ONCE WAS MAJOR PORT IN CARIBBEAN
By Bob Van Leer

  (CHARLOTTE, AMALIE, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, Thursday, Jan. 30, 1997) - This city is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands and is located on St. Thomas, the largest of the three islands.

  We arrived here last night after a short, 74 mile sail from Puerto Rico. This is still U.S. territory and the island has a population of about 25,000.

  Curiously, even though U.S. territory, vehicles drive on the left side of the road, a leftover from when Denmark owned the islands.

  The four of us, myself, Betty, and my sister and husband, Bud and June Pallardy from St. Louis, left the ship for the short drive downtown to look it over. Tourism is the principal industry of the island.

  Four cruise ships were docked which meant there were 5000-6000 tourists on the island for the day.

  Betty had corresponded with a woman living on the island and we got together and visited. From her information, the island had been traumatized by a series of hurricanes from which it is still recovering. The colorful blue roofs are actually plastic tarps covering hurricane damage.

  She and her husband would like to build a home, but prices are high and the uncertainty of hurricanes keep them from doing so and they are considering moving to the mainland.
When a hurricane hits, there is no place to be evacuated to. She said she, her husband and infant son, spent the night of the last hurricane in their bathtub with a mattress over the top. All during the night metal panels ripped off buildings were banging against their house, but the house survived.

  Betty's friend said a low-end two-bedroom apartment rents for $1000 per month and house prices start at $150,000.

  Christopher Columbus discovered the Virgin Islands during his second voyage in 1493. since then the flags of Spain, France, Holland, Denmark and the United States have flown over the islands.

  The U.S. bought the islands from Denmark in 1917 during World War I to prevent them from becoming a German submarine base.

  A local history said Charlotte Amalie, by 1800, was one of the world's busiest ports and the center of the West Indies. However, freeing the slaves in 1848 and the transition from sail to steam power caused the decline of the islands to the status of a backwater. Today it is a choice port of call among cruise lines and a popular vacation destination.

  After returning to the ship, another excellent dinner was served. Service is excellent and dining room help is very specialized. For instance, we ordered a beer, a Coke, and a bottle of wine. Each had to be ordered from a separate person so this one order took three people.

  At 5:00 p.m. we set sail for Catalina Island, Dominican Republic, 260 nautical miles west of St. Thomas.