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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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Hidden Anguilla: Corito Bay To the south of Wallblake Airport is the seldom-visited Corito bay and beach. Very protected, shallow, with gentle waves. Corito Bay is protected by a reef about 200 yards offshore. There is a bit of debris blown in from the Atlantic, but there are also palm trees, sea life to explore, and great views of St. Martin. Bring your snorkel. There are no signs to Corito Bay, no hotels, no restaurants, no services, just a couple of private homes and villas such as the Boathouse . If you walk around the point, you come to Forest Bay and will see the Straw Hat restaurant sitting on a pier in the distance. Directions: take the road around the eastern end of the airport. The paved road goes left to Straw Hat Restaurant, but you follow the wide dirt road that runs straight down to the water. It ends at the Shell oil pumping station. Just before the end, park along the road and explore to the left. The first part is narrow, but keep walking until you see the view pictured above. This beach qualifies as a hidden treat of Anguilla. News Tidbits Trattoria Tramonto. There is a new restaurant on Shoal Bay WEST (not East) serving Northern Italian food, in the location where Paradise Cafe used to be, next to Blue Waters apartments. 264-497-8819. Cheap Air Fares. Postings to our Cheap Airfare Bulletin Board include Sun Country charters out of Minnesota, Caledonian Airlines out of Gatwick/UK, and Nouvelles Frontieres or AOM Minerva from Paris. Remember, We Are One Hour Off Now. Actually, the rest of you are one hour off because you went off daylight savings. We never have Daylight Savings, so during the Summer we are on the same time zone as the Eastern USA (EST), but in the Winter we are one hour ahead (AST). So, when Ophrah is on at 4pm EDT, it is 5PM in Anguilla. Haitin Tin Work. Anguilla is lucky to have so many artists and galleries. The Savannah Gallery is currently mounting a new show of contemporary Haitian Tin Work and will be having a Caribbean Crafts Show on December 6-24th. News on Television. Cable TV in Anguilla broadcasts an enjoyable show called Digest wtih very professional stories about Anguilla and the neighboring islands. Their program about the Carnival was excellent, as was the one about the Computer Club. Digest appears on Channel 3 at 7PM on Mondays and Thursdays, 9PM on Saturdays. The production is by Chris Mason and Joanne Saunders and you can buy the tapes at Curiosity Shop in South Hill. And don't forget that Radio Anguilla broadcasts the local news on Channel 3 nightly at 7:40PM. This is followed by Anguilla Diary at 8:05, which is a list of what's happening on the island. Produced by Eastern Caribbean Broadcasting (phone/fax 497-3367), which also broadcasts a series of programs over the air on Channel 9 (this coverage is not on the Cable). Public Internet Access. Tim Adam, General Manager of Cable and Wireless Anguilla presented a gift of 125 hours per month of free Internet access to the Anguilla National Library and the local high school. The library will be making internet access available at EC$5 for 30 minutes, which is very reasonable because it includes use of the computer as well. CoveCastles announces The Grand Villa with over 5000 sq. ft, 4 bedroooms, beachfront, two upper level wings each with master suite and guest bedroom, rates Jan 5-March 31 $2495 daily for 2-4 persons, $2995 for 5-8 persons plus 10% service charge and 8% tax. Telephone: 264-497-6801. Anguilla Coffee Mugs! Loretta Omania writes "I have been to Anguilla several times, my first in 1971 when I was teaching in the USVI. I have several panormaic views of Anguilla and its famous beaches which I plan to put them on coffee mugs amonst my other designs." If anyone is interested in them, click her name above to send email. News from Blanchard's Restaurant One of our most successful restaurants, widely acclaimed by locals and visitors alike, is Blanchard's on Meads Bay. Last time we went there, we noticed a chauffeured golf cart from nearby Malliouhana hotel, waiting to scoot diners back to their hotel suites. Chef Melinda Blanchard replaces menu choices with new ones every month or so, instead of doing a complete new menu. Telephone 264-497- 6100 for reservations. Below are the new items since December 1996: New Items on Blanchard's Menu Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls with two dipping sauces, sesame and peanut-lime....9.00 Blanchard's Stone Crab Cakes served wiht tomato and corn salad and citrus aioli....14.00 Assorted Baby Greens with Cherry Tomatoes tossed with dijon vinaigrette....9.00 Grilled Fillet of Snapper basted with a blend of freshly squeezed orange juice, soy sauce, tomatoes and black papper; served with basmati rice, sauteed cherry tomatoes and leeks and corn-avocado salsa....29.00 Char-Grilled Swordfish with Toasted Corn Dressing and Avocado Salad served with vegetable- curried rice and balsamic portabello mushrooms....32.00 Grilled Dorado (also known as Mahi Mahi) with a Mild Thai Curry Sauce; made with tomatoes, soy sauce, fresh ginger, lime juice, various Asian spices and served on a bed of sauteed corn, shitake mushrooms and spinach....28.00 Jamaica Jerk Chicken (Hot-Hot-Hot) with Grilled Cinnamon Bananas served with pineapple chutney and basted with an island sauce made of ten herbs and spices, orange juice, lime juice and scotch bonnet peppers; served with sweet potato puree....26.00 Grilled New Zealand Rack of Lamb cut into double-thick chops, basted lightly with a Chinese hoisin-sesame barbecue sauce and served with mashed potatoes, roasted shallots and asparagus....36.00 Grilled Pork Chops with an