sailing

Mark and I have actually managed to go racing every Friday night for the past few weeks - without children! Babysitter comes at 4:00 and we are on a boat by 4:30 and ready to race.

There is a competitive little fleet of these modified J-24s - IC (inter-club) 24s. In fact, Peter Holmberg of America's Cup sailing fame is a regular as well as a few other sailing professionals.

One of the IC-24 owners, Neil will be leaving the island with his family for year in France. What has turned out to be a great opportunity is that he has asked us to look after the boat while he is gone. This past Friday we were out again racing with about eight other boats. It was actually a little windier than previous Fridays and we had some very quick races back and forth across the bay. It's actually a pretty tight fleet which means a few marks roundings were a little too close for comfort. We did actually have a run in with one boat - fortunately - he admitted fault and will be repairing the bent stantion.

Mark has been out a few more times than I have since we've been here and has been doing really well. In fact, I do have to report that he finished across the line in front of Holmberg in one race last Friday and was giving him a run for his money in a couple of others.

Last week, Alex was racing with us which was probably the first time the three of us have raced together in about 12 years. Again, it felt a little surreal doing this together in a completely different location. Deja vu - Cow Bay Regatta and Whidbey Island. It was a fun evening with few bruises.

One of the other nice aspects of this yacht club and its racing is the focus on youth. It is perfectly usual to see small children as young as three years old racing with their parents. Most nights we have had at least one child about eight or nine years old with us. And while we'll get Julian sailing with us soon, I think we'll wait for Max to fit into some sailing gloves first.

alex and nicholas visit st. thomas

I am overdue on the blog front due to some very worthwhile distractions. My sister Alex and her 7-year old son Nicholas decided they had quite enough of disappointing spring weather in Victoria. So - they called and said - "could we come this Sunday for 10 days?"

Our first house guests!!! And I just found new motivation to finally set up the guest room!

So after hauling our bikes out of the guest bathroom, and dusting off the red carpet - we were ready for our visitors. Alex and Nicholas flew in on Sunday June 22. We were all very excited - and Julian after doing "how many more sleeps?" countdown was beside himself with excitement to see his cousin...and his aunt.

We had a really fun visit which included:



- swimming at the house day and night.
- Nicholas joined Julian for a week of sailing camp.
- Alex, Mark and I raced at the St. Thomas Yacht club on an IC 24 (modified J-24)
- the six of us went sailing to nearby Christmas Cove on nearby Great St. James Island where we anchored then swam and snorkeled off the boat.
- dinners out as well as creations by guest chef Alex for Mark's birthday.






Alex and Nicholas did their best to visit many of St. Thomas' beaches. They also escaped to St. John for a night to check out the Westin Resort.

It was so nice to have the visit. Alex commented on several occasions how surreal it was that we lived here. To visit us several thousand miles away - and to be sitting on the couch that used to look out on West 14th Avenue - that now faces a harbour and some islands in the Caribbean. The big fir tree in the front yard of our old home has been replaced by a large coconut palm.

Now Alex and Nicholas are back in Victoria - sailing on their boat for the weekend. The house feels a little emptier -- and the bikes have returned to their home in guest washroom.

school's out.

There are a couple of events that signal the beginning of summer; changes in weather and the end of a school year.

Living in Vancouver - it's common place to discuss the weather. We follow the (mainly inaccurate) weather forecasts and then plan the weekend accordingly. Wasn't it a nice sunny weekend? Isn't all this rain and flooding horrible? Lovely day, isn't it? Storms, rain, sunny, hot, snow - there is always something weather-related to discuss in the elevator or in the coffee room. No lack of weather excitement.

And while there may not be distinct seasonal changes in St. Thomas - there's a similar preoccupation with discussing the weather. Winter months tend to be cooler with a lot more breeze and less humidity. Summer temperatures are similar but with greater humidity and a lot less breeze. And despite these very subtle changes in seasons - we talk about the weather. There is no escaping it. In fact, I caught myself yesterday launching into my introductory comments to our dinner guests, "isn't it humid today - I think this is the hottest day I 've felt yet." Riveting conversation. I need to read more.

