Captain’s Log: Sailing Out, Sleeping In
The Basics
The boat: Speculation, a 44′ Leopard
Crew: Captain Jalil (instructor)
ASA Students: Zander, Hannah, Justin, and Jillian
Courses Completed: ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104 (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran)
Day 1: An Adventurous Crew
This crew is big into adventure! Zander sails a Laser in his local sailing club and Hannah sometimes joins in too. Justin and Jillian don’t have sailing experience but Justin is a pilot and they often find themselves on exciting adventures. The crew got to know each other and Captain Jalil over dinner and cocktails and prepared to set sail in the morning!
Day 2: A Well-Rounded Day of Adventure
Before setting off on their sailing adventure, the crew wanted to know just about everything about Speculation. “We looked at all the systems in the boat, and even removed some panels to have a look at the blackwater tankage and some of the electrical and plumbing system components,” Captain Jalil said in his Captain’s Log. “It’s a good thing I know every inch of Spec, I could explain and show absolutely everything.”
After casting off, the group headed to Honeymoon Beach on Water Island. Everyone swam with the turtles and weren’t so sure they ever wanted to leave! But sailing lessons were calling them back and Captain Jalil wrangled the crew together to practice maneuvers under power. They worked on learning the engine controls, as well as stopping and turning the boat. Afterwards, they set a single-reefed main and a single-reefed jib and practiced sailing on different points of sail. The day flew by and soon they were in Careening Cove, Hassel Island. They took the dinghy to shore and enjoyed dinner at Amalia Cafe in the historic downtown district. The crew loved the old-world atmosphere almost as much as enjoyed Emelio’s creative Spanish-themed menu and impeccable execution!
Day 3: Picture Perfect
The crew woke up and took their time getting ready, enjoying the spectacular view of St Thomas’ picturesque harbor. The wind was a lot lighter than the previous day, so they set a full main & jib in ESE 8, and started tacking to windward. After a few tacks, the crew really started coming into their own. They celebrated their success with snorkeling along the beautiful reef of Buck Island. The crew practiced knot tying while they admired sea turtles surfacing right next to the boat. Once they were ready to set sail again, Zander took inventory of the fishing lures aboard, and selected one to troll behind the boat. No fish were caught but Captain Jalil did share his Painkiller cocktail recipe with the crew after mooring at Secret Beach!
Day 4: Sleeping In, Sailing Out
“Some folks just aren’t morning people, so by Day 4 I gave up on trying to have class early, and even waited a little longer to make coffee so it would be fresh and hot for the crew when they came up the companionway rubbing their eyes,” Captain Jalil wrote in his Captain’s Log.
While Captain Jalil was itching to go, the crew felt great about their 11am cast off! They felt awake and ready to go — enjoying their time learning to reef and heave-to! The crew even had the rare opportunity to take a dip at Cow & Calf Rock, a rare treat since usually the exposed location is too rough for swimming. Snorkeling, the crew saw a spotted eagle ray and a porcupine fish. They also startled a reef shark!
“I went into a submarine cave to look for a nurse shark, but there was nobody home. The crew was a little worried when I didn’t come back out, though – they didn’t realize the cave had a back door,” Captain Jalil wrote in his Captain’s Log. “I snuck up behind them and found them all intently watching the cave entrance, wondering what happened to the captain.”
Unfortunately, the fishing wasn’t going as well for the crew as the snorkeling and sailing. A big fish took off with Zander’s whole line before he could reach the pole. Later, Justin hooked a massive schoolmaster snapper with his fishing rod but a barracuda swooped in from nowhere and bit the whole thing right off the line. All he left was the head!
Day 5: More Swimming than Sailing
Day 5 was marked with beautiful weather for swimming… but not so great for sailing. Captain Jalil called it the “flattest, calmest weather” he had ever seen in the Virgin Islands. However, the crew wasn’t too dismayed to spend the whole morning paddleboarding, learning knot ties, and lazing around on the trampoline! By afternoon, a little NNE breeze lifted the sails, so they practiced man overboard drills and then called it a day so they could fish in Maho Bay.
Day 6: Knot Cocktail Time
Captain Jalil was getting used to late starts with this sleepy crew and on day 6, he remarked that the late start may be due to the fact that “the boys had stayed up kinda late smoking cigars and philosophizing, and the girls had a paddleboard date with a cheeky sea turtle.”
Luckily, the crew still had plenty of daylight hours to sail in! They set a full main & jib in E’S 8 and learned jibing as they made their way back toward Henley Cay. For Captain Jalil, the highlight of the day was enjoying Speculation’s best point of sail and getting good speed in ESE 12 on the way back to Long Bay. They ended the day with some “knot cocktail time” as they had dubbed their nightly Painkillers and knot learning sessions!
Day 7: Snoozin’ and Sailing
No waiting on the last day of sailing— Captain Jalil and the crew cast off while Zander was still in bed! Luckily, Zander woke up in time to disembark off the boat and say his goodbyes to the rest of the crew!