Oriental Lemon Glaze; center-cut rib chop with curried rice, sauteed spinach, baby carrots and marinated peppers....26.00 Pepper-Crusted Tenderloin of Beef with roasted onions and tomatoes, mashed potatoes and fresh baby green beans; (we serve only Certified Black Angus beef)....35.00 Melinda is happy to make vegetarian dinners on request. You can split an order in the kitchen for a $3.00 surcharge. Real food lovers and Blanchard fans should read the full menu. Iguana Delicatissima Anguilla is home to a species of Iguana called the Iguana Delicatissima. The Anguilla National Trust has launched an effort to ensure the propogation of the Iguana and the Post Office has issued a set of four postage stamps to help make the public aware of the issue. Iguanas live largely in the dry forest throughout the West Indies and are virtually harmless to humans. Due to pressures of lost habitat and predators such as dogs and cats, the Iguana population has gone from abundant to near extinction. On Anguilla the small Iguana population inhabits a relatively small section of the northern coast and live in rock crevices. The reptiles feed mainly on shrubs such as Chink, Cattle Tongue, Mutton Polly, Antigua Balsam and White Cedar. After Hurricane Luis , people noticed another speciies, Iguana Iguana . It is thought that these Iguana floated to Anguilla from other islands clinging to logs and debris. Upcoming Events in Anguilla - Dec 5. Tourism Gala Dinner at Cinammon Reef. 7pm-midnite. Dec 6. Colossal Culinary Cook-Off at Anguilla Great House, noon-6pm. Dec 6. Soropotomists Annual Christmas Fair. $1US/2EC. Governor's House grounds, Old Ta (turn up hill at the light by the Cable TV). Noon to 5pm. Crafts, games, food. Dec 9. Christmas Fair, Fund raising lunch by the teachers and students of the West End Primary School. 11:30 AM to 2PM. EC$15. Also, put Feb 26th on your calendar, this is the date of the total eclipse of the sun, which will be very visible in Anguilla. This eclipse will block 85% of the Anguilla sun. Computer Club Going Strong The Anguilla Library Computer Club is still going strong. We want to thank everyone who has donated to and support the club so far. We now are open 3 days a week from 3:30 to 5:00pm: Monday (adults), Wednesday and Thursday (children). We have two new volunteers, Sean and Jo Hastings (check Jo's web page ) who are a great help. We now hope to open on Tuesdays as well. Larry Franklin is back from getting his Masters in the UK and is now our premier (and only) Java expert on the island. From January 12 to March 12 we will have Paul Ward, a Computer Analyst from Norway helping at the club and we hope to be open Monday through Friday, plus longer hours so that adults can come for lessons after work. At most meetings now we have up to 50 children and 20 computers operating. With the flat concrete roof and the large crowd, the heat can be intense. The club could desperately use air conditioning both for comfort and to protect the computers from the destructive tropical salt air. If you have any fund raising ideas or a spare air conditioner to donate, please contact us via email or fax to 264-497- 4389. When you next come to Anguilla, please drop in to observe or help (we are in the back of the Arts and Craft Center to the right of the Library). We now have some new colorful stools created by Geoff Sims- Davies: green and yellow! If you happen to be in CompUSA, store, the club could use a BC-05 color cartrdige or two for a Canon printer (the children are learning desktop publishing). We are almost done with our project to network 10 computers together and connect them to the Internet. When that is complete, we will be offering evening Internet classes (how to browse, email, creating a web page, etc.). This course will show how you can get email and a web page for free, even if you don't have a computer! If you can't wait for the official class, you can read the rough course notes on the club's web site. Updates, Questions, and Feedback How to Send Christmas Gifts? Here is a great question from David Johnson: Since 1991, my wife and I have visited Anguilla nine times. We have developed a friendship with some of the staff at Cap Juluca. The holidays are approaching and we would like to send some Christmas gifts but are not sure of the procedure. Easiest method, and the method that Anguillians use, is to bring the presents with you when you come to Anguilla. Next best is to send it through the mail - clearing customs at the post office is relatively painless for the recipient. Allow at least a month for the post. Seafeathers Villa Available. Ivy Broder noticed our article on villa web pages and wrote "Large, breezy, 2 bedroom, 2 bath villa for rent at Seafeathers. Spacious wrap-around verandah with beautiful views of the Caribbean and neighboring islands. Fully equipped, many amenities. Rates: $145 per night through Dec. 15; $225 per night from Dec 15 through April 15, plus tax and service charge. ... Could you just add to the announcement that I just sent that it is available for Christmas, 1997? Contact: Ivy Broder - 202-363-3301 - ibroder@american.edu Driving a Scooter. We published an article on driving in Anguilla, but didn't mention mopeds and scooters. Sam Spagnolo asked "We would like to rent a small motorcycle or scooter for getting around the island. Any info you can shed on the subject is greatly appreciated!" You can rent a scooter from Harry's Taxi in Island Harbour (264-497-4336) or C&C Enterprises (264-497- 5954) and probably other places. The rate is about $25 per day, plus $6 for the temporary drivers license. When you call Harry's Taxi, you talk to Harry's mom, who doesn't drive! But she will pass on the message for you (about the license, she said "the people show my son a card with their