boats. boats. and more boats.

From cruise ships to little sailing dinghies, boats come in all shapes and sizes in this part of the world.

Wandering along Yacht Haven, a parking lot for multi-million dollar yachts with interior space several times greater than the average home, you can get a glimpse of lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Of course, the real action is with sailing. And there is no shortage of sailing boats. Another reason moving to St. Thomas became very attractive to us.

We visited the St. Thomas Yacht Club today.

Located a 1/2 mile or three minute drive from our home, it is a small club with a lot going on. They have a very active junior sailing program that Julian can participate in - sailing Optimists, small boats perfect for children learning to sail.

We met the club manager and had a good chat with him over brunch. A race was underway and he was going to head out to see how it was going. Did we want to come?

Actually - before I could even attempt an enthusiastic reply, my Dad was out of his seat saying "That sounds great!" We are a shy family.

So off we went. A short trip out to see a fleet of J-boats, IC-24s and a handful of other nice little race boats do a bit of racing in the area. A very nice way to spend the afternoon. (Mark: you'll be here soon - I didn't do any actual sailing - honest!)

The other type of boat we are becoming well acquainted with is the ferry that runs to St. John from just below our house. I can confirm with accurate conviction that the ferry starts at 6:00 am on weekdays. The ferry ensures that everyone is indeed on board and that there's no chance that anyone's left behind. Horns, PA systems - you name it - they have a way of announcing the boat is ready to go.

Boats, boats everywhere.