New Year's moments...

Over Christmas, we spent a glorious week sailing the U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. Our last two evenings in Great Lameshur Bay on the south side of St. John, provided stunning sunsets, and we're already looking forward to another trip to sail through the British Virgin Islands. Trip log.


We returned late on the 29th, just in time to spend New Year's Eve at our Encinal Yacht Club and the next day dropped by the Aeolian Yacht Club and then back to the Encinal as part of the "round-the-island" cruise. Although there was a break in the stormy weather, most people still took the "land cruise route" to the Aeolian, the Ballena Bay Yacht Club, and back to the Encinal.










Mike Chambreau and his crew on Impetuous were the one sailboat amongst the Encinal cruisers to go all the way around.


Bloody Mary's and Gin Fizzzes were the answer to most folks hangovers from the night before, as testified to by Deborah and our friends David and Susan Sherrill, and lots of "round-the-island" land-cruisers dropped by the Encinal for clam chowder, chili, and dogs.






During the day, however, we received the news that one of our most gentle and giving members, Dick Crosson, had died in an accidental fall in his home the night before. In a quiet, thoughtful moment, Mark Brunelle's image spoke aloud the sadness mingled in all our hearts with the traditional hope that New Year's Day brings.