picture on it and they get a license.") However, we can't honestly recommend you do do this. The cost for two scooters is more than renting a car and the danger of injury is extremely high, considering the goats, the pot holes, and the fast drivers. Update on Internet Access. We mentioned a page on the Tainos.ai web site that explains how to use by the minute Internet access in Anguilla and get through to MSN and Compuserve. We asked for tips on getting through to AOL from Anguilla and Gilbert Fleming, recently returned to Anguilla, says he does it all the time. Here is an excerpt from the AOL manual that he sent: America Online's software lets you use TCP/IP (if it is available on your computer) instead of your modem to connect to America Online at no extra charge. Connecting to America Online with TCP/IP is often faster than the usual modem-based connection process, and it will not interfere with your use of other TCP/IP software like Netscape. System Requirements: In order to connect to AOL through TCP/IP or a SLIP or PPP account, you will need the following: 1. America Online for Windows version 1.5 or higher. 2. WINSOCK.DLL version 1.1 (this comes with AOL version 3.0). 3. A direct Internet connection via TCP/IP, or, 4. A SLIP or PPP connection (if you are using a SLIP or PPP, you will need a program such as Trumpet Winsock, which you can download from our file libraries. Use the Keyword: Filesearch, click on Shareware, then type in trumpet winsock as your search word. How To Connect with TCP/IP: 1. Establish your SLIP or PPP connection, if necessary by connecting to your ISP or other Internet provider. 2. On the Sign On screen, click on the Setup button. 3. Click the Create Location button. 4. Select TCP/IP from the Network drop-down box. 5. Click Save. 6. Click OK to return to the Sign On screen. 7. Click Sign On and you will connect to America Online over the TCP/IP connection. Hibernia Restaurant--Worth the Drive Perhaps the most creative place to eat in Anguilla is Hibernia Restaurant in Island Harbour. This gourmet eatery specializing in French-Indochinese dishes is located in a charming old renovated West Indian home. Hibernia is run by husband and wife team, Mary Pat O'Hanlon (hostess) and Rauol Rodriguez (chef), who spend their summer break in Thailand finding new recipes, artwork, and china for the restaurant. Reservations recommended. Telephone: 264-497-4290. More than half the items on the menu are new, but old favorites such as the lobster souffle remain. Below are some new items on their menu: New Items - Hibernia - November 1997 Menu Soupe de tomates et melons glacee au mustcat. Chilled tomato and melon soup perfumed with muscat. 8.50 Assortment d'hors- d'ouvre de Provence. A selection of various hors-d'ouvres from Provence. 11.00 Encornets farcis au poulet, Fumet de Langouste au poivre de la jamaique. Calamares with a chicken filling, served warm with a lobster and jamaican pepper sauce. 10.00 Salade variee au pamplemousse et amandes aromatisee au pastis. Salad with mixed lettuce, grapefruit and grilled almonds, dressed with a pastis vinegrette. 8.50 Blanc de poulet grille au miel et a la lavande. Chicken breast grilled with a honey sauce infused with lavender aromas. 21.00 Langouste poelee et sa creme de celeri a la badiane. Lobster medalions pan grilled with a cream of celery and star anise sauce. 35.00 Tom Yam Pla. A variety of filleted Caribbean fish, cooked and served in a spicy Thai broth, accompanied by wild rice. 23.00 Magret de canard aux pommes et au gingembre confit sauce au vinaigre de cidre. Grilled duck breast with apples and roasted ginger served with a cider vinegar sauce. 25.00 Web Sites About Anguilla "Name the Baby Goat" Contest. Jo Hastings and her husband Sean recently moved to Anguilla. They are working on a new busines venture, Isle Byte . Jo has put up a web page with pictures of Anguilla, their two dogs, and their new baby goat. Name the baby goat and win a 7 day stay at Chez Hastings (*air fare not included!). Massage.ai is the new web address of Margaret, the foot massage expert on Anguilla. The site is completely revampled and quite attractive, and promotes her amazing power to recuperate people. Give a click. Beachbum.ai is the web site for Daryl and Gayle Gurvey's Bayberry and Chinaberry villas. Very interesting information on their villas and Anguilla too. A well done site. Worth a visit. Curiosity Shop now has a web page. Beachshack.ai, Mary Ann's tropical construction page has a month of building news, roof design, shopping in St. Thomas, and Jungle Camouflage. FC98.ai is the web page for the 1998 Financial Cryptopgraphy conference, to be held in Anguilla in February. The Perfect Location for a Villa The Boathouse on Corito Bay has got to be the closest house to the water in all of Anguilla. Waves actually lap the porch at high tide. What started as a boat house long ago has been tastefully converted into a very nice one bedroom getaway by the present owners, Jim and Rose Steve of Michigan. This is their personal home and is outfitted like one with custom art work, clouds painted on the ceiling, and a washer and dryer. The Boathouse is fully equipped for one couple only (sorry, no children).Would be excellent for a honeymoon, real or pretend. They say there are still prime weeks available for this season. $1400/wk high season, $900 low. Telephone: 248-642-5808/0878/0363. Fax: 8540. Email: bigzark@aol.com For comprehensive villa information, visit the villa guide of the Anguilla Local News. Update on Leduc's Restaurant You shouldn't think that the only activity on Anguilla is eating. But it is true that when many restaurants close down in September for their annual holiday, we miss them. As they reopen and update their menus for the coming high season, it is as if Anguilla's culinary senses are coming alive again. Competition is wonderful for raising quality, and in Anguilla we have a lot of competition in gourmet restaurants! Chef Maurice is back at Leduc's French restaurant in West End. They are closed Mondays until Thanksgiving (Nov 26) when they will be open every night for the rest of the high season. Hopefully they will serve lunch during the high season again this year. Call 493- 6393 for a reservation. Here are some items from their new menu (prices in US$). Some New Choices At Leduc's APPETIZERS WHITE GAZPACHO Cold Soup Of Ground Almonds, Garlic And White Grapes. 