I know nothing about boats.

Hi Simkiss

Just for the fact that you are asking those questions, the ferry is the answer.

1 you would spend too much time and money buying a mooring, if St. John is like St. Croix and is now putting a moritorium on new mooring ownership you will need to find someone with a mooring that will let you have his. If you can get a new one, you would need to get a diver to set your mooring.

2 If you were to get a boat it sounds like you would want a Whaler. That is fast. But one engine on one of those would be 10-14k. Let alone the cost of the boat upkeep. Then you would need to pay $1 per foot per day to park alongside in STT somewhere. Or with a big boat you would anchor and bring your dingy in. Not keeping an eye on your dingy all day and someone could just come along and take it. That dingy costs 3-8k and the engine on that is about the same.

just my opinion

I knew a guy who had a very nice power cat. He kept it moored by his house on St John, belonged to the Yacht Club on St Thomas, so put his boat there during the day. Even he gave it up after awhile and took the ferry. Just a whole bunch of extra hoops.

The guide to boat ownership in the VI is VERY expensive... 😉 Seriously, it is something that, is easier (but still expensive) once you are here and you have figured out the ropes,

Hey, Mark...BTW, I just went back and re-read your letter on the Source from last June. I would be interested in knowing if your impressions have changed since then. I also noticed that I recommended the "Island Peak to Coral Reef" book to you LAST May! I need Mark Harmon to give you a slap upside the head! 😉

hehe! i completely forgot about the book. it should be on it's way. i don't know how long it'll take to get here but i called last week.

as for my opinion that i wrote to the source in june prior to visiting in july last summer, i would say that my personal opinion was vindicated. it wasn't the same experience as having been 18 naturally, and you clearly see much more as an adult, but all--in-all, the people with whom i spoke reinforced what i believed.

now, you could say that it takes two to communicate (i.e. i make an effort to be friendly) but i found what i was looking for most everywhere i looked. the only place that people seems miserable was at the k-mart in tutu, but they're no different than the people who work at the k-mart in my town here.

one response that i loved was when my wife said something along the lines of "goodmorning, how are you today?" to a ticket-taker at the ferry and the guy's reply was "i'm great! i live on an island."

we went to mass on St. John and it was just the kind of parish i was looking for. it was the mass i know being catholic, but with more energy and expression, and a drum! it felt like i belonged there.

as with everywhere, there are all sorts of people from all over the place. i would say that i had a positive experience with 80-90% of the people i encountered, and the people with whom i had some negative vibes were at k-mart, like i said, and one or two people who moved down from the mainland. in contrast, the most friendly people we met were born and raised in the VI.

i was sad to leave because i know it's my home, but God-willing, we'll soon be back.

Well, just wanted an update! Thanks!

I love the challenge of getting a grouchy person to greet me. At the Domino, there is one guy who comes to the window and stares. I always say, "Good Morning!" in my cheeriest voice and then I wait. He stares, but I smile and wait for his greeting before I will give him my order. I almost always get a hint of a smile in the long run...

You will find that there are a few people who are just plain unhappy. There are a few more who really don't have social skills. But the vast majority of people are very pleasant. 🙂

Is there no place to tie up a dinghy (12 ft or less) on either STJ or STT during the day or overnight? I've seen dinghy docks on East End STT and STJ. You wouldn't need a mooring or pay for slip in this case as long as you conform to the 12 ft or less. There's also the potential for someone to cut your dinghy loose or steal your stuff but that comes along with the territory unfortunately and there are methods to employ to prevent or discourage theft. I agree on some days it would be a long, bumpy, uncomfortable ride. I guess the question is: would a dinghy be practical option for simkiss?

i really like the idea of having a boat and the freedom to go where you want when you want from island to island. while it may be expensive, i would be inclined to give it a try. i don't suppose i'll ever really know for sure until i do it. one thing i'm used to; living reasonably close to the jersey shore up here, is that you can rent small boats for fishing and water skiing. i didn't notice anything like that in st. thomas or st. john, but i wasn't looking for it either. are there places that rent these smaller boats? that might be a good way to get a feel for using a boat as transportation between stt and stj.

The topic title says it all - learning about boats from an online forum may not be the answer.