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- dark thirty
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:46:23 EST
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Dark thirty in the BVI and the internet comes and it goes...lately to just
goes.  What a Mermaid Sees... Dinner!!!
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- Sunshine!
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:43:43 EST
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This AM was nice and sunny, just a few scattered clouds. 79 at 8AM
with winds from ENE at about 16 kts, seas in the Sir Francis Drake Channel
appear to be under 3 feet and West Bound! Should be a really nice sail
down to West End and one of life's true adventures...... doing laundry, getting
block ice and checking out of the BVI. All have been know to be trying at
times!
I'll probably spend a day in St. John
Will attempt to keep all posted on travels but lacking internet in many
places and being WIFI only when I can get it... reports may be a bit slow and
few... but hopefully I'll find some way to get my internet fix often enough to
know what is going on, and be reminded why I'm down Here and Not at home
working.
Well off to find the LP gas bottle that has been 7 days waiting to be
filled and a few gallons of gas for the Dink and Generator in case the front
does move back over us bringing more rain and clouds blocking my solar panels
from the love provided by the sun. Think I have lost two shades of tan
over the past week... Today may start the correction on that issue.
Later
Da Wayward (pale) Sailor
Sir Francis Drake Channel in the BVI looking at Tortola
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- Tuesday in theBritish Virgin Islands
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2010 13:07:28 EST
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Sun attempting to find a way around large clouds but not having much or
very long success. More overcast this AM and 50% chance of rain for next
few days. Did get a bit of sun at mid day yesterday and hoping for same
today. Funny thing is the internet seems to follow the same spotty
pattern as the sun is... sometime it is here other times it is not... seems
recently it is not, more than is!
Winds are back to the East North East and now light with temps in the lower
80"s. More sun is expected by mid week but that will cause more and
probably stronger rain showers as they heat up this damp weather mass.
Not in any major rush to make any long trips but will probably move West to
Sopers Hole in next day or so then on to USVI for a few days then hopefully over
to the Spanish Virgin Islands for a while. My LP tanks should be ready by
mid afternoon and maybe a quick trip into Road Town later today for a couple of
items.
later!
da Waward Sailor
Peek-a-boo clouds and sunshine
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE:
Hello Dear Miss Mermaid from Dear Miss Lissy. Ha. Really
appreciated your recent blog about the slow destruction of the coral reefs due
to hapless sailors and etc.. Please keep up the good work. I don't know if you
have already addressed the issue of plastics and ocean trash in general, but I
would like to invite you and your readers to walk with me to the north
side of Trellis Bay (facing Marina Cay) to see the MOUNDS of TRASH piled on the
beach. Mostly plastic. I do believe that if more people saw this they would be
less likely to take ANYthing on board their boat that is not in some way
bio-degradable.
Sorry to blow off steam but it's really just awful.
Dear Miss Lissy,
I know the area you are talking about, and one wonders how
so much could pile up so fast! Not all beach garbage comes from boat
polluters. During a sudden flash flood in Tortola, years ago, I happened to be
near a dry ghut. Of course the sudden constant downpour of flooding rains
turned it into a raging river in short order. I was both horrified and
mortified that it became a river of garbage! All manner of things turned
up in the ghut, a great deal of it take-away restaurant garbage. It seems
some folks seem to think when they are done with their lunch it's OK to toss it
"into the bush".
Another time, I was sailing the British Virgin Islands, back
in the early 80's. We stopped at a certain beach. Some of us decided
to go hiking and horrors upon horrors, we came across a mountain of cruise ship
garbage! It had clearly washed up from the sea. The cruise ship had
thoughtfully plastered their logo on every bar cup, so we knew
exactly who the culprit was. I surely can't print their name here now, (lawsuits
and stuff) though their logo is burnished in my brain forever, and they use the
same logo now. It really turned my stomach and the term "polluting for
pleasure" comes to mind. Well, things have changed now, and supposedly they
don't dump at sea anymore. I know the new cruise ships have their own recycling
and incinerators now, but the old one don't.
Paradise is beautiful, but only if we all work very
VERY hard to keep it clean. Nature is beautiful, then the humans come along
and bring in the garbage...
Live simply.
I for one, have rarely ever bought bottled water, as I think
it is an absurd way to do things. I buy water filters and a pitcher to hold
them, and filter my own water. I fill up traveling bottles when I go out and
about so I have plenty of water with me and I reuse the jugs or bottles. I find
it so disgusting to see water bottles tossed out everywhere. When I lived on my
boat, I filtered my own water and again on land, I filter water.
When I couldn't find water
filters locally, a dear friend flew them in his luggage for me,
on many visits. 
There are so many endless ways to recycle and reuse. Those
endless tiny plastic grocery bags fit most buckets perfectly and then you have
free garbage bags and a use for those grocery bags. The store gives me so
many, I have enough to double and triple bag the garbage if one bag is too
flimsy. At least I don't throw them away empty.
I know once a year, the BVI has a massive beach
cleanup, but we need a weekly cleanup. Some of it comes from the land and some
from the sea, it seems endless at times. Give a hoot, don't pollute. Protect our
beauty for all to enjoy.
If everyone, every day, picked up some anonymous garbage,
stuff you didn't toss out, but some other idiot did, then everyone becomes a
part of the solution.
Can you imagine if everyone raved "I went to the BVI and it
was the cleanest place I ever saw on earth!" 
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- Coral Reefs Are Precious and Delicate
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2010 13:54:21 EST
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Message in a Bottle found on the Sea Shore:
Dear Miss Mermaid:
Ever wonder what happened to the fish & reef at Benares Bay?
Between
the fishermen like this one and their nets and the catamaran
that
threw their anchor right into the coral today I finally
understand the
true meaning of the words "decimation of the
reef". I am saddened for
the entire population of the BVI as
most fish are gone from here and
loads of damaged coral is all that
remains of this once beautiful
underwater world! 
From
N & R
Dear N&R,
It's TRUE! Too many people do not understand just how fragile
coral reefs are and that they are NOT an anchoring ground.
