🐾 🐾 Sea Dog gets Wet, a "Soggy Adventure LIVE" 10-21-23

[Sea Dog]

Finally I met Francis @mo&fran. So honored to meet this great pinnacle. He looks great and is getting better every day after his bout with throat cancer. I love my CC family.

 

[DaniDanielle]

We love you♥️

[h20skibum]

33 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Finally I met Francis @mo&fran. So honored to meet this great pinnacle. He looks great and is getting better every day after his bout with throat cancer. I love my CC family.

Say hello from me and Susan.  We met him on one of our cruises last year. 

[Sea Dog]

Nirvana! And No Not The Band!!

 

Part One:

 

Nirvana: All Indian religions assert it to be a state of perfect quietude, freedom, highest happiness as well as the liberation from attachment and worldly suffering and I was there. Some might call it heaven but I know it as White Bay, Jost Van Dyke and the Soggy Dollar Bar.

 

 

When I last left you in the middle of night with insomnia I explained how my dream escape to the Soggy Dollar almost ended up being a nightmare. To the rescue was Chillout Charters who swooped down and carried us away to our paradise.

 

 

Our Soggy group of Deb @Momof3gurlz, and Andy, Jenifer @jmh2006 and Dave, Larry @Husky1987 and Andi and of course yours truly and wife Linda met in the Diamond (soon to be Crown) for an early morning breakfast and espresso. We then made our way to the gangway at 7:35.

 

After a 10 minute walk to Village Cay Marina we met our Captain, Tom. He lead us down to the dock to a beautiful 39 foot Yellow Fin (Kenny Chesney has the same) with seating for 12 and 3 mercury outboards that can get the boat up to 70mph which is fast on the water.

 

Stay tuned for more!

Edited October 26, 2023 by Sea Dog

[Sea Dog]

Nirvana Part Two

 

 

Our 30 minute trip took us around Tortola which was very smooth and then into the less tame Caribbean. It was like a thrill ride. Up and down we went but as choppy as the water was this boat cut through it like a hot knife through butter.

 

 

Once we arrived Captain Tom backed in close to shore and threw out some grappling anchors to keep us in place.

 

 

I navigated the swim ladder with my knee well and made my way soggy dollars in tow to the beach. I was going good until that all too familiar sand shelf that makes up most beaches. I thought I would do Linda a favor and carry her beach bag. So carrying two bags and a go pro, had I not have a bum knee I might have done better…. well you get the idea, let’s roll the video tape.

 

 

[Sea Dog]

Nirvana Part 3

Soggy was not very crowded at 8:45am.
 

 

We scored some beach chairs and then I was off for my first mission. I know what you are thinking….. get a painkiller….nope…. It’s go to the gift shop and buy everything I can get my hands on.

 

 

 

 

 

They had everything , shirts, hoodies, caps, mugs you name it. I did good by not maxing out the credit card and only came away with two hats, two tee shirts, and a long sleeve UV swim shirt.

 

[Jimbo]

12 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Nirvana Part Two

 

 

Our 30 minute trip took us around Tortola which was very smooth and then into the less tame Caribbean. It was like a thrill ride. Up and down we went but as choppy as the water was this boat cut through it like a hot knife through butter.

 

 

Once we arrived Captain Tom backed in close to shore and threw out some grappling anchors to keep us in place.

 

 

I navigated the swim ladder with my knee well and made my way soggy dollars in tow to the beach. I was going good until that all too familiar sand shelf that makes up most beaches. I thought I would do Linda a favor and carry her beach bag. So carrying two bags and a go pro, had I not have a bum knee I might have done better…. well you get the idea, let’s roll the video tape.

 

 

That was a little hairy

[Sea Dog]

Nirvana Part 4

 

Then it was time to get that Caribbean Tiki Elixir of life, the painkiller. Glen the expert bartender showed me what makes a painkiller so pain free.

 

 

It was a perfect blend of sweet and tart, with a hint of coconut that reminded me of the tropical paradise surrounding me.

 

 

As I sipped on my cocktail, I chatted with other patrons, who were friendly and welcoming. It was Andi’s Birthday so we all cheered for her.

 

 

I drank with everyone. Some were locals, while others were tourists like me, all enjoying the laid-back island vibe.

 

 

My impression????

 

[A&L_Ont]

Greg, I’m glad that it was all you had wished it to be. 
 

I’m also glad to see your GoPro wasn’t sacrificed to the gods. 😁

[Sea Dog]

Nirvana Part 5

 

The next several hours were bliss hanging out with my cruise critic brothers and sisters. I can’t get over the water, crystal clear and bath water temperature. This was by far the best beach I had ever been to.

