Plan B

View of St. John along the east coast

Tim, our mechanic friend, has been repeatedly urging the boat yard to make the part that we need for our repair.  They need to take a 5/8" stainless steel rod and turn threads on both ends, cut it in half and drill a few holes for the coupling.  Then we just need to screw it back into place.  He says it will take about two hours of their time.  They keep saying they'll do it tomorrow.  This has gone on for a week.  This morning Dave and I began Plan B and researched machinists on Tortola who might be able to do this.  Now it's 5:00 and we've found a machinist who, in the course of our research, has been recommended by three others, can to the work soon!  Hallelujah!  Tomorrow morning we will motor about three hours to Road Harbour, Tortola, BVI.  We wish we could sail, but until we get the new strut, we do not want to chance tweaking the bow pulpit.  Anyway, at least we feel as though we're not stuck ala "Ground Hog Day."

Wayward Wind moored in serene Great Lameshur Bay

Over the weekend, we motored two hours to the south shore of St. John.  We picked up a mooring ball in the USVI National Park at Great Lameshur Bay.  Over half of the St. John is in the national park so no houses!  Much of the submerged coast is also protected in the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument.  It was a little rolly getting there as you have the full force of the easterly trade winds blowing waves at you, but not too bad.  I think this may discourage charter boats and others from coming.  The bay is protected by a long spit of land, so the anchorage was lovely.  We shared it with only two other boats.  The reefs are full of colorful fish and quite nice for snorkling.  A four-foot nurse shark swam right below us.  And we (voyeurs that we are) watched one conch clunkily "chase" and subdue another conch in, what we think was, a little romantic conch encounter. 

Cacti in paradise?

One morning, we went for a short hike and were surprised to find cacti growing here.  Another surprise was finding Bambi and her mother.  And yet another were the furry and speedy little mongooses.  In the 1700 and 1800s, most of the island was cleared for sugar plantations, and many new plant and animal species were introduced which, of course, had devastating effects on the natural environment.  For example, the mongooses developed a taste for the eggs of ground-nesting birds and sea turtles.  It was Laurance Rockefeller who, in 1956, bought most of the island and donated it to the US government for a national park.  More than 5000 acres of offshore marine habitat was added in 1962.  Today it is a wonderful place to explore.  We even thought the fish seemed less shy here than in other areas and pegged it on the fact that spear-fishing is not allowed.  (Not sure if fish could really connect those dots, but we like to think so.)

Hey!  It's a spotted fawn!  Are we in Sonoma County?

Nope, we're definitely in the Virgin Islands.

I love the US National Park system.  Yesterday I went on a five-mile hike through the hills with stunning views along the way.  The trails were well marked and maintained.  At one point, I wandered down into a tight valley where the canopy was DENSE!  The sunlight dimmed and I found the ruins of old buildings and the trail edged by a four-foot high stone wall.  What hands built these?

Hiking through the forest

 I continued and found these Pre-Columbian petroglyphs.  I love touching the carvings as I imagine the people making them so long ago. 

About 1000 years ago, Taino hands created these pictures in the rocks. So cool!!!



The lovely Virgin Islands National Park Visitor Center on St. John