Part IV: A dinghy ride from hell and a crazy salt guy!

lavender · Post by **lavender** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:16 pm

Now on to the NOT relaxing part. Later in the week we decided to rent a dinghy and explore some nearby islands. They had 15 foot rigid inflatable with a center console. We decided Saturday would be the day. We were at the dock bright and early with a plan to head to Norman Island to snorkel the Caves and maybe the Indians too. What a fun adventure! Well.....we could see the chop in the channel and thought oh it might be a bit rough but we have boated all our lives - no problem. I started out driving. Immediately my hat blew off - rookie mistake! Swooped around picked it up and we are off again. Well.. Cooper Island's harbour is nice and calm, now on to Salt Island, getting a little choppy but okay, then on to Peter Island - from Salt to Peter is I have no idea how far but you cross between the two islands - the channel is to our right - the open open big scary ocean is to our left and the swells are so big I want to cry. Literally cry. I am still driving (I can tell you I wish I wasn't) and we get into this very very very ROUGH water. I immediately ask my husband to get out the life jackets. I then decide I am putting mine on. So does my husband. I am trying to cut a slight diagonal line across the waves, trying to maintain a steady speed and trying not to think we were going to die. I have never EVER been in water that rough. After what seemed to be an eternity we are in the first harbour of Peter Island and the Peter Island Resort. We cruised through and didn't see any moorings and there was no dock. This was Deadman's Beach. A very beautiful long palm treed beach. While cruising through this area - which was semi-protected but still pretty rough - we actually saw a sea turtle - now that was fun! We could see that there seemed to be another harbour down around the next bend of the island. We head that way and find an extremely protected harbour with moorings, slips and a dinghy dock. We tie up and ask the Harbourmaster if it was okay to walk around the island. I will tell you we both felt very relieved to be on firm ground!! We walked around a bit - we had gotten a map from the Harbourmaster and decided to hit the beach. Walked leisurely over to Deadman's beach and at the far end they actually have lounge chairs and tiki huts for their day guests. Sunned, swam, and relaxed although the relaxation wasn't too deep as we know we had to get back home in that damn dinghy! We also walked around to the other side of the island which was gorgeous. A very spectacular, beautiful resort but very very expensive. Rooms start at 540 a night and up to 9000k - yes 9000k for one night for a private villa. Wow. At any rate we had lunch, then the skies opened up and it poured. Well to say that I was nervous was an understatement. I envisioned us not ever getting back to Cooper Island. Well.. the skies cleared in an hour or so and the seas had calmed down a teeny bit. We decided the moment had arrived and we headed out. We clung pretty tight to the shoreline and then the dreaded crossing was upon us. This time my husband was driving and I was in the front. He was maintaining an excellent course and speed and the swells were a little bit less - not much but a little. Well then a sailboat was cutting diagonally in front of us and was under sail. Of course that meant we had to yield to him - he crossed well in front of us and was approximately 70-80 feet off to our left. We approached his trailing wake and in that moment I saw a white line coming from the back of his boat - it was definitely white and a pretty decent gauge. It was about four feet out of the water. We were headed directly for it and it was too damn close to us. I screamed, I pointed, my husband yelled, he saw it, he immediately hit reverse, turned the dinghy away from the line and tried to keep our dinghy from swamping in the FREAKING WAVES. I will tell you I don't know how we made it - we got around his line, our boat didn't swamp or stall, we didn't fall overboard or get decapitated. My husband regrouped got back to his course and we headed towards Salt Island. As our reward for making this crossing we saw another sea turtle! We decide our stress level is too high and we need some land under our feet. We stop at Salt Island for a little look around. The history of Salt Island is that there are two shallow salt water ponds that evaporate and leave their salt behind and that was harvested during the old days and used for food preservation, etc. It has a bunch of very ramshackle buildings and apparently on some days a caretaker of sorts. We tie up our dinghy to the dock and head ashore. The place looks like it was abandoned 100 years ago. We wander toward the obvious depression in the island, when, my husband spots a very weathered looking man wearing a hard hat. My husband thinks we should leave, but what the heck it is pretty obvious we are tourists, and curious ones at that. My husband asks what I am going to do and I say I am going to smile and be friendly. So we were and we politely asked if it was okay to walk around on "his" island. And we asked about its history and the procedures for harvesting the salt. And all the time I am thinking good lord I hope this guy isn't crazy and going to kill these two fine tourists!!!! We lived through our big scary ocean crossing, our near death experience with the white line, now are we going to die in the salt ponds??? He of course was harmless and explained he lived there pretty much all the time except of course when he lived on the "other" island. Wherever that might be. We spend a little time then headed back in the dinghy. At this point we were very close to Cooper and ready to be back in our own little corner of the world. We docked the dingy and swore we would NEVER EVER NEVER EVER do that again. Never. Ever. Really.

