Sister's Crew

Joe and Rachel

Rachel and Joe in the Virgin Islands

 

 

 

 

Name: Joe Maida Rachel Maida
Home Port: Santa Barbara, CA San Francisco, CA
Signed on: 14.April.2000 St. Thomas, USVI
Signed off: 23.April.2000 St. Thomas, USVI
 
Joe and Rachel are the skippers' niece and nephew.  When they were little kids we took them to Disneyland, San Diego and Tijuana.  They were such great kids that we had no reservations about inviting them aboard.
They joined us in the Virgin Islands for a week of cruising, snorkeling, dining out and generally having a great time.
Shortly before Joe left for the USVI he seriously damaged the heel of his foot while playing football.  The foot was healing but not fast enough so he and I went to a doc and then on to the hospital in St. Thomas.  While this was a pretty nice hospital, especially by Caribbean standards, it's always an eye opening experience to get medical care in another country.  (I know, I know, the USVI are not another country but they sure feel like it).
The funny side of the hurt foot story is that for the first few days Joe would snorkel with only one swim fin.  As hard has he tried to go straight he inevitably ended up swimming in a circle.  His efforts to swim straight only resulted in larger diameter circles.  Eventually he dropped the single fin that he had been wearing and swam straight ... slow but straight.
 

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