I absolutely love this time of year. Yes, it’s super warm and sunny, and it’s January, but there’s more to it than that … it’s almost whale watching season!
A very cool thing is about to happen around St. John. Each year during the months of February and March, whales can be seen swimming through our waters and also around Thatch Cay, North Drop, Congo and Lovango Cays. The whales travel to South America via the Caribbean so they can mate and calve. The calves spend their first few months of life in the warm waters of the Caribbean, building up a layer of blubber that will keep them warm in colder waters.
I saw a mother and baby calf while traveling on the car barge to Red Hook last February and it was amazing! For those of you who plan on doing a bit of whale watching, adult humpback whales have dark grey bodies and are between 35 and 60 feet long. They are endangered, so you’re not allowed to touch them. Just love them from afar, which is at least 100 yards away according to federal law. 🙂 And most importantly if you are lucky enough to see the whales, send us pics!
Here’s a not so professional video we took when we saw the whales last year:
It’s been a long time coming, so we are super excited to tell you that a new restaurant has opened in the space formally occupied by Donkey Diner.
Indigo Grill opened a few weeks back and I think it’s going to be a nice addition to Coral Bay. Its menu offers a little bit of everyone and is sure to please the masses. For starters, the new owners are making good use of the Donkey Diner’s pizza oven and are offering dine in or carry out pizzas. They have everything from the classic cheese pizza for $20 to a Thai peanut chicken pizza for $25 to an Indigo Blue pizza that has garlic olive oil, pine nuts, gorgonzola and mozzarella cheeses. That one costs $22.
They also offer a good amount of starters, wings, salads and sandwiches ranging in price for, $4 to $14. Its Jamaican jerked chicken salad sounds pretty good to me, as does the Cuban slider with fries. Indigo Grill currently offers five East End dinners ranging in price from $24 to $30.
Here are the three menus:
Indigo Grill opens at 3 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. It is located in Coral Bay just past the Coral Bay sign in the space formally occupied by the Donkey Diner.
You have a powerboat AND a sailboat on the back of your yacht!!! Seriously??
Le Grand Bleu spent some time in Cruz Bay over the weekend, and to say that this yacht was unreal is probably the understatement of the year. It was, by far, the most ridiculous yacht I have ever seen. At 370-feet in length, it is one of the world’s largest yachts and reportedly cost $90 million to build.
According to my super sleuthing online (i.e.: Google), Le Grand Bleu was built for US telecommunications baron John McCaw and was then sold to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Mr. Abramovich then “gave” it to his friend and business associate Eugene Shvidler back in 2006.
So as I mentioned, I saw two rather large boats on the back of Le Grand Bleu. Apparently it carries a 22-meter sailing yacht, a 21-meter motor yacht, two 11-meter sports boats and a Land Rover. It also has two helicopter pads. Excess much? Oh and the yacht also comes with a crew of 65.
Naturally I went out to catch a closer glimpse. Here’s a super quick video:
How does a secluded home on its own private beach sound? Pretty amazing, right? Well today we’d like to tell you about an amazing home for sale that is located directly on Dever’s Bay on St. John’s south shore – Vida de Mar.
Vida de Mar is a beautiful 5-bedroom, 5-bath villa located right on the beach in quiet, secluded Dever’s Bay. Just minutes from town, shopping, and St. John’s famous North Shore white sand beaches — one of the best things about Vida de Mar is the location. Vida de Mar is a quick and easy 5-10 minute drive from town, 5 minutes from the market, and 10-20 minutes from white sandy beaches, yet still feels a million miles from anywhere while you are there.
Hibiscus Cottage is a standalone cottage with its own kitchenette.The Pineapple SuiteThe Great RoomVida de Mar’s well appointed kitchen
Vida de Mar has it all — spectacular views, gorgeous sunsets, private, secluded sand and pebble beach, an oversized deck-top pool, a spacious tiled jacuzzi, some of the best diving and snorkeling on the island, and even a resident iguana family!
Vida de Mar offers:
Unsurpassed vacation rental history for a turnkey investment.
Brand new 20k Solar System for green energy and big savings on island electric costs.
New A/C units in all buildings.
Beachfront location in small, private bay.
Fully designer furnished.
One-of-a-kind beach house with two bedrooms located on the beach.
Large outdoor living spaces.
Large pool & pool deck.
One-of-a-kind outdoor Zen soaking tub.
Perfect location!
Want to see more? Check out this great video created by Steve Simonsen:
This one-of-a-kind traditional Caribbean compound has amenity after amenity for a profitable turnkey vacation rental property, or a wonderful single family home. Fully furnished, Vida de Mar is move-in ready and is the perfect place to live your Caribbean dream. Vida de Mar is listed for $2.85 million.
For more information on Vida de Mar, please visit www.vidademar.com/listing or contact owner Scot Thomas at (847) 323-5110.
The 8 Tuff Miles race is six weeks from today, and its expanded this year to include even more fun activities both before and after race day.
