The Adventure Continues...Just the 10 of us..

February 27, 2008




So with our teary farewells said to Anna and Dustin we head back over to Tortola and Jost VanDyke to show the Schergers the great sights of the BVI. Having seen all of this before we are quick to show them the sights, Cane Garden Bay where a quick load of laundry and grocery shopping was done (who said laundry can’t be fun!!!), Jost VanDyke where we visited White Bay and the Soggy Dollar bar (Kiana and Phoebe bought matching t-shirts here that say: “I live in my own little world……but it’s ok they know me here.” And for anyone who knows either Kiana or Phoebe there could not be a more appropriate shirt for them.) Of course a visit to Jost would not be complete without a visit to the famous Foxy’s Bar and Restaurant, although we did go during the day and it is just not quite the same, then it was off to Sandy Spit and then the bubbling pool (which unfortunately we visited during a low tide and the pool was somewhat empty…oh well!!)




With our tour of the BVI complete we check out of customs on Jost, BVI and head back to the USVI and St.Johns to do a little Scuba Diving. Now that Luke and Tyler are 10 we are all able to go diving, which we are finding is a great activity to do as a family.



Luke – Scuba diving is very cool. I saw an eel, a nurse shark and a turtle, we went down 35 feet.

Tyler – Scuba diving was much fun, it was a lot better that I thought it would be. When I went down for the first time it felt like I was a fish with gills because I could breathe. The farthest I went down was 35 feet, it was awesome. I saw an eel, a nurse shark and a turtle. The turtle was more curious of me than I was of it. I got to do 2 dives of about 45 minutes each. I would like to do this again and I am going to get certified some day.




Devin was able to take his deep water dive and certification here which was on our to-do list. It is amazing how the business ethic can change from one island to the other. When Kevin and I took our certification in Bequia the instructors took alot of time with us to make sure that we were comfortable and understood everything, but here on a U.S. island it is business comes first and they had us on and off the boat with two dives under our belts and another group heading out before we even knew what hit us. Oh well, the diving was great, everyone enjoyed themselves and Devin passed is Scuba course with flying colors. Congrats Devin!!!!!



What would a stop on St.John’s be without visiting the Eco Hotel and a visit to the glass blowing demonstration, just as our kids and Kevin and I were amazed with the show the Schergers were equally impressed and entertained. Phoebe and I had to make a stop at the glass store the next day to purchase some of the artwork we witnessed being created. At the Eco Hotel we also had the opportunity to sit and listen to a Marine Biologist do a talk on the state of the Coral Reefs in the Caribbean, we learned a great deal and at least one little mind was greatly affected (Kiana is thinking that maybe a career in Marine Biology would not be so bad; study amazing reefs, scuba and snorkel all day, incorporate her love of photography, live in the Caribbean and finally make money to help support her jewellery purchasing, not such a bad life) Once again this trip has been a wonderful eye opener for all of us.



Kiana – Listening to the marine biologist was very interesting. He reminded me a lot of my science teacher back at school, Mr. Luck, because he knew lots and was always making hilarious jokes. I learned about sea sponges, hard coral and soft coral. I hope one day that I can find the reason and cure for the black ring disease that the brain coral die from. The coolest part about the presentation was the sponge breeding…..hahaha!!! All of a sudden all of the sponges release white stuff (technical name held back) which then goes into the other sponges to produce baby sponges (health class). Corals also have a thin layer of skin and mucus, we learned that you should not touch any coral because you will remove these layers. Corals come in all different colors and shapes. My favorite soft coral in the whole ocean are the anemones, most of them are yellow with purple, green or blue tips, I love seeing them while snorkeling. Next up Spanish Islands……… Hasta La Vista Babes!!!

On St.John’s we also spent a day on the beach at Cinnamon Bay with a bagged lunch and lots of sun for everyone. I think that our guests have shed a complete layer of skin since their arrival. Cinnamon Bay is neat in that it is a campground like we have in the mountains in Canada, just bring your tent or better yet rent a big Coleman tent and you are set. They even have a great cafeteria style restaurant and of course a great white sandy beach.

