It seemed the US Virgin Islands were the place to be this winter. As it is a US territory, and was one of the few places allowing American tourists to visit, it was a busy season! St. Thomas has the second largest land mass and the largest population of the three main US Islands. This is where we spent almost all of our time. Everyone entering must have a negative Covid test within five days of travel, so as not to have to quarantine once you're on island. We are lucky enough to rent the same house, every year, that sits on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Most days were spent lounging by the pool, but that was A-OK by us! We were able to do a three day catamaran charter, as well as spent a couple afternoons on Lovango Cay, at their new beach club. And of course, no trip to St. Thomas is complete without spending time at world famous Magens Bay. Over the years, it has been voted one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world, many times!
We did our catamaran charter with our friends SV Blacksheep. Captain James and his wonderful wife, Mayla, take such good care of us every time we are on board. And we can't forget Kodi, the sweetest little boat dog you'll ever meet! This was our third and longest trip, so far. We spent our first evening onboard, in Waterlemon Cay, on St. John, where we had dinner and time to catch up. We were already sailing south by the time we woke up the next morning, headed to St. Croix. Unfortunately we had a hefty wind with a decent size swell, so it wasn't the most favorable of conditions. We made the 42 mile trip in about 5 1/2 hours, and slept most of the way! We ventured into Christianstead and had a few drinks, but the town was pretty sleepy. After dinner, we talked with Capt. James and decided to forgo a second night at St. Croix and, instead, sail back to St. Thomas the next morning. As much times as we have all spent sitting on the beach and playing in the water of Magens Bay, none of us had spent the night on a boat there. We were looking forward to a relaxing evening in the bay! One of the highlights of our trip came on our sail back to STT. Suddenly, we were surrounded by a very large pod of dolphins! They were EVERYWHERE! It was one of the most amazing things we've seen - dolphins riding our wake, keeping pace with the boat, jumping, and flipping! It's something we'll never forget.
Our last day took us from Magens, on the northside of the island, around to the southside and Water Island. There you'll find Dinghy's Beach bar and grill, where you can grab lunch and drinks. My favorite part of being on Water Island is grabbing a drink and wading out to the floating canopy tent. We have met so many great people, from all over the world, just by sharing some shade and basking in crystal clear water.
If you're in the market to do either a day, or term charter in St. Thomas, be sure to look the Blacksheep up. They get a big Xplorationer thumbs up! SVBlackseep.com
Our other adventures came at Lovango Cay's new beach club. You make your reservation online, picking out either individual beach chair/umbrella combos, 2-person beach lounges, or 4-person poolside cabanas. They offer full or half day passes and have their own ferry from both St. Thomas and St. John. When you arrive at the dock, you're warmly greeted by one of their very accommodating staff members and shown to your reserved spot. Then the fun begins! You have food and drinks brought to you, whether you are sitting on the beach or lounging in the pool. There is snorkeling and hiking available, as well as quick rides around the Island in one of their Polaris carts. The beach club and restaurant is just the first stage in the development of the land. There will also be villa rentals and villa sales. Definitely a beautiful spot to check out when you want something different to do. They also offer dinner reservations, as well. lovangovi.com
Even though this year was a little quieter, as far as Xplorationing goes, we still had sun, sand, and warm tropical breezes to put a smile on our face.