St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Saturday, March 10

Beach Bar – The Blood Gypsies – 9:00 – 777-4220
Castaways – Dance Party – 11:00 – 777-3316
Spyglass – James Cobb – 5:00 – 8:00 – 776-1100
Driftwood Dave’s – Guitarist James Milne – 7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
Miss Lucy’s – David Reed – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5354
Morgan’s Mango – Luba – 6:00 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – Rascio on Steel Pan -6:00 – 9:30 – 693-3304
Rhumblines – Lauren – 7:00 – 10:00
Shipwreck Landing – Mike Miknut – 6:00 – 9:30
Skinny Legs – Hot Club of Coral Bay – 6:30 – 9:30 – 779-4982

See the weekly St. John live music schedule

St. John Virgin Islands Photo of the Day

Fishing From the Dock with Hand Lines

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Friday, March 9

Aqua Bistro – Steve Sloan – 5:30 – 8:30 – 776-5336
Castaways – Mikey P – 9:00 – 777-3316
Cinnamon Bay – Eddie Bruce Drum Circle – 6:30 – 8:00
Cruz Bay Prime – James Cobb – 7:00 – 10:00 – 693 -8000
Driftwood Dave’s – John W Lee – 7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
Miss Lucy’s – David Reed – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5354
Morgan’s Mango – Lauren – 6:00 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – T-Bird – 6:30 – 9:00 – 693-3304
Rhumblines – Erin Hart – 7:00 – 10:00
Spyglass – James Cobb – 5:00 – 8:00 – 776-1100

See the weekly St. John live music schedule

Virgin Islands Photo of the Day

Dock at Abe's by the Sea, Jost Van Dyke British Virgin Islands. That's Great Thatch and St. John seen across the channel.

The above photo was taken from one of my favorite restaurant in the world (and I’ve been to my share over the years), Abes By the Sea. It’s rather remote, located at Little Harbour on Jost Van Dyke in our neighboring British Virgin Islands. It was even more remote years ago. Now you can take a ferry to Jost Van Dyke and a taxi to Abe’s, but when he first opened, there was no ferry and no roads. You had to get there by boat.

Abe is a native Jost Van Dyke fisherman who decided to open a restaurant to serve the growing number of yachtsmen visiting the island. If you like big portions of fresh lobster, conch, or fish, deliciously prepared this is the place.

Abe's at Night

Chin & Boopy Enjoy Lobster & Conch

View from Window

St. John Weather

High Surf Advisory!

High Temperature: 85 degrees

Water Temperature: 80 degrees

Winds: From the east at 10 – 15 mph with gust of 25 mph or more

Sunset: 6:27

Moon Rise: Full Moon rises at 6:55

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Thursday, March 8

Banana Deck – Steel Pan by Lemuel Samuels – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5055
Castaways – Dance Party – 11:00 – 777-3316
Driftwood Dave’s – Just Mike – 7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
High Tide – Inner Vision – 8:00-11:00 – 714-6169
Island Blues -Ike – 7:00 – 10:00 – 776-6800
Miss Lucy’s – David Reed – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5354
Morgan’s Mango – Mark Wallace – 6:00 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – Chris Carsel – 6:30 – 9:00 – 693-3304
Shipwreck Landing – Slammin – 7:00 – 10:00
Skinny Legs – Lauren  – 6:00 – 9:00 – 779-4982
The Tap Room – Van Gordon Martin Band – 9:00 – 998-1333

See the weekly St. John live music schedule

Virgin Islands government offers a five percent discount on property tax if paid by March 15

The Lieutenant Governor’s Office, which is where you pay your property tax, was busy yesterday. The government’s offer of a 5% discount to those paying up before March 15, seems to be working. If you’re paying at the office, which is probably a good idea (save your receipts), you can count on a wait unless you’re really lucky. Also, despite what it says on the door, the new hours are 9:00 to 4:00 not 9:00 to 5:00.

St. John Weather

We have a wind advisory, which will be in effect until 3;00 Thursday and a high surf advisory in effect from 8:00 am this morning until 8:00 am tomorrow morning.

High temperature is forecast to be in the low 80s. we should also see some rain squalls passing through from time to time, especially during the morning. Winds are from the NNE at 10 – 15 mph (Surf’s up!) Water temperature is 80 degrees and sunset will be at 6:27 pm. The moon will rise at 6:00 pm and will be 99% full.

