Travel with Dale & Margaret

Posted by Geoff

So the old man wants a blog post from each of us kids.  Judging from my dad’s dedication each day to write you timely blog posts, get them online whenever he noticed ANY potential flicker of internet strength from the many beach bars, and his enthusiasm as he spoke of the day’s writing, I think its safe to assume that you have a pretty good idea what we did on our vacation.  I’m sure he mentioned diving with black tip reef sharks, getting pelted by the stinging horizontal rain as we approached the low lying atoll Anegada, and our (meaning me and Wes) attempts to fly the hull on the thirty-eight foot cat. So what the hell am I supposed to write during this seven and a half hour, oh-so-comfortable flight back to the chaos of California?  Well I guess you get to hear me ramble about my experience from the trip… Lucky you!

So first things first, I’m sure it has already been mentioned but this was our first family vacation in about eight years.  Now that I think about it, I think our last vacation was salmon fishing in British Columbia where I caught a sixty four pound salmon that I remember being taller than Wes.  I think its safe to say he’s grown a bit since then.  So… my dad came to us with the plan that each year one of us would get to choose the vacation – pretty much anywhere we want – and all we have to do is manage to get the time off from our busy lives.  Fair enough.  Being the oldest, I got to choose first.  Nice!

First things first, wherever we went needed to be warm… with water warm enough to swim in.  San Francisco gets PRETTY frosty after a while.  Given that I tend to spend every free second of my day working on my boat to try and get her ready to go cruising, I thought it might be a wise move to use this as an opportunity to get another taste of cruising.  The last time we went cruising I was about fifteen years old and who knows… maybe it really sucked and I just remember the good stuff.  I figured this trip could serve as a test before I go “all in” and sail South.

Tonga was my first choice but after cyclones nailed the South Pacific and we learn the King of Tonga wants us to pay $2,000 for a short inter-island flight and didn’t fly on the day we needed to fly and the two planes they fly break down half the time, several weeks ago we scrapped that plan and opted for the logistically simpler plan to go to the BVI’s.

If you want to read up on the details of the trip from the start (delayed flights, missed flights, tired as hell, trip to paradise) to our departure to the airport at 5:30 am this morning, I direct you to my dad’s blog posts.  I am down to 38% on the battery meter.

Simply put, the trip was awesome.  Probably could not have gone any smoother. Well, on second thought it would have been nice if our sombrero wearing Caribbean hot sauce didn’t explode as it flew from the counters while Wes and I were racing back to Tortola with full sails in twenty-five knots.  But hey, that’s why you have the internet!  We’ll just order some online.

We lucked out with absolutely beautiful sailing.  Sun, rain, squalls, wind, no wind, clouds, clear water, not clear water, sharks, angel fish, the perfect balance of anything you would imagine.  I smiled till my face hurt, laughed till my stomach cramped and I literally started to cry.  Singed about half an inch of hair off the entire right side of my head lighting the BBQ for some grilled Mahi burgers.  Best of all we, as a family, had a great time together.  We’re all coming home tanner and happier.  I know that Jen and Wes are already planning their next trip to the BVI’s, figuring out how many friends you can cram on a sailboat to make the trip cheaper (Wes and I found that you can sleep an extra two in the mainsail cover, sleeping under the stars on the boom).

For me this was just the confirmation that I needed. I need to go cruising. Now needless to say, cruising is different than chartering a boat for a week.  This was a vacation and I know that cruising is a never ending challenge and a LOT of work. On this trip however, I found myself happiest when things went wrong – when we almost lost our rudder, hit by squalls and what most would call “crap” weather forcing you to reef down.  I know this post has been a lot about “me” but I suppose that was the point.  The fact is though that this trip was not about me, my dad, Wes, or Jen. Nor was it about the sailing, the diving or the beautiful weather.  It was about the people.  From the moment we stepped onto the islands we met some of the most amazing, knowledgeable and happiest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  Every one of them had so much to teach if you were willing to take the time to listen to their stories.  And believe me, we heard some pretty awesome stories!  And then there is the fam – the reason we made this trip happen in the first place… safe to say we had a blast!  Time to prepare for landing… until next time!

Posted by Wes

Turn this plane around!  Sure, we I live we have the beaches, sun and I’m on a boat everyday there somewhere, but there’s something about the Caribbean that makes it all so much better.  After forgetting all but a few faint visions from our trip to the BVI’s ten years ago, our adventures over the last week has been truly unforgettable, despite the attempts of the infamous Pirate Punch.

As we planned our food for the week, Sea Chef Jenny asked us what our most memorable meal was to get some ideas.  After a few minutes of pondering our vast collection of dinners and lunches galore, we came to a conclusion.  Our best meals had very little to do with the food.  Sure if the food was awful the “customers” might get a little grumpy, but it is about the company you are with.  And let me say, if there was ever a place to find company, it is in the islands.  Meal after meal our favorite was replaced by the next one.  The first person we met, though having nothing to do with food, came to be one of the most interesting taxi drivers I have ever met.  When we asked where should go to see the specialties of the islands, he replied saying that if we wanted special we might not find it.  If we want the lights and amazing cities we had come to the wrong place.  Instantly, we all knew that we had in fact come to the right place.

