We have passed our midpoint and have moved onto our 2013 Dufour 38 – Abacadabra / Abracadabra. This is a modern designed French boat with relatively flat hull, plumb bow, and sail drive and bulb keel sort of like Gut. It definitely sails much better than the Hunter . It has twin wheels and drop down transom making for a great back porch. Importantly, the head has the handle on the opposite side so we can balance out our shoulder muscle mass. It does lack an inverter, so no blender. The dinghy is smaller which is better for towing.

After dropping off the Hunter we taxied to Road Town to pick up the Dufour. We had a quick turn around and had a shake down sail back to Peter Island for the night. From there we went to Soper’s Hole to check out of the BVI. Then to Cruz Bay, St. John, to check into the U.S. Night was spent in Christmas Cove off St. Thomas, having pizza from the Pizza Pi boat there.

The next day we headed west downwind along the busy coast of St Thomas for Culebra over 25 miles away. We spent the night at a small uninhabited island off Culebra called Culebrita. We stayed in a horseshoe bay facing NE with the most perfect beach and a lighthouse overlooking it. At one end there is a collection of very large boulders making a pool where surf rushes in, called the Jacuzzis. There we met childhood friends of Michael and Susan Stranz. Amazing what a small world.

The next day we climbed up to the lighthouse built in 1882. Being a non US boat we had to check in at Culebra so we sailed in to the main harbor on Culebra and anchored in the town area.. We had to walk over to customs at the airport. We were the only ones there yet it took the 2 agents about 20 minutes checking us in shuffling papers back and forth between the 2. We spent 2 more nights at Culebra – one behind a reef near the main harbor and the second behind another reef. We snorkeled along mangroves for the first time. Quite eerie with a fair number of fish.

The next morning after a windy night we reached 45 miles with winds blowing northeast in the mid twenties settling to upper teens by afternoon to St Croix. Mid way along we were joined by a dozen dolphin that played with us. With the wind from the NE the anchorage was rolly the first night, but tonight is better as the front has passed with the wind shifting back toward the SE trades.

We explored the old Dutch city of Christiansted with the mid 1700 neo classic architecture. In preparation for a trip to a protected reef area at Buck Island tomorrow, we had to apply for a special permit which took all kinds of paperwork. Now we have to wait for approval. Another day or 2 here then back to St. John.

As many of you know, sleeping on a monohull in the Caribbean can be something else at times. Many of the anchorages are not that protected or allow the swell to wrap around into it. This can lead to various motions from a rhythmic mild roll to rather violent sloshy rolls when you line up taking the swells to the beam. Besides the rolling there is the creaking and groaning of the boat. You quiet one creak, and another appears…

The Backgammon tournament continues with the skipper getting down 4 games but clawing back to a draw by throwing doubles on the last roll to win last night’s match.

We are trying to resize the photos smaller, so hopefully they will upload better.