St John boat rental

It was time to hit the high seas. Looking over the map, we decided that our first leg of the journey would be to head over to Cane Garden Bay on the western side of Tortola. There was a small spec of an island just to the east of Jost Van Dyke named Sandy Cay. Motoring by, we laughed at how such a small piece of land with just one palm tree could be such a visual knock out.

Heading east, Cane Garden Bay could be seen in the distance. I had been to this area once before, actually staying a night at a very budget concious little resort names Rhymer's. The rooms were so poorly decorated that they were actually cute. The gap in the door to the hallway was big enough for a baby's hand to fit through. A beach towel of a panther stapled to some cardboard hung in an impressive fashion over the bed. The in-room refrigerator looked like it had been on defrost since 1972. But it didn't matter because it provided a low cost place to sleep next to one of the most picturesque beaches in the world.

Entering into the bay, you will notice this unusual looking home on the north side. A home this unique, upon first glance causes you to blurt out stupid things like "wow, if I ever win the lottery this is what I am going to buy!"
I don't even play the lottery so looks like I am never going to own this dream property. I have actually seen this home advertised as a rental in various travel magazines. (If you are the owner and are reading this story, please contact Travel Invasion immediately for a special review feature at no charge.)

It was time to drop anchor for a few minutes and just enjoy the views. I was proud of the fact that the Alcohol warning actually reminded me to choose a Dr. Pepper over a Red Stripe.
Things were going good and I was actually living my dream.
Everyone parked on boats around us appeared to be living their dreams as well. How could you not be in this environment?

Rain started to fall for a few minutes so we decided to wait out the cloudburst. Now it was time to snack on some pirate grub. Doubtful that the pirates dined on bologna sandwiches and Pringles, I came to the conclusion that this adventure would not be 100% authentic. About a half hour later the skies began to clear and we were off. Heading in a southwest direction we would be passing through the Thatch Island Cut and out into the Sir Francis Drake Channel. So overcome with excitement, Miss X and I began to wave at two men who were sitting on their small fishing boat. They both returned the greeting with a middle finger salute, followed by swinging arms telling us to move on.
OK: Lame Tourist Move - we quickly realized our wake was going to rock their boat and scare this fish. I knew we would be their stupid tourist story for the day, once they returned to shore. For some reason we actually laughed about it.

The Tortola coastline was an amazing site. As we rounded Little Thatch Island, I began to realize just how strong the winds were blowing. We slowed the boat down to decide what the best plan would be since the channel was filled with many exciting options. The boat rental place had advised us not to try to make it to the world famous Baths in Virgin Gorda since it would take alot of time and gas.

They suggested Norman Island and a place called Billy Bones. The island was also reported to have some great caves for snorkling. I had already been to the Baths in the past, so I thought the quicker route to Norman Island would be the best choice. Against Miss X's wishes, I powered the boat to what I thought was about full throttle. It felt like we were flying and it felt good. I was having the time of my life.