USVI-On-Line

Who are the 6 people that reside on Lovango Cay?
I know wally and toni have The Love Shack, but read somewhere Captn Phil Chalker lives on Lovango?
I thought Captn Phil lived on his boat

Rosi - Capt. Phil has been building his own house on Lovango for a few years. I imagine he's probably living there by now. Here's a picture of it, it's the one with the turquoise roof. If I remember correctly, it's really small (600 sq.ft.??), but it probably feels like a mansion after living on his boat!

It may be small but you are right Margo, probably is like a mansion compared to boat living.
It looks bigger then 600sq ft from the pic though, but maybe I am just seeing wrong

Yes, I sailed with Capt'n Phil in Feb. (we went to Jost) and he pointed out his house on Lovango. I believes he lives in a multitude of places (boat, STJ, and Lovango).

Just curious---has anyone stayed at, or visited, The Love Shack? The offshore island thing really intrigues me---I just don't know if I'm cut out for that much seclusion.

Here is a video of The Love Shack. Jeff and Russ from on-stjohn.com stayed there.

http://www.on-stjohn.com/2009/08/30/mee ... ove-shack/

- Ruth

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Seclusion is good!

Salty Dog, there isn't any Park land on Lovango...besides the larger houses, several st. John residents have get-away cottages. The eastern 40% or so is now owned by a developer who's taken the long-term approach of partitioning a couple of lots each year rather than go for the subdivision permit from the VI Government. Even at the height of the real estate frenzy, most hesitated to invest "offshore". ...you'd either have to have a lot of money and a lot of energy, or be happy with a camp.
Incidentally, in the early 20th century Lovango had a population equal to any community on St John, supported by the great fishing grounds around the cay.
And NO, NO, NO,a thousand times NO, the name is a great old African name, and has nothing to do with love, or money...that story was made up by a Red Hook charter boat captain circa 1975.

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Ruth---Thanks for the link to the video---hadn't seen it yet. Looks fantastic.

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What an interesting place. I remember seeing it from the water when sailing with Capt. Phil.

How in the world do they run all those appliances, water making system and AC off the wind and sun?

I realize it can be done on a large scale but I would think the technology necessary would be too expensive for a single-family home.

Hugo what does it mean? Our boat Captain said that there was a small house with a few women who provide services to the Pirates that would sail through. Hence giving the name Lovango (love an go)

Sorry, no ladies of the night on Lovango.
Lovango, which can also be spelled Loango or Luango, is an area of West Africa adjoining the Congo.Luango is closer to the St. John pronunciation than Lovango is.
Why Congo, Lovango and adjoining Mingo cays all have obvious African names when there's not many others in the islands is a bit of a mystery. What is very clear is who made up the brothel story to amuse tourists --Capt. Neil Lewis, who sailed out of St. Thomas on the Arawak and later the Red Hooker (did he have a theme going?).
I been told by many people (many of them charter boat captains) that it doesn't matter what they make up to tell the tourists--it's just a good story, makes 'em laugh...but, as a Virgin Islander, I've come to equate the loss of local knowledge with the loss of a lot of other very important things. ...so I get on my soap box once in a while...