The fun begins on Saturday, February 21st when the St. John Cancer Fund holds its 1st annual Light Up the Night events. It starts at 4 p.m. and continues through 8 a.m. on Sunday, February 22nd. The event will feature 18 hours of music and family entertainment, including cirque dancers.
To help the racers gear up for the big event, Cruz Bay Landing is holding a pasta dinner on Friday, February 27th. The event costs $25 per person and will feature live music.
February 28th is race day and you’re all encouraged to cheer on the runners along Centerline Road or at the finish line in Coral Bay. The race begins at 7:15 a.m. There’s still time to register too. Click here to do so.
Lastly, the 3rd annual Recovery Party is happening at Oppenheimer from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 1. Everyone is invited to this very fun event.
Happy Friday everyone! Today we’d like to tell you about a cute little cottage that listed for sale over in Coral Bay.
This cottage sits on just over half an acre and has beautiful panoramic views of Coral Bay harbor and beyond. This home comes with expired plans for a four bedroom, four bath pool villa, so you could potentially live in the cottage while you build your dream home. The property is being sold as is and comes with deeded access to Johnson Bay. It is listed for $369,000.
Want more information? Contact Tammy at 340 Real Estate Co. at [email protected]
Ok folks, it’s letter writing time. As you all know, there’s a proposed mega marina over in Coral Bay. I’ve been pretty vocal in that I think the project is simply too large for Coral Bay and based on your comments I’ve read here on News of St. John and over on our Facebook page, it seems the majority of you tend to agree. So now it’s time to act.
The next step in the permitting process is a review by the Army Corps of Engineers. The Army Corps is currently holding a public comment period. Through the end of the month, you are encouraged to submit letters detailing why you think the proposed marina is a good idea or why you think it’s a bad idea. The Army Corps will take your thoughts into consideration when deciding whether or not to issue a permit for this proposed project.
Suggested Guidelines for Public Comment Letters to Army Corps of Engineers
The PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD for the Summers End Group marina in Coral Bay, St John, has begun and will continue until JANUARY 31, 2015.
The factors considered by the Army Corps are described below:
“All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including conservation, economics, esthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historical properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, considerations of property ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people.”
How to Direct Your Letter
Your letter should either be sent by postal mail or by email to the addresses below. It should include the permit application number in the subject line.
Permit Application Number: SAJ-2004-12518 (SP-JMS)
Email Address: [email protected]
Postal Address: Mr. Johann M. Sasso, Antilles Permits Section, 400 Fernández Juncos Avenue, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901-3299
If you are submitting via email, you may send a copy to the Save Coral Bay email address so we can keep track of total responses.
email cc: [email protected]
What You May Want to Include in Your Letter
The best letter is one that uses your own words to express your own concerns. Whether you are a resident of Coral Bay, a resident of the Virgin Islands, a homeowner, a visitor, or someone with general concerns about protection of parks and natural resources, your comments will be most meaningful if they are your own. Every letter will be read by the Army Corps, and any relevant concerns expressed will be summarized by the Corps and will require response from the applicant.
There is also an opportunity to request a public hearing about the application for the marina. In your letter to the Army Corps (particularly if you are a resident) please consider requesting a public hearing and your reason for requesting it. Some reasons might be (a) that there are serious issues with the analysis in the Summers End Group’s submission, (b) there is significant public interest in the project, (c) there is public controversy over the project’s impacts, (d) to enable people who were unable to comment to be able to share their concerns, or any other reason that seems appropriate.
Here are some of the potential impacts and concerns you may want to discuss in your letter:
Environmental Concerns
Impact on habitat for endangered species, including Green Sea Turtles, Hawksbill Turtles, and Leatherback Turtles.
Impact on endangered coral species found in Coral Bay.
Impact on the healthy mangroves in close proximity to the project site.
Impact on fish nurseries – Lemon shark, Black Tip shark, conch, whelk and numerous juvenile reef fish who use the mangroves and sea grass meadows
Impact on the marine meadows that provide filtration and trap sediments.
Mitigation for any of the above – how will the applicant restore any of the resources lost or damaged by this project? How will the marine meadows be replaced?
Economic Concerns
Is there proven demand for mega yachts to use a marina in Coral Bay, and if not how can it be economically successful?.
How will the construction noise and disruption impact tourism in Coral Bay? What are the risks that this will cause more economic harm than the benefit the marina claims to bring?
What is the potential impact on real estate taxes? Is there a risk that people will be forced from their land if taxes increase?
What sort of jobs are created by a marina? Are these year-round professional positions, or seasonal, low paying jobs?
Infrastructural Needs
Potable water – how many trucks per day? how will the roads be able to handle this added burden?
Septic – how will the waste from mega yachts be handled?
Electric – how will the additional power required to operate the marina be supplied? What will happen during the frequent WAPA outages?
Fuel – how will fuel be safely transported, stored, and pumped? How will spills be contained?
Cultural and Historic Impacts
The view of Fortsberg, a site of great historic and cultural importance, would be obstructed by the marina.
