The Charlotte Amalie waterfront in the 1970s presented a picturesque scene of native sloops, fishing boats and local cargo vessels tied up to the seawall. On the paved walkway along the harbor front were numerous kiosks selling fruits and vegetables, meats and fish.

In those days, St. Thomas was a sailing Mecca. The harbor was full of yachts of all sizes and classes, some itinerant, some local and some there to take part in the charter industry. Experienced captains took adventurous tourists to the then sparsely developed British Virgin Islands or further away to the down island chain of the Lesser Antilles or west to Culebra, Vieques and Puerto Rico.

Yacht Haven Marina was the center of this industry and the center of the center was Fearless Fred’s Bar at the Marina where charter captains would pitch would be charters and old salts would spin tales of adventures and misadventures at sea.

This was before the popularity of the bare boat rental system in which charterers rent a boat for a week or more and sail it themselves.

By the 1980s the nature of  charter boat industry in the US Virgin Islands had changed with bare boats predominating over crewed charters. While the US Virgin Islands’ government imposed complicated restrictions, taxes and fees on charter yachts favoring instead the cruise ship industry, the British Virgin Islands actively courted the charter yacht companies and tried to make it as easy as possible for them. As a result many USVI companies changed their base of operations to the BVI whose government was more responsive to the needs of the industry and little by little most of the sailing yachts left the Charlotte Amalie Harbor setting up shop in places like Sopers Hole and Roadtown on the island of Tortola.

The Yacht Haven hotel and Marinaf closed down, went into a state of disrepair remained so for many years.

Recently the charter industry on St. Thomas has made a comeback of sorts. More and more you can see luxury mega yachts tied up stern-to along the waterfront seawall, at anchor in the harbor and alongside the docks at the Yacht Haven Grande, the new incarnation of the old Yacht Haven now featuring a modern marina, a high end shopping mall and a condominium complex. The operation was designed specifically to attract the mega yacht business and has had a limited degree of success, but not to the extent that was predicted.

Rumor has it that one of the big reasons that mega yachts are not stopping in the USVI as much as was previously expected is due to complications and red tape imposed by Homeland Security and Customs and Immigration regarding foreign registered vessels and non-US citizen charterers and crews. On Tortola in the neighboring British Virgin Islands and on nearby St. Martin, which have somewhat comparable facilities the governments have endeavored to make it as easy as possible for the Mega Yachts to enter and clear and captains, trying to avoid red tape and delays, will often opt for these foreign destinations instead of St. Thomas if they have a choice in the matter.

Notwithstanding the problems, it seems to me that Charlotte Amalie Harbor has been making a comeback as a sailing destination, especially in the realm of the super luxurious mega yachts.

The St. John Film Society’s last presentation, “Africa Unite,” at Sputnik in Coral Bay was a resounding success. People came from all over, Coral Bay, Cruz Bay and even St. Thomas. It was SRO (Standing Room Only) all chairs filled, some sat on the floor or on top of tables, others stood inside and other outside looking in through the open louvers. It was free, it was fun, it was cool and it was THE place to be. It looks like this group will establish themselves on St. John and help fulfill the islands thirst for good entertainment. I say, “Good T’ing!!!”

Here’s their Press Release:

!!! Free Movie !!!

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 24th
7:00 PM
PASTORY GARDENS

St John Film Society Presents:

SPIRIT OF THE MARATHON

A documentary by Mark Johnathan Harris, Jon Dunham and Gwendolen Twist (102 min.) The first ever non-fiction feature film to capture the drama and essence of the famed 26.2 mile running event. As six unique stories unfold, each runner prepares for and ultimately faces the challenge of the Chicago Marathon. More than a sports movie, Spirit of the Marathon is an inspirational journey of perseverance and personal triumph, a spectacle that will be embraced by runners and non-runners alike. www.marathonmovie.com

Also – 8 Tuff Miles Pre-show Rally!!!

