Zoom R16 Multitrack Recorder - I want!

Zoom R16 Multitrack Recorder Controller and Audio Interface Multitrack SD Recorder Controller and Interface

Just saw this product on Fresh DV... Very cool

Um... Readers? My birthday is coming up soonish.  Hint hint :)

Here's the Amazon LINK Affordable price, too (currently only $379)

Make my day!

Friday BOAT Cat Blogging

Yesterday evening, after sundown but while still light out, the bird that we've been seeing in the early evening went and perched on the spreaders in the boat in front of us.  It looked like some sort of hawk.

Buffy saw it and was doing her "bird thing"...

While Willow was more interested in what was happening in the water over the side...

It's almost 6pm and past the time to go outside with the cats... especially since we've been hearing the bird chirping away! Maybe we'll see a turtle, or a jumping ray...

Have a good one!

Happy Carrot Cake Day - February 3

We'd like to wish you a Happy Carrot Cake Day which falls the day after Groundhog Day... Wow, what a week :)

Yesterday, we went to Schooner Bay Market and their carrots left much to be desired so we left them to succumb in peace. Today we hiked up to Pueblo at Golden Rock shopping center and their carrots were not desirable either.  Neither store had SaraLee-type cakes in their dairy case... So It Goes...

Here are two interesting recipes from Joy the Baker

Carrot Cake Pancakes & Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream

I must say that I was disappointed that Joy did not have a post today for National Carrot Cake Day, although the items above look quite tasty (click on their links to check them out!).

We enjoy Joy the Baker's entertaining and informative blog. Lots of recipes with good photos! Her most recent post of February 1st is titled "My Top 10 Cookie Recipes".

I hope you'll be able to enjoy this holiday in style :)

Groundhog Day tomorrow

Can you believe it is Groundhog Day tomorrow... ALREADY???

 

Visit the official website of the Punxsuatwney Groundhog Club

UPDATE:  FEBRUARY 2, 2010:  NEWSFLASH from http://www.visitpa.com
The Prognosticator of Prognosticators, Punxsutawney Phil proclaimed, "If you want to know next, you must read my text. As the sky shines bright above me, my shadow I see beside me. So six more weeks of winter it will be." They also reported that over 26,000 people received Phil's 2010 prediction via text message!

Have you made your Groundhog cookies, yet? A popular treat and they will be served at the banquet in Punxsy Groundhog Day Eve.

Here's a LINK to the recipe found at Penzeys One Magazine

Not sure what Phil's going to think of the weather when he wakes up tomorrow. This is what their weather sticker said at 9:30am EST this morning...

So, if it's like that tomorrow morning, I won't blame Phil for going back to bed with his head under the covers :)

Friday BOAT Cat Blogging - Fish

Last week Bob & a friend went fishing. They had an enjoyable time, but there wasn't a fish to be found... So It Goes...

Unfortunately, Buffy & Willow still don't know the proper definition of TUNA...

This is their perception of a tuna fish. We hope to rectify this soon :)

Mail Call... Received new DVDs: Farscape series

Yesterday we went to pick up our mail and we had a very heavy box from Amazon.  Good thing it came to us here and not in St Maarten where we pay beaucoup bucks for packages :)

It was our video order which included FARSCAPE, THE COMPLETE SERIES.

Now, what is so cool about this, is that it has 26 DVDs that includes all 88 episodes of Farscape, plus special feature things. Eighty-eight episodes is a lot of viewing time for only $59.99.  Talk about bang for the buck! At two episodes per night, it will take almost six weeks to watch the series, and then there's the extras, and there is a movie too (The Peacekeeper Wars).

We saw some Farscape when we lived in St. Thomas and we were always happy when they had flashbacks so we could see parts that we'd missed. We looked into buying the series before but, as I remember it was going to cost in the vicinity of $300 for the whole series.

Have to buy more popcorn...

FREE Book : Scottish Anchoring Cruising Guide

This morning I received an interesting tweet from Practical Boat Owners magazine (@p_b_o):

PBO News: Scottish anchoring guide 2010 - download free http://bit.ly/5KIRmv

You can get this FREE Scottish anchoring cruising guide from Yachting Life Online at http://www.yachtinglife.co.uk/welcomeanchorages.html This takes you to a page where you can read the guide online, but it also has a link to a pdf file so you can download this guide onto your computer which will be much handier!

(Click on image to enlarge)

They have advertising (which is good so you have a quick reference of where to find things), chartlets, and then details of specific anchorages & marinas...

We won't be going to Scotland this season (although both Bob & I have Scot ancestry), but maybe you will... or perhaps you are a scot-o-phile :)

Here's a photo we received last week from one of the hotel barges we represent SCOTTISH HIGHLANDER... (See post) They are available for winter charters, as well as summer... Inquire!

I bet he's wearing socks!

Enjoy!