But truthfully, some of the weather information is important, especially during the hurricane season. And weather reporting happens quite frequently here and during the summer months, internet and other reporting is monitored closely. And I never thought I would say this but I now welcome rain with great enthusiasm and a certain relief knowing that we are getting a little more water for the cistern. And while rain doesn't usually last too long - especially this time of year, it can come down with a vengeance.

Hurricane season officially runs from June until the end of November while most named tropical storms or hurricanes occur August through mid-October. Long time residents often refer to Hurricanes Hugo and Marilyn which hit St. Thomas severely and resulted in rebuilding much of the infrastructure that exists today. Before these hurricanes hit St. Thomas, there was a period of over 50 years before such a natural disaster had hit the area. Residents went from being a little apathetic to much more wary of tracking storms. So it will be interesting to watch. Hopefully from a good distance. Already from a marketing perspective - we have run some "hurricane preparedness" ads in the local paper and in the special "Hurricane Preparedness" supplement. A sophisticated advertising campaign, I'll tell you!

The school year ends early in the Caribbean - with Julian finishing kindergarten on May 30. Three months summer vacation! It was a very successful first term at Antilles School. In the absence of a school routine, we have Julian enrolled in sailing camp all day Monday to Friday at the St. Thomas Yacht Club. Already he is the quintessential mini-beach bum in surf shorts, rash guard, sunglasses and long-ish blond curls. At the age of six, he is already acquiring some basic sailing skills and doing really well. And we had to laugh when he reported to us after a day last week, "Guess what? My tiller extension came off when I was sailing - but they helped me put it back on". It was a proud moment for his sailing parents.

With Julian in sailing camp for eight weeks and Max in a camp at his Montessori school - the two boys will have a busy summer. And with the steady pace we are running at work, Mark and I won't exactly be spending the entire summer drinking rum cocktails by the pool (just part of it). This is very much our busy season with "hurricane tune-ups" , new sales and a lot of services - there's a steady pace of work. So it's a busy start to the summer.

vancouver visitors

Last Saturday, a Princess ship sailed in with our friends Pam and John. Pam and John were on a 10-day caribbean cruise celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary and looking so tanned - it made us look like we just arrived.

We met them at Crown Bay where the cruise ship was docked and set off for a mini tour of the island. First stop - Casa van den Driessche to see our home and say hello to the boys who were being cared for by a babysitter.

We drove up the north side to get some of the spectacular views down island, driving around the twisty, narrows roads. By the end, Pam and I were starting to feel like two little car-sick kids in the back seat. We stopped at Magen's Bay to wander along the beach and dip toes in water. The beach and park were very quiet and we almost felt like we had the beach to ourselves which was lovely.

From there we went for some lunch in an area called Bolongo Bay - to Iggies - which is a fun place right on the beach. We had some conch fritters and mahi-mahi fillets and washed then down with Presidentes and rum and ginger beer.


A very short visit but so nice to see some "old friends" .

flip flopper down

Last weekend was Memorial Day weekend - and one I won't forget.

After being without our pool for a short period - the repairs were complete and it was finally time to fill it up! Three truck loads of water and 12,000 gallons later - we had a pool. What was really amazing was the temperature of the water from WAPA - it was like a bath.




The weekend included a lot of pool time and we had a very busy and social three days planned.



Our neighbours and the parents of one of Max's classmates had invited us out on their 70-foot motor boat for a day trip and lunch. It would be their first trip out on their new boat and we were the first guests. We met them in the morning - climbed aboard and set off around St. John and the islands off St. Thomas. It was a beautiful Caribbean day. The sea was a sparkling emerald green and there was a nice breeze to keep the edge off the burning sun. An absolutely perfect way to spend a day.

We anchored off St. John looking over a very exclusive area of the island called Peter's Bay. I'm attaching some pictures of the homes in this area as they were beyond belief. Not your typical holiday homes. (Click on them and make them larger.)




