The last time we were in STJ, staying at Caneel, they (or rather the dive operator) offered an "Introduction to Scuba". This is a free, daily activity at Caneel. It's really a little lame in my opinion. After a brief introduction and instruction, put a tank on get in the water at Caneel Beach and swim out to the floating platform about 60 ft. away. The whole thing lasts about a minute and a half. It's pretty smart marketing of the operator, as when people realize they can breathe underwater, they actually may go on a dive. Well Hippolita, and Hippolittle both did this, and enjoyed it immensly. The problem was Hippolittle, was only 9 at the time, which is too young to even step foot on a dive boat.

I feel if one snorkels properly (quietly, slowly), you will see about 80% of what you will see diving (Scuba). That being said, the other 20% can be incredible!!

Giant Jewfish (aka Colossal Grouper)

I highly encourage it! In planning this trip I begin an e-mail correspondence with Collete Diede of 6 Paq Scuba. she was reccomended by our villa rep, and being on a smaller boat (max. capacity 6) that can go fast (get to more places) appealed to me. What I knew that didn't appeal to me, was having my kids in a school of 35 divers, getting a regulator kicked out of their mouths 30 feet under! After considerable e-mails I grew more and more comfortable with Colete. (see trip report #1) Ultimately the plan was that Colete would take the kids for a day of instruction and a training/check-out dive from a beach. I told her I didn't even want to be there, as they would listen better if I wasn't. If they did well and were reasonably profficient, I would like to join them and dive the Rhone the following day. This is a little more technical dive and I told Colete it would be her call, based on the kid's ability. Also I wanted to have lunch at the Willie T. (More on this later.) Hippolotta and I dove the Rhone 20 years ago, and when we got back on the boat after the dive, the divemaster told us that this was likely the best dive we would ever do. He thought it might have been the best dive he would ever do! Since I didn't take an underwater camera on this trip, these pictures are actually from 20 years ago.

In a previous life 30+ years ago, I worked as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). One day while sitting around the ready room, our director walked in and asked "Who would like to become PADI Scuba certified, paid for by the county?" Me and one other guy (who I thought was an idiot) immediately raised our hands. It never occurred to me at the time why my county would pay to have me certified! To be sure, it was not for me to enjoy the beautiful caribbean waters of the USVIs. They have fancy acronyms for it now, like D.A.R.T. (Drowning Accident Recovery Team). Back then it was looking for someone who usually had had 12 too many, on their worst and final day. Instead of D.A.R.T. it was more like "get on in there and find Skeeter!" Never the less if you don't use your training or coninuing ed, these skills atrophy over time. It's not like I have forgotten everything, just the stuff that can get me killed.

On the morning of the first dive, we had arranged to take the kids to Colete's apartment. Because Hippolittle is under 13, there is a special lists of things including risks that she has to read to him with a guardian present. Colete is a stickler for details and safety. I like this! As she goes through the risks (i.e. lung injury from holding ones breath etc.) I notice that Hippolotta is not taking this well! But Hippolittle has a look on his face that seems to say "just try to stop me mom!" Colete is taking another girl who needs to do a "rescue" exercise to complete another level of certification. My kids volunteer to be her "victims". As we leave our children behind, Hippolotta and I have a very different comfort level about this. Because of my previous contact with Colete, I am much more relaxed. After some significant effort I finally manage to bring her to an acceptable level of hysteria. Talk about sensory deprivation! Having two kids with you all the time and all of a sudden it's just the two of you! Wow! We go back to the house, and hang out in the pool. Lunch at the Lime Inn. I have one of my favorites, their french onion soup. It has a bitter aftertaste that is unique to the Lime Inn. Not unpleasant, indeed I like it. Colete drops the kids off at the top of the driveway of our villa at 2:30, which was earlier than I expected. I asked how it went (Colete didn't stick around.) They said great! They did this dive at Haulover North. I was wondering if they had done well enough to dive the Rhone. Hippolita said "Colete said to be at the NPS dock at 8:30." I guess they did well enough!

