Jason Kumpf from Raffles Tortola sends in his experience at the Boat Show

I spoke with Jason Kumpf, one of the key marketing people for Raffles Tortola at Lambert Bay. You remember the two postings I had in September about this eco-friendly ultra-luxury resort that is being developed at this gorgeous tropical paradise on the back side of Tortola, BVI? Our company is one of the representatives of this project to our worldwide clientele. Here are some of his thoughts about attending the Boat Show last week

“I heard about the Virgin Island Charter League Boat Show from Jim Walberg, a recent business partner, and now a dear friend. Besides the beautiful Yacht Haven Grande at Charlotte Amalie,, and the manner in which their staff delivered memorable customer service every day, and the amazing charter boat fleet, the “people” are the real story of the Boat Show.

From the local people I met, like Big Mama, to the captains and crew, like Captain Simone from Clasship I, to the USVI Governor, Lt. Governor, and Senator, to Jim Walberg. The “people” always create the extraordinary experience, plus Jim is a unique part of that group of Caribbean “stars”.

To give you a perspective on Jim that I gained over the two days I spent with him at the Boat Show, you need to know that what you see is merely the surface of a very deep and thoughtful person. In order for you to understand why he is incredibly outgoing, upbeat and the wise person he is, you must understand that he has lived and died four times in the past three years. Literally died!

I can’t fully comprehend the experience of being resuscitated even once, but I can fully appreciate the state of mind in which a survivor like Jim is in everyday. He is a survivor of prostate cancer. He had ulcerative colitis in such a severe way that his colon and rectum were fully removed. He also had several additional major health issues that showed up because of the battering and beating his body took over a two year period of time – having a ten and half hour surgery to repair heart damage from these events, water on the brain, shingles, and a gall bladder that blew up.

So, do you understand why each moment is a blessing for Jim, and he shares those blessing with everyone he meets. He gives everyone he meets permission to recognize their own blessing which is actually calledl their daily lives. Jim, thanks for the insights, and see you soon on-island! I thought I was spending time with a Realtor representing properties worldwide. What I discovered was how to look at life in a much different manner.”

Jason Kumpf – Raffles Tortola

The Sun Kings rocked at Paradise Point for the Boat Show Party!

It is amazing to see a ski lift system in place from Havensight that takes you to Paradise Point, on top of a mountain overlooking the Caribbean. Murray Pridham has created a Caribbean party headquarters on top of this mountain and the Boat Show had their Friday night rockin’ party there.

Holy Moly! I had forgotten what it was like to hangout with 50+ yacht crews when they don’t have anyone to worry about other than how to get back to their yachts. There were even a couple of the crew from Clasship I that had badges on with instructions as to how to get them back to their yacht.

Oma snagged me a taxi since I was so late that I did not have time to wait in line at the gondola. She was the fifth St. Thomas woman that asked if I would be her husband. If I had said yes to all of them my alimony payments would be more than I could ever afford.

I arrived at Paradise Point and the first thing I noticed as a sign that said, “Please Keep Off Grass”. That seemed link an oxymoron for the Caribbean, but there is a “zero tolerance” drug rule at Paradise Point.

Next I met James who is the lift supervisor and then his assistant, Tony, who seemed to be off duty with two of the yacht brokers in arm. Being the very good Caribbean lifestyle detective that I am, I immediately met the bartender, Elroy. But he seemed to be busy.

I decided to explore even deeper into the back part of Paradise Point and I met Alicia, the chef of the place. Holy Moly! She was pumping out some amazing appetizers for this crazy bunch. My “first impression person”, from Yacht Haven Grande, Christina, who introduced me to the Rum Hut taxi station, asked that I take a picture of her and Derek – I think she said he is the security guy at Yacht Haven Grande, but I am not sure because the noise was so loud.

Then the real fun began with the Sun Kings – local band from St. Thomas. They gave the crowd all they expected and more with a Reggae concert. No one was sitting throughout the entire night. I had been over served a bit last night so I actually only had one glass of wine – well, I had the Voodoo Rum drink earlier at the Rum Hut. The rest of the night I just had water. I made it home at a decent hour, and hit the sack with dreams about what tomorrow will hold. I let you know in a few hours. Until then….

“Showing Of The Yachts” Begins Today At The 33rd VICL Boat Show

After a long day of cleaning and polishing it is “show time” for the Captains and Crews!

