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St. John Storm Update: Caneel Bay Remains Closed: National Park is Open

Jenn Manes 0 Comments

Hello, and happy Friday everyone!

I’ve received a lot of questions about whether the National Park is open. I’ve also received numerous emails from people with upcoming vacations, asking if they should visit the island. The quick answer to both is yes and yes. Read on if you’d like to know more. 🙂

Let’s start with the National Park. Yes, it sustained a decent amount of damage with numerous downed trees and some slides. As of Friday morning, the entrance to Caneel Bay remains closed. The Caneel Bay Beach Club at Honeymoon Beach remains closed. Taxi service from the entrance of Caneel to Honeymoon is temporarily suspended. If you would like to visit Honeymoon today, you are able to do so via the Lind Point Trail or by water. The Caneel Bay Beach Club is expected to reopen this weekend. Taxi service to Honeymoon will resume once clean up in that area is completed.

The campground and concessions at Cinnamon Bay reopened last night. The concessions at Trunk Bay reopened Thursday. The Visitor Center in Cruz Bay will reopen today.

A downed tree at Cinnamon Bay. Image credit: Steve Simonsen Photograph

I received an email last night from a repeat guest asking if it is too soon to visit the island. She is scheduled to fly in this week. The answer is unequivocally, no. Power is restored to most of the island. There are a few pockets like Ajax Peak and Carolina that remain without power. (There may be more, but those are the two I am aware of.) Hopefully both are restored today. The island is a little messy in some areas, but people are working hard to fix that.

St. John is a community that relies on tourism. We welcome you. 🙂

That’s all I have for today. Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Want to learn more about St. John? Looking to take an island tour?

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

Power Out Territory-Wide, Ports Closed, Airport Closed, Limbs Down

Jenn Manes 2 Comments
Chocolate Hole Wednesday morning

Aug. 15, 8:30 a.m. update

Power is back on!

The ports remain closed.

Aug. 14, 2:30 p.m. update

  • Power has been restored on a section of feeder 7e from Frank Bay to Mongoose Junction.

Aug. 14, 1:30 p.m. update

  • The airport is open. Flights are arriving, but many are delayed.
  • The seaports remain closed. There are numerous reports of lost and sunken boats. The Coast Guard needs to inspect everything before it can safely open the ports. Ferry and barge service remains suspended.
  • St. John is still without power. Portions of St. Thomas are back online.

Aug. 14, 2024, 1030 a.m. update

  • The airport will open today at noon.
  • The seaports remain closed. The Coast Guard is currently assessing the waters.

Aug. 14, 2024, 9 a.m. update

The worst of the winds have passed through St. John, although rain and wind will continue throughout the day today. The rain is coming down extremely hard at the moment (8:45 a.m.).

Wind gusts officially peaked around 70 miles per hour last night, although some of my friends who are on island believe the gusts were higher than that. At least three-and-a-half inches of rain fell in St. John so far.

Power is currently out territory-wide. St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix are all 100 percent without power.

All ports remain closed. There is no ferry or barge service currently. There airport remains closed. The Governor is expected to provide an update on the status of the airports and seaports today at 10 a.m.

Tree limbs and power lines are down around the island. There is at least one boat sinking in Chocolate Hole. At least four boats in Coral Bay are aground or ashore. Big limbs fell on a few of my friend’s cars, but everyone is ok. Areas of North Shore Road are pretty much impassable due to downed trees. There is a lot of very deep standing water in front of Starfish Market and the tennis courts. This is an area known to flood.

Several boats are aground or ashore in Coral Bay. Image credit: Flyaway Charters
Some limbs are down at our house, but everything is ok.

If you have a flight scheduled for today, check out FlightAware.com. Type in your flight number. Then click Track Inbound Flight. If that flight is not en route, your flight is not leaving today. That’s the easiest way to check.

Today is clearly not a beach day, but tomorrow may be. If you are on vacation and plan to go to the beach, be aware that there may be a good amount of runoff flowing into the beaches. It is not advisable to go in the water when there is runoff.

That’s all I have of now. I will post more later today. Thanks all! -Jenn

Want to learn more about St. John? Looking to take an island tour?

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

 

Hurricane Watch, Ports are Closing, and More

Jenn Manes 2 Comments
My house is ready for Ernesto, thankfully.

Hi everyone, quick update…

Tropical Storm Ernesto has strengthened a bit more than I anticipated. As of 2 p.m., the maximum sustained winds are 60 miles per hour. The Virgin Islands are under a hurricane watch, which means that hurricane force winds are possible in the next 12 hours. All of that being said, the island is preparing.

  • The St. Thomas airport closed at 4 p.m.
  • Ports will close at 6 p.m. The last ferry from Cruz Bay will depart at 5 p.m. The last ferry from St. Thomas will depart at 5:30 p.m.
  • Lots of businesses in Cruz Bay, including numerous restaurants, are closing early today or have closed. Safety first!

I am currently in Connecticut for a mini vacation with Dalton, and thankfully, our little Fish Bay house is boarded up. A BIG thank you to Scott Taylor for getting that done for us! Many of you probably know Scott’s wife Kim, who bartends over at Beach Bar. So much love to you both!

I know many of you love St. John as much as I do, and want to keep an eye on this storm and what’s happening on island. Here are several important links:

Port Closures

Weather

    • Windy app – Download the Windy app to see how strong the winds will be in St. John.
    • Living Earth app – See the weather around the world in real time.
    • Spaghettimodels.com – This is a great site with various weather reports.

Webcams

Feel free to email me at jenn@explorestj.com if you have any questions.