Moving forward we haul up anchor and head for St.Thomas for a restock in our grocery supplies and some souvenir shopping. St.Thomas is a great place to stock up when you have two families to feed as there is a Costco like store (Cost – U – Less) with bulk items and items that are hard to find on other islands; so off go Kevin, Cole and Devin to do some heavy duty shopping, where we are going to store all of this stuff is the big question.



Today we sent the Schergers ashore too experience some local life on their own. Kevin delivered them to land and we planned for a meet up later in the day at the Fat Turtle Restaurant for some deep fried pickle appetizers. We went and did some shopping of our own, with some long overdue haircuts for mom and dad and some more gifts to buy for friends, the day went quickly.



We decided that some sightseeing was in order for the island of St.Thomas. With a suggestion to visit Coral World from a local dive shop we hired a tour truck to take us over to Coki Beach where a mini sea world of sorts awaited our arrival. Fun was had by all as we followed the schedule of feeding and presentations that we were given with our map at the entrance, this ended up being a great thing as we witnessed everything there was to see.



Cole – At Coral world we saw lots of great stuff. We got to pet and feed Nurse and Lemon sharks, they feel like fine sand paper. We got to touch some sea urchins that cannot hurt you. Then we went to feed some birds, we fed them mango nectar and the birds sat on our shoulders and stuck their tongues in. It cost $5.oo for two cups of nectar. We got to see the sting-rays next, they were my favorite. We were given some fish, we waved it in the water and they would come and suction up against the wall, then you had to lift up their noses and drop the fish into their mouths, we were then allowed to pet the top of their heads. They felt hard and slimy but very cool. Next was the sea lion show, he could do lots of stuff like wave, high 5, stand up and look into the aquariums and talk (they roar like a lion, I guess that is why they are called that). Then we went into an underwater glass building, where there was a lady scuba diving and feeding the wild fish like the Horse Eyed Jacks some fish. She had to wear special metal gloves to protect her hands, we talked to her after and she showed us holes in her wet suit from some fish bites. She told us that the worst thing that has happened under the water to her was an eel going up her shorts, she had to take her shorts right off in order to get it out. Then we went out of Coral World to the beach beside it (Coki Beach) and went snorkeling, we bought some dog bones from a local vendor to feed the fish, it was really cool and the fish loved the bones.



With so much to see and so little time we are forced to haul up anchor once again and move on. Because the next set of islands, the Spanish Virgin Islands (SVI), are considered part of the U.S. we were told that we simply had to let the customs officials know when we arrived there, but being in the Caribbean nothing ever seems to go as smoothly as it should. We arrived on the Spanish Island of Culebra (Snake Island in Spanish) on a Saturday morning, so being the law abiding Canadian citizens that we are we did not stop to collect our $200 but went directly to the airport to “let them know” that we had arrived.





The customs official on duty quickly let us know that the officials in St.John failed to stamp our passports and also should have issued/sold us a ‘Cruising Permit’ for sailing in U.S. waters (and that this should have been done back at the end of January when we checked into the USVI for the first time) . Kevin and I held our breath thinking that we were heading back to the USVI to collect our license and proper paper work, thankfully the lady in customs was having a great day and filed the proper papers on our behalf. Unfortunately the story does not end there, being at this customs office temporarily she was unable to get the computer system working to print off our papers so we would have to come back tomorrow and pick up our papers. Thankful that she had done what she could for us and not sent us back to the USVI we smiled, said thanks and vowed to return tomorrow, oops sorry not tomorrow it is Sunday and the customs office is closed, Monday would have to do.

Seeing this layover as an opportunity to venture ashore, we woke early Sunday morning and headed into town to rent some jeeps and do some ‘off-roading’. Culebra is a small island, 7 miles long by 3 miles wide, easy to cover in one day. Carlos’s Jeep Rentals was silly enough to rent Kevin and Devin each a brand new jeep to take around the island, silly, silly people.



