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dlatin

Certifiably Surly
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Everything posted by dlatin

  1. Why's that, much better?
  2. mchookem - I saw on the PR thread you are thinking September for travel. I probably would not recommend USVI then due to hurricane season unless you feel comfortable with your trip insurance. I’m going late July and I’m stressing about it a bit. September is in the heart of hurricane season for that area.
  3. TBH, it is work to get there, which isn't completely relaxing so I get that. We're really excited they've now added non-stops from DFW which was never an option. The travel end was a BEATING at times. STT may be more your speed and a daytrip or 2 over to STJ may be more warranted. STT has nice beaches too and the water is stunning, its just a different vibe as has been noted. Once you get to STJ I think its pretty relaxing but the journey can be long.
  4. For a first time I recommend a jeep on St. John so you can see the whole island, its not big and won't take long but I like the option. Also, unless you are at the Westin or staying in Cruz Bay you'll need to car to get from your villa to the beaches. You can Taxi to Red Hook ferry and get your ride in Cruz Bay or you can get a car in STT and take the car ferry. There are pros and cons to both. Jeeps in STT are cheaper but if you have problems on island renting in St. John is better. Also, many rental places let you park at their site in Cruz Bay as parking is pretty limited. If you go the taxi route while on St. John you are more limited to the beaches you can hit, all of which are amazing but you miss out on Francis and hiking to waterlemon for snorkeling. I've also fallen in love with Salt Pond, which is on the other side of the island, where I think the best snorkeling is. If driving isn't your thing, staying at the Westin or in Cruz Bay and taxing to Hawksnest, honeymoon, trunk, cinnamon and Maho work fine. All of those are about as good a beach as you'll find anywhere. Maho is known for turtles and rays. Trunk is the most famous. Honeymoon is stunning. My wife's favorite is Hawksnest, its chill. I like to explore so I alway get a Jeep. We stayed in Cruz Bay once when we were there for just a couple of days looking at a sail charter business and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would because you could walk to all the bars and restaurants and we took a taxi the day we weren't sailing to Trunk.
  5. You are right, the actual beach front options are limited in St. John. They do have the Westin that is right on the water. We normally rent private villas but you have to drive to the beach, all are pretty close unless you are staying on the Coral Bay side of the island, but even over there, there are some nice beaches. Driving takes a little getting used to but you are normally going no more than 20 mph so its easy to navigate as there aren't many roads.
  6. what he said
  7. We honeymooned in St. Thomas 20 years ago and did a day sail over to St. John and was blow away. We took the ferry back on another day and rented a jeep and explored the island and fell even more in love. It is an easy day trip there and back. That being said, we've never spent more time in STT than it takes to get from the airport to the ferry to get to St. John since that first trip. The vibe of St. John is pretty different than STT. Note that if you plan to take the ferry and rent a jeep to explore you'll want to get one reserved because I'm reading rentals are in very short supply these days. We are sailing out of STT in late July for a 10 day sail, probably spending the entire time around STJ. Here's the boat we rented. https://www.virginislandsyachtcharters.com/ndoto
  8. I like the shorter boards. The one I use is maybe nearing too small for me, my bro-in-law surfs a longer board, maybe 5’9”. It’s better for bigger guys but I find it too fast for my taste. I should try it again to see if I like it. I couldn’t imagine going 9’.
  9. Happy Father’s Day to me. Dropped the kids off at camp, quick outing to see sunset. 2 nights in a row, last night as a fam.
  10. I wish we had a chef!
  11. We rented this boat for 10 days in July weather permitting…it was new being built and they’ve taken delivery and finally posted some actual photos. Looks great! https://www.virginislandsyachtcharters.com/ndoto
  12. 2011 Kia Optima I know I need it programmed, dealer was saying $140. I was curious if others had done any other way?
  13. I only got one key fob when I bought my car. About to give my son the car and am worried about not having an extra. I bought a non OEM fob off eBay and need it programmed. Does anyone have any experience having this done? This is for keyless push start button cars.
  14. A couple other random thoughts… I loved cooking at the Villa after spending the day at the beach. Groceries are crazy expensive on the island as I heads up. I often check a cooler of frozen meats to bring in. I mentioned above, 1 time my wife and I stayed in Cruz Bay, it was only a couple nights but we really enjoyed being able to walk to breakfast and dinner and happy hour. Not sure this would be ideal for an entire week, but we really enjoyed ourselves for that quick trip.
  15. There are so many Villa options in St. John. The hardest part is trying to decide which part of the island you want to stay. The Coral Bay side is quieter and fewer options for dining. Cruz Bay is a nice area with lots of eating options. The downside of St John is there are very few options on the water. If you find a Villa, you can message me and I’ll give you my thoughts. https://www.caribbeanvilla.com/vacation-rentals/st-john-villas/ https://www.destinationstjohn.com/villa-rentals
  16. First run of the season for my son’s 16th birthday coming up.
  17. dlatin

    New Music 2021

    I fell head over heels in love with LH and the Lonesome Dreams album back in the day. Still love me some LH but that album is their best start to finish IMO.
  18. I was sitting at the table doing a puzzle last year during quarantine with my daughter when this song came on Pandora. Towards the end when it really starts to groove I took notice and was hooked immediately. Love these guys.
  19. dlatin

    Antigua

    I tried the search feature and couldn’t find anything. The wife and I are thinking about Antigua next year for our 20th. Anyone been and have any recommendations? We’ve done the US and British VIs a lot, done St Lucia and St Marteen. St John is probably our favorite. The water and beaches look amazing in Antigua and this last season of Below Deck is there and it looks great.
  20. That moment the engine is shut off is magical. I started with 0 experience, took ASA 101 basic keelboat and spent a year working through my certifications and about 16 months after starting I chartered my own 46’ boat in the BVIs with my wife and 2 young children. It only took that long because of my busy schedule. It’s really not that hard to learn to sail. The experience of a seasoned sailer obviously takes a long time.
  21. The best! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  22. What type of boats are you considering?
  23. BVI - White Bay BVI Jost Van Dyke - White Bay BVI Jost Van Dyke - White Bay, Soggy Dollar BVI Jost Van Dyke - White Bay Trunk Bay Hansen Bay (Cora Bay side) Hansen Salt Pond - Best Snorkeling, quiet beach
  24. Tortuga Cottage (coral bay side) Leinster Bay (Overlooks from sugar mill ruins) Waterlemon Cay Trunk Ram Head Hike Pics (Coral Bay side from Salt Pond)
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