When we left Frederiksted to move back around to Christiansted we had flat calm waters and great clarity so I decided to drive us right over the top of the Northstar shipwreck. The highest point of the wreck sits a good twenty-five feet down but I knew it would look like five in these conditions. Ali went up front and gave a nice scream when it suddenly popped up.

Only takes a little swell to give this blowhole a nice blast.

Back on the north side of the island we finally got out and ventured the five miles over to Buck Island Reef National Monument. We knew the tour boats would arrive so we set out early to get there first. We had a lovely quiet couple of hours slowly walking the beach and swimming. By the time we rounded the corner of the beach back to the boat, half a dozen boats and over 100 tourists were there. Despite this, it’s worth mentioning, the island is really pristine.

Someone dug their toes in the sand and discovered a treasure.

When the crowds started to arrive we made our way around to the north side of the island. This side is wild, and doesn’t have a wide beach. This was all it took to have it to ourselves. We tucked under some trees for shade and watched the pelicans dive thousands of times.

Once in the water it was quickly apparent what they were fishing for.

Ouest and Lowe went off and found their own “homes.”

It was a Sunday and by noon, when most of the tourist boats had gone for the day Buck Island turned into a local’s beach party. It was a fun scene, and the kids got themselves quite an eyeful with all the girls dancing on the boats. The police and DPNR were out all day checking for permits (free and good for a year), pointing the speed gun at each boat coming in, and asking to see lifejackets. Definitely looked like all the locals had been through it before, because they all seemed to avoid tickets. Current COVID restrictions have the beaches closed at four (and there is no overnight anchoring here), so we filed out a bit ahead of the pack and headed back to our normal anchorage in Christiansted at the end of a fun day.

That night I asked Lowe if he liked Buck and he replied, “I loved it.” Enough said. We’ll be out there again soon.