Life in the Tropics During Winter

Santa found Aspen and left lots of goodies!

Shark attack!!!

Captain Tim telling Steve where to steer.

An "easy" St. John hike, according to Captain Steve??

The boys sailing along, sailing along.

Zach on a pretty BVI beach.

The famous Foxy on Jost Van Dyke.

Sir Timothy looking for reefs.

The whole group in the Virgin Islands.

Tarentela's crew on New Years Eve.

I have reached the pinnacle of awe inspiring chance meetings while sailing. Most people might see the motorcycle crossing the photo. Yet what I see is the vessel in the background called Venus. She was anchored in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, near Aspen. Venus belongs to the late great Steve Jobs, of Apple. Wow, his spirit lives on...


S/Y Aspen – January 5, 2015 – Log #124
Aspen Position: 18 degrees 29’ N  063 degrees 00’ W
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands


We sit in wonder, watching the weather reports from snowy Colorado and the frigid north, so far away from the gentle rolling of Aspen in the little latitudes that we call our winter home.

The trade winds blow, usually a lot stronger than we like.  Things keep breaking on Aspen too.  Since we have been onboard we have fixed the navigation system, refrigeration system, galley fresh water faucet, shower pump, generator, replaced all our batteries and a few other essential items to keep Aspen working and afloat.

Of course between all the work there have been times of carefree joy.  Zach, Heidi, Nik and Sir Timothy spent Christmas on Aspen where we visited many islands in the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.  Getting passports stamped from a foreign port was a lot of fun, not to mention snorkeling in the realm of pirates from an era gone by.  No treasure was found but memories of the adventure linger in the minds of youth.

We seasoned sailors merely enjoyed tropical drinks, watching everyone bask in the warm Caribbean sunshine.

The New Year found Maria and myself rubbing noses with Venus, the late Steve Jobs superyacht in the Virgin Islands.  Pricey jets lined the runway in St. Thomas, waiting for their guests to return and fly someplace new.

Most days we spend Happy Hour and numerous hikes with friends from Cat Tales, Tarentela and Silk Pajamas, our cruising friends from Canada and the southwest US.  They also lend a sympathetic ear when problems happen on Aspen and remind us that we are not alone.  Boats need a lot of repairs and that happens to everyone, all the time.

Do those distant horizons beckon Aspen and ourselves to sail forever westward and forsake our beloved and beautiful Caribbean?

No friggin' way!!!!  Maria answers that.  Any questions?

Sail on, sail on Aspen…