Re: Heard From An Old ASAer Today

[Jim Davis <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 7:23:05 PM UTC-4, Bob La Londe wrote:
> I told him he should stop in here and say hi.  He says he's retired now.
>=20
> I may stop by and see him in the mid later winter.  Looking at doing a=20
> Caribbean cruise with my wife for our 25th.  Probably launch out a port=
=20
> in his home state rather than freeze our tushies off sailing down the=20
> eastern seaboard.

I've traveled the Caribbean for many many years. Starting back in the 60's =
right up through the 2000's. We bare boat chartered at least 25/30 times. (=
 for the non-sailors out there that means we rented a big sail boat and sai=
led it ourselves without a captain) Most of our sailing was done in the Bri=
tish Virgin Islands but we also sailed from St Vincent to Granada and back =
on a 10 day excursion, stopping at dozens of islands on the way. We sailed =
St Martin and surrounding waters. US Virgin Islands, Honduras Bay Islands a=
nd many other places to numerous to remember now. Now days we just fly to a=
n Island and rent a car. We always make it a point to go on a sail with a p=
rivate captain as a reminisce of our sailing days. Our sailing days are ove=
r now. I don't have the speed, agility or stamina any longer and my navigat=
ion skills are slowly slipping from memory. It sure was a great run though.=
 Memories and stories up the yazoo. I also was stationed on an Island in th=
e Bahamas when I was in the US Navy back in the 50's and did a tremendous a=
mount of scuba diving, so that always was a side adventure on all of our sa=
iling trips. I was on the Navy spearfishing diving team competing on Grand =
Bahama. Diving in the Bay Island off of Honduras and in the Caymans is just=
 indescribable.

People keep telling me that ship cruses are fun but needless to say, after =
sailing a 60 foot yawl with 4 to 6 sailors for all those years, I think tha=
t ship cruising is for landlubbers and I just can't bring myself to go on a=
 boat trip with 5000 of my closest friends. I just have this feeling that t=
here is at least one out of those 5000 people that would get in my face and=
 either he or I would go overboard.=20

Don't mean to belittle your trip Bob =E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6 just story telling.

The best Islands as far a people go are Grand Cayman and Barbados. The peop=
le are just great. They know that tourism is their source of income and tre=
at it accordingly with respect. They are helpful, pleasant and want you to =
enjoy their beautiful islands. St Thomas has turned into strictly a tourist=
 trap. We used to stop in Charlotte Amali to pick up water and supplies. A =
couple of times we went down to where the cruse ships come in and it was al=
most a mob scene when the tourists cam off the boat. All the natives trying=
 to sell their overprice cheap crap souvenirs. And that was 20 years ago. C=
an't imagine what it's like now. I understand that the Rastafarians have ju=
st about taken over the whole Island. I had some friends go there to rent a=
 villa and one night they witnessed a gun fight with cars racing around the=
 town. Not just hand guns but machine guns. St Martin is pretty good. The D=
utch side is where all the shops are but the French side has the great rest=
aurants. St Johns in the British Virgin Islands is pretty good too but I do=
n't think cruise ships stop there. As a matter of fact all the islands in t=
he BVI are pretty good. Went to Puerto Rico once and would never go back ag=
ain. St Croix is good too but kind of small and out of the way for cruise s=
hips. St Vincent has a volcano on it and not too much else. The Yucatan Pen=
insula has some good places. Cozumel was OK but it's a popular place for th=
e college kids. Oh Yeah, make sure you don't time your trip during college =
break. First of all the prices skyrocket and the kids will get on your nerv=
es pretty quick. As much as it's advertised, Aruba and Curacao have got no =
sights to see. Barren Island with hardly any tropical looking areas. Mostly=
 bare coral and cactus and lots of goats, gambling, shopping, restaurants a=
nd condos

That's about all I can think of right now. If you have an specific question=
s let me know.