DIVERS
SNORKELLERS BOATERS
The coral reefs are precious
and delicate.
Their future depends on you.
Worldwide coral
reefs are suffering degradation from various factors - pollution, overfishing,
excess nutrients
... and tourist activity.
PLEASE TAKE CARE NOT TO
INFLICT FURTHER DAMAGE.
TOUCH NOTHING
The slightest touch with hands, fins or
equipment can irreparably damage coral polyps, the tiny animals that build the
coral reefs. Remember, most corals only grow a half inch per
year.
REMAIN HORIZONTAL
Remain horizontal in the
water and snorkel in water over your depth. Snorkeling on shallow reefs can
easily inflict damage to the coral and cause personal injury. In a vertical
position, your flapping fins are killers! They break coral and stir up sediment
that can smother the coral polyps. For equipment adjustment, swim out and away
from the coral into deep water.
UNSURE, UNEASY
Wear a
float vest, and practice your skills off a sandy beach.
LOOK, ENJOY AND LEAVE
Take nothing dead or alive from
the reef.
DO NOT ANCHOR ON CORAL
Use mooring buoys
where available or anchor on a sandy bottom. Anchors, chain and line should not
touch coral (dinghy anchors included). If there is no sandy bottom, don't
anchor, but leave an attendant in the dinghy while the rest of the party
snorkels or dives.
FEEDING THE FISH
Caution, you
may be injured! Feeding can make fish aggressive and dangerous. It also upsets
species distribution and may introduce
disease.
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Avoid cumbersome rigs. Don't brace
yourself on the coral to take a photo. Damaging the reef even inadvertently for
the sake of a photo is not worth it.
DIVERS
Adjust
buoyancy. Secure all dangling gauges, consoles, and octopus regulators. Know
where your fins are. Air bubbles trapped in caves will destroy marine growth.
Bubbles rising on a vertical rock face can scour; don't get too close.
THINK, CARE AND ENJOY
HELP THE REEF GIVE CONTINUING
ENJOYMENT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PS: In a previous post, I forgot the SofaBoat
link . 
Warm
and Sunny Regards,
DearMissMermaid.com
Author
of Hurricanes and Hangovers
(and
other tall tales and loose lies from the Coconut Telegraph)
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- Sofa Boat!
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2010 08:30:58 EST
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Rain and more Rain. Cold Front moved thru over night with Rain and
even a bit of Thunder. Rain not generally heavy but constant almost all
night. Front will stall between Virgin Islands and Leewards then move back
over us as a Warm Front bringing more Rain and clouds. Does not appear to
be much chance of a lot of Sun for next few days so the little Honda Generator
is on, feeding the batteries and charging up all the "toys", radio's,
camera, DVD, Computer, and powering assorted items to off set the
wet overcast gloom. Now 75 F degrees here with winds NE and
about 10 knots but off shore the seas are 7 to 9 feet and winds are 17 to 23
knots from the NE. My trip to Isla De Culebra is pushed back a few
days.... may hang around St John or St James for a day or so to allow the seas
to calm down. I'm in no rush and rather pick fair weather than fight the
seas and get wet and cold! 75 is cold to me! Brrrrrrrrr...
da Wayward Sailor
Dear Miss Mermaid wants a new tender! This should fit the bill
perfectly, an electric, silent boat with a joystick for navigating and built in
fenders for approaching other yachts. The sofa looks like it could
accommodate a mermaid quite well. More info at this resource.
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- Greek Style Grouper not Grouper Green
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2010 13:23:04 EST
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Dark and Stormy 6 March... well it is very overcast with rain but not
much wind! Wind did swing to due North early this AM. It is the Cold
Front that was in the US last Week. NOAA says it will stall over the area
just South of the Virgin Islands resulting in a Flash Flood Warning for the
inland portions of the islands due to rains and a High Surf Advisory for the
Northern shores from PR to the Virgin Islands. Should make the surfers
happy but the Dark and Stormy Sailboat racers.... Not So Much.... going to be a
wet trip for most, hope they have a dry out for the BBQ tonight in Anegada...
Note: When they say BBQ they really mean anything cooked on a BBQ Grill not that
they are just doing the ribs and chicken thing! They do Lobster and baste
them in a garlic butter sauce OMG my mouth is dripping at the
thought.
Looks like the weather is going to me a bit wet for next 36 hours with
winds from NNE at up to 23 knots this weekend. After that it all depends on what
occurs with the stalled front. I suspect it may make a return visit by mid
week but the good thing is... if it does I should have nice East winds possibly
East South East, and my trip to Spanish Virgin Islands will be smooth.... I
hope!
Well now I go out and wash down the boat between rain showers... great to
have free fresh water! Need to keep the Volcano dust on the decks under
control or they then to turn the white decks a bit of a rose color. Not
that I have anything against pink but I do draw the line at a PINK Boat!
da Wayward Sailor
PS... It was Greek Style Grouper not Grouper
Green!!!  (pass de rum!)
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- Oh-my-gadda, it's a regadda to Anegada
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 11:45:22 EST
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Dark and Stormy 5th of March...
Well Not the Weather just the sailing oh-my-gadda, it's a regadda to
Anegada that starts today at Trellis Bay. Which by the way, you can now
*toot toot* buy the book " Hurricanes and Hangovers(and other tall
tales and loose lies from the Coconut Telegraph) by Dear Miss Mermaid"
at the Trellis Bay Cyber Cafe and
Boardsailing BVI on Beef Island. As many of you may know, it's the BEST
airport departure lounge in the Caribbean!
Though they aren't located in the airport, it's a short walk and a stumble
back, to catch your plane and miles more fun to spend time at the beach
than at the security lounge.
Today it is partly sunny with light winds from due South. Guess the
boats that can do well with winds on the beam will shine in the race to
Anegada. Temps are about normal at 85 this AM and seas are pleasant with
no white caps just a bit of a roll... (or maybe I'm just hung over) should be a
fun regatta, but maybe slower race than some would hope for!