7.00 CONCH FRITTERS Local Conch In A Spicy Batter With Cucumber Sauce. 8.00 COLD APPETIZERS SMOKED SALMON Served On A Sweet Potato Fritter With Cream Cheese, Bermuda Onions and American Black Caviar. 13.00 CRAYFISH COCKTAIL With Green Papaya and Cilantro Vinaigrette. 11.00 MAIN COURSE MIGNONETTES OF GROUPER FILLET Pan Seared With Crushed Peppercorns And Flambeed With Pernod. 25.00 FROG LEGS PROVENCAL Sauteed With Garlic, White Wine, Herbs and Tomatoes, Garnished With Escargot. 22.00 COQ AU VIN French Country Style Chicken Braised With Wine, Mushrooms and Pearl Onions. 20.00 RACK OF LAMB Roasted With Rosemary, Garlic and Thyme. 26.00 Deserts include Tropical Tirimisu, Chocolate Terrine with Raspberries, and Chocolate Truffle Caramel Cake. A 15% service charge will be added. For the full menu, directions, and a photo, visit this page.
The following information is provided by Frank Barnako who owns
property which he'd like to rent. You can check it all out at:
For the most relaxing vacation of your life, stay at Over the
Rainbow Our management company has produced a new web site for
Beyond the Sea, a spectacularly sited 2-1/2 bedroom property. Please
take a look at:
http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/develop/carib/beyond/beyond.html.Golf
course proposed on St. John
USA Today highlights St. John Call us Very Proud. In the Nov. 7 issue, USA Today explains why renting a Caribbean island vacation home is a great idea. "St. John may be the most popular island with villa renters," writes Cathy Lynn Grossman, pointing out some 200 homes are available, from $1,500 to $8,200 a week. The article's illustrated with a photo of a beautiful home overlooking Reef Bay. (It's two houses away our beautiful rental villa, Over the Rainbow (http://www.clark.net/pub/fbarnako/otr/Paradise.html)!). Here's the full USA TODAY story: http://www.usatoday.com/life/travel/leisure/bonus/ltwt2.htm.(17 Nov 97) New boss pushing for more Park funds The new superintendent of the V.I. National Park is working on getting an increase in the park's budget, and boosting its staff, according to the Tradewinds. Russell Berry said, "the park's budget is too low by what other parks get," pointing out that in his most recent post, overseeing Cape Hatteras National Park, he successfully got a 12 percent budget increase. "You need to fight for it," he told the Tradewinds. (You can contact the Tradewinds, and inquire about a subscription, at www.tradewinds.vi.)(17 Nov 97) Cruz Bay traffic plan studied A committee of the St., John Community Foundation is urging a review of traffic patterns in downtown Cruz Bay. With expectations that the Enighed pond port project will soon get underway, resulting in a shift of commercial/industrial ship traffic away from the downtown harbor, a need is seen for some thought, Tradewinds editor Tom Oat reported. Steering committee member Ed Bermingham pointed out several development projects are already underway, including those by the VI National Park and VI Public Works department. "This all needs to go into a comprehensive study," Bermingham said. Ideas being discussed include a pedestrian mall in Cruz Bay, and bringing mini-cruise ships into the central harbor, too.(17 Nov 97) New sewage plant for St. John The VI government is asking for new bids for a $5 million sewage treatment plant on St. John. The Property and Procurement Department is soliciting contractors on an "emergency" basis, according to the Virgin Islands Daily News. Environmentalists fear an over-burdened sewage system on the islands threatens coral reefs. The problem has also limited development of Cruz Bay, St. John's downtown, the report said. The federal government, after reviewing the sewage situation, is requiring work to begin on the project within six months.(17 Nov 97) Kmart to open second store Woolworth's loss is Kmart's gain. Woolworth's decision to close its retail stores, including the recently-rebuilt unit on St. Thomas, has paved the way for Kmart to open a second location on the island. Kmart will move into the space in the Lockhart Gardens Shopping Center next January, the Daily News reported. A spokesman for the center said Kmart aggressively sought the location, hoping to be able to reach cruise ship passengers and crew. He said the St. Thomas Woolworth's was the 10th biggest sales volume store in the company said, the Daily News report added.(17 Nov 97) Source: http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com/
Just returned from the sunny Caribbean - Boatshow 97' held in St. Thomas and Tortola, BVI. All professionally crewed yachts - crew range in age and background and nationality (American, German, South African, British etc.). We saw over 150 yachts - 20 per day. New hot spot for chartering in the summer is the San Blas Islands. Yachts will be relocating for the summer months (to avoid hurricane weather patterns) and will be available to accommodate 2-8 person per boat charters. Larger groups - we will arrange a flotilla sail. Scenario - fly into Panama City and take a plane to meet your yacht. Friendly and hospitalble people welcome visitors. Definately a National Geographic experience.
