Stuart, the Captain

<-----------The Captain

On this picture, you can see the super happy Captain during our first sail, with St Thomas in the background.  Stuart is a real estate developer with a portfolio of investments in Vieques.  Let's face it - if it wasn't for his passive income, this trip wouldn't have happened.  Go Real Estate!  Go get some.  Stuart is a free spirit, who never had a corporate job in his life.  He is used to unstructured environments and flexible plans.  He knows everything and with the help of ebay and/or Home Depot/West Marine can fix about anything, be it a house or a boat.  A perfect boat mate! 

Stuart's goals for the trip are to relax, enjoy himself, make himself the Caribbean expert and scout out Caribbean emerging markets and hot real estate deals.  Also see if boating is the right long term thing to do.

The First Mate ----------->

Natalya is a career office rat who has spent last two years marketing detergents and the two beforehand starting up a lasik center in Puerto Rico.  She is the opposite of Stuart - an organizer, planner and project manager.  Worried about this whole flexibility thing and looking forward for stressing about the  weather "what do you mean there is no wind so we can't sail?"  

Natalya's goals for the trip is to relax, enjoy new places and look for local arts & crafts, see what kinds of small businesses are successful around the islands in hopes to develop a replicatable model.  Also in plan is to learn how to cook, become a pro at keeping touch with friends, read tons of books and complete all kinds of self improvement projects, like figuring out the best facial cream and the cutest hairdo.

 Natalya, the First Mate

Here is a groovy artsy pic (compliments to Ricardo) of the Captain through the binnacle

Another pic (again, thank you Ricardo!) of Natalya working her sailing magic – the line was not tied properly and I had to go in some 6 ft seas to retie it, which wasn’t as easy as it sounds, since I had to bacically straddle the gib to keep hands free balance.

Natalya’s Favorite Books

And while I am at it, a cute picture of me (on Bob’s boat) in this great sailing t-shirt which Stu’s Mom gave me (Thank you, Sheenah)

Since I am spending so much time reading, here are some of my latest favorite books:

1) “Don’t Stop the Carnival” by Herman Wouk – A Caribbean classic, perfectly describing trials of life on a small island of Amerigo (supposedly my beloved Water Island of USVIs, actually) complete with Caribbean characters and challenges

2) “I Don’t Know How She Does It” by Allison Pearson – a modern tale of what its like to be a career woman in the City and a mother at home, balancing it all in London

3) “Venus Envy” by Louise Bagshawe – a delightful vacation read similar to Bridget Jones Diary, contemporary and humorous

4) “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert – an entertaining tale of a traveling author finding the way back to herself after a third-of-life crisis in early 30s (Ramon – this book was such a great present!!!)

5) “Watermelon” and “Rachel’s Holiday” by Marianne Keyes – hilarious Irish writer tells of having a baby while separated and recovering from drug addiction

6) "Into the Light" by Dave and Jaja Martin - a cruising must about how this family with three kids spent three years cruising Iceland, Norway and Spitzbergen islands

 TBD