Monday is another holiday in the BVI, YIPPEE!!
I'm still waiting for the winds to clock more to the East for my trip to
the SVI's but in no rush as Monday is a BVI Holiday and the cost of checking in
or out of Customs and Immigrations are at premiums for holidays I'll just wait
for the standard fair to resume!
For those of you visiting Tortola, at East End a fish shop called Sailors Ketch is located between
Penn's Landing Marina and Loranzo's Gas Station where you can also get your LP
tanks filled by dropping them off. Anyway... Sailors Ketch has a wide selection
of seafood to buy. I've been going by about every couple of days for
different types myself. Last night I did up a Grouper Green
and made sides where I did a garlic buttered rice and sauteed French Cut
Green Beans. OMG I ate the whole thing so fast it was toooooOooOO
Good. Guess today I'll have to walk a few extra miles, but it was worth
it!
Fresh Air with just a bit of Volcano dust, *cough cough
cough* light breeze, sun for the solar panels and good food and drink in a
boat that rocks you to sleep each night... what more can a Wayward Sailor ask
for? ............................ Well besides THAT!
Wayward Sailor & DMM
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- Let's Go to the beach!
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2010 08:34:46 EST
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Weather is perfect for beach limin'. The BVI internet has been up and down and out to lunch or out to sea.
Miracle to get anything done. Even the credit card machines in the BVI are
cantankerous as of late, stores losing sales left and right cause they can't or
won't write the card down manually for processing later.
That one teeny tiny cord from the BVI correcting us the rest of the
world, must have frayed again, or the rats got to it or the pirates fighting
over it, sliced it up again.
My Bajan friend wrote DMM and says yesterday's bird (picture) is
called Yellow Breasts or Yellow Bird on Barbados. I wonder why they don't call
them Bananakeets? SPeaking of Bananakeet, here is a sunset picture from
the Bananakeet Bar on the cliffs, on the north shore of Tortola.
Ain't that purdy!
Rolled up in
a Rum Bottle on the Sea Shore
Aye Me Hearty...
Pirate talk from Capt.
Richard...
I'm just touching base to let you know that I
will be chartering in the Virgin Islands this winter.
Na zdrowie kolego...
Capt. Richard
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I got more stuff to tell you, but my paws are tired, so I got
to give them a rest!
If we do half of what we talk about doing,
we will have accomplished twice what we thought
we could do.
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- Thirst Day, Dark and Stormy Coming up!
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2010 12:16:45 EST
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Bananakeet *tweet tweet*
Hazy day with overcast sky at the start of day. Only a few break outs
of sun so far but hoping the sun will get "friendly" with my solar panels before
too much longer.
Winds still out of the South and West but down to about 8 knots
presently. I see Boats heading over to Trellis Bay for the Dark and Stormy
Regatta on Friday thru Saturday..... I'll just keep them in mind with a few Dark
and Stormy's of my own.
What is a Dark and Stormy? Well many people have different ideas but
the most common is Rum and the strongest Ginger
Beer you can find mixed somewhere between 25:75 and
50:50. Some add bitters some add a lime.
Formulated differently from ginger ale, ginger beer has a more robust
taste and may include fermentation as part of the brewing process. The defining
ingredient in ginger beer is the fresh ginger juice that helps to give the
carbonated drink a unique flavor and bouquet.
Often, the basic recipe for ginger beer will include the use of barley
or other grains that are allowed to age in liquid over a period of time,
employing a process that is very much like the production of any type of beer.
Some recipes call for the addition of the concentrated ginger juice early
in the process, while other manufacturers prefer to add the ingredient
just before fermentation begins to take place.
Ginger beer is generally available in both fermented and non-fermented
versions. Most versions of ginger beer will have a darker color than is found
with most soft-drink style ginger ale, as well as a more pronounced taste and
scent of ginger root in the concoction. Ginger ale is
a carbonated soft drink flavored primarily with the essence of ginger and
perhaps a citrus oil to balance out the natural peppery tartness.
All in all, a Dark and Stormy drink it is a Great Sundowner while in
the cockpit looking at a colorful sunset... or a few have been know to even
stretch it to a sun rise! But not *hiccup*
me *hiccup*.
I'm still waiting for a wind shift back to the East/ South East as I'm a
Fair Weather Sailor when ever I have the option. Looks to be good just past this
weekend and by then I'll have all my provisions laid in (read that a few cases
of Red Stripe in bottles with a some food thrown in for good measure) and will perhaps be
making my first solo visit to the Spanish Virgin Islands for probably a few
weeks.... may meet up with some other StormCarib correspondents and readers,
given the chance. 
Later,
da Wayward Sailor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(\_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(\_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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- Wednesday
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2010 13:22:47 EST
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Well!!!!
March winds came in like a lion over night. After a nice steak
cooked on the grill in very light winds and a couple of sundowners followed by
the start of a new "read" went to the bunk with only a small rocking and went to
sleep fast. Even at my 3AM "see what is going on" wake up all was
calm.
At 7 this AM, jolted awake with heavy swings about the mooring and 20 knot
winds! Rigging nearby was starting to whistle but sky was partly
sunny with lots of haze. As I write it seems to be easing off but the big
voice of NOAA says we will have SouthEast winds at 16 to 20 knots with 6 foot
seas (on the open waters only) and no chance for rain until closer to the
weekend when the US Cold front is expected to be across the US Virgin
Islands.... FIGURES!
THAT is when I was going to head West which should have given me beam winds
and seas.... now if I go, I'll have them on the nose! Wonder if the
weather gods read Dear Miss Mermaid?.... and are playing with me?
Well sailing/ cruising in the lime'n way allows you to adjust for this
type event... since I have no hard schedules I don't have to fight the winds and
seas unless necessary and now I'll just stay put for another couple of days and
see when the next better weather window opens. May even have a chance to
get a few more walks in and around East End and Road Town.
