IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Our communications have changed now that we are in the Caribbean.  Our cell phones are OFF so please do not call or text us.  We have satellite phones, but they are expensive to use.  The best ways to get in touch with us:

Erica email: conwaysailors@gmail.com

Chris email: cwchhk@gmail.com

Skype: erica.conway (don’t always have enough bandwidth for video, but can instant message and have voice calls very easily.  Send us a message and we can catch up!)

Facebook: send messages on our fanpage: conwaysailors.com

our new backyard. and front yard.

Red Hook, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands: November 12-14

Soper’s Hole, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, November 15-16

“Oh my”, I thought .  “I live in the Caribbean.”  It hit me just like that, at an ice cream shop (obviously) as I was sitting at an outside table, licking my ice cream cone tonight.  I was watching the cars go by, looking at the businesses and street signs, and noticing the people walking down the sidewalk.  And I realized that I wasn’t looking around with the eyes of a tourist.  I was looking at my new home.  I live here.

Of course, everything is so very different than back in Ho-Ho-Kus (did I really have to say that?). The cars are beat up and despite the heat, the windows are rolled down and young men are smoking (cigarettes?) and blasting reggae music.  They drive on the left side of the street here.  The buildings are a mish-mosh of concrete, barred windows, and add-ons that weren’t necessarily designed by an architect.  Chainlink fences abound.  As I walk down the street, I am asked twenty times if I need a taxi ride.  Music is blaring from several bars.  There is a party feeling in the air.  And it’s Tuesday.

So why do I feel so at home?  The summer of cruising the northeast was lovely, and very familiar.  Beautiful harbors, great people, lots of nature, and adorable villages were the norm.  But the Caribbean is what I had in mind when I asked Chris to move onto our boat- that we didn’t yet own.  Being in the BVIs last year with our friends Bryson and Cindy was something special.  I saw, in one short week, what their life was like, living in the Caribbean for 6 months each year.  The pace of life is not just slower- it breathes with you.  The goal each day is…well, there IS no goal.  Each day grows with you and evolves as you do.  You meet each moment with your full attention and end up doing more, experiencing more, connecting more, and living more, than if you had made a detailed itinerary that planned every moment.  That resonated with me.  Bryson and Cindy inspired me.  And here I am, on the brink of immersing myself in what they call “Island Time”.

Celebratory Dinner at Island Time in St. Thomas

Of course, it will take a bit of transitioning.  We arrived at 0930 on Monday the 12th and we were all completely hyped up about completing our trip.  After showers and lunch, we dug into the work of cleaning up the boat after 8 days at sea.  Laundry, cleaning, washdowns, taking out the garbage, filling water tanks, and reorganizing the depleted storage lockers took most of the day.  We all crashed after a celebratory dinner at Island Time (yup), complete with my first Painkiller of the trip.

For those unfamiliar, a Painkiller is the signature drink of the Soggy Dollar Bar, located in White Bay, on Jost Van Dyke, my favorite place in the British Virgin Islands, and involves Pusser’s Rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, cream of coconut, and freshly ground nutmeg.  It is delicious and packs quite a punch, so one is plenty for me.  While I am not a big drinker, this will NOT be the last time you hear me going on and on about Painkillers.  I was excited to find orange juice in cans in St. Thomas so that I can make them onboard (no room in fridge for things like oj).

As it had been at least 2 hours since my last adventure, I found myself in another one on the dock.  I was talking to Lana and Dave on the phone and had to walk up and down the dock to get decent service on the phone.  I heard footsteps, like a dog’s, and looked down at a giant iguana walking towards me.  I started running down the dock and found a bench to climb up on.  The men standing around thought this was pretty hilarious.  One of them picked up the iguana and brought him over to me, asking if I wanted to pet it.  Clearly, this guy has trouble reading body language cues.  I screamed at him as he thrust the iguana towards me.  Finally, he put him down a few yards away and the iguana started walking away from us.  As soon as I set my feet on the ground, the iguana spun around and charged at me!  Back up on the bench I went, screaming at the top of my lungs.  He could have easily gotten up on the bench, but thankfully he jumped in the water instead.  He must have gotten the message from the flies in Maine that I taste good…

As we settled in, I realized sadly that we would have to bid farewell to my dad.  We had our self-caught mahi mahi dinner on Tuesday night, which was a great way to put a close on our adventure.  He flew home on Wednesday morning after an unforgettable journey.  I know that none of us will ever forget this special time we all had together.

With dad safely home, the water tanks filled, and our groceries restocked (at literally stomach-turning high prices), we left St. Thomas and sailed towards paradise.

Reese announces our departure from St. Thomas, island-style

In a few hours, we pulled into Soper’s Hole, Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands.  We raised our BVI courtesy flag, which is a small country flag that is raised up the mast to pay respect to the country you are visiting.  We also flew the quarantine flag until we cleared customs and immigration.

We took the dinghy off the bow of the boat after its safe passage from the US.  Off I went with our boat documents and passports to check in to our first country.  The officials were very helpful as I filled in pages of forms and paid $20.  Our passports were stamped and I was told that we were welcome to stay for four weeks.  If we want to stay longer (yes, please), we will need to apply for an extension.  We will need to take a trip to Spanishtown before December 14th to take care of that little bit of business, as we plan to stay in the BVIs until New Year’s Eve.  Jost Van Dyke is the place to be on New Year’s Eve, so we now have one thing on our calendar between now and then.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying Soper’s Hole and it’s shops, having lunch at Pusser’s, and swimming off the boat.  Chris made tuna tacos with the blackfin tuna we caught.  He seared small chunks of it as an appetizer and we savored the fresh deliciousness with just salt and pepper.  Yum.  I think we are going to adjust to Island Time just fine…

the kids in their favorite spot, on the boom