Kooser Ski 2023

From Sean Stull's FB Post:  Moraine sailors had our Kooser/Seven Springs ski weekend. Warren Stewart , Bill Paviol, Allen Murphy, Kevin, Rob, Eric and I stayed in #23 and Debra Cashion and Tammy were in #24 and joined us for dinner. The skiing was great Saturday, but we had to bail on Sunday due to rain.

Our ski breaks are consistently the
best tailgating at Seven Springs.

This year our neighbors did
challenge us for the title!

The young crew behind Bill & me may be
carrying our torch in the future! 

Terrific sunsets followed me to PA from Arizona!

Video by Sean Stull

Sean provides the steaks as he has
superb access to great beef!

One of the best views of the evening!  Video by Sean Stull

Sean's FB Post shows everyone
enjoying a great time!
Click Here for his FB Post.

We had plenty of snow for skiing.
Much more snow than in 2018.
Much Less snow than in 2010. 

BEYC, Tortola, St. Thomas

 

We took the water taxi to the
Bitter End Yacht Club for breakfast.
Here's Lisa enjoying a brief bit of beach time
before we depart. 

January 20-22, 2023

Our last Day of sailing included a last fling at the Bitter End Yacht Club for some breakfast and shopping, as well as wandering along their gorgeous beach.

Tim Cole was our Captain for the day and he provided a terrific day of sailing as we exited Gorda Sound, sailed by Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island, then cruised Sir Francis Drake Channel until the end of the day.  We motored through the harbour at Road Town arriving at the charter base for our final night aboard.

Saturday morning we caught the boat for our return to St. Thomas and our flights home on Sunday.

Captain Cole sailed us back to Road Town, but
we still had plenty of daylight and a perfect breeze, so
he tacked away towards Norman Island enabling the
crew to continue enjoying another perfect day in paradise.

Nicole created this terrific video.

Lisa discovered another clue indicating we're visiting
the BRITISH Virgin Islands.  😊

Necker Island

Lisa, Nicole, Jada

This large power yacht strutted her stuff
as we passed Spanishtown off Virgin Gorda. 

Captain Cole in command of FBG

This comfortable bar was nestled into
a pedestrian passageway just off
the waterfront in St. Thomas.

Murph and Jada sporting their
recent purchases of tropical attire.

The crew's final dinner in St. Thomas
included a fiery table-side preparation
of bananas foster.

Lisa loved her bananas foster!

Homeward bound on Sunday

Cooper & Virgin Gorda

 

January 18-19, 2023

Kirby leads the crew as Captain with full responsibilities for FBG as we raise anchor and sail to Cooper Island.

Another great sailing day as the chart indicates.
A couple tacks were required to clear St. John and
Peter Island, but a favorable wind shift then carried 
FBG to Cooper Island without another tack!

Secure at the mooring ball, the crew goes

swimming in the clear, warm Caribbean Sea.

This cute cottage was ashore near our mooring.

These fruits? were everywhere in the trees
above Joey and Tim.

This gent was collecting those fruits,
but I don't recall their intended use.

The 19th included a stop at The Baths at the southern end of 
Virgin Gorda, before continuing to the Bitter End Yacht Club
in Gorda Sound at the northern end of the island.

This storm appeared from behind Cooper Island 
just as John, our Captain today, had the crew
drop the mooring and depart.

Captain John did a great job managing the
event and took FBG away from the storm's path. 

Thankfully it was a small, local disturbance and FBG
only had a few minutes of rain and bluster before
separating from the weather.

At the Baths, we dinghied to the floats outlining
the swimming area, then had to swim along the floats
to the beach.

We followed a path climbing to the park office, then began
the wonderful hike to the shoreline and entrancing
boulders and washing waves.
For the panorama, Click Here.

That's FBG in the center.

Nicole and John enjoy the view for the very top.

Jada and Murph at the top.

Nicole makes a new friend.

The sail from the baths to the Bitter End Yacht Club

was another beautiful transit across the water.

Upon arrival, John had the crew secure FBG

to a mooring.

At the beach off the BEYC.

The BEYC bar was a boat!

Murph's meal

Stars on a clear night at our mooring.