Now fix another pot of coffee, do some French Toast, work a word search
puzzle, pick up the book I started last night, pop over to Penn's Landing
Marina for a nice fresh water shower or maybe just take a short nap after
all this work?
Well,..... such is the life of a cruising sailor.... someone has to do it!
Glad it is ME!
Wayward Sailor
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- Red Moon
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 10:52:11 EST
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After a bit of a cloudy sunset a Red Moon came up over Beef Island.
Not sure if it was due to the Amazon Smoke people are talking about or the same
ole Volcano dust OR does it mean I need a big thick Steak? Think I'll test
that idea after a trip to town later today.
Almost calm winds over night, just a very light breeze that did not seem to
know from which way to blow. Sun is up this AM 84 degrees with fewer
clouds present and minor improvement in winds... it could be a nice day for a
slow sail or just a beach day or better yet a nice day under a palm in a hammock
with a cool drink and good book.
Will soon be dropping the mooring lines and heading back out and spending a
bit of time at another island here in the BVI, the USVI and probably the Spanish
Virgin Islandsby the middle of the month if plans stay the same..... but we
know how plans go in da islands!
later,
Wayward Sailor
Red Moons by Fraser Cain
There are few situations that can cause a red moon. The most common way
to see the Moon turn red is when the Moon is low in the sky, just after moonrise
or before it's about to set below the horizon. Just like the Sun, light from the
Moon has to pass through a larger amount of atmosphere when it's down near the
horizon, compared to when it's overhead. The Earth's atmosphere can scatter
sunlight, and since moonlight is just scattered sunlight, it can scatter that
too. Red light can pass through the atmosphere and not get scattered much, while
light at the blue end of the spectrum is more easily scattered. When you see a
red moon, you're seeing the red light that wasn't scattered, but the blue and
green light have been scattered away. That's why the Moon looks red.
The second reason for a red moon is if there's some kind of particle in
the air. A forest fire or volcanic eruption can fill the air with tiny particles
that partially obscure light from the Sun and Moon. Once again, these particles
tend to scatter blue and green light away, while permitting red light to pass
through more easily. When you see a red moon, high up in the sky, it's probably
because there's a large amount of dust in the air.
A third – and dramatic – way to get a red moon is during a lunar
eclipse. During a lunar eclipse, the Moon passes behind the Earth's shadow,
which darkens it. If you could take a look at the Earth from inside its shadow,
you would see that the atmosphere around the edge of the entire planet glows
red. Once again, this is because large amounts of atmosphere will scatter away
the blue/green light and let the red light go straight through. During a lunar
eclipse, the Moon passes fully into the shadow of the Earth and it's no longer
being illuminated by the Sun; however, this red light passing through the
Earth's atmosphere does reach the Moon, and shines on it.
SMILE! You're on Candid
Camera!
CCTV
Security Cameras for Tortola NearsPlatinum News Online
The long awaited installation of
Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras throughout Tortola, with the aim
of reducing crime will come to fruition this year ...
Good PR!
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- The Morning After... The Fool Moon in the BVI
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2010 17:32:54 EST
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Last nights Full (FOOL) Moon Party at Trellis Bay was great! Da Loose
Mongoose had a Fund Raiser for Haiti and the normal Full Moon Foolishness up and
down the beach was fun as always to watch... even had my hat snatched by
the Moko
Jumbie dancers as I was watching the fireballs... he walked right over me
about 6 feet higher than my head!
Winds continue to clock about 360 every couple of days with very calm winds
at night. Love being out in the bay where the biting bugs don't seem to
bother to look for fresh meat.... or maybe I'm not all that fresh????
Today it is once again partly cloudy but mostly sunny in the AM.
Solar
Cells doing a fine job allowing me to do my WIFI thing from the
boat as my normal cellular connect is once again not working... guess it is the
island holiday it is observing? About 86 with light winds from the
SSE. High haze continues but little chance of rain. Nice day for
recovery from the Full Moon parties over the islands.
Now time for a nap, or maybe a cool rum
drink? 
da Wayward Sailor
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designed by Dear Miss
Mermaid
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- Sundays were made for limin at the beach
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:36:24 EST
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Another rough day in paradise. Snow skiing has been permanently canceled
this year, it's just not going to snow in the Virgin Islands.
More funny stuff...
Back in 2002 a reader wrote to say they were visiting Tortola and had
not been here in 9 years and they wanted to know what had changed. At
that time in 2002, I told them:
Tortola has changed in 9 years.
Some of the roads are now paved.
Bomba shack has a new collection of
underwear hanging from the rafters.
Some folks have phones in their homes now.
Others are even driving
cars.
The air strip is now
an airport.
Quito has several
albums out and a cover charge at his bar.
Some things haven't
changed.
Life is still
slow.
Long distance calls remain
cumbersome & expensive.
Rum
continues to out sell milk.
Now, 8 years later, IN 2010,
WHAT has changed?
Most of the roads
are now paved, but full of pot holes
Bomba shack has a
new collection of underwear hanging from the rafters.
Most folks don't
have phones in their homes, they walk with cell
phones
We have so many
cars, we have traffic jams
Some things haven't changed.
Life is still slow.
Long distance calls remain cumbersome
& expensive.
Rum continues to out
sell milk.
The
airstrip is now an airport.
Quito
has several albums out and a cover charge at his bar.
CompleteSailor.comThe BVI Spring Regatta is another widely popular event, held in
Tortola, BVI, and in conjunction with the International Rolex Regatta,
beginning just one day after the St. Thomas event on March 29th and continuing
until April 4th. ...
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- No Snow in the BVI
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Sat, 27 Feb 2010 09:11:36 EST
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Cloudy but sunny and warm, no snow on the horizon.
Behold
The Canoe Made From Chopsticks : Fishing FuryBy Clive Mathias
Big barracuda are few and far between
on the island of Tortola, but in Anegada, located north east of
Tortola, large cudas can often be seen while taking long walks on the
beach. My girlfriend Gillian and I decided to spent four days in
...
