US Virgin Islands News

"Insecure" day sails to BVI in jeopardy

Updated and clarified

The U.S. Coast Guard has notified island boat captains they can no longer pick up tourists at the Westin's beach, the National Park Service dock or the dock at "The Creek" for day sails to Jost Van Dyke and Tortola.

The BVI Captains Log Blog reported 33 captains of boats that carry 12 or more people received a letter advising them they cannot use those spots to pick up passengers.  Read the letter here.

The letter reminded the Captains to use authorized "secure" facilities to pick up and discharge passengers.  On St. John, those are the Enighed marine terminal (the car barge dock), the dock at the Westin, the dock at Caneel Bay and the London Boynes Marine Facility.  The letter appears to be a reminder that Captains should pick up charter passengers only from the authorized docks and not the beaches.

"This is happening because the National Park and Port Authority docks are no longer secured for Homeland Security," the blog's author wrote. "They dropped the security. Without these docks being secured the St. John tourists cannot take these excursions to the BVI's."

Gorgeous photo of Jost van Dyke, from St. John, by Steven House via Flickr.

Gasoline drops 60 cents a gallon

Gasoline still costs more than $4 a gallon on St. John, but at least it's cheaper than it was.

E&C in Cruz Bay/Enighed has cut its price to $4.07 a gallon, from $4.67, according to the St. John Talk blog.  The price cut follows a 75-cent a gallon price reduction by Hovensa, the refinery on St. Croix.

It also comes after Hurricane Omar left the Territory, before which many people filled their vehicles' gas tanks.  So, lots of folks are driving around with nearly $5/gallon gas.

Omar left an ecological mess

"Even though Omar skirted past St. Croix, the most populated of the U.S. Virgin Islands was hit by heavy rain and damaging winds," according to AccuWeather.com. (Graphic at left, Copyright AccuWeather.com.)

"Roads were flooded, trees and power lines were toppled and about half of the island was without power for most of the week." 

Read the full article here: http://www.accuweather.com/news-top-headline.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&date=2008-10-20_16:22&month=10&year=2008

Next time ...

Watching the Webcams was one way to get a rough idea of, at least, when the lights went out as Omar blew across the territory.  Another way, of course, is to listen to the radio.  A number of VI stations do stream their signals.  Unfortunately, the CBS affiliate, WVWI Radio One, is not among them.  It's been about two years since the news and talk station was available. It doesn't even have a Web site that I could find.

Here are the stations that are streaming, according to Bill Carney who blogs "A Rum Infused Life."

• WDHP Christiansted, USVI with Island music
  http://www.reefbroadcasting.com/
• Caribbean gospel music WEVI-FM St. Thomas:
  http://www.wevifm.org/
• WIUJ St. Thomas
  http://nyc01.egihosting.com/9876
• WJKC Christiansted
  http://www.isle95.com/
• WMNG Christiansted classic rock
  http://www.mongoose1049.com/
• WVIQ Christiansted Adult Contemporary
  http://www.sunny995.com/
• WSTX Christiansted
  http://www.wstxam.com/

What's that villa worth? Really.

The folks from HGTV are coming to the islands, and maybe juist in time to dispense a dose of reality into real estate prices. The producers of a show in development for the cable network, "My House is Worth What", are searching for properties to review. 

They are offering a professional evaluation of your home's market value, comparing original purchase price with any renovations made to come up with a current sales price.  And for buyers who made their deals in the past two or three years on St. John, the bottom line could be a shocker.

"Owning a home can be a great investment," the producers at Pietown TV say.  "(But) with the ups and downs of the current real estate market, it may be worth your while to find out what your home may sell for in today's market."

Of course, valuing a house is one service of real estate agents.  Given that the St. John  market is so unusual, the TV show people are also inviting island-savvy real estate sales people to offer their experience in assessing.

You can submit your house, or your self, here: http://www.hgtv.com/be-on-hgtv/attention-homeowners-and-real-estate-agents/index.html

Island photos, post-Omar

Not your usual pretty pictures here.  These were taken by guests staying at Blue Tang. Click on them to see larger versions.

They are the beach at Cinnamon Bay, the beach at the Westin, and a downed tree at the Westin.