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Wednesday, March 7

Aqua Bistro – Rascio on Steel Pan- 5:30 – 8:30 – 776-5336
Castaways – Kenny Floyd – 8:00 – 777-3316
Coconut Coast Studios – St. John Flutes – 5:30-7:00 – 776-6944
Cruz Bay Prime – Samba Combo – 7:00 – 10:00 – 693 -8000
Driftwood Dave’s – Paradise People – 7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
High Tide – Chris Carsel – 6:00 – 9:00 – 714-6169
Miss Lucy’s – David Reed – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5354
Sun Dog Cafe – Wednesday Night Jam – 7:30-10:00  – 244-9713

See the weekly St. John live music schedule

A Day at Sea in the trusty and beloved Caribe 15DL - Photo by Michelle Collins

It was a busy weekend on St. John. The beaches were crowded (by St. John standards anyway). There was plenty of activity with swimmers, snorkelers, kayakers, paddle boarders and sunbathers enjoying the clear, sunny and breezy weather. The popular manta ray was also at the beach making its way between Francis and Maho to the delight of all.

On Sunday, two mini Cruise ships, the Seabourn Sojourn and the Sea Dream I, lay at anchor outside of Cruz Bay along with a mega yacht so big that could have easily been confused as a third cruise ship.

The winds were gusting from the east southeast, and along with a strong tide, the offshore seas were quite rough with steep closely spaced waves. This was experienced first hand making the passage across Pillsbury Sound on the way to St. Thomas to “get a little culture in my life. Navigating the sound was accomplished thanks to my trusty Caribe 15DL and a Yamaha 60. The culture came thanks to Pistarkle Theatre’s Sunday matinee performance of “Red”, which I thoroughly enjoyed and can recommend to others. (Two more performances are scheduled for March 9th and 10th at 8:00 pm.)

Another weekend in Paradise…

St. John Weather

Clear with a high of 84 degrees. Winds from the ESE at 20-30 12-20 mph. Water temperature 81 degrees. Sunset 6:26 pm Atlantic Standard time. In other words another typical, beautiful day on St. John

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Monday, March 5

High Tide – Rascio on Steel Pan – 4:00 – 6:30 – 714-6169
La Tapa – Samba Combo – 6:30 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Maho Bay – Open Mic with Bo & Lauren – 7:00
Ocean Grill – Chris Carsel – 6:30 – 9:00 – 693-3304

See the weekly St. John live music schedule

Virgin Islands Photo of the Day

The Bight, Norman Island, British Virgin Islands (BVI)

St. John Weather

Partly cloudy
High temperature: 88 degrees F
Water temperature: 80 degrees F
Winds: east southeast at 12 -16 mph
Sunset: 6:26 pm

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Sunday, March 4

Aqua Bistro- Lauren – 3:30 – 6:30 – 776-5336
Beach Bar – The Fiddler – 5:00 -777-4220
Concordia – Bo – Sunday Brunch 10:00 am
Driftwood Dave’s – Live Music – 1:00 – 4:00 – 777-4015
Miss Lucy’s – Samba Combo – 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – 693-5354
Ocean Grill – David Laab – 6:30 – 9:00 – 693-3304
Shipwreck Landing – Hot Club of Coral Bay – 7:00 – 10:00

See the weekly St. John live music schedule

Manta Ray at Maho Bay

Another beautiful Day at Maho Bay. The water seems to be warming up a bit and as usual there was plenty to see both from the shore and from the water. The manta rays are the newest tourists to find Maho (and Maho Campground and Little Maho and Francis Bays) to be an excellent venue for a day at the beach and have been hanging around for the last few months to the delight of all.

Manta Ray	manta ray seen from paddle board	manta from paddle board
	Green Turtle and Remora

Karen Jarvis was at Maho Bay also yesterday showing off her new racing paddle board. It’s a rocket!

Karen rents boards and gives lessons.

A beautiful way to see the bay!

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Saturday, March 3

Castaways – Dance Party – 11:00 – 777-3316
Driftwood Dave’s – Guitarist James Milne – 7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
Miss Lucy’s – David Reed – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5354
Morgan’s Mango – Luba – 6:00 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – Rascio on Steel Pan – 6:00 – 9:30 – 693-3304
Rhumblines – Lauren – 7:00
Shipwreck Landing – Mike Miknut  – 6:00 – 9:30

See the weekly St. John live music schedule

MTV’s raunchy, sexy reality show, The Real World, will be filmed entirely in the Virgin Islands. St 27th season, titled The Real World: St. Thomas, will be based on Hassell Island and filmed mostly on St. Thomas, but segments shot on St. Croix, St. John and Water Island will also be included. The show is scheduled to premier this summer.