One final thought: I actually write my posts. No AI here. 🙂

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

Tropical Storm Warning Issued for St. John

Jenn Manes 1 Comment

Monday, August 12 – 11 a.m. Update 

Check out our webcams to see what’s happening in Cruz Bay.

It’s that time of year, folks! St. John is currently under a tropical storm warning.

There is currently a tropical system to the east of St. John. It is not very organized at the moment, but it is forecasted to strengthen a bit before arriving in St. John and the Virgin Islands sometime tomorrow. The system will affect the Territory through Wednesday before moving out of the region.

Screenshot from Living Earth app

As of now (8 a.m. Monday morning), it looks like the highest wind gusts will stay under 45 miles per hour. The strongest winds will be Wednesday morning as of now, but that can change. There will be a significant amount of rain with this system, potentially between four and six inches for the USVI and BVI.

Screenshot from Windy app
From National Hurricane Center

If you would like to see the current conditions on St. John, please check out Explore STJ’s webcam page at www.explorestj.com/webcams. You can see live views from Cruz Bay, Coral Bay, the ferry dock, The Windmill Bar, The Beach Bar, and more.

Want to know the best websites and apps to check out when keeping an eye on St. John’s weather? Click here to read a recent article I posted. 

That’s it for now. I will keep you all posted on this!

Want to learn more about St. John? Looking to take an island tour?

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

Eco Resort, Bakery & More For Sale

Jenn Manes 0 Comments
Concordia overlooks Ram Head

Hello everyone, and happy Friday! I am currently on vacation in cold, rainy and wet Connecticut, which makes me think about the time when I used to dream of moving to St. John. I know many of you feel the same way, so I thought I would share some business opportunities that are currently available on St. John. You never know, you could be my neighbor soon!

Concordia Eco Resort

The restaurant at Concordia has an amazing view!

Let’s start with a big one. Concordia Eco Resort is for sale! For those of you who are unfamiliar with Concordia, it is an adorable 35-room eco resort that’s located on a picturesque 20-acre waterfront property near Coral Bay. According to the listing, the owners are looking to sell to a seasoned hospitality group who can breathe new life into this beloved rustic retreat. Concordia has a pool and a restaurant onsite, in addition to its incredible views. From the property, you can see Salt Pond, Ram Head, the British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Sea and even St. Croix on a clear day. Concordia is listed for $7.5 million by Islandia Real Estate.

St. John Provisions

St. John Provisions is listed for $525,000.

St. John Provisions is a successful bakery and coffee shop that’s located right in the heart of Cruz Bay. It serves breakfast and lunch six days a week, and there is lots of room for expansion. The sale comes with a long-term assignable lease, recipes, LLC, and more. St. John Provisions is listed for $525,000 by Holiday Homes of St. John.

St. John & St. Thomas Maps & Guidebook

This business just had a nice price reduction!

If you have visited St. John, chances are that you’ve picked up our super popular St. John map and guidebook. I use it every single day during my Explore STJ Island Tours. It’s a very useful tool, and it just had a nice little price reduction!

The St. John and St. Thomas map and guidebook business has been helping visitors navigate and familiarize themselves with the islands for the past 40 years. This business began back in 1984 when a local artist decided to use her talents to help visitors and merchants connect. Now, 40 years later, it includes three maps and a wildly popular guidebook.

This sale includes all of the original artwork, plus digital productions which will allow the new owner to create each year’s publication very easily. It even includes artwork for St. Croix in case you’d like to add that island to the mix. The business comes with a large customer list and immense goodwill. This is the go-to map for St. John. The St. John and St. Thomas map and guidebook is listed for $200,000 by 340 Real Estate Co.

If you are looking for more information on any of these businesses, or perhaps you are interested in purchasing a home, condo or land on St. John, please give me a call or text at 203-376-3786 or email me at jenn@explorestj.com. I am a licensed realtor with 340 Real Estate Co.

Want to learn more about St. John? Looking to take an island tour?

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

 

 

Pelican Post Replaces Connections in Cruz Bay

Jenn Manes 1 Comment
Pelican Post opened in the former Connections location.

Hello everyone, and happy Wednesday! I have great news to share with you all today! A new business called Pelican Post opened last week, and it will fulfill a much-needed service for both residents and tourists alike!

Pelican Post is a new communications center of sorts. It opened in the same locations where Connections operated for more than 40 years. (Click here to read more about Connections.) The business is similar to Connections in that it offers mail services, luggage storage, and a variety of business services, including copying, scanning and faxing. There is a bulletin board for postings, so hopefully it will become a go-to spot for people looking for housing, vehicles and employment, just like Connections was. Pelican Post is also offering business services for residents like bookkeeping, tax preparation, payroll, and more.

For those of you looking to store luggage at Pelican Post, the cost to store a small bag or backpack is $5. The cost to store a large bag is $10.

Pelican Post opened last Thursday.
How cute is this logo??!!

Pelican Post is owned and operated by Crystal George and Krista Kremer, two women who were born and raised in St. John. Krista has been a massage therapist on St. John for years, while Crystal oversees finance at the Cinnamon Bay Campground. I don’t know about you, but I love to see more women-owned businesses popping up on island! Congrats ladies!

Pelican Post is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ladies plan to open on Saturdays beginning next month. Looking for more information? You can reach them by phone at 340-693-4535 or by email at thepelicanpostvi@gmail.com. You can also follow them on Facebook here.

Pelican Post is located in Cruz Bay, just one block up from the ferry dock. Click here to view its exact location on a map.

Want to learn more about St. John? Looking to take an island tour?

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Follow Explore STJ on Social Media

–> www.facebook.com/explorestj

–> www.instagram.com/explorestj

Looking to own a piece of paradise! I would love to help! Please contact me at jenn@explorestj.com for more information.