The next morning we get to the NPS dock and we meet John, Colete's captian. We are also joined by Tracy & Debbie, who are from Cincinnati, Cap'n John tells us that Colete had forgotten something, and would be back in a minute. Colete soon arrives and apologizes for running a little slowly today. She says "as long as we get out of Cruz Bay by 5 of 9." I ask John a minute later "why 5 of 9?", he replied "you'll see." We head north to clear customs in West End, Tortola. On the way Colete is distributing weights, preparing tanks etc. As we pull in to the harbor in West End she collects passports, and has bought correct change. Her pricing includes this. As she disappears into customs John turns to me and points, "that's why we leave by 5 of 9." I turn and here comes the inter-island ferry full of people, all of which have to clear customs! We're already there. In a minute Colete is out and we are on our way!

I asked Colete as she was still working on our equipment, "you never told me about yesterday, how did they do?" "in a minute" she said. She does a couple of other things and then comes back to me, and leans close to my face (so my kids wouldn't hear) and said "they were unbelievable! They are like fishes! It is so cool to teach kids like yours, 'cause they listen, they observe and just soak it all up!" (Proud Hippolyte!)

The R.M.S (Royal Mail Steamer) Rhone was launched in 1865. She weighed 2,738 gross registered tons and was 310 long. Besides mail she also accommodated 253 first class, 60 second, and third class cabins. Her primary service from England included the Caribbean islands, and ports in South America. On Oct. 29 1867, the R.M.S. Rhone sunk, in a ferocious hurricane off the coast of Salt Island. The ship broke into three pieces at depths from 30 to 80 feet. For a ship that sunk over 100 years ago it is remarkably well preserved.

Since Hippolittle is under 13, he is not allowed to dive below 40 feet, so the plan is Tracy and I will dive the deep part of the Rhone with Colete first, and when our dive is over, Colete will come up and get the kids, to do the shallower part. Colete had briefed us prior to the dive, and after we get in the water I forget most of it, and burn up many hundred pounds of air trying to clear my ears instead of pulling myself down the mooring rope. Just TONS of fish. Huge Baracuda, turtles swimming in and out of the hull. There is a part of the ship you can swim through. Great dive!

Giant ‘Cuda!

As soon as we surface Hippolittle immediately gets ready! By the time I reach the boat, he has already executed a perfect back roll entry into the water, soon followed by his sister. Colete joins them and off they go. As I get on the boat John asks me "does he get ready for school like he gets ready to dive?" "Unfortunately not" I tell him. "He said “we take people who have been certified for years that can't execute a back roll dive like he can!"

As they dive, I join Tracy and Debbie and we chat. About 40 minutes, the kids and Colete surface, and they have a terrific dive as well. Hippolita says they saw a huge lobster. I ask "how huge?" She parts her hands about 2 ½' apart. Colete confirms this. There is one porthole on the Rhone, that still has it’s glass in it. The local diving custom here is to rub the glass with your finger, which is an unspoken promise that you will return to the Rhone. I asked Hippolittle if he did this. He said "Yep!" Our next dive we did at the Indians, an interesting rock formation (which by the way is a good snorkeling site as well) just south of Norman Island. I do much better on this dive. The great thing about this spot are incredible corals and sponges, and really interesting little fishes. I am having great fun watching my kids Scuba! I am busting with pride! We encountered some current problems in some shallow areas, but again it was a terrific dive. Our next stop is the Willie T. For readers of these posts that aren't familiar with the Willie T, here's a link.... 1. http://www.williamthornton.com/more.html This site contains a lot of stuff, including a great ariel shot of the boat. History about the ship’s namesake. Did you know that William Thornton was a physician from Tortola, who actually won a design contest and designed our nation’s Capitol? It also has menus and other stuff. Oh...and by the way...there is a link entitled “photos”. Prior to clicking this, it might be wise to close and lock the door! (You have been warned!) It’s not really that bad but if you are taking any teenage boys with you, do NOT let them see this site or your trip will be utterly ruined by an endless stream of questions like, “when are we going to the Willie T?”, “is it too far to swim to the Willie T?” I have it on good authority the most likely times for bawdy behavior is happy hour, (go figure!) Or later at night after the dinner crowd departs. Late lunch is the best time to go(for families) The Willie T is to Hippolita what the white whale was to Melville’s Captian Ahab! We have attempted to take our kids there from Virgin Gorda and STJ, and both times were turned back by weather. Therefore it has become an obsession for Hippolita

