03 May 2021

Its Official!! We have a new home!

Team Sandpiper Update

Last And Final
26 May 2009
Anchored Cruz Bay
St John Island, U.S. Virgin Islands
USA!
18'19.9N/64'47.7W

 
Its Official!! After four years traveling over 28,000 nautical miles, 30 countries and 5 continents on a near circumnavigation, Team Sandpiper has found their new home!!! We signed the papers on Saturday morning with Captain Ben and Romeo (a whippet/pitbull mix), his agent B.J., Arthur the lawyer and with one simple signature we have taken ownership of the charter boat Sadie Sea.To celebrate we loaded up the Sadie Sea this morning with Captain Ben and a boat load of friends and took Sadie over to St Thomas for 'bottomless' Bloody Marys and Mimosas at breakfast keeping Sadie tied up in a marina. After copious drinks and many toasts to the end of Captain Ben's tenure aboard Sadie and Team Sandpiper's new beginning, it was a short run back home. With a wave and blow of the horn Captain Ben departed with a tear in his eye and Amy and I took Sadie back to her mooring for the first time by ourselves.

We have a busy week ahead already with just about every day booked for trips and we are looking forward to this new chapter in our adventures. We have been busy these last weeks trying to get all the paperwork associated with running a business processed and it has been a bit challenging since this is our first time at owning a business. There are tons of paperwork that must be filed and people to pay. I have my 100 ton USCG Captains License that I received just before we departed California in 2005 and it is required to drive the Sadie Sea as she carries a max load of 37 passengers in U.S Waters, and 12 passengers on international voyages (BVI's).

A new requirement for any personnel working in a U.S. port is to carry a Transportation Workers Identity Card. I went over to St Thomas and filled out all the forms and had my picture taken, then paid $150.00 and am now just waiting for them to contact me once they get my new card processed.
We have formed a corporation that Sadie Sea will be listed under for tax purposes, and now have applied for approval from the Lt. Governors Office for permission to use the trade name 'Sadie Sea Charters'.

I have turned in a background check to the St John police department that must be approved before we can obtain our Virgin Islands business license. There is quite a process to this whole procedure and with everyone on island time it takes a bit of time. One great thing about St John is the town of Cruz Bay is so small all the offices we need to go to are just blocks from each other.

With the sale of Sadie Sea to us along with the boat we also took ownership of Sadie Sea's mailbox, cell phone, dinghy and outboard, website, and of all things a Jeep! After 4 years we will have to learn to drive again, and on the left side of the road! St John has grown on us quite quickly and has a real sense of community. People are quite friendly and after just a short amount of time we have met most of the island. There are no rescue services on the island and all land and sea rescues are done by volunteers. Even the U.S. Coast Guard will not respond to a distress call from St John. There are no garbage trucks for picking up trash. So large dumpsters are placed around the island that everybody puts their refuse in for free. There are no mail trucks and anyone who wants to get mail has to have a P.O. Box in town.
While sitting at one of the many open bars it is common to see chickens running about and large iguanas on the prowl. On the Coral Bay side of the island wild donkeys stroll thru town and stand out on business' decks overnight. 

For some reason there are many people on the island with the same name. So everyone gets a one word description added to their names. For example; There is "80's' Matt" who is a great bartender at JJ's bar and has turned out to be a friend of ours. There is "Jew Matt" who well, is Jewish. And there is "Maintenance Matt" who does maintenance in rental houses. Flights to the Caribbean are quite cheap right now and we expect to see you here soon!! Team Sandpiper/Team Sadie Sea Tom and Amy P.S. Here's out new contact info;
(340)514-0778
SadieSeaCharters@gmail.com
P.O. Box 459, St. John,VI 00831

4 comments:

Tawni West said...

Congratulations! My husband and I saw Sadie Sea many of times while vacationing in St. John in March 2009. It appears she is in good hands! Good luck and God bless in your new adventure and home!

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Unknown said...

Great share! Congratulations with Sadie Sea.

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That's great and this boat is very beautiful and i would like to congrats you for it i hope you have a great day.