and...Greetings from Virgin Islands

Tomas · 30 October 2006, 09:08

We're over 1200 miles SE of Miami but are a U.S. Possession and consider the ties to the U.S which has owned us since 1917 as extensive. Denmark was the previous and one of seven nations to claim these Islands and the ties to the Danes are also extensive.

As is usual with Islands that are grouped together by politics, there is quite a lot that St. Croix does not see eye to eye with St. Thomas, the cruise ship slut. (Ha! Ha!...that will get one going if there are any St. Thomians even near this board) Our North shore is pretty much all clif dropping off quickly to over six thousand feet in depth. There are a number of yacht tender and dingy inflatibles but my SeaRider is the only reasonably serious deep vee on the island. They are using an inflatible on the wall near Carimbola for diving that has an access hatch in the hull so divers surface directly under the boat. I don't know who makes them...

I use my boat for cruising, diving and Wahoo fishing. Boarding a 47 lb. Wahoo in a 4.7m inflatible is not for the faint of heart. Once the fish is on the gaff, it's a rock and a hard place. Haul the fish over the tube too soon and you've got a live missle at your shins. Leave the fish overboard on the gaff too long and you risk losing fish, gaff and whatnot to a shark. It is not at all uncommon to suffer that "second runoff" when a fish is still far from the boat, only to reel in a half a fish.

We have no bays or rivers, once you leave the harbor here you're for all intents and purposes in mid ocean. It can be a wet ride, even in a proper rib.

Shaggy · 30 October 2006, 09:16

Welcome to the forum Tomas, and look forward to see some photos of ur RIB and cruising ground.

Shaggy

codprawn · 30 October 2006, 11:47

Interesting to see even the US Virgin Islands drive on the proper side of the road just like Britain and the BVI - the only part of the USA to drive on the left!!!

Tomas · 30 October 2006, 13:18

Cod...

Yes we drive left but with LH Steering wheel position...not the best setup! It doesn't matter because Natives drive on the left, Tourists on the Right and Drunks all over the road. It's a real adventure and add to that free ranging horses and cattle and the right of all Virgin Islanders to stop in the travel lane, day or night to converse and you have a real contact sport!

A photo of the N. Shore below my house is attached. I took this photo because the sea state was nearly flat and glassey, a very unusual condition here. We normally have seas that run 1.5 to 2 meters and can reach 4 meters with a strong trade wind or disturbance NE of here. The Trades blow out of the East at between 15 and 25 kts most of the time except this time of year....hurricane season which is almost finished (I hope). We have been fortunate here with everything passing N or S since 2000. I have metal stakes pounded into the ground with chains attached and both hook the boat to my truck in a protected spot and attach the trailer to the chains. In the event of an impending hard blow, I deflate and fill the boat with water to help keep it from flying away. You'll never learn to hate the wind until it is blowing at 160 kts in you little world! It takes tree branches and whips them so hard all that is left is the fibre, no wood..they look like feathers.

Tomas

Tomas · 30 October 2006, 13:28

Where is Hayle or Kernow. Your country said other in the profile?

If you look closely I use what's called Dole Fins attached to the cavitation plate. I don't know if any of you guys use them over there but they assist me getting up on the step with a load and also provide a dandy spot to place the foot climbing into the boat after a dive or swim. I wish I had put a 60 on this boat instead of the 50. The WOT speed lightly loaded is all I want but heavily loaded the boat could use a few more horses.

Any pics of your rig?

Tomas

Biggles · 30 October 2006, 13:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomas

In the event of an impending hard blow, I deflate and fill the boat with water to help keep it from flying away. You'll never learn to hate the wind until it is blowing at 160 kts in you little world! It takes tree branches and whips them so hard all that is left is the fibre, no wood..they look like feathers.

Tomas

Almost makes Steve Luxton look like he lives in the med........

Shaggy · 30 October 2006, 14:39

Hi Tomas
Kernow is a small country in the South West of the UK see attached map, fantastic beaches and great cruising grounds.

Hayle and its historic harbour is my home town, its seen better days but I love it

Nice pictures of your house/area and RIB.

Shaggy

Tomas · 30 October 2006, 16:05

and now I know where you are located.

Looking at the airial shot of the harbor makes me want to ask a question.

Does your channel shift? I'm familiar with some of the cuts on the East coast of the States, particularly Oregon Inlet and the Inlet at Okracoke Island in North Carolina and the sand there is a devil on the channel. The pass looks like it also has a lot of sand in your photo.

Here we have barrier reef that the waves wash over which builds a higher sea level up inside the harbor so the channel cut is the exit for the currents that must run back out to sea, and that keeps the channel open. Folks sometimes get into trouble in bays where they get near these cuts which are sometimes very small but have substantial currents flowing out. It makes for a bad day with a snorkle or dive tank when you get flushed out to sea and the only way back is to wade across sharp coral and sea urchins! We don't have a tide to speak of, less than 12 inches mean difference on a good day!

