We set off early today (about 7:30am) when only John, Helen and myself were awake. We quickly raised the sails and headed south past Cruz Bay and then out into the Caribbean Sea. Our destination was Genti Bay on the south side of St John where we planned to go on a hike. As the wind was still coming from the east, this involved working our way up wind. I was keen to experience conditions away from the islands so we did this as one leg out, a tack and then one leg back. By the time we were out at sea, the rest had woken up. Sam and Leah took up their usual positions on the bow pulpits and had a real roller coaster ride as we ploughed through 4-6 foot seas and 20 knots of wind. The trip was quite exhilarating but relatively short as we covered ground quite well. Our hike took us past deserted sugar mills and old stone accommodations. It was fascinating to see how the plant life was gradually replacing the stonework. The hike was about 3 miles each way and involved a 1,000ft ascent. All the way we were surrounded by forest and vegetation and were offered no large views but the interior feel of the forest and how it changed as we ascended was rewarding. Along the way we also saw wildlife including a mongoose and a large spider.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LjV3vLBzB4[/youtube]
We reached the boat in time for lunch – sandwiches again. After lunch we motored around the corner to Little Lameshur Bay where we are now moored for the evening. We’ll be barbecuing chicken and burgers and will be using some delicious jerk sauce that we picked up during the festival yesterday.
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