The Virgin Islands

 Dane left the boat in the Bahamas and Lisa in Puerto Rico, so it's just Daryl and I again.  The passage from there south was always going to be a hard one, with the prevailing winds against us.  So we waited for the appropriate weather window to leave.  The plan was to head as far east as possible, while the wind was light and then when the easterlies kicked it big time, we would head towards St Thomas.  It was not an easy passage, but, as usual, the boat looked after us and we chalked up another safe trip.

I really must clean the screen on the camera!  Like the sign though.

Terrible photo, but great tattoo.  This guy has a watch that reads 5 o'clock.  The saying is that 'It's 5 o'clock somewhere and time for a drink'

A beautiful anchorage in St Johns in the US Virgin Islands.  It is a park and a protected area, so there are buoys to pick up, so we don't destroy the seabed with our anchors.

Next to us this little red boat arrives, out comes the bride and groom and they get married on the back of the boat!  Great to see, we gave them applause as they left.  What a great idea!

Great to catch up with our friends on 'Gone with the Wind' and enjoy some good evenings out with them ashore.

There are a lot of kite boarders in Saba Rock, Virgin Gorda.  They get rather close to the moored yachts and this guy judged it wrong, getting the lines of his sail caught around the windex at the top of the mast of this boat!  Luckily it did come free later!

Slowly heading south.

A birthday lunch for me in the Turks and Caicos marina of Providenciales.  Great Italian food and some excellent NZ Sav Blanc too!  

David Copperfield, the famous illusionist had this rather beautiful mermaid and piano made and it rests on the seabed, on Rudder Cay.  It attracts lots of fish and snorkelers, like ourselves, once we found the right bay!

Lisa and I hired a car for the day when we got to Puerto Rico, this is a shot of the view from the castle at the top of the hill in Ponce.  An interesting place, it was carnival week and there was music everywhere.

Who likes their coffee?

Lisa leaving the boat in Ponce, a sad day for me to see her leave.  It has been great to have her on board and we have had some great times and chats over coffee.  She is off to see her Dad for a couple of weeks before heading back to New Zealand.

Cruising in the Bahamas

Lisa loved her diving and snorkeling, in the clear waters of the Bahamas, there were lots of treasures to look at, and then put back.

Climbing up the hill on Boo Boo Hill in Warderwick Wells, it is the tradition to leave a piece of driftwood with your names on.  Here are Lisa and Dane adding their piece of wood to the pile.

 We climbed up the hill at Monastry Bay in Georgetown and the view from the top was spectacular.

Lovely couple!

We cruised from Florida, across to the Bahamas and made our way slowly south, enjoying the chain of islands.  Great snorkeling in the clear water, lots of fish to see and the occasional crayfish to catch.