Never plan ahead on timing of Airlines. The schedule will change the day before.The flight was full with a bumpy ride the last hour. Taking the escalator to the next concourse my carry-on suitcase fell back and caused me to tumble upside down. I quickly reversed my direction and continued on my way. We foraged for pizza during the interim …

A beautiful sunny morning greets us for a sail past the island of St. John. A large breakfast of omelets, bacon, rolls, fruit are served at 8am. Coffee and assorted rolls and bread were ready at 6am. We manage a 5 1/2 hour sail to Esperanza Vieques,Puerto Rico (Spanish Virgin Islands), 7 miles east of Puerto Rico. The island was once used for …

The night is disturbed by the sloshing of water under the cabin. At one point I wake up to check if there is water rushing over the floor. The water tanks are under cabins 15 & 16. A morning sail through rain begins the day.

After lunch we dropped anchor in a cove off Isle Culebrita, sometime called snake island. This is one of the oldest …

The overcast weather makes it an ideal morning to sail to St. Thomas’s rocks of Christmas Cove, a popular dive spot. The cove got it’s name from sailors meeting in this area on Christmas. Passengers snorkel off the ship. A photo op is taken as everyone takes turns climbing to the end of the bowsprit and pose ala …

The morning fog lets up to a partly cloudy sky. The ship docks at Soper’s Hole, Tortola BVI to clear customs. We have a long wait after standing in line behind a ferry passenger crowd. We arrive at Norman Island by 11am. The ship anchors near the Indians outcropping of rocks. Swimmers swim to the caves. An alternative is the white sandy …

Today is Holly’s (crew member) birthday. A slow cruise on a cloudy day is perfect for passengers to gather on deck and converse. The topic of conversation is boating. Rental of catamarans are now sail-less for beginner sailors. We are a very amiable group. We enter White Bay, Jost Van Dyke. The shadows cast by the sails lessen the effects …

At the crack of dawn we are ready to pack. Luggage must be out of the cabin by 7:30am. We sail to Cruz Bay, St John for a simple customs check and continue to Red Hook, St. Thomas. The crew and passengers gather for a last minute photo. Taxi’s are waiting at the dock. We wave goodbye to each dingy of departing passengers. For $30 the …

It rained all night. There’s a lull between showers and we walk to the airport and check in at 6:00 am. Security checks our shoes. We need to go through customs again. We have tickets for first class, priority boarding. This is an excellent way to end a vacation. Food is served with real utensils, china cups and plates. Food is very good. …