Today the “meet and greet” begins with the Charter Brokers and the Captains and crews of the charter fleet.

The picture from my balcony early this morning is what let me know I was in for another GREAT day. The only way you could imagine the work that was accomplished yesterday by the captains and crews as they transform their yachts into “show condition” would be if you were here. It is a labor of love and pride. Again, they are presenting their boats to the Charter Brokers who will be “selling” an unforgettable Caribbean sailing vacation. And, the reason why the charter vacation brokers are here is to pick the yachts that will be a part of their “inventory” for the charter season that starts next week and typically concludes at the end of May.

The events that have been planned today are for both the Charter Brokers and the Charter Captains and crew. The showing of the yachts begins at 9AM and ends at 5PM. There is a noon break for the Captain and crews as they participate in a wine tasting event meant to highlight wines they may want to feature in their provisioning list when stocking their boats each week. As you remember from past postings, over half of the experience delivered to Charter guests is the unforgettable daily gourmet experience produced by the very talented chefs on each of these yachts. Wines are a BIG part of that gourmet experience.

In the late afternoon all of the Boat Show participants are invited to check out the latest charter opportunity in the Caribbean – chartering your own fully crewed high performance racing yacht. An example of this type of charter yacht is the Volvo Ocean 60. What a thrill to be a part of the Caribbean racing scene aboard the most high-performance racing yachts ever built!

Tonight is shows Grande Opening event. The governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Governor John deJongh, Lieutenant Governor Gregory Francis, and Senator Louis Patrick Hill will be the honored guests. The gourmet food selection will be prepared by Yacht Haven Grande’s executive chef – Brian Katz. Yours truly will be bartending along with several of the Charter Captains.

I am off with my camera and note pad for another unforgettable day of interacting with some of my favorite people – the Caribbean sailing community. See you later today!

A candid conversation with Nick Bailey from John Foster Realty

After a very long day of starting in Miami at 4am and arriving at the Boat Show at noon,  it was adrenaline that kept me going for the scheduled dinner with Nick and Joyce Bailey.  Nick and his partner, Peter Briggs, own John Foster Real Estate, the Christie’s luxury real estate franchise in the Caribbean.  Nick’s wife, Joyce, is a CPA in St. Thomas for a major corporation doing business in the Virgin Islands.  Both of them have an opinion as to what the future holds for the real estate opportunities in the Caribbean.

Nick was born and raised in St. Thomas.  He and his family has traveled extensively throughout the world, and they still call the Caribbean their home.  He has been with John Foster Real Estate since 1987 and prior to that he owned and managed a successful sail loft, and raced in the international sailing community.  Their daughter, Andi, is studying abroad in Argentina, and there son, William, is a competitive junior sailor.  Nick has a passion for flying which allows him to introduce his customers to all of the Caribbean.  He and Joyce are looking for the perfect catamaran in order to fulfill some dreams of sailing throughout the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

So, you can imagine that an evening with Nick and Joyce allowed for a perspective on the future of real estate in the Caribbean.  Here are some of the highlights of our dinner conversation at Oceana Restaurant – one of my favorites in the Virgin Islands.

As we learned from Betsy and Marques from my posting yesterday, the challenge is how to create a responsible development plan for the U.S. Virgin Islands that allows for people from all over the world to own property in Paradise – whether it is fractional ownership or out right buying a home or townhome.  Here are some of their thoughts about the future opportunities in Caribbean Real Estate.

• As the U.S. Virgin Islands get close to being built out the destinations that are very interesting to consider are;  the Dominican Republic; Dominica; St. Vincent; St. Kitts; Anguilla; St. Lucia; and even Nicaragua .  There are no surprises here given the past postings I wrote regarding five of the best islands in the world to live on are in the Caribbean.
• The impact of the world economy is being highlighted in the Caribbean.  The value of world currency is changing who the buyers are of Caribbean real estate.  Today the Euro was at $1.47.  The Canadian dollar is at $1.07.  The British pound and the Swiss franc are kicking the pants off the U.S. dollar.  It is a “fire sale” for the world when they are considering any U.S. real estate.  ( Nick and Joyce are traveling to Las Vegas this next week.  They commented that some of the biggest groups of buyers in the depressed Las Vegas real estate market are coming from Europe.  It is almost a half-price sale! )
• The keys to all of these real estate options in the Caribbean relate to a stable and sustainable economy in each of these countries; stable governments – the jury is still out on the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.  But, those willing to take a risk in these countries may become the BIG winners in the Caribbean real estate markets.

