Rumstylin' the Virgin Islands

     The Virgin Islands offer many a fine chance  for the rumstylers, there are excursions to many destinations and bars that offer their own unique entertainment.       We can start out with a day trip from St. Thomas on the "Morning Star" sail boat to Honeymoon Bay on St. Johns to have a great lunch, cocktails on the beach, snorkeling, and be back to Fungi's by 4:30 for cocktail hour on the dock.      These spectacular blue waters and the wind in the sails makes for a really relaxing voyage to St. Johns.     Followed by a fabulous lunch prepared by the crew while we bask on the beach sipping cocktails and swimming.      The return trip is as peaceful and relaxed sipping cocktails and enjoying the quiet of the wind and the hull sliding through the waters.    



The Baths on Virgin Gorda



     The next day was spent in a power boat rented from Naughty Nymphs in Red Hook.      This is a long range trip from St. Thomas all the way to the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda in the BVI.       En route to Virgin Gorda we had to stop at Pussers in Roadtown Harbour, Tortola, BVI.     Roadtown is the big harbour in the BVI and it is full of cruise ships and every other type of vessel you can imagine.     Pusser's is a pub on the  water's edge that is a very good place to sample their own special kind of 'Painkiller".     Virgin Gorda's south side offers a  very beautiful stop at the Baths, an incredible granite outcropping the offers one of the most popular anchorages in the BVI.  It also offers an exciting trail through the grotto's if you will and out to a beautiful beach.       Around to the eastern side  of Virgin Gorda in Mosquito Bay is a watering hole called Saba Rock where you boat up to the dock tie-up and go in for a cocktail of your choosing "Painkillers" are always a good choice, and have lunch that is fit for a king or a rumstyler.    

As you return to from Virgin Gorda back toward St. Johns to check back into the USVI Customs Station, you must stop at Norman Island and visit the "Willie T. "     This floating bar and restaurant in legendary in the Virgin Islands for it food and beverages alike.     The open invitation to jump from her top deck naked into the beautiful blue waters will earn you a "Willie T"  T shirt

The Willie T

 for your efforts.     This venerable old power sailor has been a part of the Norman Island scene for many years and is always a must stop when sailing the Sir Francis Drake Channel.    



    



Callwood's Distillery



      Just as a side note around the northwest side of Tortolla is Cane Garden Bay, one of the more famous anchorages and a fabulous place to hang out for a day.    While you are there there are literally miles of beaches and little shops and restaurants.     For a rumstyler, the oldest continuously operating rum distillery in the world.     Callwood's Distillery lies just beyond the beach in a little hollow off the road.     They have tours and will show you their historic and active pot stills as well as let you sample and purchase some of their "Moonshine" rum.     The sell a 80 proof  version of the overproof that you get to sample at the distillery and a great look into the historic rum methods in action.

     The return to St. Johns and Cruz Bay to check back into the USVI only takes a few minutes and it's back to Red Hook ending today trip.     The great thing about St. Thomas is the small local establishment s that you find in the small marinas and just lying at the water's edge.       You can spend years in the Virgin Islands and never begin to touch all of the really fun places the islands have to offer.     ;o)