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- Friday in Paradise
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:39:05 EST
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Mostly cloudy, high surf warning for the North shore, the surfers might be
able to have a swell time for a few days.
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- Almost a fool moon in the Virgin Islands
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:53:37 EST
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Over the past few days, if you wanted the winds to come from a certain
location, all you had to do was wait. Winds have gone the full 360 in
direction but by late evening the mixed up seas, caused by the wind shifts had
calmed down and we had a great night in Fat Hog Bay, East End Tortola. At
9 this AM it was 81 with light winds from the East. Getting the yacht
in ship shape for a broad reach down to Treasure Island in search of Gold
again.... but expect to only find sunburns and a few golden tans which
are often things of beauty in themselves and a true treasure! Overall
weather looking good but light winds and moderate chances for a few sprinkles of
showers. Wish they could be scheduled for about bath time! On a
lime'n cruising boat you Have to think about water supplies as much as you do
the Rum supply!
Plan on a bit of island exploring searching for gold AKA I'm going
for a walk about and will send more of those photos that make those people who
are walking around in Snow... ask themselves a few questions and think of us
poor souls having to live in Paradise full time.... well someone has to do it...
and I volunteered! and I ain't even from Tin-a-see.
Wayward Sailor
Time for the full moon again!
A Blast From the Past... from Dear Miss Mermaid
After
hurricane Hugo had hit St Thomas in 1989, I found myself in a small plane,
flying low over the island, a few weeks later. Winds of 200 miles per hour
had devastated the island. Blue roof tarps dotted the barren
landscape. The beauty seemed inexplicably gone. Not a green leaf was
left.
Incredibly, it looked like
a huge giant of immense weight had angrily stomped across the island. Some
neighborhoods were wiped out, others totally intact. It scared me, to see
my once beautiful island, transformed into this wreck and I cried on
the plane.
After the hurricane, I took refuge in the strangest places, including a shipping
container I slept in one night with my then boyfriend. Our floating
home, a boat, had vanished with the storm, and no one ever found a stick or
piece of it anywhere. Like so many others, we had become homeless.
By day we worked, by night we searched.
One night it was raining. The
island had a curfew after the hurricane. Police were on the patrol to pick up
curfew breakers. We ducked into the shipping container to hide from them
and we slept there all night, nice and
dry.
Funny how we were so humble, so
grateful for an old rusty container to call our home, for a night.
The next day, we were invited to Hassle Island for complimentary
showers. Our only possession at this point, was a dinghy and a few clothes.
We kept out clothes wadded up in a garbage bag in the dinghy and nobody bothered
them, they thought it was a bag of refuse. We were pretty smelly by now and this
offer of a shower, sounded like a splendid idea. Someone had
discovered an old cistern full of water and hooked up an old garden
hose. We stood under the garden hose, naked, and were so grateful to get a
fresh water bath in the heat of the day, when the cold water seemed less than
cold.
Ker-plap! Ker-splash!
The water hose begin acting erratically first squirting water, then stopping and
that's when we noticed that tadpoles or some such similar creature, were coming
through the hose and hitting us, then landing on the ground and wiggling.
It was incredible. There were hundreds of them. We laughed and took
turns aiming the water hose at each other and getting slapped with these
tadpoles.
I
remember, that glorious day, as if it were yesterday ad how happy we were. The
sun was shining and we were enjoying the cool fresh water and
laughing.
The
tadpoles delighted us, rather than disgusted us. I think it was, after a
disaster, you come to appreciate every little t'ing. And the tadpoles were the
start of life. A reminder, that life goes on, no matter what.
Some folks say this story sounds fishy,
but I was there and it really happened.
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- Another lovely day in the BVI
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:16:38 EST
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Another beautiful day in paradise. Surf's up! Great
day for beginners to try their luck.
A new author on the horizon!
Rolled up on the seashore in a beer bottle was this
message:
Good Morning,
I'm hoping it's a beautiful island morning where
you are.
My wife found your site and said, "You've got to
see this! She will like you book!" After reviewing your site(s), I do believe
she is right, because I liked your site very much.
I had a novel come out a few weeks ago entitled "The Conch Killers." It a romp up and down the Florida Keys and
over to Bimini with sailboats, guns and alcohol. It won' t change your life, but
it will make you laugh.
Anyway, hope to hear from you. You have an awesome
site and I'll probably end up buying your book. I'm a sucker for funny, tropical
books. Take care.
Chip Giles
Yo Chip! Thanks for writing! Pun
intended! Your book sounds like a hoot and I look forward to reading
it. I've romped around the Florida Keys and the Bahamas and of course we
all know how much I love to mess about on boats, and enjoy my share of
libations. My only
use of guns, was when I shot my house window out around 3am, to scare a burglar
trying to get into my back door. The neighbors called the police and said
I had gone crazy and was shooting up the place. They surrounded my house and
told me to come out with my arms up! I was holding my puppy who was
plenty scared, and when I held him over my head, it didn't
calm him down much. It was all pretty funny, apparently I lived in
the city limits of the SC town I was in at the time, and it's illegal to shoot a
gun in the city, but they declined to arrest me, in view of things. When they
caught the burglar, I understand he was in need of clean undies. I don't think I've
shot a gun since, especially since they are illegal to possess in the BVI
except under very special circumstances.
Good luck with your book and I hope you keep
writing!
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- Another beautiful day in the Virgin Islands
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:38:21 EST
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Beautiful sunny and breezy!
Sugar Mill Ruins St John
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- Monday in the Virgin Islands
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:35:15 EST
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Sugar Mill Ruins on St John
From the Wayward Sailor *hiccup*:
Cool night with just a few sprinkles and just enough wind to make it a
great night for sleep aboard a good ship! This AM it has started out as a
really fine day... another wonderful day in Paradise! Sun is feeding the
Solar Panels and the strong coffee and Dirty Eggs I had for breakfast make me
want (need) to take a hike to burn some off! Mooring field at Waterlemon
in St. John cleared out most boats before 9 and another overnight batch will
probably be in later today. National Parks Rangers chased off a couple of
illegally anchored boats so take a mooring ball when available or know the rules
for anchoring in this National Park which are very restrictive to save the bay
floors and coral reefs.
