Good Times with Family Guests!!

Stad Amsterdam

Back onboard Morpheus now.  My sister Kathleen, her husband Scott, and son Michael have joined us for a week.

Actually, flew here for 10 days, but I missed them for the first three days while I was back in California to attend Rob Moore's "Celebration of Life" event.  (Which was amazing.  Rob had a ton of friends!!)

We sailed from St. Martin over to St. Barts yesterday and spent the afternoon/night anchored just off the main port of Gustavia.  That is the  Stad Amsterdam anchored behind us.  Really quite an amazing sight, especially at sunset and then with the rigging all lit up at night.

Today everyone enjoyed a bit of shopping and hanging out in town.  I don't think there was much buying going on as this is not your average Caribbean shopping zone.  Later in the afternoon we moved just a couple miles and anchored off of Shell Beach for a bit of snorkeling and beach time, before returning to the boat for a BBQ steak dinner.

Not a bad day....

Everyone is happy

Dinner on St.Martin

Jim Gregory 

Hi honey!! I am home!!!

Jim Gregory 

That's more like it.....

Jim Gregory 

Time to disconnect again...

Well, it's been nice to have a fully functional phone for the last week. Time to turn it off and return to a once or twice a day email contact routine.  

Jim Gregory 

Heading Home!!

Jim Gregory 

Killin' time, 'Mon!

While waiting for Jim to come back to us, We have been hanging out and playing in the sun. Ita's loving all the company.

Heading Back

Heading back to Deb and the boat after a short trip home. Great to have seen so many friends, and have two evenings with Chris. 

Robs memorial was nice, difficult, sad, funny, emotional, VERY well attended, great.  

Let's not do that again for a while...

Jim

Jim Gregory 

I think we r having a good time!

Here's Michael under water in the pool. I think he having a great time. Swimming snorkeling swimming pool food repeat!

Rob's Celebration of Life

I am back in california today and tomorrow to attend Rob Moore's Celebration of Life. 

Trying to stay upbeat, not sure how.  

Jim

Jim Gregory 

I like Gran Case

On my way home

I don't miss this stuff at all!!

Jim Gregory 

How disappointing ...

Bummer! Ran out of yarn with only a little bit of border left to do. Will have to be patient until resupplied.
And we all know what a patient person I am...
Swear Words!

It's moving day!

We've been anchored off Simpson Bay, St. Martin now for over a week.
St. Martin is the best place in the Caribbean for re-provisioning and repairs. We've done plenty of both.

• Purchased and installed a new compressor for the refrigeration system.
• Purchased and installed new thermocouples for the burners on the stove.
• Had a new bracket machined to attach the boomvang to the mast.
• Had some misc. canvas work done.
• New windscoops
• Traced water leak and replaced faulty plumbing fitting
• Repaired leak in water maker system
• Etc.

We are not the only ones here for these reasons.
The boat show here is better than anything you could ever buy a ticket to. Most of the super yachts like to go to the marinas inside the Simpson Bay Lagoon and to do so they need to pass through a narrow drawbridge that opens twice a day.

150+ ft of beauty!

From the YC Deck.  Bridge on left.  Bow of HUGE yacht just beginning to enter the lagoon!

Deb and I have enjoyed watching the parade, either from the Morpheus just outside the lagoon, or better still from the St. Martin Yacht Club which is 10 feet inside the bridge and just to the right. Amazing!
Anyway, we are off to the other side of the island today. Morpheus and Deb are going to hang out at Captain Olivers Marina in Oyster Pond for the next week while I make a quick trip home.
When I return my sister Kathleen will be here visiting with her husband Scott and son Michael. A few days after she leaves my high school friend Lisa Faller and her husband Andy show up for 10 days!!
It's going to be a busy month....
-Jim
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Small World Stories

You might assume that we are on our own with no familiar faces to keep us company down here. But, every once in a while we run into friends and those meetings are highlights for sure!!

This has been a week for small world stories....

1) about a week ago as we were coming into our favorite dinghy dock, we looked up to see our friend Rob Miles from Newport, RI waiting to take our bow line!!  Great surprise. Rob is here after delivering a 62ft cat from Newport. 

2) Karl Spiker - Karl occasionally works as a boat captain on Gibb Kane's Mutiny. I have sailed with him several times and knew that he lived in St, Martin. I was out kitesurfing off Orient Beach a few days ago, and someone came sailing by on a laser. I had to look a few times to be sure, but it was Karl!!  There's a random encounter for you. 

3) Tim and Ashley McKeegan - I worked with both of them at Oracle and with Tim at Commerce One.   They were passing through St Martin on the way to Anguilla early this week. Deb and I managed to greet them at the airport and have a drink with them before they caught their boat off to Anguilla.  Had things go e a bit better, we would have sailed over to join them for a day, but I just finished a three day emergency refridgeration 

repair that kept us tied to stores and repair staff. 

St Martin's Heineken cup regatta is just around the corner, with any luck we will be seeing more friends soon!!!!

Jim Gregory 

The boats just keep getting bigger...

After a while, it's hard to be impressed here as one super yacht after another sails into St. Thomas. 

At 50ft we are so off the radar.  This is one of the greatest boat shows's that I have ever seen. 

Jim

Jim Gregory