be a great blog entry as long as we made it funny. At which point Lara announced “that near death experiences are rarely funny”!
The best part of this whole experience was Lara’s smug look when she reminded the Captain and Crew that she had purchased the COMPLETE insurance package for the boat. We can go back with nothing but a picture of the boat and we won’t get charged anything beyond a nominal deductible. I knew I married this woman for some reason!
After a restorative snack, we all headed into Charlotte Amalie for the grand shopping excursion. Money was spent, souvenirs were purchased, miles were walked, and it was a generally successful outing.
From there, it was back to the Island Bear (we were glad to find it still floating) and then a laundry run before dinner. All in all an exciting day!
Questions Answered:
Q: What do you do with your valuables (passports, electronics, money etc…) when you are off the boat?
A: Our passports and money are typically on our person in a money belt. This travels with us when we are off the boat in the local towns. Most of the time, the digital camera is also with us (Lara carries a backpack with the camera, snacks, water and money belt).
We have spent a lot of time in remote anchorages where we are the only folks there and we leave the boat unlocked and unattended while we snorkel.
In the Spanish and British Virgin Islands we have not been too concerned about petty thievery. Dinghy’s are typically just tied up to the local docks and boats are left unlocked,
Sadly, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are another story. As advised by the tourist brochures and by the locals, we lock up the boat when we are off it (however, the hatches are easily accessible and a slim pirate could get in without much trouble. The locks merely slow them down. We also have a lock that secures the dinghy motor to the dinghy and another lock that secures the dinghy to the dock.
One time, we did have the backpack (and all valuables) on a populated beach (Loblolly Bay in Anegada) and we asked a nearby British Tourist Family if they would watch our backpack while we snorkeled.
However, I think our 36’ charter boat is not much of a target with all of the larger and more outfitted boats around.
Q: Are the girls bored without TV/Friends and being stuck in a 36’ boat for two weeks without an unending water supply (showers)?
A: Both the girls arrived after grueling, college finals and they were pretty sleep deprived. They also attend college in places filled with snow and cold weather. The slow pace of the boat life allowed them to catch up on sleep and supported their desire to come back with “killer tans”. That kept them busy the first week.
This second week is a bit of a challenge. They are getting a tad tired of the close quarters (“She’s touching me!” “Stop touching me!” shades of 5th grade again!) and a couple of days off the boat (Bitter End, St. Thomas) seem to have eased tensions.
They both are avid readers and each has read nearly 10 novels already. We also play cards almost every night and the Captain “graciously” loses most nights.
We did have to relax the water usage rules for showers from 1 gallon to 1.5 gallons.
We're now off to St. John's Island and don't think we'll be able to post for a few days.
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