{"id":939,"date":"2012-12-30T13:18:03","date_gmt":"2012-12-30T17:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tusentakk2.com\/wordpress\/?p=939"},"modified":"2012-12-30T17:39:05","modified_gmt":"2012-12-30T21:39:05","slug":"us-virgin-islands-dec-19-30-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/tusentakk2.com\/wordpress\/2012\/12\/us-virgin-islands-dec-19-30-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"US Virgin Islands \u2013 Dec. 19-30, 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shortly after our arrival in Francis Bay, St. John, USVI, we had an extended period of high swells sweeping into the northeast Caribbean. We were well protected from the weather, but we paid a price for our location: we could not get a useable connection on the unprotected wifi that we had used the year before. So we hitched into Cruz Bay and purchased a Choice 3G\/4G cell modem\/router that we hoped would solve our problem. Alas, no joy.\u00a0 Friends Devi and Hunter (Arctic Tern<\/em>) had acceptable reception on their 3G AT&T router, but our vendor’s signal was not visible in Francis Bay \u2013 at least from our extreme NE corner.\u00a0 We were not totally isolated, however, since our iPads could receive AT&T 3G signals.\u00a0 Marvelous instruments those iPads, but there are certain functions that cannot be performed on them, or that are awkward.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, we enjoyed our stay in Francis Bay.\u00a0 We got down the kayaks from the upper deck and did some paddling in the bay.\u00a0 We went for walks on the island. \u00a0We had a number of sessions of Spades with the Terns, during which the women unaccountably mostly won.\u00a0 There was a repeat of last year\u2019s dinghy float on Christmas Eve, and a large contingent of cruisers attended dinner at Maho Resort on Christmas Day. On Boxing Day there was a cruiser-initiated ugly T-shirt contest on the beach.\u00a0 Barb attended (getting ashore via kayak), but I stayed on board and completed the nth rebuild of our water maker \u201cenergy transfer device\u201d, known to Sea Recovery owners as the ETD, of course.\u00a0 How did that go?\u00a0 Well, the rebuild improved considerably the production rate, but there is still evidence of malfunction.\u00a0 My guess is that there is a seal that looks ok but that is really not working properly.\u00a0 I think Sea Recovery is a fine water maker, but I must repeat something I have said before:\u00a0 if one is considering purchasing a water maker, do install a modular unit; DO NOT install a \u201ccompact\u201d unit that is totally encased in a frame, at least not if the frame is then tucked away into an inaccessible location.\u00a0 Pickling should be easy, but the attachment points are not accessible if the water maker is inside a \u201ccompact\u201d frame.\u00a0 Removing the ETD should be easy, but it is not easy if the water maker is inside a \u201ccompact\u201d frame.\u00a0\u00a0 Attaching\/unattaching the power and control wires should be easy, but it is not if the water maker is inside a \u201ccompact\u201d frame.\u00a0 Go modular; eschew \u201ccompact\u201d.<\/p>\n

On Dec. 28 we moved from Francis Bay to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.\u00a0 Our 4G modem could see a signal, but kept going blank.\u00a0 We took it in to the local Choice shop, expecting to be told that there was a problem with the power connection. Nope.\u00a0 The young clerk took the unit to a back room, and returned in about ten minutes with same, but with a firmware update.\u00a0 Did that help?\u00a0 Yes!\u00a0 Hurray!\u00a0\u00a0 We now have super-fast wifi on our boat!<\/p>\n

As we were returning toward our dinghy from our visit to Choice, we ran into a large group of cruisers heading over to Shipwreck Tavern to take advantage of \u201chamburger night\u201d. We reversed direction and joined them.\u00a0 Huge burgers at reduced price.\u00a0 Barb, ever faithful to her almost-totally vegan diet, had a veggie burger.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t. \u00a0(Her diet has been a tremendous success, by the way.\u00a0 She has lost a bunch of weight and has reduced her cholesterol by 100 points to a now-acceptable level.\u00a0 She is pleased and proud, and so am I.)<\/p>\n

Next day (Dec. 29) we caught a bus and saw a movie at Caribbean Theatres.\u00a0 Django Unchained.\u00a0 Afterward, Barb asked me to remind her next time to never see another Tarantino movie.\u00a0 The movie was done well, but extremely violent and bloody.\u00a0 Is it any wonder that the USA is so plagued by massacres.<\/p>\n\n\t\t