Probably heading back to British Virgin Islands later today. Hope
to catch some nice shots going up the Sir Francis Drake Channel. Temps now
82 and may reach a bit higher by mid day and the winds are to be under 14knots
with moderate to low seas in the channel. Northern swells are probably
going to drop down quickly and not be a factor which is good news for sailors on
the North Side and Atlantic but not so good news for the Surfers. Only a
20% chance of rain but when you are in the spot that has the 20% coming down it
is still wet! I will not get any rain because I have some shirts and
shorts hanging on life lines that could use a good fresh rain water rinse to
help get the salt out.... so no rain for me!
About time to set sails and figure out which way I'm going to point the
pointy end of da Boat... nice to have no hard schedule and fixed plans.... well
you know someone has to live this way so I guess I'll just volunteer...
again!
Wayward Sailor between USVI and BVI
Washed up in an Old Bottle on the Seashore was this
Message:
Hi there. Been reading your blog, and thinking you seem to be
recovering well. Glad to see it. Some time ago I sent this, but it was at
a time when things were pretty hectic and bleak in your life and you may have
missed it. So here it is again, along with another piece I just finished
about Coral Bay. Hope you enjoy these.
John
Dear John,
They are terrific! Thanks! Every
day is the dawn of new excitement as I battle for the next adventure, fighting
mightily to live to tell another tale. Loved the part "stripped of her wealth"
you got that right, stripped of health and wealth, but I am bouncing back, never
thought it would take so long, I guess mermaids heal differently. Thanks for the
ballad and poem, love them both!
DMM
Ballad of Himmacane Bill
The
Sahara sand swirls
in
planetary curls
far over
the south Atlantee.
Though
light as a feather,
it stirs
up the weather
to a
truly unpleasant degree.
It's the
sea-lane where forms
that most
frightful of storms--
the
tropical pinwheel of death.
One
August was born
from a
convection of foam
and a
depressively sweltering breath
A massive
cloud bank
shot with
lightning and dank
hefting
roiling curtains of rain.
It showed
first as a wave,
then a
low, then it gave
notice as
westward it came.
"I won't
be denied.
I've got
panic inside.
I demand
that you give me a name!"
To a
storm did it grow
as o'er
seascape it flowed
and at
bars folks were drinking their fill.
The
weathermen plotted
with data
besotted
And
pronounced it hurricane "Bill".
Square in
its sights
the
Caribs took fright
as
inexorably onward it whirled
Alone in
its path
not
afraid of its wrath
lay a
bed-ridden Tortolan girl.
She
battled for health
and was
stripped of her wealth
by
hospital expenses extreme.
But night
after night
through
her terrible blight
her mind
flashed like a bright hopeful gleam.
She
stared down that storm.
It
shuddered and turned
til it
swung over to North by Northwest.
On the
radar it crawled,
over
ocean it sprawled,
to the
watchers it offered no rest.
Then the
peril was past.
The sun
shone out at last.
The
islanders came out to play.
And Miss
Mermaid went home,
her dark
labor was done,
to relish
her life one more day.
-------------
In Coral Bay
In Coral Bay, in Coral Bay,
where refugees from
urban hives
come seeking solace in their lives
hoping to afford
the price
of moments lived in paradise
embracing Coral
Bay.
In Coral Bay, in Coral Bay,
where continentals come and
go,
like tidal waters' ebb and flow
acting out vacation
dreams
enhancing island income schemes
throughout Coral Bay.
In
Coral Bay, in Coral Bay,
where roosters crow and donkeys bray
and
goats and sheep on hillsides stray.
where frigate birds in graceful
curves
inscribe the sky with secret words
over Coral Bay.
In
Coral Bay, in Coral Bay,
the tropic dusk is filled with
voices--
treefrogs making mating choices,
the chant of wind in
tamarind,
the chug of engines homing in
to Coral Bay
In Coral
Bay, in Coral Bay,
enchantment sparks from Island Blues
where locals
flock to find their muse
and at the bar lists Pirate Bill
an ancient
egret with his kill
transfixing Coral Bay.
In Coral Bay, in Coral
Bay,
ruthless time has lost it's bearing
set adrift with no one
caring
rootless hours roam in wonder
luring souls like hidden
plunder
marked in Coral
Bay.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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- Almost gorgeous
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 09:03:26 EST
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Drizzly rain all night long, but the sun has finally poked through!
But it looks like a partly cloudy day in the islands. Winds are fickle 5-10
knots. Volcano ash still falls everywhere and dusting everything is a must, plus
washing the heap of a jeep and anything else made of metal is important, that
ash is rather corrosive.
Just another rough day in paradise...
WASHED UP ON THE SEASHORE, MESSAGE IN A
BOTTLE:
WISH I WERE IN THE BVI!
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- I got the crabs in the BVI!
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:19:41 EST
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Another sunny day in paradise!
Hermit crabs, as shown above are nicknamed that because they
pick out second hand seashells to live in, to protect their soft under bellies.
Since they move into these homes alone, and hermits live alone, well there you
have it, hermit crabs!
Years ago, I was living in a house in St Kitts, working on a big
catamaran that was being built there. Someone had lined the garden
beds very neatly with assorted conch shells, and assorted snail
shells.
I noticed that some days when I came home, it was apparent
someone had stolen a seashell. Who would steal a seashell? After
all, they had to open the gate and walk in, to steal it. That kind of made me
wonder. Other days, I found odd shells in the yard, that weren't part of the
neatly lined seashell borders. I felt compelled to find a place for the shell
and wondered where it came from.