The first time Hippolotta and I went to the Willie T was seven year ago. We rented a boat from Ocean Runners and I captianed it my self. After clearing customs where you pay all sorts of fees taxes etc. I had about $6 left in my wallet. (I had just forgot load up before I left.) I mentioned that to Hippolotta and followed it with "I hope they take Visa!" Hippolotta said "a floating restaurant in the middle of a harbor...I bet they don't" We get there and we see that a cheeseburger was $6, and figured we'd split one. I did venture to ask the young British guy behind the counter (co-owner) "You don't take Visa do you?" "Sure mate...all of em" Well me and Mrs Cheer ate like it was our last meal, all the while me thinking this would be a great credit card commercial!

The shenanigans mentioned on their web site are not limited to, but are largely referred to, that ladies jumping in the buff from the upper poop deck, (no pun intended) will receive a free t-shirt that says “I came, I saw, I jumped (naked) from the Willie T!”

After we dived the Indians, Hippolita knew we would make it to the Willie T. As a father, I can see the wheels turning in her little head! Colete, asks “are you going to jump” Hippolita answers “yes.” Colete glances at me, and Hippolita looks at me as to say, “should I?”. I give a look I have given a thousand times before, which means “you have to evaluate your actions, and the consequences of those actions”.” Cap’n John is a little more direct..”how old are you!!!!” “16!” Colete in a big sisterly voice says “let me give you a few tips,” knowing I’m ultimately in charge. “Make sure they have t-shirts, I took some girls out a couple of weeks ago and they were out. Don’t do it if there a lot of people there, do it when nobody is paying attention!, don’t leave your bathing suit on the boat, hold it in your hand” (These are all of the things I would have said if she would listen to me! Hippolita is processing all of this information, and turns to me and says “should I?” I reply “let’s wait and see.”

When we get there there are a fair number of boats there, but most are getting ready to go. As we go behind the stern two college age girls are climbing out of the water adjusting bikinis as best they can. They look our way with looks on their faces that seem to say “OMG did they see us?” As we pull by I casually say “Be sure to check out www.wildgirlsofthewilliet.com!” Horrified looks cross their faces as my dear daughter emphatically shuts me up! Me, I have mortified her for the 9,635,728th time. (I don’t know why I keep count, as my very existence embarrasses her.) Anyway the girl’s father thought it was funny! We tie up and grab a drink from Zeus, the bartender/cashier, and order lunch. By the time our order arrives, there is us, a group of four couples together, (mid 50s) one other couple, Zeus ,and a local lady in the stern, the co-owner and cook in the kitchen in the bow. One of the ladies in the group of four couples asks if I will take a picture of their group, and I oblige with everybody’s camera. Shortly after that they pay and get ready to leave. As we are eating our lunch we suddenly hear 4 consecutive splashes followed by riotous laughter from the men who were preparing to push off! The 4 previously mentioned ladies come aboard soaking wet and collect their t-shirts and off they go! Hippolita turns to me and states “I’m doin’ it!”

As Hippolita, gets up and marches to the stairs that go up to the poop deck Zeus asks “How old are you?, no wait a minute I doan wanta know.” Then he says,“ I ain’t even gonna watch mon” and says to the local lady you watch and tell me if she did it.” I start moving to the stern, camera in hand thinking, “I can blackmail her for years with this!” But before I can even bring the camera to my eyes, a pair of lily white buns goes flashing by! A few seconds later she is handing me a t-shirt saying “put this in your backpack and don’t lose it!” Ahab has harpooned her whale! Meanwhile Hippolittle is suffering the indignities of discovering that boys don’t get a t-shirt if they jump naked. A big squall starts to blow up and John and Colete suggests it’s time to go! We beat the storm in until we get to the north shore of STJ, then we get soaked. Since we were covered with salt this is not bad.

Tonight we dine a Tage! My mouth waters as I type this! (See trip report # 1) My kids go to a small private school in central North Carolina, K-12 just over 1000 students. As we are leaving Tage, Hippolita runs into one of her classmates, whose father is getting married (2nd) on Hawksnest the following morning. Go figure!

More later....