With a small map in hand off we go to check out the beautiful beaches of Culebra. On the north shore we found a beautiful beach called Bahia Flamenco (Flamingo Beach, new change in that everything is in Spanish now, this beach was named after the pink Flamingos that once nested here) where everyone on the island seemed to go for a beautiful Sunday afternoon with friends and family. Unfortunately for the hired lifeguard on this beach the swells coming from the north created some big waves and some undertow that us silly Albertans love to play in. We were not on the beach 5 minutes before we were in the water enjoying the crashing waves and doing our rendition of body surfing (some bathing suit readjustments were definitely done this day hey Phoebe), only to hear the lifeguards whistle blowing and arms swinging wildly at us. Unbeknownst to us, we were in an area that we were not supposed to be in with our kids, so somewhat frustrated and embarrassed we more over and into the water we go again, guess what?? Whistles blowing and arms swinging again, this time we are out to far, come in closer. Kevin and Devin had had enough, out they go to carry our towels and picnic supplies down the beach to the unsupervised area where there is no lifeguard. What Rebels. With the show that our Average Joes hockey players were putting on out in that surf that they should have a career sports change to body surfing, well maybe not……



Monday morning after our captain had acquired the proper documents we headed around the south side of the island to a bay called Carlos Rosario. Here we witnessed some of the healthiest coral reef that we have seen in our travels and the boys spent hours playing football and truth and dare (running down the beach with their bathing suits at their knees was quite the entertainment) on the beautiful sand beach. Once again the kayaks are a great thing to have, they continue to give the kids a means of getting away from the parents (and vice versa of course) and a bit of their own independence.



I am sure that everyone is wondering how we are all managing on the boat, all 10 of us 24/7???????? Well to be totally honest we are doing incredible, the kids are getting along amazingly well, we still have the silly sibling quarrels but nothing out of the ordinary. I think that Devin and Phoebe will have to invest in a Sorry game as Eric and Everett seemed to enjoy it just a little bit (I think we played 10 games a day, every time that we sailed anywhere, what a great way to pass the time). As for the adults we have gotten into a bit of a routine with Devin and Phoebe trying to pay for everything and us fighting back, we all clean together which is wonderful as the work gets done quicker, we take turns one week on and one week off for cooking meals (we also fight over who does the dishes; the kids can just not understand why we would fight over such a thing…”Mom Mr. Scherger wants to do the dishes so just let him!!!”) as it is just too expensive for 10 people to eat out very often and finally Devin having to eat all of the leftovers as he hates to see anything go to waste. We really could not have picked a more compatible family to have on board with us, we just all seem to work well together.

Back to the travelling…
Leaving Isla de Culebra we aimed our bow south west to Isla de Vieques. With fishing line in the water we anxiously awaited a meal from the sea to grace us with their presence. In no time at all the boys had caught a very large fish, once again unsure of the kind, we pulled out our fishing books to determine the make and model and weather it was edible or not. Bingo, a King Mackerel, delicious eating and definitely enough to feed our hungry crew. So aboard he comes and into the freezer he goes until our destination is reached. Once again this was very exciting, every time that fishing line makes its sound the adrenaline starts pumping on board.







In 1941 the US Navy arrived on Vieques and purchased two thirds of the land where they use it for aerial and naval bombardment practice. According to our cruising guides as of 2003 the actions were to cease, so off we go ready to drop anchor at a beautiful bay called Bahia Salina del Sur. As we are about to drop anchor into the beautiful white sand we see a shiny red chevy pickup drive down the beach. A man dressed in army fatigues gets out of the truck and watches us for a moment through his binoculars; he then gets his speaker and tells us…..”Approaching catamaran, you have entered restricted waters, operation under way please leave immediately.” He then pulled out his M16 and started firing at us……just kidding, he was very nice about it and we turned around and left quickly, our hearts beating a bit quicker but all else was ok and another adventure under our belts. (Phoebe and I later learned from a US Coast Guard that was doing laundry at the same time as us that the navy is no longer on the island but the Department of Natural Resources is in there cleaning up the mess that the navy left behind.)




We then headed farther west, where we were absolutely certain the navy no longer resided, to a bay called Mosquito Bay, now this bay is famous for two reasons, the first being that it is where the movie “Lord of The Flies” was filmed, the second being that it is a bioluminescent bay. What is this bioluminescent you ask??? Well unfortunately the tide was low and we were unable to enter into this bay, we had to turn around and anchor at the mouth of the bay and dinghy in to see what it looked like. Being the middle of the day there was not much to see other than a lot of Mangrove trees, so we dinghyed back to the boat for a very exciting part of our trip with the Schergers.