Mo Chabuz from Skinny Legs will present a short preview of his 8 Tuff Miles film-in-progress.
Jeremy Zuber, five time winner of the 8 Tuff Miles will share some words of inspiration.
Sherri Theberge, director of Healing Together, will introduce St. John’s new cancer support group and invite the community to run for the cause.
Peter Alter, 8 Tuff Miles race director, will answer questions after the film.

Come early for dinner! Stay after to discuss the film!
For more info contact Rea: (340) 715-9899
www.stjohnfilm.com

Who they are:

St John Film Society

St. John Film Society is comprised of a small group of local volunteers. Our mission is to inspire appreciation for the history, culture and oceanic environment of our US Virgin Islands by establishing a free monthly film series open to and for the benefit of our community. We will present high quality fiction and non-fiction independent films that celebrate the human spirit with a focus on the Caribbean. Our intent is to increase cross-cultural awareness of the many communities throughout the Virgin Islands and beyond. Each month we will invite a local Virgin Island filmmaker, video installation artist or visual artist to present their work prior to the feature film presentation. Our goal is to develop public awareness of the talented individuals in our own community, by creating an environment in which filmmakers / artists introduce and discuss their work and their artistic process with audiences of all ages. We invite film enthusiasts to come and enjoy the films and help plan monthly programs. We also invite filmmakers / artists to submit their work for consideration. Email your suggestions to stjviff@gmail.com or submit preview DVD’s to:
St. John Film Society
5000 Estate Enighed PMB 98
St. John, USVI 00830

Future Goals:

The ultimate goal of the Film Society is to establish an annual Independent Film Festival on St John. We hope to bring attention to the rich cultural diversity and unique voice of the Virgin Islands as we share our stories through film. While our monthly screenings are free to the public, we welcome donations to help us achieve these goals. Founding members:

Andrea E. Leland, artist and filmmaker, has produced and directed a number of award winning documentaries focusing on Caribbean and Latin American cultures. She is the co-founder of REELTIME, a highly successful monthly film series in the Chicago area, now in its 10th year. (www.reeltimeevanston.org) She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.

Rea McQueen Roberts is a devoted film and music enthusiast. She has worked in the public relations and music industries, with emphasis on special event planning and fundraising. She has been involved with several of St John’s annual events, both as a participant and as a volunteer.

Martha Hills is a writer and an avid film enthusiast.

Coming Up

March 3rd:  The Developing World
Feature Presentation: Life and Debt – by Stephanie Black  A feature-length documentary that explores the complexity of international lending and free trade in the developing world.  http://www.lifeanddebt.org/

April 7th: A Celebration of Garifuna Culture
Opening Film: Play, Jankunú Play – A short film by Oliver N. Greene Jr., about the Garifuna Wanaragua Ritual of Belize, as expressed through music, dance, and costume.  http://www.der.org/films/play-jankunu-play.html Feature Presentation: The Garifuna Journey by local filmmaker and film society founder, Andrea Leland  http://www.newday.com/films/GarifunaJourney.html

Our film series will continue at Sputnik on the first Tuesday of every month. All are encouraged to bring a folding chair and arrive early for better seating. Until further notice, Cruz Bay screenings will be held on special occasions. Future Cruz Bay screenings to be announced. The calendar will be updated regularly on www.stjohnfilm.com.

Those passing by on the South Shore Road heading towards town may have noticed a newly cleared hillside and a newly painted wall on their left just before reaching the top of Jacob’s Ladder.

It reads” “Estate Bethany, Power Boyd.

Entrance to Power Boyd

From talking to people, even many of those living in the Power Boyd neighborhood, the words, “Power Boyd” signify a place, a neighborhood. It is that, but I remember Power Boyd, the man and thinking about him brings back memories and nostalgia for St. John in days gone by.

I met Power Boyd in 1970, when I was fishing with John Gibney. Although John knew so much about St. John and St. John culture, the commercial aspect of fishing, that is, actually selling the fish, was almost as new to him as it was to me.

