Kelcey Chandler-Yates and Jim Yates present...

UnderSeaPhotoVideo.com

Thursday, Jan 11, 2001
Well it is hard for us to believe that just 7 months ago we left Redding. We have settled into this boat life quite well. The boys are out fishing as we speak, Jim trying to finish the ever present book other distraction. I sit here trying to enjoy the last of a wonderful day with a nice glass of wine and beautiful music after cooking a big meal and diving all day.

We are currently in Anagada, a small, flat Island north of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). We arrived 2 days ago and as usual in a new anchorage, we spend the first day mostly on the boat studying, polishing and cleaning with the eve spent on land at the local hangout. This time we were greeted with a huge lobster cook out on the beach. - Wonderful people and great big huge juicy lobsters cooked to perfection. Our friends Gary and Linda Lott from Redding joined the feast as they and four friends also sailed in the same day. The next day however they needed to sail back to Tortola and we chose to stay on so we could dive. We will meet back up with them Saturday.

Dive we did. After two mediocre dives today we found the jackpot. A beautiful patch of outer reef-only about 15-20 feet deep with gorgeous sea fans and huge brain corals. It was also a wonderful place to let go of the reigns on Nicholas-well at least loosen them up considerably! Anyhow, it was a wonderful dive. We hunted for lobster - got two big ones - and Nick found a huge patch of conch-hundreds of them-big, beautiful, yummy conch-well after you pressure cook them and season them-how good could a snail taste with out good seasoning!!! We took six so I could make a big batch of chowder or some fritters. It was very comical to see Nick carrying three at once, all weighted down before he remembered his ability to control his buoyancy! Then there was the aftermath-how the heck do you get these big snails out of their shells!!!? I saw a book once that showed you but it was 6 dollars and I was too cheep to buy it!!! What a mistake. I knew that there was a place you put a big hole but I was not sure where or what you did after that!! The first one had several holes! The second only a couple but I could not figure out how to get them out - I kept getting a half a conch! Well Jim to the rescue-after he insisted that I had the whole thing out and I convinced him by showing him the cooking book that the best part was still to be had. He figured it out after I was literally up to my elbows in slime! Yuck! Moreover, the stuff does not come off! Anyhow back to Jim to the rescue - he figured it out and they just slid out like - well you get the picture!

I'll let you know how the chowder and fritters are after I cook them but tonight was lobster night---MMMMMMMMM they were delicious-what I was able to eat with Jim and Nick vying for their meal! Chris still will not eat them, lucky for the lobsters. Three chicken legs were devoured instead. I swear these boys eat more than I remember all three of my brothers eating!! Soon they will be good enough fishermen to bring home dinner consistently I hope. It must be the constant activity factor. Today the sea was so calm Nick was able to wake board all the way to the dive sight! Then he wanted to go out at sunset again! He went and was ravenous when he returned.

Well enough - the boys are back and I am tired. Tomorrow it is up early to sail to Spanish Town to pick up some good friends I met in St. John last month; Nelson, Vickie and Lila Uzzel. Life is good but as usual, we miss our friends back home. And our patients!!

Jan. 15 2001
The fritters were great although I am still cleaning conch shell off the ceiling!! We caught the monster lobster the next day - 6 lbs at least. Luckily, we had another boat to share the feast, as it was huge!! Our friends left the boat today-we are in Soapers hole-West End Tortola Gary and Linda have another week so of exploring we go. Diving is getting good-besides the lobster-I snorkeled with 21 Cuttle fish herding them around for at least 2 hours and a big barracuda that kept eating Chris' fish he was catching until finally Chris caught him! About four foot-he was thrilled but the Cuda was more thrilled when we let him go!!

Jan 16 2001
Went to Foxy's today-supposed to be some great beach bar-not being one to be up on beach bars I saw nothing of great value???-- Glad the tourists like it?? Don't quite get it myself- not a lot to talk about today as the highlight of the day was great salmon burgers I threw together-tourist holes are just not my thing I guess.

Jan 17th 2001
Great diving today-Chris idled the boat in this little pass while Jim and I did a hairy exit off the boat to dive the pinnacle on Tobago here in the BVI. Great dive-moonscapes with lots of life and color. We enjoyed it although the current was swift coming and going-against us!!- Did we time that right or what!! Not everything can be perfect-at least it wasn't too strong to swim but glad we did not take Nick with us!!--- Chris did great with the boat-we swam several yards out into the blue away from the rock where he put the boat for safe keeping-- great kid if I do say so myself!!