I often sat on the balcony steps, studying the sea at a distance
and admiring the multitude of hibiscus flowers planted in the garden. We had
every color imaginable! Apparently, the owner's goal was to own every
hibiscus color available. From the brilliant pinks to vibrant yellows to deep
purples and flashy oranges, our garden was a riot of hues and I admired it
daily, at breakfast over coffee and in the afternoon over a cocktail.
Well, one day, I was sitting out there, sipping a tall cool
drink, cooling my heals after a long day at the boat yard. I noticed a crab come
slowly and methodically into the garden and lumber around. Suddenly, he exited
his shell, looking quite naked, then crawled into another shell and walked away.
My mouth fell open, I had never seen this done before! Now
he had messed up the neat order of the seashell lined garden beds and he
unwittingly offered up an explanation for the stolen seashells and the spare
ones I sometimes found. Apparently, we were running the equivalent of a used car
lot for crabs. Amazing.
One day, I came home alone, and left the front door open while I
went to make a drink. I heard someone holler "Inside! Inside!" and
at that time, I didn't realize this was common in the islands, instead of
knocking.
I walked into the living room, and there stood a stout woman,
much heftier than my then petite frame (ah I miss those days!) and she was not
only holding a huge well sharpened machete, but she was swinging it
back and forth by her side.
I turned quite pale and prayed a thousand silent prayers that
please God, it wasn't my turn to be murdered. I knew that nearby was a very
heavy transformer that was used to power a TV we never watched. I had tripped
over the transformer one day while barefoot, and discovered it was pretty heavy.
I was thinking to myself, how fast can I grab that transformer and knock her
brains out before she slits my throat?
Meanwhile, I had given her a cheery "Good afternoon" in hopes to
diffuse her murderous urge. I couldn't imagine why I was being chosen for this
murder, but at that time in St Kitts, I was one of very, very few pale faces in
a sea of dark faces. I stood out in my neighborhood like a peacock in a hen
house. I thought it was a friendly place. Many times when I had attempted to
walk home, a neighbor would offer me a ride and when I tried to tell them where
I lived, they always said "I knows who you are, I knows where ya live."
So why me? Why now? I think my mouth was going dry
and I knew I was grinning like an idiot, while sweating buckets of human
dew. Finally her words, penetrated my teeny tiny brain.
She wanted to know if I wanted the lawn mowed.
I think I managed to squeak out "The lawn mowed?"
She explained she would trim it with her cutlass, which she
brandished as if I was a true dunce and had failed to notice she was carrying
it.
I was so relieved not to have my silly throat slit, I
almost jumped for joy and told her "Yes! Yes! Yes!" over and over.
She gave me a strange look, and announced she would be back the
next day to do it.
The next day, on her hands and knees, she went over the entire
grassy portion of the garden and neatly trimmed the lawn. When she was done,
it looked just as neat and orderly, as if a machine had done it. And, she
left my throat in tact...
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- P.S.
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:30:13 EST
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- Fried Day in the BVI
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:48:01 EST
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Path to paradise!
NE winds at 12mph, 82 degrees, scattered rains and a lovely day.
It's a great day to go fishing. Yum! Love dem fish!
But, every morning is the dawn of a new
error!
I was at a dock
party in Venezuela. The languages being spoken were many and English was
not the dominant one.
It was a
bit chaotic as I tried my rusty Spanish on an Italian who was getting a
translation from a Peruvian. Two Frenchmen were hosting the party and I
tried to thank them in French, much to their amusement.
The Germans were alternately crunching
out Dutch and offering interpretations in English and Russian.
My Czechoslovakian captain was flirting
with a young lady of striking beauty who arrived.
Her beauty became the instant focus of
attention and the party kind of quieted down, as we listened to the Czech
interview her in English, which was not her native
language.
He asked her what she liked to
do in her spare time. She replied to the hushed crowd, "My family
and I love to go pissing! Every chance we get, we go out and piss. I
like to piss every day, or every night, though sometimes we don't get to.
But, to me, being able to piss every chance I get, just makes life worth
living. I just got back from pissing, that is why I was late to the party. I
think tomorrow, I will go out and piss some more. I just can't get enough
of pissing. If you like, I can bring you fresh piss
tomorrow!"
This was met by quiet
astonishment then laughter from the English speaking contingent, then it had to
be translated into many other languages so everyone could appreciate her odd
activities.
The poor girl looked aghast
and after several attempts, somebody finally got it all translated back to her,
and of course she turned beet red while the laughter died down around
her.
Finally, a young Venezuelan, who
was still learning the English language, figured it all out and with great glee,
he grabbed the hapless beauty, taking her near the water's edge, he
pointed to his head and said "Remember!"
Then he pointed at the water and said "Piss, IN!" and made all the motions
of pretending to unzip his pants and relieve himself in the water. Then while
pointing upwards he yelled "Fish OUT!" and mimicked fishing with a rod and
reel. He announced:
"You and your
family love to go FISHING not pissing!"
Needless to say, by now we
were all roaring with laughter and sure broke the ice, as the various
translations spread around the party and new pockets of giggles erupted.
My Czech captain did manage to
get a date out of the beauty. The next night before leaving the boat, he raided
the fridge and freezer for some bait, then turned to me and announced
"I have a date and we are going out pissing tonight!"
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- Sailing and Motoring and oh wait, the motor died!
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:27:01 EST
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Recent fallout from the Volcano ash paints a beautiful
picture at suset.
From Dem Wayward Sailors...
On the South East side of St. John, It was a bit rough.... lots
of swells coming in from the South due to the winds making a clock to the South
South East. Dry with no rain for several days but minimal chances are
increasing thru the weekend, me thinks.
Lots of volcano dust in the air and being deposited on every surface *cough
cough* but it makes for some great sun sets and sun rises.
Have been doing a lot of hiking and snorkeling and redid the hike to the
Petroglyphs and Sugar Mill at Reef Bay. Great hike that will let you know
if you are in shape or not.
Now at Crown Bay Marina in St. Thomas with a huge Cruise Ship in the berth
at the end of this marina. Have some business at the airport and some
shopping for boat "stuff" to do.... both Expensive! Can't wait to get back
out and sail.