RESTAURANTs...Checked in with Bennie at Chalet Suisse..wonderful as usual. Ate at Buccaneer again...always good. Also ate at Pirates Ship again this year. Had a wonderful dinner there. Met Ewald Beemans the owner and also manager of Bacuti. . Tried a very new restaurant...Flying Fishbone . Converted from a beautiful beach house to a restaurant, just opened three days before we went. Need to iron out some of the service problems. 7:30 reservations, got out of there at 10:30. Only about 8-10 tables, and they did not have menus printed yet, so had menu written on a huge gold gilded mirror (which you couldn't read). Waiter went around lugging the menu and it took 10 minutes for him to tell you what was on the menu (not mentioning prices.) Food was good, but not plentiful..."nicely presented". Surprised when we got the bill...a bowl of fish soup was $11 and a tuna appetizer that was $12. Bottle of Amstel $5.50, glass of red wine $7.50, and most of the entrees were $25. QUITE expensive and service very slow. We had asked for separate checks and they forgot, and it took about 20 minutes to separate the bill and when they did, it was all wrong anyway. Had a wonderful lunch at Mariott- great Chicken Caesar salad. Ate at Manchebo French Steak house and the Churasco Steak was a bit tough. Also ate at the Mill and it was wonderful. Went to a few Casinos to make our annual deposits, but did not win. Never do. Rented a Car for the last day so we could drive down to Dakota for dinner at our friends house and then to the airport the day we left. That worked out well. Stayed at Manchebo the last night and again, the service was excellent.
(Ed Note: Mike Kneafsey works as a charter captain and arranges sailing trips to BVI. He supplies tow files, the frist from July 1997 and the second from October 1997.)
................................................... July 1997 Charter Co. SeaBreeze - Fat Hog's Bay 800-668-2807 Boat : 1991 Beneteau 445 "SEA SETT" retired Moorings boat Number of people 4 Boat Cost: about $2200 Low Season: 10 days for the price of 7 Temp: about 90 day and 78 night, never seemed hot, except out of the wind Rain: Generally about 2 times a night for a few minutes. Being a low budget crew, we provisioned at Rite Way in Roadtown, $6.00/person cab fare from SeaBreeze. They are redoing the store by the Moorings hopefully it will be as nice as the one in town. We planned to eat at least 2 meals a day aboard sometimes 3. Except ice, the provisioning expense was about $400. I have chartered with SeaBreeze before and am always pleasantly surprised that the staff was the same, Michael O'Brian as the foreman, Boots the boat whiz and Jellibelly the dinghy master. Tradewinds now also operates out of the same dock and it appears that SeaBreeze has purchased or acquired Ocean Incentives of St. Thomas. The only problem was the independent captain that gave the chart briefing, he acted like he owned the place and that no one was as smart as he was. He was my only bad experience the whole trip. I was the only one that had been to BVI before, the others didn't even bother to read the cruising guide so we had no set agenda. I just planned a place to sleep in the general area we were heading. With charters I like to stay with the 40+ boats, for the additional room. The 445 was laid out with 1 cabin forward and 2 aft. Both heads aft, sink in the V-berth. Nice room below. Head were a little cramped for 1 and not good for 2. Key items to ask with the charter: - Generator aboard? Some people like hair dryers and microwaves. - CD Player Our refrigeration was great, the on deck cooler helped keep things wet, ice melted fast. We did have a below deck portable igloo cooler provided by SeaBreeze. This did much better. Day 1: Chart stuff, provisioning and misc. Went to Trellis Bay to pick up friends at the airport. Bags did not arrive so we hungout until noon the next day. Day 2: Cooper island for Dive equipment. Hindsight I would have used DIVE BVI since they have a location on Marina Cay. Two of the people needed to rent full scuba gear. We decided to dive off the boat and not the dive roundezous since we did not want to be anywhere at a specific time. There is a decent dive book available at the dive shops that gives local site maps. Cost of dive equipment for the week was $150, tank refills anywhere were $6.00. We spent the night at Savannah Bay. Day 3: The Baths, just hung out, I did see a manta out by the moorings. We walked the trail back from the beach to the point which takes you to the other side of the island. A great view with a lot of surf. Went to Virgin Gorda Yacht Basin for Ice and misc wares. Not a great spot to visit. Spent the night at Savannah Bay. Day 4: Dove at the Indians. Nice dive, sailed to Soper's Hole. Dinner at Pussers. Took on 150 gallons of water. I believe that water is cheap enough ..15/gallon that just use what you want to keep comfortable, but know where to get more. Refilled dive tanks and spent a next morning hanging out in Soper's Hole. Day 5: Late afternoon sail to Sandy Cay, I love this place, but being 4pm when we got there we did not stay long. We generally never dropped the hook for the night until about 6pm and never had a problem. Being low budget, I generally prefer to save the $15.00 on moorings. Spent the night at Little Harbor. Had a nice dinner at Sidney's, Sidney even gave us some of the local history of the neighborhood. Sidney feel that others are out to steal his business. He has a battle going with Harris next door, we did not go to Harris' so I cannot compare. At Sidney's you mark your own drinks on a tab, they are all $3.00. And the Captain eats free. Day 6: Again a lazy