Now what you probably don't know is that there are very few navy blue boats in the Caribbean. People tell me that this is because that hull color makes them 'hot'. Whatever. So when I received a text message from my delivery captain telling me he was just passing St. Thomas, I immediately jumped in the jeep to go have a look. Looks like a navy hull to me!
Oh boy, it is Far Niente! Furling up the head sail. So I call the captain on his cell. Everything is great. Except they have run out of fuel. So this will be picking up the mooring the old-fashioned way. By sailing, no motor! Let's see, I haven't done that in maybe 20 years?
Here they come, entering the harbor. The wind is blowing 10 to 15 knots. Very nice and easy under the mainsail alone. I am so excited I can't stand it!
All the way into the harbor on one tack and right up to the ball. Very impressive. Here we see Crewman Mike picking up the mooring. All completed on the first try.
I am standing at the waters edge taking telephoto shots. When along comes the mooring guy Colin in his dinghy. Would I like to go out with him? Is the Pope...you know what? Off we go out to meet Far Niente. I am so excited I could wet my pants. Well maybe not that excited!
Crewman Mike greets us and picks up the dinghy painter. Both Captain Dale and Mike look tired but happy. They tell me it was a smooth passage with very little problems. OK, so they ran out of fuel, ran out of water, ran out of food. Tried to catch a fish and came up empty. But then they told me that all their supplies lasted until just this morning. So I guess 99% of the trip was uneventful!
So here's the best part. Far Niente sitting on her mooring in Great Cruz Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands. Am I happy? Remember the part about the Pope?
