Did they change since I was there? Karel's that I remember is downtown, and a major tie-up for visiting boaties' dinghies.

Is the bar on the end gone? As the dinks?

OR,,, what dock is this one?

http://www.scubadiving.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=43286

Molamola

Karel's is still there. I think that picture is of the private table on the dock at Richards.

Melissa, good to see you again. Karel's is still there, and still a major dink tie up



Well, I thought I had a pic of the dinks, but it's on my work PC, but, Bonaire still has exellent rainbows!

I think Tribs is right

(Message edited by cyndelee on July 30, 2007)

Well, I thought I had a pic of the dinks, but I do have a pic of a nice cold Polar looking out at the cruisers

Thanks! Can't get Polar here, nor Amstel. They do sell Amstel light everywhere, ugh. Life don' mek sens.

Mm

Melissa, you heading to Bon soon?

I sure miss Bonaire. Am pretty well stuck here on St Croix. I was forced to sell my boat, as I never did find a decent mechanic, and the ongoing horror story of incompetant guys ripping me off got too far ahead of mefinancially.

I might visit for a few days soon, tho'. There are too many discussions of the joys of the place on the scubadiving group that I yakk on most days, D2D.

Is there a cheapcheap place inland? The waterfront diver resorts are wayyy above what I need! I seem to remember a tiny hotel on the road that goes back to the Chinese store... Near the monkey on the corner.

Melissa, bummer on the boat

There are quite a few cheaper places, don't know what your price range is. Black Durgon, on the water at the North end of Hato has pretty good prices. go to www.infobonaire.com and look under your price range. Hope you get back soon (and me too!)

Hi Melissa,

The dock on the picture is the pier of Divi Flamingo. Most north.

PS There are two great moments with a boat/yacht/.., the moment you buy it and the moment you sell it.

Better to know somebody with a boat.

Henk

Hi Melissa...Do they still have elephant beer on St C? Used to be a favorite of mine at a local beach bar (can't remember the name it was so long ago) on the Fredericksted side of the island.

Hey Melissa,
Look on this site and you see that it is Karels > http://www.karelsbeachbar.com

And @Henk het is wel "Karels pier"

Back to the original post--the link Melissa posted to the scubadiving pix is of the pier table at Richard's Restaurant (sorry Henk, it's not Divi). It's available for a maximum of 4 people, by reservation (only one seating per night), Tues-Sun. Downtown seaside(ish) bar-type hangouts go from Havana down to City Cafe, with Karel's in the middle, and the only one actually on the water, not across from it.

Elephant beer! Aieeee! And, WOW! I didn't know anyone actually drank the stuff! Whew! You are TOUGH!!!! I'm in awe! Yes, it's still stocked here.

And I remember the Black Durgon...

And I guess before the seawall, there might have been a beach there. I am always amused at Beach Bar being Karel's 'last name'! Unless you count the little patch of sand in the corner.

I don't know what idiot said it's a happy day to sell a boat. It was in the top five most sad and miserable experiences in my life. Many boats are owned looooong after they should be sold because of hope and love. At least Vinga's new owners knew the boat for a while, and lusted after her.

OK, all for now! Thanks for all your answers and posts!

Mm (my user name is SUPPOSED to be Molamola)

Molamola..Well we ARE from New Jersey after all! Elephant beer was our very favorite beer! It was great & we still talk about it. I finally remember the name of the bar, it was the Rainbow beach bar out on the way to Fredericksted. They used to have a wonderful little beach there (this was before Hugo).I used to be on St C. when Brett Gilliam owned VI Divers. Those were really fun years!

Melissa, check out Bonaire Town Homes for great, but inexpensive accommodation. The owners, Benny and Ester are wonderful and will make you very welcome!

Two friends are heading there for their second stay later in August, and Alan and I are booked for our 10th stay next February. Can't recommend it enough!

SO sorry about the boat...

Sheesh, www.connections today have been rotten! Thanks everyone for the condolences about the boat that I planned to live on for the rest of my life. I'm wandering on... When I live on land, I accumulate SO MUCH STUFF!!! I've tried to make a rule--- I must carry away something every time I leave the apartment, but that doen't counter the five loads I bring home!