start, I had a bathing suit blow over and went looking in little harbor and saw 2 small 3 foot nurse sharks ( if first thought they were Catfish, I'm and Okie and we have Catfish). We had a problem with the reserve water pressure tank (water was going everywhere), being the original MacGiver I got it fixed until Boots could arrive with some proper parts. Sailed to Cane Garden Bay to meet Boots. Played on the beach, did laundry. I know no one like to do laundry on vacation, but it is simple to do with some forethought. Rhymers has Laundry facilities, clean sheets and towels are KING! There is a new place to eat in Cane Garden Bay, I'm sorry I forgot the name and the owner did not have a card. It is about 2 places to the East of the dinghy dock. The owner is a local that went to Cornell and learned customer service. The food was great the prices great, service fantastic and even a great band. He appears to be taking all the business from the other beach places. Day 7: Another great day for sailing, we went up to North Sound from Cane Garden Bay. As Skipper and Navigator I am pleased to say we heading to sea and tacked once into the Sound, sailed into Leverick Bay and dropped the hook. This is another great spot for laundry if the need arises. I also like the fresh water pool, but it was too cool that night for a dip. There is also a nice grocery store behind Pusser's, Bucks is the name. Day 8: Chased down a square rigger under sail, quite a sight, I believe the name was Galaxy, real nice looking boat and it looked like a family of cruisers. Dove at Seal Dog, I got us to the wrong Dog. Did see a turtle and a pod(?) of glowing squid. Sailed to Joshua Bay on Tortola. A very rolly anchorage, but nice spot. One the way there we launched the assault craft in the lee of Little Cameneo and took some pictures of the boat under sail. We also came upon a feeding fest of Pelicans, terns and King Fishers; The best sight was a Pelican coming up with a tern in its mouth by its neck. It was quite a crowd feeding. If you sleep a Joshua, you will get rollers, but just turn sideways in the bunks and you won't notice. If you go to the beach drop and dinghy anchor offshore or the launch will swamp in the surf. Day 9: Motored to Trellis Bay to drop friends off at the airport. With a tropical depression in the area things were a little rough so we took a cab to Roadtown to return the dive equipment. I pitied people with this day as day 1 of there charter, I saw people putting out of the Moorings, I hope they faired OK and stayed for another day. Day 10: No wind at all in the AM. Drake channel was real smooth. As we motored across toward Cooper the wind filled in and we heading out the general direction of St Croix (not the destination, just out for a long sail). We had fun dodging small squalls, watching "squadrons" of flying fish. I never knew that they actually flew in controlled flight until then. Unfortunately about 12 miles out a big squall hit, seas built to about 8-10 feet (remember we were outside of Drakes' Channel), visibility dropped to about 1/2 mile. Fortunately I had been paying attention to navigation and directed my wonderful helmperson Jennifer to head us home. The winds slowly dropped, but the waves did not so after 1.5 hours of little progress we motored home. About 2.5 hours we hit Drakes Channel and things we a lot smoother. Spent the night at Fat Hog's Bay before we turned in the boat. Crowds: Never had a problem with crowds, we dropped the hook or moored about 6pm every night. Only crowd (boats, not people) was at the Baths. Not being rushed made for a very relaxing trip. Suggestions for others: - Weather AM 780 every half hour. All other weather forecasts are crap. - If you cook aboard like we did, bring some cheap Teflon pans and a good spatula. - Use as much water as needed to keep the crew happy. There are many places for replenishment. - 2 sets of cheap Walmart foul weather gear. - Food at Riteway seemed a lot cheaper than the AmpleHamper web page. - Beer about $20 case - Ice: $3.50 bag - doesn't last long - Get a boat with an extra cabin, just to throw stuff in. - Too many skippers appeared to aggressive with too much rag out. We sail to max speed and comfort. We saw many with way too much heal. - The Pour and Serve Bisquick is great to bring along. Real cheap and easy to transport, not available locally. - The long life milk tastes like normal milk, if you keep it cold. - Bring a good wind scoop. Breeze Booster 918-682-9531 - The second time down is better, all the islands don't look alike the second time. - Plenty of day to day towels aboard the boat. - Bring your own snorkel equipment - Bring big zip lock bags, great for keeping stuff dry. - Boat has dinner utensils, but paper plates and napkins are a cheap thing to buy. - Buy trash bags - Clothes pins should be aboard the boat. - The egg shell charcoal packages work great. - If you can get aboard the boat before you provision you can find out what misc stuff the boat has (salt, pepper, matches). - Handheld VHF for communication with mothership from assault craft, if needed. - Cheap Non-stick pans FYI, SeaBreeze has 2 Morgan 50s, These are real nice and have a better layout than the Beneteau 502. ............................................................. October 1997 Charter Co.: SeaBreeze 800-668-2807 Boat: Beneteau 445 "SeaSett" Total Crew 5 adult Cabins 3 Heads 2 I arrived 2 days early to take care of the paperwork and misc. stuff. I was the hired skipper for this trip. I have used SeaBreeze several times. My last trip to BVI was in July 97. Day 1: Since I had a full day before anyone arrived I rented a car from Prestige Imports. The owner