Re: [Paddlewise] St. John US Virgin Islands

I imagine there are people with far more experience than me at this -- I'm
fairly new to kayaking and haven't really done any long trips so far.  But I
have spent a fair amount of time in the Caribbean over the years (mostly
sailing), and I recently visited St. John (for the third time), and kayaked
a little while I was there.

St. John is a very nice place to vacation.  I can't remember without
looking, but is Maho Bay the campground over on the North side of the
island?  If so, well . . . I imagine it's not for everyone.  Personally, I'd
rather stay in a cheap hotel (and there are a few reasonably priced
accomodations on the island).  We have stayed at Caneel Bay, and this time
tried the Westin (which I hated -- back to Caneel next time).  But if you
really want to camp, have at it.  As I recall, it's a long walk from the
camping area out to the road (or anything else), and I saw lots of people
walking it and looking *very* unhappy.  I'd rent a car if I planned to do
anything other than stay at the campsite all the time.  If you're not
planning to camp, please forgive the unasked-for advice. . .

As for the rest of the island, it's beautiful.  There are some good hikes,
but you can't (legally) camp in the National Park areas.  Day hikes are the
thing.  There are some nice beaches, including a number of them that are
part of the Park (some of these can be quite crowded, but some are not
crowded at all).  The town of Cruz Bay is fun for shopping and walking
around, and has a few good restaurants.  The other end of the island (Coral
Bay, East End, etc) is less developed and really beautiful.  You may find
some . . . retired hippies here and there, and there are some fun bars/cafes
that reflect that aspect of the culture.  Easy to understand why.  We really
enjoyed these places, which we found very friendly and comfortable.  Of the
Caribbean islands I have visited, St. John remains one of my favorites --
but again, these things are very individualized: I know people who really
hated it there.  If you want to talk more about the island itself, send me a
note offline. . .

For kayaking: we had rented some kayaks in the BVI and paddled a few days
over there, which was awesome.  We had strong northerly winds for several
days, which made launching and landing on Long Bay Beach quite a challenge.
On St. John, we went through Arawak Expeditions.  This is a small business
run by a fellow named Arthur Jones (if memory serves me).  Arthur is a great
guy -- UNC graduate (like me <g>).  He and his wife run the company.  Arthur
organizes various levels of trips, including up to five-day camping trips
through the US and British VI's.  If I were planning a multi-day paddling
trip in the USVI, I'd definitely contact him -- but again, this is a
relative beginner talking.  Arawak has a website, but I can't find the URL.
I think they advertise in SK.

Have fun!

Mark L



>Can anyone out there tell me about St. John in the US
>Virgin islands?  I'm thinking taking the family to
>Maho Bay there this summer.  I was wondering about
>kayak rentals and the paddling possibilities there.
>
>Steve Posti
>West Palm Beach, Florida


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