an island in the sun

2005-10-19T17:11:00.000-04:00

Aft view. Rudder is off right now; complete, but awaiting launching. Note nice nameplate carved by Scott. Also a decent view of the shell section set in resin inside the main boom end cap. Bronze traveller looks a little light; may need beefing-up in future. And oh yes, that's James there to port, wanting me to get back to work!

2005-10-19T17:06:00.000-04:00

View from forward. That Canadian dime set into the bowsprit cap really blings! Loose lines alongside are jib sheets.

2005-10-19T17:03:00.000-04:00

Inside view. As Robin says, "Lots of string!". Yup. Looks like i need inside paint more than i thought; the flash camera shows all! Belay map, from port to starboard: tops'l halyard (not installed yet), tops'l sheet, jib halyard, stays'l sheet, peak halyard, throat halyard, tops'l leader, stays'l halyard, stays'l downhaul, and jib downhaul. Cleat on boom is for mains'l outhaul. Mainsheet is running aft off the block on the boom. The other line running forward off the boom is the working end of the tops'l sheet.

2005-10-19T16:54:00.000-04:00

Aft quarter view. The yellow boat is Pepper, a local Island Sloop out for paint and varnish.

2005-10-19T16:52:00.000-04:00

Sitting landlocked amongst the big boats, with those new blue shop doors in the background. Cooler for scale...

2005-10-19T16:49:00.000-04:00

View of white oak gaff jaws and parrel beads. Note how poorly black Sharpie substitutes for paint in the tropics...

2005-10-19T16:46:00.000-04:00

View of rigging, taken from forward.

2005-10-19T16:28:00.000-04:00

Another view of the rigging. Notice the lizard aloft!

2005-10-19T16:26:00.000-04:00

laminated white oak and mahogany tiller, attached to rudderstock in shop

2005-05-10T12:16:00.000-04:00

IC-24 racing at BVI Spring Regatta (photo by Miguel)

2005-05-09T16:14:00.000-04:00

me, sailing aboard "Simba" at Antigua Classic '05 (photo by Jenn)

2005-01-13T16:21:00.000-04:00

George caught this picture of me out sailing the Dink in Soper's Hole

2005-01-13T16:19:00.000-04:00

Out sailing on a Colgate 26 with James & Tracy and George & Cathy. One of the latter snapped this shot of the anchored Stad Amsterdam as we left The Bight on Norman Island

2005-01-07T15:08:00.000-04:00

the view New Year's morning, hungover @ Carl & Cathy's

2004-12-26T10:34:00.000-04:00

Bolero's beautiful signature mizzen stays'l

2004-12-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

shiny bits everywhere!

2004-12-26T10:29:00.000-04:00

Paul enjoys the ride forward...

2004-12-26T10:28:00.000-04:00

more great details aboard Bolero

2004-12-26T10:27:00.000-04:00

how much fun can a boy have?

2004-12-26T10:25:00.000-04:00

10 knots aboard Bolero

2004-12-26T10:23:00.000-04:00

fibreglass? epoxy? hahaha! fine workmanship aboard Bolero

2004-12-26T10:22:00.000-04:00

romping along on Bolero!

2004-12-26T10:21:00.000-04:00

Christmas Eve sailing on Bolero

2004-12-26T10:20:00.000-04:00

Simba in the harbour

2004-12-23T21:03:00.000-04:00

another pic of Paul "at work" aboard Simba.

2004-12-23T20:56:00.000-04:00

Paul & Diana aboard Simba

2004-12-23T18:16:00.000-04:00

beautiful carvings inside the all-teak 1963 Cheoy Lee Lion "Simba".

2004-12-23T18:14:00.000-04:00

the picture that got my camera wet! sailing on Simba with Jost Van Dyke in the background.

2004-12-23T18:13:00.000-04:00

a favourite view, any time... sailing on Simba

2004-12-23T18:12:00.000-04:00

a crested anole to greet me at the workshop doors after my lunchbreak

2004-12-08T15:30:00.000-04:00

Waiting at the finish line aboard Kuralu on day two of the WEYC Gustav Wilmerding Memorial Regatta.

2004-12-08T15:29:00.000-04:00

Certianly deserted and tropical Pelican Island.

2004-12-08T15:28:00.000-04:00

Winter on Norman Island.

2004-12-08T15:26:00.000-04:00

Pirate's Bight on Norman Island, the overnight stop of the Wilmerding Regatta.

2004-12-08T15:25:00.000-04:00

Sailing aboard Kuralu at 10 knots.

2004-12-08T15:24:00.000-04:00

Leaving Soper's Hole behind for a weekend on Kuralu, volunteering with the WEYC Race Committee for the Annual Gustav Wilmerding Regatta.

2004-12-08T15:21:00.000-04:00

Love the light rays from the dawning sun! i never get enough of this...

2004-12-08T15:20:00.000-04:00

Golden rays at dawn! Ah... looking east from Spyglass.

2004-12-08T15:18:00.000-04:00

Rainbow at dawn. Looking north from Spyglass.

