My maiden voyage on TIKI would be thru the Virgin Islands (the locals called them Wirgin) with the jump off from Tortola (Br.). A small plane dropped us off at Tortola and I, wearing a yatchman's blue blazer, was sped thru British Customs. But several of my shipmates with long hair and wearing jeans were subjected to a thorough baggage inspection. There is a message there. Tortola is hot, not touristy and is primarily a charter center for the Caribbean. The captain wanted to show us the exotic island of Jost Van Dyke a short sail away where Foxy operated a bar on the beach with a few lanterns hanging (there was no electricity) and a pig on the spit with sweet smoke wafting thru the trees - which was not smoke from the pit fire. Next time I vowed to bring a flashlight. With the islands so close together it was a short sail to St. John (U.S.) where Rockefeller had built the Caneel Bay resort whose logo was a symbol for the extinct Arawak Indian tribe. We dropped anchor off the beach - took our dinghy ashore and were offered yachtman's courtesy as we commandeered their patio where the bar specialty of the day was frozen peach daiquiris of which we consumed a few. Then it was back on board TIKI to await the sunset and the "green flash" as the sun plunged vertically into the sea.
tjs
(To be continued)
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