Bareboats... Don't anchor near me, please

Bareboats and anchoring... Boy, can I rant about that, but I'll try and spare you... a bit :)

Yesterday, while dinghying back to the boat, we passed by two bareboats in the crowded mooring field in Christiansted Harbor, St Croix USVI.

(Click image to enlarge)

The monohull and catamaran are rafted together and they have tied up to two moorings off the starboard side of the monohull so they are tethered fore and aft.  Bob says they had an anchor off the bow, and I don't know about the port side... But, this makes them unmoveable and there are many boats moored around them which WILL move.  I know WE were pointing every which way last night!

It is always a bit nervous making when we don't have much wind and the boats swing around willy nilly and not necessarily in concert with those about them, due to different scope, hull characteristics, windage, currents...  Hopefully these Sunsail boats played well with others, but I'm glad they were not in our neighborhood.

Veterinarian / Pet Hospital Christiansted St Croix USVI

We just came back from doing a bit of shopping and stopped by the vet (Progressive Veterinary Hospital) in the Gallows Bay Marketplace to get their business card.  Always a good thing to have, and hope we won't have to use it.

PROGRESSIVE VETERINARY HOSPITAL

Kasey Canton, DVM
Gallows Bay : 340-719-7387
La Grande Princess : 340-718-1256
Emergency : 340-332-2056

See our previous post (Cruisers Map for Christiansted St Croix USVI) which has a map of the Christiansted area. The vet is marked #7.

Where's the Vet?  This is one of the first things we try to "suss out" when we arrive someplace new. Tie up at St Croix Marine (#1) in Gallows Bay, follow their driveway up to the main road then turn right (Mt. Welcome Road). You will soon come to the next cross street (Garden Street) and take a left onto it. Walk along this road past the St Croix Bank and US Post Office (#3) on your left and the Gallows Bay Marketplace on your right.  When you see Undercover Books (#6) at the back corner of the second building on your right, take a right into the parking lot behind the bookstore. There will be a long building on your left and that is where the veterinary hospital (#7) is located.

Questions & Answers Christiansted St Croix USVI

Here are some questions that I had concerning Christiansted, St Croix, US Virgin Islands. I hope it will help other cruisers who are arriving for the first time here.

You might want to read a previous post, and open the map in another window.... CLICK HERE FOR MAP and refer to map numbers below. I suggest that you download the map to your computer so you can view it full size or enlarge it.

• Which channel to take? Follow the channel that takes you to Gallows Bay. I would NOT recommend entering at night. Yes, there are lots of lighted buoys, but there are also lots of reefs. (We arrived late and around midnight anchored by Buck Island in 12-18 ft of water.) We've been told that there are free moorings in Gallows Bay for transients. You can continue on and enter Christiansted Harbor but this is an area full of local boats on moorings. Perhaps you can find a spot around the edge but don't block the channel on the other side (fuel barges use it to go to WAPA) and also you don't want to get in the way of the seaplane.
  

• Where to check in? Customs & Immigration (see #2 on map) is located in Gallows Bay, near the ferry terminal and cargo ship dock. Tie your dinghy up, but don't lock, at St Croix Marine (#1). With your back to the water, take a left and follow the driveway to the street. Turn right. It's not too far and it is on your right.  There's a little guardhouse at the gate and he'll point you to the door. Phone: 340-773-1011. According to the 2009 USVI Marine Guide publication: Hours of Operation: 7am-4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Saturday & Sunday arrivals must contact the airport office at 340-778-0216.
  

• Where is the dinghy dock? For shopping in the Gallows Bay area, St Croix Marine (#1) offers the use of their dinghy dock but ask that you do not lock it in case they must move it. The common dinghy dock on the Christiansted Boardwalk is right in front of Styxx (#11). You may want to throw out an aft anchor to keep you from going under the dock.
  

• Where to dump trash? Go to the dinghy dock in front of Styxx (#11). To your right there is a street and behind that low wall that which is probably to keep cars from driving on the boardwalk, you'll see 5 or 6 trash bins.
  

• Where to get water & fuel? There is a fuel dock at St. Croix Marine (#1). They have water, gasoline, and diesel. Will fill your boat tanks or jerrycans.
  

• Where to fill propane? It is somewhere on the other side of the island near Hovensa. We were told to go to Styxx (#11) and ask if anyone will be going there soon and catch a ride with them. A taxi would be very expensive. We bought our propane tanks at Cost-U-Less and they are the same type that you can swap out at Gallows Bay Ace Hardware (#4). If you find someone who performs a service like Island Marine and Budget Marine offers in St Maarten (you leave your propane tank at the store, they take it to the filling station and you pick it up at the store later in the afternoon), please let us know!
  