Omar, the morning after ... Looking OK

Good News!  The Webcams are up ... Cruz Bay  and Chocolate Hole's cameras are sending video - they've got power!  Coral Bay's camera is still sending an old video grab, so I'll conclude power on the East End is still down.

Meanwhile, beautiful weather has returned to the Virgin islands, to judge by a report this morning filed by a Weather Channel meteorologist from Puerto Rico.  He said PR got .25 inches of rain, St. Thomas about 2 1/2 and St Croix nearly 5, suggesting St John got something like 3 or 4.

The Webcams are not showing debris and widely scattered vegetation.  They are also not showing metal roofs in the bushes.  All good news.

EVEN BETTER NEWS!  A family staying at Blue Tang, our villa overlooking Great Cruz Bay, decamped to the Westin for the storm after the house was closed in.  Says, "We lucked out with Omar tracking east.  We hardly felt any effects at the Westin.  We are safe and it appears its going to be a beautiful day.  From our vantage point, Blue Tang looks in perfect condition."

Live video from St. John

Update:  Just checked all four cams at about 630pm.  Three of them are stuck on 6 p.m. timestamps, and the camera near St. John Spice hasn't seemed to change for 10-20 minutes.  Looks like it's lights out.

The storm is coming.  Here are links to four Webcams on the island. Watch 'em as long as the power stays up.

Coral Bay
http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/caribbean-web-cams/coral-bay-st-john.shtml

Chocolate Hole
http://www.caribbean-on-line.com/caribbean-web-cams/chocolate-hole-st-john.shtml

Cruz Bay
http://www.gotostjohn.com/live/index.htm

Hurricane Hole
http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/Webcam/index1.html

It's a Hurricane. St. John is closed.

Hurricane Omar is expected to blow across St. John and the other Virgins late tonight and Thursday.  A "direct hit" is possible, according to forecast maps which show the eye passing across the island.

As much as 40 inches of rain may fall during the 48 hours, according to the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency.  The National Weather Service says winds have increased to 80-miles an hour, making the storm a Category 1 hurricane.

The last ferry between Cruz Bay and Red Hook was scheduled to leave St. John at 10 p.m. Tuesday.  All schools are closed today and a curfew will go into effect at 6 p.m. Wednesday night.  The Governor has declared a State of Emergency.

Two things are making Omar memorable already. It's late in the season and Omar is coming from the south and moving northeast.  Most storms come from the west. Pray.

Here are some links for more storm information:

• National Weather Service: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at5+shtml/085653.shtml?5day?large#contents
• St. John Source: http://www.onepaper.com/stjohnvi/?v=d&i=&s=News:Local&p=(null)
• Virgin Islands Daily News: http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com
• The Weather Channel: http://www.weather.com/newscenter/hurricanecentral/update/index.html?from=hp_news
• Storm Carib: http://stormcarib.com/reports/current/stjohn.shtml and http://stormcarib.com/

Tourism Department tries 'New Age' marketing

Beverly Nicholson-Doty told a meeting of the Territory's advertising industry it's time for a change.  A new 'brand' for the islands is being developed.  As reported by the Virgin Islands  Daily News, it makes no sense.

The Tourism Commissioner said the former brand, America's Paradise, has lost its kick.  "The idea just doesn't work," Doty said, according to the newspaper.  Furthermore, travelers' impressions of the VIs are not good ... "same stores, cheap souvenirs ... harassment by vendors and locals," the Daily News explained. (Who's surprised by this?)

Anyway, Doty said the Territory's $10 million Tourism spending will focus on a new image and selling platform for the islands. 

Instead of "exotic, yet familiar, which was the kernel of "America's Paradise," there will be a new positioning concept. The new "working brand truth" is ..."independent people seeking the freedom to indulge in an unscripted experience."  While the Commissioner said there's work to be done refining the statement, this is the path they're on. 

If you have ANY idea what the heck that means, please comment below.  It's unintelligible. When I go on vacation, I want "an unscripted experience"?  How unfocused can we get?

Her remarks also indicated the Department hopes to attract more vacationers from Europe (where America is not too popular these days?  So that's why 'America's Paradise' isn't working?)

Here's the Daily News story: http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_home?id=17629385