 

 

After a few painkillers I started to feel the effect. My knee didn’t hurt, my laughed more. I talked to complete strangers. Shouldn’t all of life be this way?

 

 

I’ve been told The Soggy Dollar has good food but if you want even better food go next door to Heidi’s Hideaway.

 

 

So off as a group we went.

 

 

When our server saw that I was drinking the Soggy Painkiller she asked me if I wanted to try the true original Painkiller. I said yes and she brought me over their version.

 

 

 

The difference is this.

 

 

The original used Pusser’s Dark Rum. Soggy uses their own brand. Now theirs is good but the Painkiller with Pusser’s brings it to a newer level. This cocktail was deeper and more complex. The Soggy Painkiller was lighter. Something you could drink all day. The Hideaway Painkiller had depth and was stronger in ABV.

 

 

After getting a good buzz it was time for food. I ordered the Mahi Tacos which were amazing.
 

The only problem was there wasn’t a salsa sauce just a hot sauce. It felt man enough so I gave it a few healthy squirts to which after my first bite my mouth blew up. WOW !

 

 

That  hot sauce was like dragon's breath, leaving a fiery trail that even volcanoes would envy. 🌶🔥

My eyes started to tear up, I started to cough. I tried to make it better by taking a napkin and wiping some of it away. Then I learned a very valuable lesson. Do not and I mean do not after getting maybe a little of that sauce on your fingers, rub your eyes. “Yeeeeowwww!” Then go to the bathroom to pee. OMG, now my family jewels were on fire. Does Jost Van Dyke have a fire department??? Thankfully the pain subsided and i finished my incredible Mahi Tacos.

 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Sea Dog

[HBE4]

26 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Then it was time to get that Caribbean Tiki Elixir of life, the painkiller. Glen the expert bartender showed me what makes a painkiller so pain free.

 

 

 

 

Glen the expert bartender certainly has a generous pour with the rum.

 

From what I've seen of Jost Van Dyke, it is what every Caribbean beach should be. Perfection.

 

 

[Sea Dog]

Nirvana Part 6

One final round of Painkillers and then it was time to pack up and leave. There was others from the ship that came but came via taxi in Tortola to a ferry then ferry over and then go in reverse back to the ship. They had to leave a full two hours before us to make it back in time.

 

 

We had a luxury excursion with over 4.5 hours in White Bay a perfect amount.

 

 

The ride back was even more of a thrill ride. It was thrilling and exhilarating, the wind blowing through our hairs…well maybe not Larry and I but it was still exhilarating to say the least.

 

 

We made our way back to ship, turned in towels and took a nap. What fantastic trip of a lifetime. Soggy lived up to the hype and it was even better than I could have dreamed of . If you ever get a chance to visit White Bay at Jost Van Dyke and get a Painkiller from Glen at the Soggy Dollar tell him Sea Dog sent you. He will know exactly who you are talking about.

 

Editors Note: Stay tuned after I get back for more videos as I have a ton and will edit some cool videos for you to see.

[doghog]

23 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

That  hot sauce was like dragon's breath, leaving a fiery trail that even volcanoes would envy. 🌶🔥

My eyes started to tear up, I started to cough. I tried to make it better by taking a napkin and wiping some of it away. Then I learned a very valuable lesson. Do not and I mean do not after getting maybe a little of that sauce on your fingers, rub your eyes. “Yeeeeowwww!” Then go to the bathroom to pee. OMG, now my family jewels were on fire. Does Jost Van Dyke have a fire department??? Thankfully the pain subsided and i finished my incredible Mahi Tacos.

If you think it burned going in, wait until  later when you have to take a ...🥵

Edited October 26, 2023 by doghog

[perfect match]

What an awesome day! Beautiful beach, great friends, perfect weather, I could go on but the pictures and videos that you all posted said everything that needed to be said. I’d even love the boat ride there and back! 🏖️

[h20skibum]

Looks like you all had a great day, and great weather to go with it.   Glad you had a good time. 

[Sea Dog]

Let’s Get Caught Up

 

A few more things from yesterday. Captain Jaret came into the Diamond Lounge and talking to us. He showed me a nice app that he uses on his phone to track weather and seas. He told us the ship would be rocking and rolling last night and boy did it. Luckily I don’t get sea sick but I bet some other passengers did. The app is called “Windy.”

 

 

The Captain and the Dog

 

 

 

[A&L_Ont]

10 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

The Captain and the Dog

Shave the stash and your his doppelgänger.  Free dinner every night on the ship.

[Sea Dog]

Arrrrrgggg!