• Mail? St Croix is part of the US Postal System so it is possible to have things delivered by Priority or Express Mail at the same cost as anywhere else in the US. There is a Post Office in Gallows Bay (#3) but they don't do General Delivery. For general delivery (poste restante) you need to go to the main Post Office that is outside of Christiansted. You pass by it (on your right) on the way to Pueblo.  Warning: FedEx, UPS, etc treats the USVI as an international location so is expensive... Use US Mail. We get our mail at Surf The Net ($12/month). Pass through Styxx (#11) and follow that little street. Go up the steps and it is to your left.  Watch out that you don't step on Paula, the little Chihuahua.
  

• Laundry? We have found two laundromats. One in Gallows Bay (#8) and the other (#13) which is by the Seaplane (#12). Both provide drop off and do-it-yourself service. They have front loaders and have $3.50 & $5.50 machines. The most direct route for the one in Gallows Bay is to tie up at St Croix Marine (#1) and walk down towards the Gallows Bay Marketplace but stay on the road and pass by the VI Trading Lumberyard (#5). Continue to the main road (East End Road) and turn left. The laundry (#8) is a little bit up this road on your left (across from the Canegata Ballpark). While waiting for your wash (cold=25 minutes), you can check out the little bakery a bit farther along the street or grab a Coke at Schooner Bay Market (#9) which is a bit farther still. For the other laundry (Prince's Street?), tie up at Styxx (#11) and take a right. Follow the boardwalk to where it ends at the Seaplane (#12). Turn left to get onto their driveway and then take a right on the main road. The laundry is on the next street to the left and the laundry (#13) is not too far on the left side of this street.
  

• Vet? This is one of the first things we try to "suss out" is where to find a veterinarian within walking distance (if possible). Fortunately, we haven't had to go there, but there is a vet (#7) at the Gallows Bay Marketplace. Progressive Veterinary Hospital, Kasey Canton, DVM 340-719-7387

• Buses? See our previous post about buses and bus schedule HERE. Vitran buses are $1 each way across the whole island, and there are also $2.50 taxivans which we haven't used. The Christiansted bus stop (map #10) which corresponds to the time in the bus schedule is outside of the yellow National Park Service building at the end of King Street.

• ATM? There is an ATM machine at First Bank. It is just a few steps away from this bus stop (map #10). With your back to the water and yellow Park Service building on your left, look to the right and you will see it on the front of the building under the covered sidewalk. The Bank of St Croix over by the post office  (map #3) at Gallows Bay Marketplace wouldn't accept my bank's debit card.  They only accept cards on the Star network. First Bank charges $2 per transaction.

• Marine Store? St Croix Marine (#1). Marine store, marina, travelift, boatyard, and the dinghy dock.
  

• Where to shop: Food? We do most of our food shopping at two places. Schooner Bay Market & Pueblo 
• Schooner Bay Market (#9) at Gallows Bay Marketplace (we usually wind our way through this shopping center to get there). Smaller and a bit more expensive than Pueblo, but it is close and you don't have to pay and wait for a bus. They have a small produce section, bakery, deli, fresh meat, and all the normal stuff.  They have a website.
  
• Pueblo Supermarket (#14) up at Golden Rock Shopping Center to the west of Christiansted. Pueblo is cheaper, is a bit of hilly hike but the walk is good for us. For Pueblo, tie up at Styxx (#11) and walk through until you come to King Street. Take a right and continue on this road until you reach Golden Rock at the second traffic light (the lights are very far apart!). We take the bus (map #15) back which is a 10-minute, $1 ride. When looking at the bus schedule, figure that Golden Rock is half way (10 minutes) between Sunny Isle and Christiansted, being sure that you are looking at the correct direction. Of course, you can always take the bus from Christiansted (map #10) if you don't feel up to the walk.
• Cost-U-Less and Plaza Extra are located farther from town near Sunny Isle Shopping Center (just before at Sion Farm) which you will need to take a bus. This Cost-U-Less is again different, yet similar, from the one in St. Thomas, which is different from the one in St Maarten. Different products, and of course the thing that you want that you can find in SXM is not available at the store here... So It Goes :) Plaza Extra is a large supermarket but we didn't really find any advantage in going to either of these stores, unless you want to do other things at the shopping center (Wendy's Chili for lunch?).
  

• Where to shop for other stuff? So far, we've only been to Golden Rock and Sunny Isle shopping centers. Looking forward to taking the bus to Frederiksted at the west end of the island.
• Gallows Bay Marketplace: Gallows Bay (Ace) Hardware (#4), US Post Office (#3), small bookstore (#6), veterinarian / animal hospital (#7), lumberyard VI Trading (#5) probably an ATM... ask!
  