Nick and Joyce have spent their whole lives in the Caribbean and they believe strongly in the future health of the real estate markets in the islands.  We look forward to many more conversations with these knowledgeable professionals.  Now it is off to bed so I can get ready for an exciting day tomorrow at the Boat Show interacting with some of the most courageous and interesting professionals I know – Charter Captains and their crews.  Until next time…

Bill Tait’s “story”…

I have to admit, I thought I was through for the day with taking photos. But, here is one of Bill Tait. As I was walking out of Yacht Haven Grande’s computer center to consume my next rum of the day, I met Bill Tate. He is a friend of several of the staff there and we started talking about the Caribbean Island life. As our conversation unfolded I asked him how long he had been on-island and what brought him here in the first place. The story that unfolded is what I would want any mid-20 year old to hear. ( He offered to take me back to my place instead of me getting a cab, so we had a friend take a picture of us with his favorite island car.)

He grew up in Michigan. Got tired of the cold weather and took a “flier” by coming to the Virgin Islands for a few weeks to check it out. He said he was never the “popular kid”, and really liked to play with computers and designing websites for his friends. He has now been here for over a year and the Caribbean “bug” has bit him hard.

He stepped aboard a sailboat for the first time last year. He is now a part of a racing team with their yacht parked at Yacht Haven Grande. He is a bartender at Frenchmen’s Reef and this was his day off. He confided in me that his life has been changed because of taking the risk to leave the shore and seek adventures in the world other than Michigan. We spoke about the experience I had at the Miami airport last night while meeting two amazing Caribbean characters, Betsy and Marques. Bill said the Betsy and the “gang” at her bar kept his spirits when from time to time he wondered if he was doing the right thing. He could not believe that I had shared a dinner with Betsy last night. His comment about that was I had an evening with a woman who has changed the lives of many people who come to the Virgin Islands seeking their dreams.

Bill let me know there was a quote from Mark Twain that also kept him going when times were tough this past year.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

He also let me know he could not have done it without loving and supportive parents who did not come from judgment because he wasn’t fitting the mold of 99% of what Bill’s friends have ended up doing. It truly does take a village to help all us figure stuff out. So, let’s raise a glass to Bill for giving the Caribbean permission to impact the direction of his life. We made a pact to meet at the Rum Hut at Havensight on Friday night and meet some more of his interesting friends. I am sure you will be hearing more about that evening on Saturday’s postings.

I am looking out my window at one of the thousands of sunsets I have witnessed in the Caribbean, and the words that keep coming back to me is, “Welcome Home!” Until next time…

Yacht Haven Grande welcomed me with opened arms…

So, I finally arrived at the Boat Show at noon today. On the way to Yacht Haven Grande I shared a taxi with Dave and Theresa from Orange County, California. They were on their way to the airport after their first vacation in the Virgin Islands. They were blown away by what they experienced – from Virgin Gorda, Soggy Dollar Bar at Jost Van Dyke, to Duffy’s Love Shack in Red Hook.

In addition, I shared a taxi from the airport with a couple just arriving from New England for their first visit to the Caribbean for a wedding. Within four minutes they wanted to know how they could own property in the Virgin Islands. I immediately gave them my business card and the taxi dropped them off at Emerald Bay Resort. Dave and Theresa said they want to talk their friends into sharing the cost of buying a condo in the Virgin Islands so they can do it year after year.

I then walked into the Yacht Haven Grande headquarters and Christina Bisio, from San Francisco ( small world ), welcomed me with a smile, and said, “We have looked forward to your arrival. We will be your blogging computer center while you are doing your Caribbean Islands lifestyle detective work. Where would you like to set up your computer?”

The next Yacht Haven person that welcomed was Bernard Attidore from Dominica – director of logistics. Now, he is the man to know if you need something done. His assistant, Stephen Parks, was invaluable in implementing everyone’s boat needs today. That was the start the first moments at the Show, and it set the standard as to what has already unfolded in the last several hours – he three letters are WOW!