Our hosts served a fabulous lunch - warm quiche, salads, cold chicken and fruit - as we sat around a big table on the deck looking out to the beaches of St. John. After lunch - we did a little swimming off the boat and Julian decided to try his luck with some fishing with their first mate.
Where the day takes a turn for the worse is when I stood at the top of stairs leading down to the stern platform - and a large (and quite heavy) platform door came crashing down on my foot.

Unbelievably - I managed to refrain from colourful language but became instantly concerned I had lost my toe. Without too many details - the incident resulted in a good mess on the deck. In fact, if I remember correctly - hosing the deck down happened as quickly as the emergence of a first aid kit. Needless to say, our day was cut a little short and we swiftly returned to St. Thomas with a call and scheduled appointment at the emergency clinic.

What continued in this comedy of errors was our difficulty getting ashore. There was no available slip for the boat at the marina. So we'd go in by tender. When the electric winch attempted to lower the tender from the upper deck to the water - the motor appeared to burn out. The half-lowered zodiac swung from the port side crashing into the side of the boat with Mark and the first mate trying to keep it from slamming into the boat. These were true Kodak moments, I'll tell you. Fortunately - Mark actually figured out what was wrong with the winch and the boat was safely lowered to the water. At this point, I am pretty certain our hosts were ready for a stiff drink except for the minor detail that Carmen is pregnant and due to have her baby in about two weeks. So while the stuck tender problem was being managed by the men- two less than able women - one with belly that is ready pop and another with a toe that is trying to stay together were trying to manage three small children from falling out of the boat.

After we said our good-byes and got into the tender - we slowly motored off about 100 feet before the engine cut out. I know they say things happen in threes - but seriously? At this point - all I could do was laugh. But then I couldn't really do this because my bladder was too full from not being able to get up after the accident.

The boat drifted for a while and then started up again. And then cut out. And started up again. Finally, we were at the dingy dock.

After stitches, x-rays and some minor surgery. I am now sporting a fancy new "sandal" to help the bone and laceration heal.



As a "footnote", I am reflecting on all my years racing and sailing on boats and the many injuries I've witnessed. Cracking heads with booms. Fingers caught between lines and winches. Falling off boats and into cockpits. I often marveled at shoe-less sailors wondering how they were not constantly breaking toes and cutting bits open. The moral of this story? I'd better stay away from power boats.

changes - big and small

We had some new (sailing) friends over for dinner last Saturday night. One couple originally from L.A. - and another from New York. We started out the evening sitting outside (in a heavy fog of citronella candles and OFF) - and heard some more interesting relocation stories and perspectives on life on this island. Some similar themes - with different interpretations.

How does one end up here? How long do you stay? What do you enjoy and what drives you crazy?

When I think back to the conversations that Mark and I had - usually when we were away on holidays - we kept returning to the same question. Why don't we live somewhere warm? And because we kept asking this same question over-and-over - we finally said, "let's do it."

Some of the people we've met - like the couple from New York came down here with jobs - John is an architect. Our lawyer in St. Thomas also had the same situation and moved down here with an offer. Others have retired here or made a move more gradually. But the common theme was a desire for change.

There's no doubt that our lives have been transformed. And if I review the past five months - the only thing that has remained a constant for me is Mark and the boys. We have virtually changed every aspect of our lives.

And so far - it's a change that seems to be tailor-made for us.

Some of the changes have been fun - requiring no adjustment period. Wearing "summer clothing" 12-months a year - no suits, no ties. Having a pool and being outside more. Greeting everyone with a "good morning" or a "good afternoon". Duty free booze. Sitting outside in the morning and having a cup of coffee. Being on the water and watching boats. Never having cold hands.

Some of the changes have taken greater concentration. Driving on the left and through some questionable intersections. Remembering to take our garbage with us in the morning for "drop-off". Finding lizards and their droppings in our bedroom (always in exactly the same spot)and the occasional frog in the house. Keeping a cooler in the back of my vehicle - so that cold or frozen groceries can arrive home with some memory of having originated in a freezer. Slowing our pace and expectations of when things will get done. Learning to live with power outages and other challenged infrastructure.