Vince-- Bret Gilliam? Wow! You're really old!! hahahahahahahahaha,, and teehee That bar is still there, the beach goes with every storm, and the sea's currents brings it back again. Ah, nature.

I never did get out to the west side of Bonaire, the park with the bad road. Guess it's been left to the spearfishermen (There's lots, I SAW them)

Whatta day!

Welcome back Molomola aka MEK. I enjoyed your posts while aboard Vinga in Bonaire a few years back. I hope you make it back to Bonaire; I for one would love to meet you in person.

Molamola (ocean basking sunfish?) Hopefully you'll make it back to Bonaire soon! Living on a boat & cruising the islands is one of those things I just never got around to doing. Lucky you! However, after years on St C, and visiting many other islands, we decided that Bonaire will be our new (& probably permanent) Caribbean stomping grounds. We love the island, the people are great as is the diving, although topography wise it's not as pretty as I remember St C to be.

Vince, living aboard and full time cruising is about 75% pain-where-a-pill-can't-reach. 20% OK. Full time camping, and in a tent, not in a big campervan. The absolutely constant repair issue is a major factor that makes folks quit. As one fellow hollered as he dinghied by, "What broke today?!" Something does break every single day! and constant fear of weather. and of sinking. and guests who whine and moan like as if they're being tortured.

The leftover 5%? Well, that is so sublime that it makes the rest of it worth the trouble.

As far as beauty, I much prefer Bonaire to America's freeways, traffic, development and general overcrowding. I grew up seven miles outside D.C., and there's absolutely nothing left of the little community called Lincolnia.

STX is growing like happy weeds now, with retiring Boomers, but another disaster will send them running. LOL. I like the grocery stores here.

I'm trying to find out something about a rumor of a new 40 unit place near Lac Bay. mentioned at the bottom of the thread 'room temperature'.

I'm really interested! Anyone know about this?

(Ron Myers, you visit Bonaire?)

Mm

@ Tony

Both wrong! This doch is not Karels nor Flamingo:
Its de dock in front of Richards and the villa next door. In negative you can see it is to small for Karels and not on rocks.
The pier at divi has changed completely.
Was a good picture for: Guess the location.

Thanks, Henk!

And the blue/white is as beautiful as the orange sunset!

Mm

Melissa - I am sorry to hear about the boat. My husband and I have decided that cruising is a goal for us as well. We do think that it will occur in 3-6 years time and during our prep time we'll do lots of research and lots of sailing...and hopefully lots of provisioning and outfitting. I am looking forward to getting rid of my "stuff". I agree - being landbased it's amazing what you think you need versus what you really just want. I am trying to be boat minded these days and ask myself - do I really NEED this or am I going to be selling it in a few years to get rid of everything.

I'd love to hear more about your experiences cruising. It's always fascinating to me. The woman that I taken courses with currently lives on her 37ft Tayana and before that had a 44 or 47 ft Beneteau and an apartment on Tortola. She's been an inspiration.

Elder Melissa,
I'm jealous! (being landlocked and all) One of the things I've wanted to do is sell all my crap and buy a boat, live in the Caribbean. I imagine how much you have to know about your boat in order to make it work constantly - what with everything that can go wrong. I've imagined a sailboat, personally, though I should probably learn how to sail and spend a few years doing it.

Do you have a pic of your boat?

Sorry to go kinda off topic...

The Other Melissa

Oh, my.

Cruising is truthfully sailing from one beautiful place to another in order to fix things on your boat in frightfully aggravating and difficult circumstances. Someone onboard MUST know how to troubleshoot/repair/replace every part of every system on the boat.

I miss living on my boat terribly, I do not miss trying to get along with impossibly demanding and grouchy men. The man must own the boat and be paying for everything. That's just how it is.

If cruising on a small sailboat is your dream, go for it! If a woman/girl likes to sail, and can just buy her own food, there are dozens and dozens of boats to choose from, and once you're on the first one, the next one is easy to find. I hitched around on sailboats for years, living on about three hundred dollars a month.

I recommend

http://www.cruisersforum.com/

Cheers,

Melissa the Elder