My next stop was to meet with the “squeaking wheel” that made a casual remark last year that the Boat Show needed to move up about ten notches in class – Shelly Tucker. Boy, was Shelly and the VICL Boat Show committee successful in delivering a world class Show. She is the first stop for all of the participants at the Boat Show, and what a great first impression.

She and her husband, Randy, and their first mate, own Three Moons, and have already created an envied reputation within the Caribbean Charter Fleet. I asked her, “What’s in it for you to be so involved in a Boat Show where you actually need to be marketing to the Charter Yacht Brokers as opposed to being the “Show Greeter?” She responded, “Giving back is the name of the game in the charter community. If there is a way to improve the Charter League’s exposure then it helps everyone improve.” My kind of professional – to whom much is given, much is required.

Since I hadn’t had a meal in over 24 hours the first question I asked Shelly is where could I get a great fish sandwich. She said, “Wikked”. What happened for the next hour+ was another one of my memorable adventures at a bar / restaurant. Holy Moly! Wikked means “really good” in the Caribbean. It is a phrase that came from Jamaica.

Of course, my first stop was at the bar and since I was alone, I immediately went to the bar for lunch. Who was there to welcome me was an “old salt”, Captain Danny T, the bartender! The next hour was tales of the Caribbean life. Danny T left Allentown, Pennsylvania years ago, got his captains license and hasn’t left the Caribbean since. He is a live-a-board in Charlotte Amalia harbor and even is building a 14 room apartment building in Frenchtown. He takes his dingy to work, so the traffic jam is not what one experiences in any of the major U.S. cities. And, he mixes a mean rum drink.

The next introduction was to Catherine Theodore – a St. Lucian with roots in Dominica, who is the manager of Wikked. After meeting me she turned to her wait staff and let them know I was her new “husband”. I told her I was married to a wonderful women, and she said, “Just tell Ann Marie I am a Temp.” She let me know it would be a wonderful short marriage because her ex-husband was at the bar, John, and he paid her a lot of alimony and her kids are no problem at all. I immediately knew this would be a “no-problem marriage”, even if for 15 minutes.

Catherine also let me know that she was considering putting together a “Girls Of Wikked Calendar” with her wait staff as the models. I asked her if I could be the photographer. She said, “No problem!” The “shoot” is set up for tomorrow at the yellow stripped tent if anyone wants to stop by. I can’t wait.

As I was downloading this blog posting, in walks Laura Schaub from the yacht “Storm Petrel”. She and Captain Phil Levine just arrived from an 11 day sail across the Atlantic from Cape Cod in order to show off their boat this week. They usually complete the crossing in nine days, but they ran into the tail-end of Hurricane Noel and were in blinding rain and wind for two days over Halloween. ( It must have been the Holiday that was the problem. Never sail on Halloween.)

What a commitment to arrive on the day of the boat show, clean, and polish their yacht for the inspection of the Charter Yacht Brokers. You have no idea the work that it takes to prepare a boat for this show. Another example of the amazing people who make up the Caribbean charter fleet. There is only a few hours left for today’s previews. I think I will wander back to Wikked and get another rum drink from Danny T. There may not be any more photos today – just a guess. Until next time…

My Virgin Islands Boat Show flight cancelled Tuesday, but the magic of life unfolds if you let it happen…

Yesterday, I am flying from Miami to get St. Thomas for the Virgin Island Charter League Boat Show. I am scheduled to do an interview with the Boat Show chairperson, Shelly Tucker at 10AM on Wednesday. Not only is the plane delayed because of an engine that is leaking oil, but they are not able to repair it, so there will be an additional 2 ½ hour delay in connecting up with a plane flying in from Chicago that will eventually take me to Charlotte Amalie – arriving at mid-night on Tuesday instead of 9PM on Tuesday. At 8PM on Tuesday the gate attendant lets us know that the airport at Charlotte Amalie is having maintenance done so there will be no planes landing after 9PM, which means I will be spending the night in Miami.

Given all of the life experiences in which I have participated, there is only a very small group of passenger out of 200 that are OK with these inconvenient circumstances. We are all told to go stand in a line at customer service at American Airlines so the passengers can get their hotel voucher, a dinner voucher, and a breakfast voucher. The mad dash of all of the passengers to customer service was actually comical. We are told the plane will be now leaving for St. Thomas at 6:30AM in the morning, which means I will be up at 4:30AM in order to get back to the Miami airport by 5:30AM.