• Golden Rock: Pueblo Supermarket (#14), Blockbuster, Sterling Optical, Dominos Pizza, and a few other little shops.
• Sunny Isle: Much larger. On the bus ride TO Sunny Isle, you'll see Cost-U-Less and Plaza Extra on your right at Sion Farm. Go shopping at Sunny Isle, then walk back to these stores if you want to shop there. There is a bus stop back to Christiansted at Plaza Extra. St Croix has two K-Marts. The smaller one is at Sunny Isle. Other stores: Radio Shack, Office Max, movie theater, AT&T, Footlocker, small clothing stores, other shops. Food: IHop, MacDonalds, Wendy's for your "fast" food fix. There is a large hardware store with lumberyard across the street from Wendy's. You'll see it on the left side of the road before the bus turns in to the shopping center.
  

• Where to get a cell phone? We got our AT&T "Go Phone" at Radio Shack in St Thomas, which, of course, is good for St Croix too. I bought the cheapest phone thinking that I'd put the chip into my triband phone but it didn't work because they use the 850 band here. The phones you buy here are dual band 850 & 900 which work in US, USVI, and Puerto Rico. They sell them at Radio Shack & the AT&T store at Sunny Isle. Don't know anything about other carriers, sorry! I have the $60/month plan which has unlimited, nationwide long distance & texting. I pay using my AT&T internet account. I went to AT&T here in STX because I was having problems with voicemail. Turns out the plan doesn't include voicemail but it is only $0.99/month. $60/month is quite an outlay but it is so nice not to worry about the minutes ticking by when someone place you on hold, etc.

• Dive Shop? We know of SCUBA (St. Croix Ultimate Bluewater Adventures). Tie up at Styxx (#11) take a right on the boardwalk to first street (where you dump your trash) which is Caravelle Arcade and it is on the other side of the street (to your right if back facing the water). They made excellent eggnog at Christmas!
  

• WiFi / Internet access? We have internet access on the boat.  You can try various hotspots and see if you can get free wifi, or you can pay (hotspots starting with "BroadbandVI"). I think it's $60/month.  As a comparison, we paid $100/month in St Maarten for Scarlet service. You can also get fee wifi at a few of the boardwalk bars, and there are a couple of internet cafes.

• ATM : Haven't used it yet, but there is one at a bank on King Street somewhere between Caravelle Arcade (street where the trash is) and the bus stop at the end.
  

Well, that's enough to get started...

You can check our other posts with the label of St Croix. CLICK HERE

Cruisers Map for Christiansted St Croix USVI

My project for today (feels like a Saturday) is to put together a helpful map for cruisers coming to Christiansted, St Croix, US Virgin Islands.

I did a couple of screenshots of Google Maps for the area, then stitched them together, and placed numbers on them.  It is a pretty large image but for me, this is what I would have like to have had when we arrived here :) Gives a good overview...

( Click image to view enlarged map in new window )

GALLOWS BAY
1) St Croix Marine - Dinghy Dock
2) Customs & Immigration
3) US Post Office
4) Gallows Bay Ace Hardware
5) VI Trading Lumberyard
6) Undercover Bookstore
7) Progressive Veterinary Hospital - 340-719-7387
8) Laundry
9) Schooner Bay Market

CHRISTIANSTED
10) Bus Stop
11) Styxx - Dinghy Dock
12) Seaborne Seaplane
13) Laundry - Prince's Street

GOLDEN ROCK SHOPPING CENTER
14) Pueblo Supermarket
15) Bus Stop

You might find it handy to click on the image to go to the full size map and then download it to your computer where you can view it better.

WIFI : Drivers for ALFA USB Highpower Adaptor

A few months ago, in preparation to sailing to St Thomas and other Caribbean destinations, we decided to buy the ALFA USB Highpower Adapter (AWUS036H) so we'd have redundancy for accessing wifi.

Many people we know have had good success with this unit and it highly recommended it.

You can buy it on Amazon HERE for under $40 (I paid $80-something at the marine store).

It was more expensive buying it at Island Water World in St Maarten than purchasing the same unit online, but 1) they had it in stock; and 2) with the extra cost of shipping the unit to St Maarten, the savings wouldn't be worth it.

We were busy getting ready to go sailing for a couple of months so I put off testing out the unit. When I finally got around to it, I put the mini CD in my MacBook (which I had bad feelings about) and I had the problems of removing the small CD from my Mac which was described in an earlier post (see here).

Our external DVD drive didn't want to read the mini CD, so I put the box in a locker and forgot about it for awhile.

I came across the unit yesterday and decided to deal with it. It took a couple of hours of searching but I came up with the user manual (download it here) and also found the necessary driver which includes the utility software, plus an uninstall (download it here). We have OSXv10.5.3 on our MacBooks so we downloaded this one: Realtek rtl8187l Wireless Driver 1.309 Mac OS.

I read the manual, installed the driver and tried the Alfa wifi adapter and HURRAY it works GREAT.

Hope this helps those who are looking for a highpower USB wifi adaptor, and also those of you who can't load their little CD with the manuals, drivers, and utilities.