east end Archives | News of St. John

Good News From the East End!

June 10, 2014June 11, 2014 by News of St. John

So lately we’ve had a lot of negative news about the East End – beaches being blocked, barbed wire being put up, trespassing signs, etc. Well we’re happy today to tell you about some good news coming out of the East End.

One group of property owners along Hansen Bay beach are opening up their land for public use. Most notably, they’ve invited Captain Peter of Angels Rest to anchor offshore. (Not sure what Angels Rest is? Click here to read about our Easter jaunt on the floating bar.) This stretch of beach along Hansen Bay will now be Angels Rest’s primary destination. Here’s what Captain Peter said about it on his Facebook page:

“(The owners of that stretch of beach) are so nice to me and are planning to make a fun beach to visit,” Captain Peter wrote. “They will be offering a lot of beach toys, such as paddleboards, kayaks, tri sailboats … There will also be a snack shop, cabanas and lots of free parking. And of course, Angels Rest bar (will be) a little closer to the beach.”

We reached out to the property owners Tuesday, and they are super excited to open their beach to the community.

“We want to enhance the community idea, to welcome businesses to a beautiful place,” one of the property owners said Tuesday. (She asked to keep her name out of today’s story, and we happily obliged.)” That is very difficult to do here on St. John, especially with the North Shore being mostly National Park. We’re opening up the shoreline as it should be opened, to those people who want to participate in that beach. We want to help the community. We are very community oriented.”

While they could not confirm Captain Peter’s statement about a possible snack shack, they did say they are welcoming Angels Rest with open arms. The owners are working on installing signs to let people know that Angels Rest is in the area and also to direct them where to park (across the street from the beach).

They did stress, however, that they do not want the beach to get overrun. They simply want people to come out, experience the beach and enjoy themselves while being respectful of the neighbors of course. They’ve also asked that all visitors pick up after themselves.

I’m not sure about you all, but I think this is amazing news! Kudos to these ladies!!

Another Blocked Beach on East End

May 18, 2014May 19, 2014 by News of St. John

I’m not sure what’s going on over on the East End, but something’s definitely been brewing over there lately.

As you probably recall, there’s been some major drama over at Hansen Bay beach over the past two months. The land owner, Mr. Ashton, blocked off beach access from the public by installing fencing and barbed wire. Well officials visited the property a few days after our first story ran and the owner removed the fencing and barbed wire … temporarily. We’ll get back to that in a bit.

So now it turns out that a second area that the public has used to access the beach is blocked on the East End. The property is at the end of Route 10 on your right-hand side (if driving East) just before the dumpsters. See for yourself…

Before the fencing:

After the fencing:

According to property records, the land is owned by the Sullivan family. And from what we’ve been told, the Sullivans have decided that they no longer want to allow people use this area as a right of way to get to the beach. (Click here to see how you can look up St. John property records online.)

Now back to the Hansen Bay issue…

We were so excited to drive by the beach a few weeks back and see that the barbed wire and fencing had been removed. Well it turns out that some of this has since reappeared and that people are being told to keep off the beach. Here are a few recent comments from our readers:

Bruce, Posted April 30:

“We are very close to Hansen Bay and pass it twice a day. Whoever has been “privatizing” the bay has re-fortified the wire and plastic fencing and added a picnic table. The “No Trespassing ” signs are back up and it is a complete eyesore. This is not someone’s “private kitchen” as the post above suggests, so you can’t compare them. The person who claims ownership should publicly post a copy of the documents of ownership.”

Karen, Posted May 1:

“We saw the same thing as above poster this past Tuesday. The beach is an eye sore. There was scrap metal and garbage on the beach (probably intentional to keep people away) in addition to the picnic table. There are cots set up in the structure. We thought about snorkeling anyway, but decided against it. We heard from a local that they believe it is a squatter on the land.”

Emilio, Posted May 18:

“Again….The PUBLIC ACCESS to the Hansen Bay Beach has been blocked. Check it out. I asked politely if I could still use the beach and was told only by boat access.”

Just for the record my loyal NOSJ readers, all beaches on St. John are public. How you access them is a different story … clearly.