Our last full day was Sunday and we repeated all of the things mentioned in previous days. Monday we were up early for our version of Planes Trains and Automobiles. It took 9 different segments of travel, and a boat, a taxi, a ferry, a plane, a bus, and a car to get us home but we made it. All in all it was a great trip and we had a fabulous time. We love St John but think we have found another little piece of paradise that we love just as much!

Hope you have enjoyed the long, long report! As this forum is so helpful I hope someone out there can glean a little bit of useful information from all of my detail. Can't wait to go back!! Glad I am not there for the skeeters though!!!!!!!!!

Xislandgirl · Post by **Xislandgirl** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:30 pm

Thanks so much for such a great report. I always wondered what Cooper was like, sounds like a perfect relaxing getaway.

Tina · Post by **Tina** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:36 pm

OMG. You brave sole.

I would have been paying someone on a larger boat at Peter Island to take my sorry butt back to Cooper. So glad you survived the trek and now have a great story to tell. Thanks for the report!

Ron_L · Post by **Ron_L** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:37 pm

Thanks for the reports! Think about the dinghy ride as an adventure that you can talk about for years!

DELETED · Post by **DELETED** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:48 pm

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suzi · Post by **suzi** » Mon May 07, 2007 9:56 pm

Oh my...I have really enjoyed reading about your adventures!!! When we took our annual trip to The Baths ( from STJ) our capt. on Stormy Petrol told us about the 1 guy who lived on Salt Island. Can't believe you actually met him!!!

cat · Post by **cat** » Mon May 07, 2007 10:03 pm

Great report! I am now totally convinced that we will be getting a captain when we rent our boat!!!!! None of that crazines for me!!!!!

Pia · Post by **Pia** » Mon May 07, 2007 10:07 pm

Wow !!!!

Great report and sooooo glad you made it safely home

Pia

SuefromMA · Post by **SuefromMA** » Mon May 07, 2007 11:27 pm

Hi!!

Great trip reports!

We loved meeting you two, too!!

Thanks for the Morgan's Mango tip - best BBC's on the whole island!!

Loved your tales of your dinghy adventure! Great writing - I felt that I was right there with you.

So glad to hear that you loved Cooper Island & enjoyed your time there so much!

So happy that our stars aligned & paths crossed!!

Sue (& Jim)

Coden · Post by **Coden** » Tue May 08, 2007 6:38 am

Thank you for all of your reports, I've read them all and they are great!! I could really envision myself there...especially the dinghy ride...man, I'm sure I would have thrown-up.

Thanks again!!

Barb Y · Post by **Barb Y** » Tue May 08, 2007 7:42 am

Wow! What a trip! Glad you made it through that crazy day. I bet sailing on Lake Ontario or Canandaigua on a bad day will still feel like calm waters from here on in. Glad you enjoyed your trip.

sea-nile · Post by **sea-nile** » Tue May 08, 2007 8:16 am

I enjoyed your reports. I don't know about renting a dinghy now either!

waterguy · Post by **waterguy** » Tue May 08, 2007 8:33 am

no blood no foul In years to come the dingy story will grow and become one of your favs. Great report

obsessedmuch · Post by **obsessedmuch** » Tue May 08, 2007 8:36 am

Wow, way to live on the edge!

Glad you made it safely and have a good story to tell.

flip-flop · Post by **flip-flop** » Tue May 08, 2007 8:36 am

I am so glad you survived to share your story. I really enjoyed the part about Cooper.

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