The first three days were jam packed with Jenny and my SCUBA certification classes. Despite the crammed schedule after multiple delays and arriving a few hours late, we were able to get all of our certification done on time, and were ready to explore the underwater world, which we experienced to be quite an amazing place!  On Thursday we went on what I would call a perfect recreational dive – sharks, rays, and sea turtles included.  Diving the islands was definitely spoiling in the world of SCUBA, considering I’m not sure where else you can dive at 50 feet for 40 minutes in nothing but trunks without coming up a popsicle.  Nonetheless I can’t wait to get home and bundle up in wetsuits and continue my diving career!  You might say, in fishing terms, that I’m hooked, although I think I’ll be using a spear gun to catch my fish from now on.

As we sit on the plane, I can’t help but think about how absolutely glorious this week has been, sunburns and belly flops back flips included.  It’s almost hard to believe that we made it through the week and are still sitting together on the ride home.  It has been great getting to spend some time with my brother, sister and dad in one of the most amazing places I can imagine.  All there is to do now is plan how in the world we make it back down here before ten years go by!

Posted by Jenny

After nine days of sailing, basking in the strong Caribbean sun and drinking even stronger rum, I’ve got one complaint — it just went by too darn fast!  Captain Geoff, First Mate Wes, Photographer Dad and I, willingly deemed “Provisioner” and Cook, enjoyed our time together even more than we could have imagined.  Our expectations were high, and they were no doubt exceeded.  As we fly back home, I’ll recount some of my favorite moments.

Upon our arrival several hours late to Tortola, Wes and I suited up with BCD’s (Bouyancy Compensator Device – a combination of sturdy life vest and sturdy air inlet and exhaust device that hooks onto your SCUBA tank) and regulators and hopped in the pool. We were supposed to have been there around noon to begin our SCUBA classes but delays in San Juan after earlier delays got us to our hotel around three thirty. Our instructor, who had been all cranked up to get going and had been waiting there since 8:30 am grudgingly took us into the pool to learn some diving basics, followed by a short dive in the ocean with Geoff and Dad, in strong winds and currents.  We were exhausted but thankful that our instructor, Lynn, had agreed to begin our class that Friday, and that she worked on her day off on Saturday to complete all five of our confined water dives!  The rest of the employees for the dive company were Seventh Day Adventists and could never work on Saturday.  What a trooper!  While we were in the pool practicing flooding our masks, clearing our regulators, and assembling our gear, Geoff and Dad got a day to relax. Geoff said it was really difficult to lay on the beach all day with his camera and a good book — tough life, huh?  Dad stuck it out with us at the pool, listening in a bit, taking a few pictures, having lunch with us but mostly just taking it easy on a beautiful day.

On Sunday, we went on three dives to complete our PADI Open Water Certification! We were all certified soggy and tired after a long morning of diving, but were also happy to be certified divers.  From the West End we went straight to Road Town to check in with Sunsail and hop on our boat.  Luckily they let us check in early, so we were done with provisioning and settling in before we headed to dinner!  I compiled a list of food for the week, and the only things we forgot were lemons and limes.  But what we lacked in lemons and limes, we certainly made up for in oranges, mangoes and bananas!

Monday morning, while Geoff and Dad headed to a Chart Briefing session, Wes and I walked to a local “French” deli. We stocked up on some delicious ham, Provolone, Comté, bread and bread pudding. We may have worn dirty clothes and hardly showered (only from the little hose sprayer on the back of the boat until yesterday) all week, but we definitely ate in style!

From Road Town we headed over to Virgin Gorda and from there to Anegada. Anegada to the Dogs, to Cooper and Norman Islands.  All incredible stops, and even more beautiful than I remembered from our last trip to the BVI’s.

After we turned the boat in, and before we headed to the airport on Beef Island early Sunday, we got to spend Saturday afternoon at a beautiful resort on the East end of Tortola. It has one of the most beautiful beaches in the BVI’s, and quite possibly the world. After lounging in the sun and reading, Dad and I got massages in a little hut right on the beach. It was pretty incredible being right on the beach at sunset for a massage! Our dinner at the hotel restaurant was the epitome of “island time”, where we waited at least thirty minutes for salads, and again for entrées. Doesn’t sound like that long, but we were all very hungry and Wes barely made it through dinner without falling asleep.

Although the islands are breathtakingly beautiful and the people pleasant, what I’ll keep with me from this trip are memories with Geoff, Wes and my Dad.  I’d say it’s pretty rare that an eighteen, twenty-three, twenty-six, and fifty-five year old (and counting!) could spend a week together on a boat without even a single argumentative moment.  We really enjoy each other’s company and it is really amazing to how we’ve all become friends.  We swam, dove, snorkeled, cooked, ate, and drank together, and I think we all fell even more in love with the islands.  Nothing fancy, really, and that’s how we seemed to like it.  Our first cab driver in Tortola even said that if we’re looking for special places to eat, that we’d have a hard time finding it on many of the islands.  As insightful as he was, he was underestimating how special and memorable the simple people, simple places and simple restaurants in the BVI’s really are.  No doubt, we’ll be coming back!

I hope everyone enjoys the other entries by my Dad, Geoff, and Wes, and that the fantastic photos that they took help you catch even a glimpse of or great trip!  Dad was really committed to the blog and I’m excited I could chip in!  I also can’t wait to see all the pictures we all took.