Did have an adventure yesterday on my motor sail here.... engine
died! Just stopped running and would not restart. No major problem
sailing to near here but it would be impossible to sail into the slip in the
marina.... and lethal to do so. Too much danger to other boats so
closely packed like sardines. I sailed over to a shallow spot and dropped
anchor and checked the engine out and found what I expected... a clogged fuel
filter. Changed it out and after some problems repriming the flow got her
running nicely and all went well. Problem with fuel here is that is often
has some water or fungus in it which isn't filtered out when you put it into the
tanks and since a sail boat sails and we do not use the engines much... it just
sets and starts growing "stuff". Even with the additive I put into the
tank with each fill up a fuel filter change is needed a couple of times a
year... generally at a least opportune time... wonder how it knows when that
is???
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- Fantbulous day in the BVI
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:50:13 EST
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Another gorgeous wonderful fantabulous day in paradise! A GREAT day to go
snorkeling with CaptainRoyBVI.com and see these
wonderful treats beneath the sea.
Prayers for those lost at sea:
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- Hope you survived Monday!
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:07:32 EST
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The Last Phone Booth in the British Virgin Islands
And it still works... most days...
Balmy weather, gentle trades.
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- Postcard Picture Perfect in the Virgin Islands
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:46:14 EST
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Weather is here, wish you were gorgeous!
I went to a Valentine's Dinner with a very berry special friend and 2 other
couples. One wife said she got a real interesting card from her husband. On the
outside it showed a cartoon of a very old couple. On the inside it read "To the
man in my life..."
She sat there thinking "Maybe I wear too many jeans and Tshirts, maybe I
should dress more feminine, but still, why a card like this?"
Her husband kept asking her if she liked the card and she said "Well, yes,
I guess so, but did you read it before you bought it?"
"Of course I read it!" he snapped, "I picked it out for you!"
So she asked "Why does it read 'to the man in my life?"
Oh boy was he mortified. He claimed he bought it on the "For your
Wife" rack and that he did read it, just that maybe he read it a bit too fast.
She pondered out loud "I wonder what the cashier thought of you buying a card
for another man for Valentine's Day? And you know, if you look at this
cartoon on the front of the card, it really looks more like 2 men than a woman
and a man!"
By now he was trying to snatch the card back from her but she said "Oh no,
I am KEEPING this. I just love it that my husband thinks of me as the "man in
his life!"
From the Wayward Pirates
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- Bubbly Pool Jost Van Dyke, Turtles & Turkeys
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:07:15 EST
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Today is a great morning at the Bubbly Pool at
Little Jost Van Dyke for the Wayward Pirates (not to be confused with the
Wayward Sailors!)
Blast from the past! An old story from Dear Miss
Mermaid:
I was working on a charter boat with a
Swedish Captain who spoke very good English, but confused Turkey and
Turtle. This had some comical consequences with passengers who were not
aware of this problem.
We are out sailing one fine day and he
yells "Look! A Turkey!" and the passengers are straining to see a
turkey on the water...
Another day I had sent lunch up to the
cockpit for the passengers and captain. We had just spent the morning at
the Bubbly Pool on Jost. I went back down below to clean up the
dishes. When I went to check on the guests again, I saw that their
sandwiches were all untouched, they were munching on the Calypso Coleslaw
and the Papaya Pineapple Salad yet inexplicably, no one had touched their
sandwiches.
I looked at the captain, with that
question in my eye of "What gives?" His sandwich only had one bite left,
which he chomped on it happily. Then he announced "She makes the
BEST TURTLE sandwiches! Eat up!"
After I assured the guests they had TURKEY
and not TURTLE sandwiches, they seemed to enjoy them too. But to this day,
I wonder what they thought when the Swede first told them I had made them
delicious TURTLE sandwiches.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
With so many in the islands juggling more than just
one lover, Valentine's Day must be especially confusing (if not
dangerous!)
That reminds me of a Wayward Pirate story about
Valentine's Day...
A friend who always kept her life rather
private, was found in a pool of blood and rushed to the hospital, close to
Valentine's Day.
They say gossip spreads faster than wild
fire...
Imagine the fun at the hospital, when
hours later, while the patient was undergoing emergency surgery, not one,
not two, but THREE lovers turned up at the hospital within minutes of each
other, inquiring after the patient!
And you wonder why they keep security guards at the
receptionist's station...
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- Loo or Lou or Who
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:25:22 EST
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Ferry passing by Jolly Roger in West End Tortola BVI
Rolled up on the Sea Shore in a French Wine Bottle:
Simply to let you know that I
sent a copy of your book to my eldest who lives in California, and he messaged
me to say that it's one of the funniest books he's ever read. However, it may
surprise you to know that when he'd finished it, he placed in his guest loo for
all his visitors to see and possibly read while doing their naturals. I'm
sure I could get a few pictures if I asked him kindly!!
'Luv
Frenchie
***For those of you from
elsewhere, a Loo is also a bathroom or restroom or water closet. It's where the
toilet is kept *tee hee hee* Not to be confused with Lou, who owns the
Jolly Roger...
We look forward to these
pictures...
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- The Volcano Blew!
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- By DearMissMermaid at aol.com
- Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:30:45 EST
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Thar she blows! Ash shot up 9 miles into the sky!
Partial
dome collapse MontserratCaribbean
Hurricane Network
Today a partial dome collapse event occurred at the
Soufriere Hills volcano. This was a pretty big event with ash rising to
at least 50000ft! ...
LIAT
suspends flights due to airborne volcano ash clouds
...By admin
JOHN'S,
Antigua, February 11, 2010 – LIAT wishes to advise that it has been forced to
suspend flights into and out of Antigua because of airborne ash clouds from the
Soufriere Hills Volcano in Montserrat. LIAT continues to assess the
...
See ya on the water!
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Older reports from the BVI have been moved to another page.
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