I’m learning that I lack the vocabulary to fully describe the things we are seeing, doing and tasting. As I reread the blog I’m using words like incredible and marvelous on repeat and yet it still feels like it falls flat. I wish I could better describe it all but I realized today, I just cannot. It is magnificent. I stand in awe and wonder at the beautiful views, creatures, friendships, tastes, etc that we have experienced and consider it a gift. So please excuse my entirely deficient vocabulary.
And with that… Day 7!
I woke up early … the sun wasn’t up yet but the rays were slowly creeping across the sky. I checked the clock and saw it was just a few minutes past 6:00 am which meant the sunrise was close. So, I decided to get up and sit on the fly bridge to watch the sunrise. In an effort to not wake up Scott, I left my nightgown on, grabbed a blanket and sat on the cushions to watch the world awake. It was everything I hoped it would be.
We started the day off with bagels… I was thinking a bag with some cream cheese… but that’s not what Amy means when she says bagels. We had bagels from a local bakery that were warm and soft. Then a board of toppings including cream cheese, salmon, bacon, cucumber, greens, etc A wonderful way to kick off the morning. Plus, have I mentioned the coffee? Its incredible - hints of coconut, its literally a dessert in a cup - and I don’t typically like coffee!
We have a 25 nautical mile sail today back south to Jost VanDyke. Captain Nick estimated it would take appx 3-4 hours. It was a beautiful leg of our trip. Our top speed along the way was 13.2 nautical miles per hour but we averaged 10 nm/hr.
You can see the Virgin Islands out ahead, but behind us, low-lying Anegada quickly drops out of sight… like a little secret only a few lucky sailors get to know about. We were traveling with the wind today which made for a pretty smooth ride without too much splash so we took advantage of those trampolines stretched between the pontoons.
Nick and Amy needed a little time to get the boat settled and prep lunch so we took a dinghy ride to shore and then followed the signs to the Bubbly Pool. Its a very cool little spot with a pool of water that is fed by a gush of water from the ocean that pushes through the rocks to form tiny little bubbles. It was a beautiful hike to get to, a fun spot to visit, and an incredible view from the top.
By the time we got back, lunch was almost ready so we sprayed off the salt water and sat down for our afternoon cocktail. We were served a Passion Fruit Daquari with homemade Seshwan Simple Syrup, garnished with a Seshwan Button. If you are asking what’s a Seshwan button, don’t feel bad… we didn’t know either. But Amy raved about them and both she and Nick highly recommended we give it a try after finishing the drink. So, Roger was the first to try… followed by JC. Then Mary and Gretchen and even Sammy tried after our lunch. So here’s the scoop. I heard many things including… "my tongue is tingling", "it feels numb", "it awakens your mouth." The effects lasted over 5 minutes but everyone who tried it ended with a smile! The overall consensus was that it was an incredible experience like nothing they’d had before. (How cool is that?)
It was soon time for another well-crafted meal. Today’s lunch was a Shrimp Quinoa Poke Bowl with cucumbers, mango, seaweed salad, locally-grown micro greens, and marinated shrimp. I’ve never had anything like it, likely would not have ordered it off a menu but in full disclosure, it was great. The flavors blended so well together and it was delicious.
After our lunch, we enjoyed some free time. Everyone headed for the water. Some went snorkeling, some kayaking, some used the underwater scooters and others just enjoyed a float in the Sun Chill out back. It was a lovely afternoon spent doing whatever sounded best to each of us.
When we got out of the water, we all started to gather on the bridge to relax in the sun and dry off. Here we saw a beautiful double rainbow, without experiencing the rain shower.
Captain Nick was making appetizers and dinner tonight. So soon, he brought up dry-rubbed smoked chicken wings with a homemade ranch dressing and celery. They were excellent!
As the sun was going down, Nick drove us in the dinghy over to a small island just off the coast of Little Jost VanDyke. It literally is a sandbar with three palm trees on it. Beautiful and private. We took pictures and walked around the island picking up stones, gazing at the beautiful light as the sun set and watching hermit crabs crawl along the ground. We had to swim in from the dinghy because it was too shallow so just as the rest of the group was climbing back into the boat, Sammy announced that she wanted to take another lap by herself. It seemed really important to her so we let her walk the shore alone.
I met her about 3/4 of the way around and we walked together back to the boat. I really enjoyed this little island. I’m not sure if it was the beauty of the light, or the simplicity of it all but I thought it was just perfect.
When we got back aboard Heavenly, Nick went to work on supper while we all took showers to get cleaned up after a full day of being in the ocean. The table was set beautifully with tropical flowers and coral and bits of sea glass and shells. The lighting was lowered and a new playlist was started with a Caribbean theme. (They really know how to set the mood). Dinner was a Caribbean Jerk Smoked Pork Tenderloin with mango salsa and coconut rice with a Grilled Plantain on the side. Another incredible and completely unique meal for us! Plus we had Key Lime Pie for dessert, one of Gretchen’s favorites… and it was likely the best Key Lime any of us have had.
After our meal, Nick set up the projector again and we watched Waterworld on the bridge. It is a beautiful night. And as I type out these final words, again lacking the words to properly explain, I’m overwhelmed. I’m listening to the lapping water on the hull of the boat and looking out at a very dark night sky with only a few other mast lights swaying in the breeze. It was a perfect day in every way.