is Commett Chalwell 809-495-1898 they are located about half way from the airport to Roadtown. I rented a Geo Prism for $41/day + $10 driver's license. They picked me up at the marina. Driving around the island gave an excellent orientation to many of the items you see from the water. Driving up Ridgeroad provides some great photo opportunities. I will say driving on the left in the left seat is always fun. I also took advantage of the car to do some limited provisioning. Provisioning: Most food items I brought from the states, the plan for the crew was dinner out most nights (although I pretty much ate aboard). I like the Bisquick Pour and Serve bottles, they are great for hotcakes in the morning. I did pick up cheese, eggs and lunchmeat. The hamburgers are sold in frozen packages of 8 and are good. Beer prices $20/case, Pop is $10/case, ice $3.50-$4.00. Day 2. Saturday. Took the boat to Trellis Bay and picked up the crew at the airport, it was uneventful. I gave them there boat orientation and they went out to dinner at the deLoose Mongoose. Day 3. Sunday, Motored over to the Baths, we were the only boat there until about 11am. Hung out there for a while and headed over to Cooper Island. I had to wait quite a while before getting a mooring. I dropped an anchor in the grass to keep my position while waiting for one to open. I would not recommend anchoring in the grass for an extended period of time. We did see boats coming in just before sunset and there were no mooring available. Called and got dinner reservations. Cooper Island was the only place we had crowds. Day 4. Sailed to Roadtown, the ladies wanted to shop. I pulled into Village Cay and took on water and detrashed the boat while the crew shopped. The first hour in a slip is $10 and $5/hour there after water is .12/gallon. I top off the water tanks often, I have found that civilian showers keep everyone happy and the cost is nominal. Sailed to Soper's Hole for the night, they had dinner at Pussers. Day 5. In the AM I took the dingy to the Laundromat (through the pass, toward Frenchman's Cay). The cost was $16.00 for clean towels and clothes, I paid the girl to do the laundry. Had breakfast at Kelly's which is also through the pass. We sailed out to Sandy Cay - bugs!!!! I had never experienced mosquitoes and small black bugs like we did this trip. Bring some OFF, it is $7.00 in BVI. We spend the time in the water since the beach was not suitable since we did not have Off at the time. Sailed down to Little Harbor to Sidney's. Sidney was not around, but talked to Sidney Jr. as his dad says, "That boy is crazy". Sidney and I got together in the AM, he is always fun to talk to. Day 6. Sailed for North Sound. Took a detour and sailed via the Cameneo passage. I have found that off Guana Island the water is calm enough to put someone in the dingy to take pictures of the boat under sail - these are always everyone's favorite pictures. Went and snorkeled Great Dog there are moorings there and it is quite nice. Went to the Bitter End Yacht Club. Dinner was good, but all dinners are $35.00. In the AM we did walked around, that place is nice, but I would go nuts being ashore in a cabin. Their daysailor boat rental is somewhat pricy if staying there. Day 7. Motored over to Leverick Bay just for yet additional shopping for the ladies. Went out sailing, toward Anegada, trying to teach proper helmsmanship. After a good sail we dropped the hook at Savannah Bay, this is my "One Particular Harbor". Cooked burgers on the grill and watched the stars. Day 8. Cruised around a large British Navy Supply ship sitting at anchor in the middle of Drake's Channel, they liked our ladies in bikinis. Went to Spanish Town (yes more shopping) and slip is free for the first hour and $5/hour after. We then returned to the Bath's. There was a cruise ship at Roadtown to a lot of tourist there, so it wasn't not as much fun. Cruised back to Fat Hog's Bay (SeaBreeze Base). I sent them on a tour up Ridge Road to SkyWorld so they could check out the sunset. We later took a cab over to Cane Garden Bay to eat at the Paradise Club, which is one of my favorite spots (cab ride was $32/person). When we returned our dingy was missing!!!!!! I borrowed another dingy and returned the crew then swam back out to the boat. Not a lot of fun after dinner at the Paradise Club. In the AM I discovered a small freighter came in and "borrowed" it. I liberated it back. Day 9. Boat returned and departure. Items to Bring: - Non stick pans for the galley - Off - I also discovered Breeze Boosters 800-663-9531 or breezebooster@breezebooster.com. These are wind scoops that fit over your hatch. They do not require halyards and DO NOT collapse as the boat swings. Uninstalled they are about 3 feet long and 3 inches around. The cost is $60 each and well worth it. I sold mine at the marina on the way home, high demand items. I ordered the medium size which worked well. These make no noise at night, install in seconds and the hatch can be closed in the event of rain. - Handheld VHF
My wife and i just returned from a wonderful vacation on Grenada. I
was still a bit leery having been there 6 months before the US
invasion in 1983. We were not allowed to venture into the "Grand
Etang" area or any other high points of land which the Cubans and
Russian advisors were occupying but even oppressed the Grenadians
were extremely friendly and cordial. We had to return and what a
remarkable change, the roads are now paved, the airport is twice the
size it needs to be, everything has been rebuilt, painted, or
cleaned. the "Grand Anse" area is more developed than ever. It now
sports it's own KFC and PIZZA HUT. So much for progress.