There are also the things we've had to change related to our new geography. We carry social security cards and USVI driver's licences. We have US medical insurance including an air evacuation policy that will fly us anywhere in case of emergency. We buy things called "mosquito magnets" to keep our flying friends to a minimum. We are extremely careful with electricity consumption and even more carfeul with water usage. When it rains - it's a good thing. The cisterns fill up and we know that we are getting some more water. In fact, I can say we all have a better appreciation of these resources and laughed when Julian explained he hadn't washed his hands because he was saving water. And while power outages are an annoyance - they do, in fact generate business for us.


We spend a lot of our time differently - and that has a lot to do with the pace here and our situation. We are working hard - but have greater flexibility. Some days we meet after work at the beach and go for a swim. Most of the time, however, it is a "normal" work week with school, work and home time. We are, however a 24/7 emergency operation and that does mean the occasional "my generator didn't start" call resulting in some quick dispatch solutions.

When it comes to the daily routine - some things are different and other things don't alter too dramatically. We wake up at 6:00 when the sun rises and pours into our rooms. The daylight hours are the same all year round with about 12.5-13 hours of daylight a day. The boys go to school in shorts and sandals and we put freezer packs in their lunch kits to keep their food from spoiling. Mark and I get to the office quite early - sometimes I go for a run first and guzzle two large bottles of water immediately following. I'm still getting used to running in the heat.

Surprisingly, our commute isn't that much shorter. The distance is less, however, I frequently sit in traffic. I drive to school and work with all the windows down avoiding iguanas and large potholes on the roads while listening to 96.1 Pirate Radio. I slow down in town and buy the local Daily News from an older lady sitting by the road who hands it to me in exchange for a dollar. As I enter town - there are white-gloved "traffic cops" guiding traffic with their authoritative whistles. I am pleased to say - there isn't a single Starbucks in the Virgin Islands, however, I've discovered a couple of good local places that make a great latte.< / It is a small enough community that you get to know people much faster and they quickly realise we are the "new generator people". Mind you, with our new and improved and larger-than-life Import Supply decals (pronounced DEE-cals) on our vehicles - it isn't too difficult to figure out. And speaking of advertising - we ran an advertisement this week in the Daily News as well as an advertorial. Marketing efforts are slowly advancing.


Change has been good and this is just the start.

http://tropicalhomes.vidaily.com/
Tropical Homes / Vi Daily News ad link.

work and play.

Friday night. The boys have just finished some mac&cheese and are watching a movie. It has been a very busy week and I'm enjoying a "well deserved" glass of zinfandel. Speaking of which, Mark and I have got into the habit of chilling our reds. It's warm enough - everything needs a quick chill in the fridge these days.

It has been a very busy week at Import Supply. We've had some good sales this week including finding out we won the RFP for a major contract - ironically for the power authority in the Virgin Islands. Yes - even the power authority needs help. There were a number of power outages this week - resulting in a few service issues and new people deciding they have had enough with relying on our power authority.

Yesterday - we delivered a massive two-megawatt generator - one of the largest ever installed on the island. It was all hands on deck and one of the largest cranes on the island lifted the generator and fortunately, managed to safely land this very heavy piece of equipment at the assigned space.

This week we have also branched into new marketing activities for Import Supply. From business cards, to some new decals for our vehicles and some very modest attempts at advertising in the local daily newspaper. Oh! And we had to order some new t-shirts for our technicians - including some mini-Import Supply gear for Max and Julian. Shameless advertising.

Last weekend - Mother's Day - Mark and the boys took me out for a surprise boat trip. We went down to American Yacht Harbour - just across from where we live and jumped into a 25-foot power boat with a cooler full of snacks and cold drinks. We buzzed over to St. John and around a few of the smaller islands off St. Thomas - swam off the boat and enjoyed being out on the water. A great day - with minimal sunburns.