It Pays to Double Check!

     I prepared our provisioning order and submitted it via email to Bobby's Marketplace in Road Town, Tortola,  on Dec. 27th. Usually, I received an email from Cindy within a couple of days to confirm the order.
     I have a reputation for being a "professional worrier." I prefer to think of myself as being "a thorough planner." I decided to email Cindy at Bobby's Marketplace to check on our order. I'm glad that I did as she hadn't received it. I checked my email "sent box" and it shows it went but it obviously got lost in cyber space.
     Within a few minutes, Cindy confirmed receipt of the order. It will be delivered to "Henry S," our boat, on Tuesday, January 4th, between 8-8:30 a.m. It pays to be a worrier.
     There's "nothing" on TV tonight so I'm starting to pack. This involves setting up two card tables in my office, deciding what I will actually use in the BVI, and what should stay at home.

                                            Too many shoes! Okay, I'll leave some home.

My new duffle bag is small so it guarantees that I can't pack my entire wardrobe.

                                    Karen

Provisioning the Boat

     Outside, snow covers the ground and there's a thin layer of ice on the lake. Inside, I've completed decorating Christmas tree Number Two with tinsel. I thought that four trees were enough this year. Then I delivered some homemade cranberry relish to Diane's house and discovered that she was decorating Christmas tree Number Five. Hmmmmm. I may have to root in my storage room tomorrow and dig out one more tree to keep up with Ms. Evans. I could put up two more, but then Diane would have to find another tree, so I'll just opt to tie with her.

     My BVI trip project for today was to work the online spreadsheet for provisions (e.g. food & drinks for the boat). I don't want to waste a few hours of precious vacation time in a grocery store on Tortola. In order to save time once we are in the islands, I have all the food and beverages delivered to the boat.

     This does take planning: how many meals will be eaten on board the boat; food that is easy to prepare; meat that can be cooked on the charcoal grill rather than in the galley; menu variety; food preferences; and quantity. I know all of Roy's like and dislikes (no liver or anchovies). I sent Taya and Sallie a food questionnaire about a month ago and that helped me come up with the final menu. We will still have a couple of meals off the boat, especially the wonderful lobster on Anegada.

                                Okay, I didn't cook this lobster. It's from Neptune's on Anegada

     I will submit my food and beverage order via email about 10 days prior to departure, which means this week. I've been using Bobby's Marketplace for several years and have found their service to be very efficient. Once my order is received in the BVI, its reviewed and I receive an email confirmation.

     The food will arrive around 8-8:30 a.m. on January 4th. We'll all stow the food quickly and give the cardboard packing boxes back to the Bobby's delivery man. We never keep those boxes on the boat as they could contain bugs. Ick! It's also important to have each crew member know where the food and beverages have been stowed. One year, we didn't realize that Roy had stowed two cases of beer under a settee in the saloon. We thought we ran out of beer after a few days and some of the guys bought two more cases of beer. When we were cleaning the boat on the last night. someone discovered the two cases of beer that Roy had stowed. We had so much beer that the guys were drinking it for breakfast before we
got off as they hated to waste it. So, that is why it is important that everyone know where items are stowed.

     I'll let the food order sit for tonight and check it tomorrow. Then...zoom...it'll be emailed to Bobby's and I can check off that task.

     Sweet dreams!

      Karen

    

British Virgin Islands with Karen and Roy

  

            Roy and Karen in Road Town, Tortola

     It's been a good year for trips to the BVI. In February, Roy and I took our daughters, Jennifer and Laura, to Great Camanoe Island. We rented Red Rocks Villa and had a great week. We traveled on my "39th" birthday and celebrated it all week long. We even had our flights home cancelled due to the Snowzilla but did manage to get home after some major hustling.

                                            Red Rocks Villa was actually 3 lovely buildings

Jen and Laura at Soper's Hole

     Roy's birthday was in May and we celebrated at South Sound Villa on Virgin Gorda. This trip, we had our son George, his wife Yulia and the three grandkiddies with us. To add to the travel treat, our Virginia neighbors, Diane Evans and John Vocino decided to accept our invitation and experience life on VG.

Katherine, Yulia, Alexandra, George and Jacob at Leverick Bay Marina

                                     Diane, Karen, John and Roy at Little Dix, Virgin Gorda

     These land holidays were great but we were missing sailing. Our last charter was in May, 2009, and it was definitely time to get back onboard a boat, pump the heads, trim the sails, and visit all our fish buddies.

     We selected a Hunter 44' DS with 2 cabins from TMM for a January, 2011, trip. We picked this monohull as it is similar to the Hunter 42 Passage that we used to own on the Chesapeake, and it would just be the two of us sailing. That was a silly thought! We had an extra cabin and hated to see it used only to stow our duffle bags so we sent out an open invitation to our buddies to see who wanted a post-Christmas BVI holiday. Hmmmmmmm. Who would be brave enough to go with us?

     We chatted with Taya Mahoney and extended an invitation. Taya and I met on the first day of college back in 19- -.  She's married and has teen teenage girls. Her sailing background was on San Francisco Bay. Taya suggested our good friend, Sallie Bowen, would be a good cabin mate. Sallie, Roy and I grew up on Long Island and sailed Manhasset Bay and Long Island Sound. She owned a Boston Whaler and previously sailed in the BVI with us on Conch's "Silver Eagle II" back in 2005. She's an artist in Butte, Montana, and was definitely ready for a winter trip.

                                                              Sallie at The Indians


      We're all preparing to celebrate Christmas with our families this coming week. I'm presently working on our provisioning list and will submit it soon to Bobby's Marketplace.

That's it for today!
    Karen