Familiar Waters

Queen’s Dream glided quietly into Rendezvous Bay, St. John, US Virgin Islands. The bright, moonlit bay welcomed her to a well-deserved rest a few hours before sunrise – The clink, clink, clink of the anchor dropping into the shallow, clear waters, and a sandy bottom. Her sails furled and stowed, her engines shut down, her autopilot eerily quiet. For the first time in her short life, QD was resting on anchor in tropical waters.

Since officially entering the Caribbean a few days ago, she has sailed proudly past the views of Guadeloupe, Antigua, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, Eustatius, Saba, St. Barts, St. Martin and the BVI’s. Her anchor rests snuggly in US territory – the country that she will carry the flag for on her stern. She was built in France but is proudly flagged as a US ship. Her short stay on anchor is only until sunrise consumes the darkness and the US customs office opens in Cruz Bay. Her crew officially clears into the US, she loads her belly with more fuel (diesel) and sets sail towards her destination – Ft. Lauderdale.

While these waters are virgin new to QD, some of her crew know them very well. Over a decade of sailing these waters, anchoring in these bays, and exploring these islands. Reminiscing, pointing, and smiling, the urge is to do a short daylight sail to another familiar anchorage and breathe in the familiar surroundings. However, the mission of Stage #1 must be completed. Another 1,000 miles to go, another week of sailing will bring QD dockside in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Her inaugural mission will be accomplished. After another month of detailed commissioning work, her build will finally be complete. Then, without hesitation, her hulls will permanently leave US waters and set sail to explore the world. These bows will break into these familiar waters before summer. The anticipation of Stage #2 awaits …