As steady, reliable and fairly well paying transportation, public works and construction jobs had become more and more available with the rise of the tourist industry on St. John, less and less St. Johnians dedicated themselves to fishing as a full time occupation. They still fished, but for themselves, family and friends. By the time John and I began our fishing adventure, there weren’t any fisherman selling their catch to the general public.

After pulling our pots (fish traps), and collecting the fish, we would return to the dock at Cruz Bay where we were warmly welcomed.

Our fish were sold alive, the job of cleaning and preparation fell to the customer. All fish, regardless of species or size, sold for the same price, fifty cents a pound.

At first we kept the catch in a live well and offered our customers the opportunity of choosing their fish, first come, first served.

This did not work out so well, as we soon found out that the choicest fish were sold right away, but sales and enthusiasm diminished as the pickings got slimmer and slimmer. Not only were we not able to sell our entire catch, but we were left with more of the smallest and lesser desirable fish than we could eat ourselves, the remainder of which we would give away.

We soon learned that on St. Thomas, as well as on St. John in the past, fish were strapped using tyre palm leaves and the straps were weighed and sold as is. The straps were mixed, some big, some small, some very desirable, some less so.

This worked out fairly well, but as time passed other options presented themselves. An example was a  fish called Old Wife (Queen Triggerfish), a species now rather rare, but at the time plentiful. Old Wife had skin and not scales, and many people did not like the work involved, especially those lacking that particular skill, in skinning the Old Wife for preparation. Not only that, as there was a sizable community of Seventh Day Adventists on the island, and as the Old testament prescribed, fish with out scales were prohibited, straps contained even one Old Wife could not be sold to a Seventh Day Adventist.

Along came Eric Christian, who had one of the few restaurants on the island, Eric’s Hilltop, now the St. John Legislature Building. His lunch special was Old Wife soup. (When you boil Old Wife, the skin comes off easily.)

So, after that fortuitous meeting, all Old Wife were separated out, kept in the live well and taken over to Mr. Eric’s after the general sales at the dock were finished.

The next development was the discovery of cultural differences in fish preferences. Until the 1950s, the population of St. John was most homogeneous, St. Johnians, born and bred on the island. With the big construction projects, Caneel Bay, Cinnamon Campground and public works endeavors, people from other islands, mostly from the British Virgins, Dominica, St. Lucia, St.Kitts and Nevis came to St. John to work. By the time I arrived in 1969 many of them had established themselves and their families on St. John. They brought their own distinct culture with them and this included a preference for fish that was not shared by St. Johnians.

This brings us to Power Boyd.

Power Boyd was an early arrival from Dominica. He bought land in Bethany and sold plots and rented apartments to other Dominicans and established a Little Dominica in what was then called the Power Boyd Plantation. It was suggested to us by one of the residents that we contact Power Boyd about selling fish there.

John and I did just that. Arriving at the property, we were directed to the big house where Power Boyd lived with his wife and children. A man went inside to talk to Mr. Boyd and we were then taken inside the house for a meeting. We explained the situation to and he advised us to come back with certain fish, which he listed as being very popular with the people there.

John and I  agreed, and the next time we pulled the pots, we not only separated the Old Wife for Mr. Eric, but we also took out the fish for the Dominicans.

After selling the strapped fish on the dock, straps now consisting of all the most popular St. John preferred fish, and bringing the Old Wife to Mr. Eric, we put the “down islanders” fish in a box and brought them to Power Boyd. We were again taken to his house and invited in. After exchanging pleasentries, he came out with us to view the catch.

“Ah, very good,” he said, and he chose several fish for himself and his family. He then announced to the dozen or so people waiting to buy fish, “now to each as they see fit.”

The visits to Power Boyd Plantation became a routine part of our fishing days. We made friend with many of the people there and even learned a little Patois.

St. John is a far different place today, for better or worse, but those “good old days” will days remain in a special place in my heart when I think about the island I now call home, beautiful St. John, Virgin islands.