Before we had left Canada back in October, Mr. Scherger had told all of our kids to bring a couple of things with them that meant something special to them, nothing big, something that would fit into a sandwich bag. So sure enough all of the kids packed away their ‘treasurers’ and have had them on the boat for the past four months, not sure what they were needed for, but nonetheless did what they were told. Well, when the Schergers arrived they pulled out of one of their hockey bags an absolutely beautiful wooden treasure chest that Devin’s brother had hand made especially for all of us. The kids each had to carve their initials into the box and on the top of the treasure chest was written “ONE LIFE 2008”. The kids each had to put their treasures into the chest while being video-taped, along with a few treasures from each of the parents, we also put in some email addresses and phone numbers in case it gets dug up before we can all get back. We then went ashore, at an undisclosed location of course, and the kids dug a hole about four feet deep, with sweat pouring down their faces and buried the treasure chest. The kids were each given a co-ordinate from the GPS to remember as we hope that in 20 years from now, God Willing, we will all return to dig up the treasures. What an absolutely great idea, this not only gives us something to wonder about for the next 20 years but also another trip to plan for our families in the future, and we all know how quickly 20 years can pass. Our kids will have families of their own by then that will have heard the tail of the buried treasure chest, I think that the s/v One Life may need to grow during that time also. The legend of treasures being buried on these islands just came true for our two families. THANK YOU Devin and Phoebe for thinking up and making such a great idea come to life.








Once our treasures were safe in the ground we all took a quick swim and were on our way to the next bay over called Ferro Bay, this bay, like Mosquito Bay, is surrounded by Mangrove trees and is therefore a very shallow protected anchorage. The water was as calm as glass and there was no wind to speak of, which aids in a good night sleep and which the kids and Devin took full advantage of sleeping out on the trampolines.




It is also a beautiful place for the kids to kayak through as the Mangrove trees create pathways through the water for guiding your kayak through the peace and quiet, and listening to the birds this was a great thing. We had read that Ferro Bay also contained the bioluminescent water which we have been waiting for since we researched it back home in September. Bioluminescent water is millions of microorganisms that when agitated they glow in the dark, absolutely amazing.





Tyler – When we went to see the bioluminescent water we pulled the Kayaks behind the dinghy and it was really fun. Eric and I were in the last kayak and Cole kept making us submarine the front of the kayak. But the very best was the glowing water, when you put your hand in it felt like my hand was melting in the water because it was lit up and they would not swim as fast as my hand and they stayed behind my hand.

Cole - Awesome. Coolest thing ever. Weird. We left our boat at about 8 pm and headed into the mangroves to try to find the bioluminescent water. I was in the front kayak behind the dinghy and when you would splash the water would light up and when it landed it would light up the water around it. I splashed some into the cup holder of the kayak and swished my finger in it and it made it green in there too. When fish came under our kayak they would glow a little bit and then Kiana and I would rock the kayak and it would cause the fish to swim away faster and they would leave a trail of green behind them. I kept on pulling the line to Eric and Tyler’s kayak and the front of their kayak would go under the water, it was fun.

With time running out way to quickly, it is unreal how fast this month is moving along, we are now moving west to the very large island of Puerto Rico. Our 5 hour sail across unfortunately turned into a motor across as the little wind that there was, was directly behind us. We arrived in Puerto Rico on Friday the 14 with 3 full days ahead of us to tour the island and see the sights. First things first, we need to fill the water and gas tanks as the SVI did not have a marina for us to fill up before we left. Well the cruising guide that we have is unfortunately a few years old and when we pulled into get gas with plans to set anchor in the same bay, we were somewhat surprised to see a brand new beautiful marina being built. Fill up quick and back to the books to find another bay to anchor in.