More Business Opportunities in Paradise

May 14, 2014May 13, 2014 by News of St. John

For sale: One pretty cool online blog about the daily happenings of St. John. Kidding! We’d never sell News of St. John, but there are several cool opportunities for those of you looking to own your own business on island. Here’s a small sampling of the current opportunities available on St. John.

For those of you yearning to spend your days on the beautiful blue waters surrounding St. John, perhaps you’d be interested in learning more about a few of the charter boats listed for sale.

Perhaps a sailboat is more your style. Well you’re in luck. St. John Yacht Charters is also looking for a new owner. According to its ad, the business is rated as the best traditional sailboat charter on St. John. The company has been in business since 2005 and its client list and profits have increased every year since then, according to the ad. The sale includes a website, car, scooter, inflatable tender and the sailboat Survivan, a 46-foot Jeanneau sloop that is in great shape and very comfortable to live aboard. It has a roller furling main sail which makes it easy to sail, even single handed. There is a new WIMAX tower in sight that gives enables it to have broadband internet right on the boat, so you can stream tv programs to the 35-inch TV via Apple TV or Roku.

Asking price: $320,000

eco tours — East End Adventure Eco Tours

Maybe you’re thinking about something a bit smaller, a little less expensive and more eco friendly. Then you may want to check out East End Adventure Eco Tours – natural history adventures, established (six years) small boat and paddle board eco-tour business for Coral Bay and the East End. Equipment includes 2001- 18′ SeaFox CC fish, snorkel and dive boat with trailer and Coral Bay mooring. 2010 85HP Yamaha engine (75 hours) and electrical harness, bimini top, 2 anchors and rode, Humminbird fish and depth finder, twin batteries, console and engine covers, cooler, preservers, new teleflex steering system. 4 Paddle Boards (1-10-6′, 2-11′, 1-11’6″) Bic and Smooth SUPs, paddles, dry bags and new SUP bag covers.

This is an inexpensive purchase in a growing tour market in Coral Bay. According to its ad, it’d be perfect for a young, knowledgeable naturalist/diver interested in growing a local business as Coral Bay vacation rentals continue to expand after the closure of Maho Camps. The sale comes with name recognition, a website and promotional literature. The owner will to teach the new owner as needed.

Asking price: $16,500

And for those of you with very, very deep pockets, this last investment opportunity may be for you. Wharfside Village is up for sale for a cool $11 million. Anyone want to chip in with me? 🙂

Incredible Aerial Views of the East End

April 24, 2014April 24, 2014 by News of St. John

This video doesn’t need much of an introduction. Simply put – it’s an incredible, three-minute video that captures aerial views of the East End. It was filmed using a GoPro camera and a DJI Phantom, which is a radio-controlled helicopter. IrixGuy filmed it and we thank him for sharing it with us.

Check it out and turn on your sound:

Angel’s Rest: Easter with the Angels

October 15, 2020April 21, 2014 by News of St. John

Hi everyone, happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter yesterday for those of you who celebrate. I had one of the best holidays ever, and I wanted to tell you all about it.

So a friend and I were taking a nice cruise out east yesterday when we happened upon Angel’s Rest in Haulover Bay. For years, I’ve been trying to catch up with Captain Peter and the Angel’s Rest, but our paths never officially crossed until yesterday. So naturally the second I saw him, all of our other Easter plans got put on the back burner. We parked the Jeep, grabbed some cash and hopped in the water.

What Is Angel’s Rest?

For those of you unfamiliar with Angel’s Rest, it’s a very cool floating bar. But what makes it even cooler is Captain Peter himself. Captain Peter built Angel’s Rest a few years back and it’s the only boat on St. John that has a liquor license. It’s a comfy little spot with a bar with seating for about seven or so people , a glass table with chairs for those looking to relax while watching the critters swim by through the circle cut out in the floor below, two beds in the event that you need a little catnap and a very comfortable rooftop sun deck for those looking to chill or work on their tans.

You need to see this for yourself. Check it out this little video we took:

Angels Rest goes out a few times a week (when Peter feels like it) and it can be found either at Haluover or Vie’s. If you’re on island and looking to find him, give him a ring. You can see his number on his “business cards” below:

And an added bonus, the head at Angel’s Rest has probably the best restroom view on island.