Tomas

Biggles · 30 October 2006, 16:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Kernow is a small county in the South West of the UK, fantastic beaches and great cruising grounds.

Shaggy

jyasaki · 30 October 2006, 16:28

Tomas: Welcome!

Nice view you have from your place.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomas

If you look closely I use what's called Dole Fins attached to the cavitation plate.

Doel Fins are made in Hayward, CA, which is, coincidentally, the city where I work. Had a set on my 14' Achilles; not sure if they did anything or not.

Quote:

I wish I had put a 60 on this boat instead of the 50. The WOT speed lightly loaded is all I want but heavily loaded the boat could use a few more horses.

All boats could use a few more horses when loaded.

jky

Tomas · 30 October 2006, 17:44

I really noticed a difference with the fins. Not only did it make it easier to get up on the step with a load but I could control my trollings speed a lot more accurately. I troll for Wahoo and like to see about 7 kts which is difficult to maintain in large seas, especially going downhill. I imagine you sacrifice something WOT but I'm happy with my top end with the wings.

T

codprawn · 30 October 2006, 18:05

Tomas you are very lucky with that view you have - I can also see the Sea from my house but it's 5 miles away. We tend to get it pretty windy as well. Over 25kts seems about normal with it sometimes reaching 140kts - don't get much damage here though - probably because we get such winds all the time - trees don't grow where they will be blown down for example!!!

Tomas · 30 October 2006, 18:41

Yes, thanks Cod

Trees and the like recover here amazingly well after a storm. It takes a few months but everything comes back. I agree with what you say in that here if either as a plant or a structure, if you're not up to at least 135kt wind, you ain't here any longer. It is kind of like sorting the wheat from the chaff!

Wales is pretty mountainous, is it not. I don't know a great deal about it other than to know you guys have (had?) your own language and there is (was?) a lot of coal mining. I've been around mining areas in West Virginia and that can be a rough life. Where they tunnel they kill the miners and where they strip mine they kill everything!

I'm about an eighth mile as the crow flies from the water and 700 feet above MHW. One of the many reasons I appreciate my RIB is that I can haul it up to my house with my light duty 4 cylinder truck. I do have four wheel drive but the steepness of the unpaved roads makes that a necessity. Costs and risks for mooring or having a slip can be great.

This forum is dangerous.....hmmmmm my Avon is 9 years old.....hmmmmm whatabout a 5.85 Ribcraft with a couple of proper engines..........hmmmmm.....entirely too many photos here for the health of a man's pocketbook!

Biggles · 30 October 2006, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomas

Yes, thanks Cod

Wales is pretty mountainous, is it not. I don't know a great deal about it other than to know you guys have (had?) your own language and there is (was?) a lot of coal mining.

Its Noodle mining now...

Poly · 30 October 2006, 18:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Over 25kts seems about normal with it sometimes reaching 140kts -

are you sure? 140 KNOTS ??? I doubt there has ever been 140 Knots in Wales... and its certainly not normal ... do you mean km/hr ?

codprawn · 30 October 2006, 21:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

are you sure? 140 KNOTS ??? I doubt there has ever been 140 Knots in Wales... and its certainly not normal ... do you mean km/hr ?

Apologies it was 144mph so that makes it less in kts.

codprawn · 30 October 2006, 21:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomas

Yes, thanks Cod

Trees and the like recover here amazingly well after a storm. It takes a few months but everything comes back. I agree with what you say in that here if either as a plant or a structure, if you're not up to at least 135kt wind, you ain't here any longer. It is kind of like sorting the wheat from the chaff!

Wales is pretty mountainous, is it not. I don't know a great deal about it other than to know you guys have (had?) your own language and there is (was?) a lot of coal mining. I've been around mining areas in West Virginia and that can be a rough life. Where they tunnel they kill the miners and where they strip mine they kill everything!

Spot on - coal mining all but gone - Welsh language spoken by quite a few(not me) and on all road signs etc along with English.

Wales has some of the most stunning scenery anywhere - if only it didn't rain all the time!!!

Peter J · 31 October 2006, 12:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Hi Tomas
Kernow is a small country in the South West of the UK see attached map, fantastic beaches and great cruising grounds.

Shaggy

Err...

Just in case you did not realise Shaggy was joking - Kernow is not a country. It is a county that everybody else knows as Cornwall. It is very much part of mainland England.

The Cornish are, rightfully, very pround of their homeland and consider themselves a bit apart from the rest of us (can't blame them for that). Sorry Shaggy, our transatlantic friends have many misconceptions about the UK, I didn't want them to have another!

codprawn · 31 October 2006, 12:26

And the Cornish people are Celtic - very closely related to Wales - the languages are VERY silmilar.

Tomas · 31 October 2006, 16:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter J

Err...

Sorry Shaggy, our transatlantic friends have many misconceptions about the UK, I didn't want them to have another!

It's the things that we know to be true that worry us.....