~~St. Croix, USVI interlude~~

St. Croix, USVI interlude

- February 15, 2022

We took a few days to clean up Brightnest and engage a local marine expert to tackle our windlass problem, ahead of our one week trip to St. Croix, USVI to visit my parents. After removing the windlass motor and inspecting it in his shop, Beto informed us that the motor was shot. When we looked at ordering a new one, it would take weeks to arrive in Mexico, so we ordered it to St. Croix. We had already ordered a small mountain of boat items to St. Croix, so we left Mexico with only carry-ons, stuffed with other, larger bags to transport items back upon returning. It was a two day journey, via DFW and Miami, from one tropical location to another.

St. Croix beach

One of the many beaches of St. Croix

We love the Danish influenced architecture of Christiansted, St Croix.

After a fun and relaxing visit with the folks, we stuffed our checked duffels with treasure, removing packaging (but saving manuals), and made the long journey back to Mexico, including an unplanned 3 day layover in Dallas.

Upon arrival back in Paradise Village, Beto got right to work on the new windlass motor install. Turns out the primary gear did not fit the gypsy, so he took it to a machine shop to manufacture one that did. The resourcefulness of the skilled labor here in Mexico never ceases to impress us. Within two days, the windlass was working. We were ready to move on from the marina, and sail south for a month or more at anchor along the coast. Engage!

Sunset from Brightnest's cockpit, as we head south from Puerto Vallarta.

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Birdlist

Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, American Crow, Northwestern Crow, American Robin, Bald Eagle, Red-winged Blackbird, Spotted Towhee, House Finch, Steller’s Jay, Common Raven, Rock Pigeon/Rock Dove, Canada Goose, Mallard, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-capped Chickadee, Osprey, White-crowned Sparrow, Pelagic Cormorant, Wood Duck, Pileated Woodpecker, Surf Scoter, American Wigeon, Bufflehead, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Double-crested Cormorant, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Barrow’s Goldeneye, American Kestrel, Common Merganser, Blue-winged Teal, Greater Yellowlegs, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, Trumpeter Swan, Hooded Merganser, Northern Shoveler, Horned Grebe, Cedar Waxwing, Varied Thrush, Ring-necked Duck, Gadwall, Pied-billed Grebe, Western Grebe, Killdeer, Pearly-eyed Thrasher, Zanaida Dove, Magnificent Frigatebird, Bananaquit, Great Kiskadee, Pigeon Guillemot, Common Murre, Rhinoceros Auklet, Black Oystercatcher, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Brown Pelican, Great Egret, Whimbrel, Spotted Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Snowy Egret, Brewer’s Blackbird, Brandt’s Cormorant, Willet, Western Scrub-Jay (California Scrub-Jay), Acorn Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Red-tailed Hawk, Mourning Dove, Wild Turkey, Greater Roadrunner, Eastern Towhee, Northern Mockingbird, American Goldfinch, White Ibis, Wood Stork, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Boat-billed Heron, Tricolored Heron, Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, Roseate Spoonbill, Blue-footed Booby, Brown Booby, Red-billed Tropicbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Anhinga, Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Golden-cheeked Woodpecker, Yellow-winged Cacique, Common Black Hawk, Neotropic Cormorant, Heerman’s Gull, Crested Caracara, Lineated Woodpecker, American Oystercatcher, Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow,
Green Kingfisher, Yellow Grosbeak, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Elegant Trogon, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Rufous-backed Robin, Long-billed Mexican Hermit, Guineafowl, Smooth-billed Ani, Hooded Oriole, Mangrove Swallow, White-throated Magpie-Jay, Inca dove, White-bellied Chachalaca, Social Flycatcher, White-winged Dove,
Black-throated Magpie-jay, Muscovy Duck, Purple Gallinule, Barred Antshrike, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Prothonotary Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Orchard Oriole, Yellow-Tailed Oriole, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Green Heron, Rufescent Tiger Heron, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Wattled Jacamar, Shiny Cowbird, Panama Flycatcher, Lesser Kiskadee, Isthmian Wren, Keel-billed Toucan, Greater Ani, Tropical Kingbird, Crimson-backed Tanager, Blue-gray Tanager, White-necked Jacobin, Yellow-throated Toucan, House Wren, Black-breasted Puffbird, White-necked Puffbird, Pied Puffbird, White-whiskered Puffbird, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Dusky Antbird, Black-bellied Wren, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Great Tinamou, Dot-winged Antwren, Southern Bentbill, Rufous-tailed Flycatcher, Rufous mourner, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Song Wren, Grey-chested Dove, Tawny-faced Gnatwren, Checker-throated Stipplethroat, Masked Tityra, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Great-crested Flycatcher, Velvety Manakin, Red-capped Manakin, Blue-chested Hummingbird, Red Lored Parrot, Blue-headed Parrot, White-shouldered Tanager, Plain Brown Woodcreeper, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Crane Hawk, Blue-black Grosbeak, Collared Aracari, Fiery-billed Aracari, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, White-tailed Trogon, American Flamingo