 

This Pirate Dog is not happy Apparently YouTube/Google thinks I’m uploading too much to YouTube so my identity has to be verified. They asked for a screen shot of my drivers license. Not so sure how I feel about that but did it anyway. May take a day to verify so I apologize if I can’t post as much video. I’ll try and upload directly from the phone but I don’t like that some with non Apple phones may have trouble viewing.

https://gopro.com/v/9mrWDB5zMXMKL

 

Tortola Sail Away

 

[Sea Dog]

Here was dinner in the MDR

 

 

Crispy Parmesan Arancini. Very good

 

 

Lasagna was not bad at all but I make one better from my wife’s Italian cousin.

 

 

Mushroon Risotto. Very tasty.

 

 

Stopped by Schooner bar to continue to drink all the new drinks on the menu. I’m way behind. Not sure I’m getting a good value from the drink package.

 

 

Southern Belle

 

[mo&fran]

@Sea Dog It was great getting to meet you and your lovely wife in the D lounge last night. Having CC friends will always be a favorite life's memory, and cruising has afforded us a lot of those.

 Even more special, with what life has thrown my way since my last cruise, also on Adventure in May, is actually cruising again and recovering from the throat cancer.

 This was a year with no summer, all of this time spent receiving the chemo and radiation treatment (5 days a week, for 35 sessions).

 I still will need testing to determine whether the cure is complete.

 

 

Meanwhile, hurricane Tammy is kicking up the ocean, and we are getting a rocky ride that started shortly after leaving Tortola. Interesting to see what the rest of the voyage is like.

[Sea Dog]

Ok I found a workaround for my YouTube videos to get uploaded until they verify my account.

 

Here is a teaser shot of some of the great footage that Captain Tom shot with his DJI drone that I will be using in some production exits I will do for this review after I get home so please checking out my review even after I get back.

 

 

Didn’t I say White Bay on Jost Van Dyke is amazing.

 

 

[Sea Dog]

I sent a email to Captain Tom and Chillout Charters thanking him for everything he did for us. I can’t highly recommend Chillout Charters for chartering. Please consider them for your next visit. We had seven hours with them. 
I asked him more about his background and he told me a little about himself. Here is the email. He was fantastic.

 

 

Hi Greg, 

 

My pleasure. I’m glad you got to tick that off your bucket list. 

 

I arrived in the BVI when I was 2 1/2 years old and my parents start to the day sale business and run that for 20 years. I have worked on many different boats and sailed many different boats to many different places throughout the years, I have lived in various places For brief moments in time, but I always come back to the BVI. The company I work for now is owned by a friend of mine. I am just one of his for captains that rotate on the different boats in the fleet. You can also follow me on my different Instagram pages.  

@captainbvi

@tortolatom

@skyfocusbvi

The company” vineyard vines” did a piece on me a couple years ago, which you might find helpful. I will send you a link to the YouTube video they made. 

Loving the Water with Tom Pinfold youtu.be

 

All the best . 

Regards 

 

Tom

[Sea Dog]

Here is that video of Captain Tom

 

 

[A&L_Ont]

7 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

The original used Pusser’s Dark Rum.

 

7 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

That  hot sauce was like dragon's breath, leaving a fiery trail that even volcanoes would envy. 🌶🔥

My eyes started to tear up, I started to cough. I tried to make it better by taking a napkin and wiping some of it away. Then I learned a very valuable lesson. Do not and I mean do not after getting maybe a little of that sauce on your fingers, rub your eyes. “Yeeeeowwww!”  

Then go to the bathroom to pee. OMG, now my family jewels were on fire.

You had me laughing, at your unfortunate situation. 
 

You have to make wise decisions after you drink some Pusser, because the next thing you know your johnson will be burning.  What happens at Jost, stays at Jost.
 

Now this lesson has been learned, this @Sea Dog will never forget.😉🙃

Edited October 26, 2023 by A&L_Ont

[Sea Dog]

18 minutes ago, mo&fran said:

@Sea Dog It was great getting to meet you and your lovely wife in the D lounge last night. Having CC friends will always be a favorite life's memory, and cruising has afforded us a lot of those.

 Even more special, with what life has thrown my way since my last cruise, also on Adventure in May, is actually cruising again and recovering from the throat cancer.

 This was a year with no summer, all of this time spent receiving the chemo and radiation treatment (5 days a week, for 35 sessions).

 I still will need testing to determine whether the cure is complete.

 

 

Meanwhile, hurricane Tammy is kicking up the ocean, and we are getting a rocky ride that started shortly after leaving Tortola. Interesting to see what the rest of the voyage is like.

The pleasure was all mine Francis. Yes we were rocking and rolling last night. I enjoyed it. Today should be interesting.