Boating to Cane Garden Bay and Jost Van Dyke, BVI

This past weekend we had our boat warming party as we just purchased our 2011 World Cat 320 CC, named the Louly III. We had 12 friends on board. We started out of the Compass Point Marina on St Thomas, stopped in St John to pick up some friends, checked into customs on the West End of Tortola and made our way over to Cane Garden Bay on Tortola.

Compass Point

A Little Champagne on the Bow! 

 Cane Garden Bay is a popular stop for cruise ship passengers when they visit Tortola. We were fortunate to visit on a non-cruise ship day. We were one of two boats and a handful of tourists that were staying near by.

We went to Myett's for lunch and sampled some of their homemade rum. Food there was typical Caribbean beach bar food. http://www.myettent.com/restaurant.htm

Followed by a walk down the beach!

Gather the troops and off for desert at Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke!

Sandy Cay 

And then it is "Adios to Jost", that time of day. 

It's weekend days like these that make you really appreciate how lucky we are to live here! 

Boating Around the Entire Island of St Thomas

So what a better day to try out the new boat last Sunday, calm winds and sunny! How about a trip around the entire island of St Thomas? We have never done that before so why not. Usually the North Side is too rough as the Atlantic Ocean pounds that side. Not on Sunday, it was a lake out there!

We started out of Compass Point Marina, which is right near Secret Harbor and headed out!

Red Hook

Sapphire Beach 

Sapphire Beach 

Our house on the knoll in the center, tucked away in the trees

Mahogany Run

Hans Lolick

Magens Bay 

Magens Bay 

Outer and Inner Brass

Mermaid's Chair

Culebra, Puerto Rico

End of the Runway at St Thomas Airport

 

Homeymoon Beach, Water Island

Cocktail Time!

Louly III

Leaving Honeymoon Beach

Southside off of Frenchman's Bay

Back to Compass Point

The whole trip took about 2.5 hours to complete going at 26 knts of course with stops. We travelled 40.4 miles. If you ever get the chance to do it, it was certainly a good time! 

Sailboats, Why Would You Ever Have a Single Hull When You Could Have a Catamaran?

Many of our weekends are spent on our boat relaxing at one of the many anchorages around these islands. I enjoy people and boat watching.

There is one mystery I still do not understand.  Why would you have a single hull sailboat when you can have a catamaran sailboat?

Here are my observations*

• Bow Area  - On a single hull on the bow no one really ever hangs out on the bow of the boat. On a cat there is usually a trampoline area between the two hulls and seems people hang out there?
• Rear Outside Area - Single hull sailboat - To me the outside area that everyone hangs out in is in the "tent" area.  Looking like a 5'x5' area that most have a tent over. Cat has a nice large deck area, sliders to the cabin and with two sets of ladders going in to the sea (single hull go through the hassle of hanging a rope type ladder over the side?). 
• Living area - Single hull sailboat has tiny windows and door in rear and hatch up front, are't you hot in that cabin and isn't as dark as a cave in there? Cat - Sliders in the back with big windows all around. 
• Engines - Single hull sailboat, one motor. Cat  - 2 motors
• Sailing on the Water - Single hull sailboat tilts so much to one side, you see every one it seems like hanging on for dear life and I can't imagine that your personal belongings down in the cave cabin stay in there place for long? Cat - nice and stable on the water and everyone looks relaxed and spread out from just the 5x5 rear area. 

Ok, so there you have my observations, now can a sailor tell me what the advantages and disadvantages are? 

* Author owns a power cat and is very biased to catamaran design. 

What To Do in the Virgin Islands Update

I just thought I would post some pictures of our recent weekends with the new dog and taking some friends over to Jost Van Dyke for some painkillers at Soggy Dollar Bar!