2004-12-08T15:17:00.000-04:00

Another great view of Frenchman's Cay and Soper's Hole. This one taken at dawn from Spyglass Hill.

2004-12-08T15:16:00.000-04:00

Looking in the front door at Miguel & Wanda's beautiful house on Spyglass Hill where i was house-stting for a few days.

2004-12-08T15:14:00.000-04:00

The dining "room" at Spyglass.

2004-12-08T15:13:00.000-04:00

The view northwest from Spyglass. Jost Van Dyke across the channel. Zion Hill down below.

2004-12-08T15:11:00.000-04:00

The view southwest from Spyglass. Frenchman's Cay in center, with St. John beyond.

2004-11-29T14:20:00.000-04:00

looking south from Limin' House towards Frenchman's Cay. The boatyard is right in the middle, with the Soper's Hole harbour to the right. My place is in one of the white buildings just across the water; the one on the left with the pointy bit of roof.

2004-11-29T14:09:00.000-04:00

Thanksgiving Dinner @ Limin' House.

2004-11-29T14:08:00.000-04:00

One of the many balconies at Limin' House, looking west.

2004-11-29T14:07:00.000-04:00

Soper's Hole, looking southwest from Limin' House. The boatyard docks are just visible on the left. St. John (USVI) at top, St. Thomas (USVI) right up there by the setting sun. Little Thatch Island (BVI) at the mouth of the harbour. These pictures were taken just minutes apart; that's how fast the sun sets!

2004-11-29T14:00:00.000-04:00

looking north from Robin's balcony on Frenchman's Cay. The uppermost row of buildings on the hillside is "Limin' House", a private luxury villa being staffed by friends, and the site of my 2nd Thanksgiving dinner!

2004-11-29T13:57:00.000-04:00

Frenchman Cay road

2004-11-29T13:55:00.000-04:00

goldenrays

2004-11-21T11:33:00.000-04:00

wood and water... my dual elements here!

2004-11-21T11:32:00.000-04:00

barefoot on La Buscadora

2004-11-21T11:30:00.000-04:00

Looking east into Soper's Hole from La Buscadora. The black sailboat in center is the classic S&S yawl Bolero

2004-11-21T11:28:00.000-04:00

looking down off the end of the boatyard dock

2004-11-21T11:25:00.000-04:00

an old steel tug, wrecked in Soper's Hole by a hurricane years ago. lodged in the boatyard beach.

2004-11-21T11:23:00.000-04:00

toe-nibblers at the boatyard docks

2004-11-21T11:21:00.000-04:00

check me out... no, seriously, check me out!

2004-11-18T11:42:00.000-04:00

James' boat, still in slow progress...

2004-11-18T11:39:00.000-04:00

the narrow passage between Tortola proper and Frenchman's Cay, near-overgrown with mangroves

2004-11-18T11:37:00.000-04:00

the view out my bathroom window

2004-11-18T11:35:00.000-04:00

the view from inside the workshop

2004-11-18T11:33:00.000-04:00

the stairs up to my apartment at Kelly's

2004-11-14T12:41:00.000-04:00

purty flowers, uh-huh... blooms along the FrenchMan's Cay Resort drive, a short walk east from my place.

2004-11-14T12:38:00.000-04:00

another east-looking shot from Frenchman's Cay Resort, showing one lonely sailboat running down the Straight. Tortola looming large on the left. Other islands, from right; Peter, Dead Chest, Salt, and Cooper. Notice the rain in the sky, and the squall-lines ominous in the day's last rays.

2004-11-14T12:36:00.000-04:00

looking east along Tortola and Sir Francis Drake Straight from above the Fenchman's Cay Resort

2004-11-08T18:47:00.000-04:00

Looking southwest along Steele Point road, with Great Thatch in the background. Unlike Little Thatch, all of Great Thatch is a national park. This road was dry and bordered by cactus in the spring, and thick with feral goats.

2004-11-08T18:44:00.000-04:00

The BVI's one major highway. Seriously.

2004-11-08T18:43:00.000-04:00

Looking north towards Mount Carmel (yes, this is what passes for a mountain in the BVI!) from the middle of the yard. People say it's been unusually lush and green this year. Normally this, the south-facing side of the island, is much drier and cactus-y.

2004-11-08T18:41:00.000-04:00

Looking south across the channel towards Little Thatch from the Steele Point road.

2004-11-08T18:39:00.000-04:00

The boatyard office.

2004-11-08T18:38:00.000-04:00

The road i walk to work. Been a little overcast and muggy this week.

2004-11-08T18:37:00.000-04:00

Looking west out of Soper's Hole from one of our docks at the boatyard. Great Thatch on the right, Little Thatch on the left, and St. Thomas (USVI) beyond.

2004-11-08T18:35:00.000-04:00

Looking southwest from the Steele Point road. The island to the left is Little Thatch, a private island. Beyond that is St. John, and on the horizon is St. Thomas, both part of the USVI.