Christmas in St. Croix

My how time flies....we spent nearly a month in the British Virgin Islands!  In order to avoid importing the boat and applying for an extension, we had to high tail it out of there before our allotted 30 days was up.  So off to the US Virgin Islands we went.  We had some business to take care of on St. Thomas, that would take about a week.  In the meantime we sailed 35 miles to St. Croix with Vince on s/v Flight Plan and Michael on s/v Goldilocks, excited to see s/v Patronus and s/v Virginia Dare. We left Christmas Cove at 0730 and arrived in St. Croix by lunch time.  The wind was on our beam and we averaged 7-8 knots!  It was super fun sailing with our Salty Dawg posse.

Goldilocks healed over

Flight Plan cruising along

Crazy hair girl

Anything goes under sail

Maggie learning to steer the boat without the autopilot

Approaching the Christensted Harbor on St. Croix

Fort Christian

Beach on Protestant Cay, as we enter the harbor

All ready for Santa and his reindeer

Kmart special $1.37 each!  And Kate made a stocking for me and Craig

Oh look, Santa found our boat!

Our tradition of Swedish Tea ring Christmas morning - that looks a little more rectangle because the oven and pan are so small.  Oh well, it tasted fabulous anyway!!

New socks and Salty Dawg hats

Fancy nail polish that has a super fine decorating tip 

More books!

Santa brought a new watch

Skyping the cousins in Michigan 

Christmas cup of joe, sporting red and green and a new Salty Dawg hat

Kate and Maggie ready to go to our Christmas potluck at the beach on Buck Island (1 1/2 miles from St. Croix)

Vince generously offered to transport all of us on his boat.  Our scrumptious potluck aboard s/v Flight Plan.  The menu included pistachio roasted pork, huge green salad with roasted beets, brussel sprouts and blue cheese, assortment of nibbles, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, shrimp cocktail, brownies and chocolate rum pie.  Not too shabby for a bunch of Salty Dawg cruisers.  

Erica, Vince, Wendy, Craig, Chris, Michael, Christine, Bob

Bryson, Olivia, Reese, Kate, Maggie, and Porter

Bored with taking another picture!

Eating dinner atop Flight Plan

Having fun swimming from the boat

Worshipping the Sun - doing a little yoga while the camera gets set up

Olivia helps Vince sail his boat back to our anchorage