Former Paiewonsky Residence

The theme of the show are the recorded activities and interpersonal relationships of seven strangers who will live together in a house for several months.

In this season’s The Real World: St. Thomas, the house chosen is rumored to be the former Paiewonsky residence on Hassel Island now owned by St. Thomas businessman, Ricardo Charaf.

according to co-creator and executive producer, Jon Murray, St. Thomas would be a “perfect environment for this year’s seven strangers to get to know each other and figure out their lives…”

St. Thomas Commissioner of Tourism, Beverly Nicholson-Doty was happy with the producer’s decision to choose the US Virgin Islands as the venue for the Real World’s upcoming season and issued the statement that: “As a U.S. Territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands is an excellent choice for Season 27 of The Real World. The roommates, and MTV’s viewers, get to experience the splendor of the Caribbean lifestyle, while MTV’s production expenditure is reinvested into U.S. economy…. Viewers of the show will get an opportunity not only to see the roommates settle into their new lives on St. Thomas, but also to follow their cultural experiences across the other islands that comprise the USVI – St. Croix, St. John and ‘the fourth Virgin’ – Water Island.”

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Friday, March 2

Aqua Bistro – Mark Wallace & Rich Greengold – 5:30 – 8:30 – 776-5336
Beach Bar – The Gomorrans, Social Aid & Pleasure Club – 9:00 – 777-4220
Castaways – Mikey P – 9:00 – 777-3316
Driftwood Dave’s – John W Lee – 7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
Miss Lucy’s – David Reed – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5354
Morgan’s Mango – Lauren – 6:00 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – T-Bird – 6:30 – 9:00 – 693-3304
Shipwreck Landing – Woody Lissauer – 6:00 – 9:30

See the weekly St. John live music schedule

Start of the 2008 St. John Beach to Beach Power Swim

St. John’s Beach to Beach Power Swim will be part of the recently established West Indies Bluewater Swim Series.

The races will begin with The StarMile2.5 Nevis-St Kitts Cross-Channel Swim between the  islands of Nevis and St. Kitts.

The second event is the Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John with three catagories, the one-mile swim between Maho and Cinnamon Bays, the 2.25-mile swim from Maho to Trunk and the 3.5-mile swim between Maho and Hawksnest Bays.

The third event will be the Race For The Conch Eco-SeaSwim, which will include a 1- mile and a 2.4-mile swim and be held on on 7 July 2012 in the Turks & Caicos.

Finally, there will be the Maracas Bay Open Water Classic, in Trinidad with three categories, a 750-meter, a  2.65-kilometer and a five kilometer race.

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Thursday, March 1

Banana Deck – Steel Pan by Lemuel Samuels – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5055
Castaways – Dance Party – 11:00 – 777-3316
Driftwood Dave’s – Just Mike – 7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
High Tide – Inner Vision – 8:00-11:00 – 714-6169
Miss Lucy’s – David Reed – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5354
Morgan’s Mango – Mark Wallace – 6:00 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – Chris Carsel – 6:30 – 9:00- 693-3304
Skinny Legs – Lauren – 6:00 – 779-4982

See the weekly St. John live music schedule

Crown Bay seen from Fort Shipley on Hassel Island

More Hassel Island Photos

St. John Live Music Schedule for tonight, Wednesday, February 29

Aqua Bistro – Rascio on Steel Pan – 5:30 – 8:30 – 776-5336
Beach Bar – The Gomorrans – 9:00 – 777-4220
Castaways – Kenny Floyd – 8:00 – 777-3316
Coconut Coast Studios – St. John Flutes – 5:30-7:00 – 776-6944
Driftwood Dave’s – Paradise People – 7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
High Tide – Chris Carsel – 6:00 – 9:00 – 714-6169
Miss Lucy’s – David Reed – 6:00 – 9:00 – 693-5354
Shipwreck Landing – Christobal and the Jons – 7:00 – 10:30
Sun Dog Cafe – Wednesday Night Jam – 7:30-10:00 – 244-9713

See the weekly St. John live music schedule