With our anchor set firm in Salinas Bay and plans for the men to set off in the morning for a car rental place we say goodnight after another hard day’s work in paradise.
Saturday morning at 11 am Kevin and Devin anxiously head out to the car rental place to find us some wheels for the weekend. Phoebe and I stayed on the boat with the kids trying to entertain them, now this is becoming a bit of a chore as we have been on the boat for a few days now and everyone is feeling a bit cooped up. Anyways after a few games of sorry under our belts and 4 hours later, the dads show up with some bad news. Well it seems as though the island of Puerto Rico is a busy one this weekend and there are no cars to rent in the whole town of Salinas, well if this doesn’t put everyone into a great mood (moms stuck on the boat with kids and dads having just spent 4 hours walking back from the car rental place because this town seems to have no cabs, only in the Caribbean)…….. Ok, well the moms and kids need to get off of the boat for awhile so off into the marina we go with dirty laundry in tow. Even doing laundry is better that sitting on the boat any longer. Thankfully the marina here is somewhat ok, the kids found a small park to terrorize, Phoebe, Devin and I found a little Snack Bar close to the laundry mat to enjoy a few Pina Coladas, and Kevin found a little internet shop to try and get caught up on his emails. Life is good in the Caribbean.

While at this Marina we met another 2 families (one from Vancouver and the other from the states) that are on a similar adventure to us, the only differences being that they are off for 15 months maybe more and they started in States and are heading south. It was great fun to meet up with others that have been where we are going and hear all of their stories and suggestions and also to let them know what to expect on their travels down south. It was too bad that we were not staying in this spot longer as they had kids the same age as ours, more importantly a girl that was 13. Laundry done we are back to the boat for a good night’s rest and high hopes of heading west to the big town of Ponce to find a car rental place at their small airport.



Sunday morning, two full days left with the Schergers, Kevin and Devin once again head out in hopes of finding a car. Phoebe and the boys spend this time swimming as they know that their time is limited and want to make the best of it. With smiles on their faces the men return from Thrifty with two small cars in tow for us to tour with for the next 2 days. So off we go to try and navigate the streets of Ponce. The rest of Sunday found us following the Schergers (Kevin figured that it was their turn to be the adventurous leaders) through town and then up a mountain through one of Puerto Ricos beautiful rain forests, Devin turned out to be a great tour guide or was that Phoebe with the map and good directions???

Monday morning saw us up early and heading into the capital city of San Juan to tour the beautiful sights of Old San Juan and the forts that make this city famous. Old San Juan is a really neat place, first it took us a good 30 minutes to try and find a parking space as the streets are really narrow and one can only park on one side of the street. We then headed to the Fort to have a quick history lesson and then it was off to do some good shopping. The stores of Old San Juan are small little places but stacked back to back, there is definitely a souvenir for everyone here, and a trip to San Juan would not be complete without tasting a shaved ice drink. On pretty much every street corner there is a vendor with a large block of ice, a special ice scraper and 30 different bottles of sugar to create us the perfect snow cone, what could be more perfect on a hot day in paradise. With cigars smoking (Devin just had to sample a freshly made cigar) and shopping bags full it was time to hop back into the cars and start our long journey back to the boat (about 2 hours).





Tuesday morning, with bags packed and hugs all around, we are forced to say goodbye to a great family who has made our adventure even more of a success. Thank you to the Schergers for their patience and humor while on board the small and cramped quarters of ‘One Life’. When told that we had friends coming for a month many people questioned our motives and simply wished us luck, well it is absolutely amazing how quickly a month can pass when you are in such good company.

Tyler – The best thing I remember about Everett and Eric being here is when we truth and dare on the beach when Everett dared me to go in the water and take my shorts off and swing them in the air. Thanks for coming see you when we get back.

Luke – One thing I remember is playing truth and dare on the beach, thanks for coming and can’t wait to get back on the ice with all of you.

Kiana – Thanks for coming and spending some time with us, it was nice to have others on board to talk and laugh with. Mrs. S, I am expecting that t-shirt to be worn at least 3 days a week. Can’t wait to see you all at hockey practice…..hahahaha!!!!

Cole – Even though I had to give up my bedroom I would do it all again if you wanted to come back. I had lots of fun playing with Sharkbait (Eric) and Everett and playing Sorry will never be the same. Thank-You for coming and great idea about burying the treasure chest (my number is 5).




Thanks again Devin, Phoebe, Everett and Eric not only would we do this again in the blink of an eye, but our plane tickets are booked for March 13, 2028.
See you in Coleman in August………….

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