The shoreline, used by fishermen and boaters, would be inaccessible following the construction of the marina.
The types of luxury shops and the mega yacht culture have no connection with the historic culture of the Virgin Islands, or the East End of St John.
Construction Impacts
Noise, reverberating in the Coral Bay amphitheater, from pile driving on 1333 pilings. How long, what intensity, what impacts to people, animals, migratory whales, pelagic dolphins?
Siltation – the barge spuds and pile driving will release vast clouds of silt, how will this be contained to not result in killing acres of sea grass? A rainfall deposits silt, but it dissipates in a couple days. The construction will create years of silt and may present risks to the sea bottom vegetation.
Construction water, electricity – how will the utility needs of the construction be met? Will there be constant diesel engines, pile drivers, generators creating daytime noise?
Alternatives Available
Large motor yachts can, and do, utilize the moorings maintained by the National Park Service. These moorings are safe to the seabed environment.
The creek in Cruz Bay harbor, near the National Park gateway and headquarters, has all of the amenities and infrastructure required for a marina. Should this be considered as a far lower impact and more appropriate location?
Location of the Marina
The proposed location is on the windward shore of Coral Bay harbor. It is subject to extreme wind and wave action during any tropical storm.
The proposed location is subject to waves whenever there is a SE wind. The majority of the slips are situated broadside to the waves.
The main pier needs to extend almost 1000′ into the harbor in order to reach deep enough water for large yachts. At that length it would make it impossible to sail out of Coral Bay on most wind conditions.
The north end of the harbor (behind Skinny Legs) is far more protected and appropriate for a marina.
Impact on Recreational Use
The proposal includes a “mooring field” of 75 moorings, but the design of the mooring field has been described by local captains as unrealistic. Are there concerns regarding the location, design, and operation of the mooring field?
There are insufficient details on the mooring field to determine how it will function.
These are just some representative concerns. You are encouraged to write about your personal concerns based on your knowledge of the Virgin Islands, of St John, of Coral Bay, and the probably impacts of the proposed marina.
For those of you who’ve been lucky enough to wander through Cruz Bay lately, you may have noticed some work going on in two storefronts located below Castaway’s. Well we’re excited to tell you that in the very near future, a great new shop is set to open in that space. It’s called Wasted Sun, and we’re pretty excited about it.
Wasted Sun is a surf and skateboard shop that sells a variety of clothes, sunglasses, accessories and of course, surfboards and skateboards. Its Cruz Bay location – Wasted Sun also has a few stateside shops – will also sell clothes that have a local flair, according to one if its owners. They’re pretty psyched to be opening up a store here on island, and so are we.
Not only is it exciting to get a new clothing store on island, but it’s also nice to see that section of town get a makeover of sorts. As you probably know, Castaway’s opened an upstairs deck last year and revamped its menu prompting a larger crowd to pass through its doors, and The Longboard is set to open just across the street in the space formerly occupied by Joe’s Diner. The Longboard is going to have a very laid back, coastal vibe and its food has been described to us as being “coastal cantina.” They’ve been super busy working over there as well, so we expect to see them open their doors within the next month or so.
There’s a pretty neat little promotion happening out in Coral Bay, but it’s a limited time offer, so you have to act fast in order to get in on the fun.
Seven Coral Bay restaurants are participating in the “Crawling Card” promotion. The way it works is simple. For $25, you can get one cocktail valued at $6 or less at one of the following restaurants:
Aqua Bistro
Concordia Cafe
Indigo Grill (We’ll have more on this one soon…)
Miss Lucy’s
Coral Bay Caribbean Oasis
Shipwreck Landing
Skinny Legs
The Crawling Card promotion supports the Coral Bay Community Council. And as we mentioned, this is a limited time offer, as only 100 cards were printed. All cards must be used by June 30, 2015. Crawling Cards can be purchased in Coral Bay at Connections East or Keep Me Posted.
We all know how much you love St. John businesses, and now’s the time to help prove that your favorite is indeed the best. Yes, it’s time to vote in the annual Best of VI poll! Here’s the official spiel…
Hundreds of nominees in hundreds of categories, are competing for your vote, so they can claim the title of The Best of VI! Only you can bestow this coveted title upon them, by voting for the Virgin Islands businesses, places and people who deserve to be recognized as the best. Cast your vote to let your favorite businesses and people know “You’re the best!” Businesses are encouraged to participate, by claiming their listing and selecting the categories in which they really shine!
So join me and vote for your favorite, bar, restaurant, charter boat & more. Here are a few of our favorites in no particular order:
Jeep Rental: Sunshine’s Jeep Rental
Beach: Maho Bay
Ecotourism: Virgin Island Ecotours
Karaoke: Castaway’s
Tourist Activities: Carolina Corral
Jewelry: Caravan Gallery
New Business: Ocean 362
Real Estate Agencies: RE/MAX Island Paradise, Seaview Vacation Homes, American Paradise, Sea Glass Properties & Cruz Bay Realty
Wedding Coordinators: Island Style Weddings and Ceremonies of St. John