St.George's Harbour is still the most picturesque in all the
Caribbean, set amongst it's amphitheater of hills and forts, it is
truly a sight to behold.(for the true romantic, flag down a water
taxi on Grand Anse Beach and see the town from a water approach)
We stayed at "Twelve Degrees North" which is a small {8 rooms}
private getaway. You are greeted by "the owners" and within minutes
you are on a first name basis. situated on "Lance Aux Epines" a
southern peninsula, the resort provides a maid/cook, pool, beach,
pier for snorkeling the offshore reef, thatched hut by the beach
(where "Joe" leaves his special rum punch every night) hammocks
swaying below the coconut palms........ you get the picture..this is
one "laid back" resort. It took us 4 days to fill out the
"registration form"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your maid will prepare "all"
meals for you. and the room will be stocked with all provisions you
desire.
We are the adventurous type and opted only for fresh fruits for
breakfast, as we would be out exploring the island during the day
and eating at local restaurants at night.
MUST SEE!!!!!!
Annandale Falls: setting is lush and tropical and easy to get to.
many local plants, trees, flowers and the 50 foot falls are a sight
to be seen. Be on the lookout for locals that will solicit money to
jump from the falls.
"Grand Etang" a lake in the crater of an extinct volcano!!!!!!! --
beautiful setting in the rainforest, monkey's in the trees,
hummingbirds everywhere. You can drive or walk to the lake. It has a
visitor's center with a museum and cultural center.
"Levera Beach" : Don't listen to the guide books when they say there
are no food or drink facilities here. "Grenadian Culture" has opened
within the last 9 months and is FANTASTIC even if the food was bad
(which it is definitely NOT) the view up the Grenadine Island chain
is spectacular!!!!!! There are three nearshore islands and on a
clear day you can see all the way to Carriacou and beyond. The
restaurant has a 6 burner gas stove {I WANT ONE} and the Alexander
family will take good care of you. Local kingfish, fish and chips,
salads, were just a sampling on our stay. NOTE This place is in the
middle of nowhere and should require a days outing to reach it,
enjoy, and return. The beach is fabulous and is sheltered by reefs.
ARE YOU HUNGRY ????????????
THIS ISLAND HAS DEFINITELY FOUND THE ORIGINS OF "ISLAND"
GOURMET With a few exceptions, all our meals lunch or dinner were
fresh and original. THE EXCEPTIONS: Indigo's at True
Blue...roaches,the worst lambi I have EVER had (it was the chefs
special),extremely slow service,etc................
"Brown Sugar" advertised everywhere-- not good, stay away.
"Joe's Steak Place" don't even consider it.
THE GOOD PLACES: not in any order..............
"RED CRAB" Lance Aux Peene.....best lambi i have EVER had, good crab
backs, shrimp, fish etc....all it needs is a view...GREAT SPOT
"CASTAWAYS" Lance Aux Peene...pub type setting, good local foods,
very friendly service staff.
"AQUARIUM" in back of the airport....you HAVE to see this place.
Any day is good, but Sunday is the "LOBSTER ON THE GRILLE NIGHT".
Carved into a cliff, nice beach, views of St. George, talk about
romantic??
THIS IS THE SPOT Arrive Sunday, enjoy the beach/snorkel, and dinner
is amazing, i had the shrimp, my wife had the lobster. both grilled
to perfection....
BEST MEAL ON THE ISLAND "CICELY'S" Lance Aux Peene...a bit on the
formal side but VERY good, imaginative creations, this is one of two
places that required me to wear long pants. HEY I'm on vacation!
"CANBOULAY" good food, nice view, stick to "red crab"
"LA SAGESSE" beautiful, protected bay, mangrove swamps, banana
plots, offshore reef for swimming/snorkling and an excellent
restaurant for lunch. very good crab backs and fresh fish dishes.
middle of nowhere spot best to try lunch not dinner.
"NUTMEG" downtown St. George...AN INSTITUTION Good local food and
drink along with local gossip...............nice spot...........
"RUDOLPH'S" European pub style place, good food, friendly
staff....... all in all we had a great time, Saturday at the market
along with buying spices at he local farms and grocery. We will
return.......
Joe And Pat Gaylord made our stay memorable and our housekeeper
Yvonne was a sweetheart!!! when they say
"QUITE SIMPLY THE BEST" Twelve Degrees North Delivers. Until our
next trip...........
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