So, I am standing near the back of a very long line of irritated passengers, and I begin a conversation with two of the people standing next to me – Betsy and Marques. The reason why the flight was cancelled was so I could meet these two amazing people. Betsy is the one of fame and fortune of Betsy’s Bar in St. Thomas. Marques is the senior lead guide for Virgin Islands Ecotours on the East end of the island. ( You can also call them for more information – (340) 779-2155.)

I am already in heaven having the opportunity to be the Caribbean Islands lifestyle detective with two people I have wanted to meet for months, and they are standing right beside me in line to get a hotel room!

What unfolded in the next four hours was sharing dinner with two wonderful people who have amazing perspectives as to what is happening in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Betsy is in a challenging moment with her world famous bar. The tourist trade has caused the locals to not be doing as well as they have in past years. That means she does not have the clients frequenting her establishment at a rate that will sustain her business. She is extremely frustrated that the U.S. Virgin Islands economy is close to 100% based on tourism. That means if the Virgin Islands can’t design a sustainable method of getting people to visit the island it means her business may need to close. Marques just happened to be at the airport waiting for the same flight and he runs into Betsy who is one of his very dear friends. So, I am in the midst of a “family reunion”.

Marques’ frustration is similar to Betsy’s regarding how to create a sustainable economy based on tourism, but the added frustration that Marques has relates to how the island is allowing such mass development at Botany Bay, and now the proposed project at Dolphin Cove without a master plan for the island as to how the environment will be protected. I am very aware of the challenges the Dolphin Cove investment group had regarding the build-out of their development because of the endangered tree boa being on the property. That one issue delayed them for over a year as they mitigated the sensitive environmental issues.

Marques related to me an experience he had several weeks ago of being at the American Yacht Harbor parking lot in Red Hook and seeing two ladies poking at something under their car. He walked over and asked if he could help them. They told him a snake was under their car and they were trying to scare it off. Marques looked under the car, and to his amazement, there was a tree boa. He believes it was disoriented and lost from the nearby open space near Dolphin Cove. Marques picked it up and took care of it for the remainder of the day until he could arrange for the snake to be taken by him in his kayak to a mangrove forest on a different island where no one would ever bother it again. It was a sad moment for him because it was another reminder that the ecosystem of the Virgin Islands is directly impacted by what is actually needed for the economy to be sustainable – tourists and all the things they require in order to visit the islands, including places to live.

It was a memorable night with Betsy and Marques.

So, next time your plane is delayed or your flight is cancelled, look around. You are about to meet some amazing people. If you know of a great location on St. Thomas for Betsy’s Bar let me know. She is looking to make some changes. And, if you want to get in touch with Marques and find out about Virgin Islands Ecotours, email me.

Both of these people are important parts of the Caribbean community and the life that is being lived out here everyday. I will make it to the Boat Show, and I will be keeping you posted as to what I discover throughout each of the four days it is going on at Yacht Haven Grande. I just had a little detour that turned out to be part of the reason why I was in Miami. I just did not know the reasons when I woke up today. Until next time….

St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands has been invaded by the fleet. It’s not the U.S. Navy, nor the Spanish Aramada – the Caribbean Boat Show Is finally here and with it, the migration of the charter fleet is showing up at Yacht Haven Grande in the U.S. Virgin Island

Hundreds of people have been planning the 33rd Annual Virgin Island Charter League Boat Show for almost a year, and it is finally here. Tuesday, November 6th the charter fleet will arrive at Yacht Haven Grande, and each of the crews will be cleaning and polishing their boats for the four inspection by the charter vacation brokers.

The work that will be accomplished in a 24 hour period of time to prepare for the event boggles the mind. At the opening of the show all of the crew will be in their finest “uniforms” and appear as if it was effortless to present their boats in such a spectacular condition with each portion of the yacht staged as if their charter guests had just arrived. It will be all smiles and lots of fun as the position their yachts in the minds eye of the charter brokers so their boat is at the top of the list of the ones being marketed for the charter season that starts on November 12th.

Your Caribbean Islands life style reporter will be on duty the entire Show bringing you the latest news and “heard on the street” reports. Check out the biz card I created especially for this event.

Stay tuned, we are all going to have a really fun week. Until next time…