Send an E-Mail to: PrimeSuspect@usual-suspects-sailing.com

Some recent comments:

"Wow. Keeping the dream alive, that's all I can say.
I just read your narrative of how you bought the boat, as we prepare for 
our first bareboat charter to the BVI's in March.  We went with Sunsail and an
Oceanis 411.  What a great story, one which I hope to duplicate in the next few
years.  Now if I could just get rid of these pesky teenagers I'd have enough
money for the D.P.  Well, I gotta go now, I want to read more of your
experiences. T hanks for a great website and congratulations on
living your dream." - Bill H. (Feb. '05) 

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"Congratulations on the recommendation of your website in the
Feb.1/05 edition of Practical Sailor.  Well deserved.  Recognition by such 
a premier publication is indeed a feather in your cap.  Will see you this 
summer, perhaps." - Larry J. (Jan. '05)

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"Your “Usual Suspects“ site has become my Rosetta stone
for the Grenadines.  From the adventures of Terry and Kristen on
“The Silk PJ” to Robert Sherer’s in-depth narrative on his journeys in paradise.
We are charting our course!  I have been gleaming tidbits of information from the
logs and journals of The Usual Suspects that are invaluable.  We will leave St Vincent,
pick up a mooring at African Pride in Bequia, “The Gingerbread” restaurant will not be missed.  Then on to Mustique to hobnob with the rich and famous.  Basil's of course,
but The Hilltop bar on Mustique will be the real deal.  Lambis on Union Island
seems like a must.  Over to Tobago Cays for some snorkeling round Baradal.
Then on to Carriacou and Sandy Island to snorkel with the squids.
Can’t wait to anchor in Tyrrel Bay and meet Walton or some of
the other interesting characters.  Then on a reach to
Grenada, steering clear of “Kick em Jenney”.
I hope that our adventure can qualify for
an entry under your adventure
heading." - Addison B. (Jan. '04)

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"I just wanted to let you know how much fun we've both had reading of
 your adventures and experiences on the Usual Suspects Sailing website.  I found the
articles very informative, extremely funny, love the writing style and your attitude.
I'd love to meet the Suspects one day, preferably in a bar,
through the bottom of a glass."
- Richard F. (May. '03)

Richard's Out-of-office E-mail Reply While Down in The Islands:
"Thanks for your email.  I am out of the office on vacation until
Monday 9th June and I will not have access to email, voicemail, mobile phone
or hot water. 
Regards, Richard"

* * *

"I continue to be amazed at the wealth of humor and information on your
website.  Your effort and willingness to share this treasure trove of experiences is much appreciated.  I hope to be able to join in one of your adventures someday!
Thanks again and keep me on your email list."
- Carson M. (Mar. '03)

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"A friend just passed along your web site and
I can't tell you how much fun I'm having wading through it all.  My 
husband and I just got back from our first week of charter sailing out of St. Vincent (Sunsail, Benneteau 40).  We took our beginners course last August (Queens Quay Yachting) and saw no reason why we shouldn't immediately take an intermediate course, having been on a 22 ft boat approximately 5 times, including lessons.  We still can't sail, but we are very experienced drinkers.

 Anyway, thanks for all the great pics.  I'm claiming half of them as my own, as the ones I took are mostly of peoples feet at beach parties.  Do not drink the Rum punches at the Tamarind Bay Resort (which is open and has a new thatched roof).  I look forward to reading more stories."
- Nickki S. (Feb. '03)  

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"Just wanted to tell you what a great website you have and 
how much I enjoy it.  It's clean, well-designed, informative, and has
great photos. I have been referring my bareboat crew for next June's trip to
it for background info.  I particularly liked the info on the Grenadines, where I have been bareboating since 1977.  Especially the boat boys, beers of the Caribbean, rum drinks, local lingo, etc.  Keep up the good work and know
that we're out here looking in on the adventures.  Hope to run into you or
other Suspects in the coming years in the Grenadines.  I can make a
pretty wicked rum punch for you."
- Bob Y. (Jan. '03)  

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"Your posted comments on rhum agricole do the world a great
injustice.  Some of the finest rums come from the French West Indies, including my favorite, Barbancourt from Haiti.  True rum-making skills such as those gleaned from generations of producing fine spirits from fresh cane juice
are a joy to behold.  Perhaps you should stick to the Bacardi factory
 tour in Puerto Rico. Rum swill for the masses."
- Dave (Dec. '02)  

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"The information from your web site was invaluable!  Before we
left I spent hours every night reading and dreaming.  You will never know how much I appreciate the time and effort you've devoted to this web site.  Your pictures are fabulous and the commentary quite entertaining!  Thank you
again for such a wonderful introduction to the windwards!!"
- Carey M. (Sep. '02)  

* * *

"Great site, best realistic picture of the Grenadines.  You are making a big difference in preparing the potential bareboater and improving the economics in the islands.  It is really rare to find people such as yourself that give more than they take.  Keep up the good work, it is working." 
 - Tom H. (Aug. '02)

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"Glad to know that Abaco is still on your mind way up there in Toronto.  It is another bright sunny morning here (click on www.abacoinet.com and look for "The Hopetown Web Cam", it will give you a taste of Hopetown.  Morning
shots are a little washed out, but afternoon shots give a better pic. of
the harbor taken from Club Soleil Resort just south of the
lighthouse.  Have a great day."
  - Robert M. (Mar. '02)

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"Getting ready for my first charter (in the BVIs, of course) and love the
info you just provided on trip preparation (Mar 02). Keep enjoying life!"
- Duane I (3 years away from a cruising life and counting!) (Mar. '02)

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"I just want to tell you, and I will express it written in my
Norwegian (Trondheim) dialect: “Dæven kor bra ei si.”  We have, for
some time, been planning to put a yacht in to a charter management.  We are grateful because you share, so generously, your experience and knowledge."
- Sigrun & Sigmund (Feb. '02)

* * *

"Thanks for this great website. I cruised the Grenadines last year
at this time with some friends.  I could not go this year, but they are in the Grenadines right now.  You are giving me a chance to live it vicariously.  I saw the "Usual Suspects" when I was there...and I loved the name.  Jeff's comment about his trip that 'after four or five days you forget what day of the week it
is' made me laugh.  It is so true.  I remember getting into a long discussion
one day over beers with the rest of the team about what day of the
week it was.  We never did come to a conclusion.
Again, thanks a lot for the great website
.....but it's not like being there."
- Terry K. (Feb. '02)

* * *

"Just happened to run across your website while
preparing to leave for the Grenadines (Sunsail at Blue Lagoon) tomorrow morning. What a great way to spend my last hours at work!  I really liked your section on the boat boys (though they prefer to be called businessmen). In our 15 years sailing the Grenadines, we've come to know most of them very well.  Anyway, thanks for posting your adventures on the web. Hope to meet you down there one of these days. We'll say hi to Seth for you when
we get there."
- Bob F. (Jan. '02)

* * *

"We've been bareboat chartering for 15 years and have been trying
to decide whether to make Grenada/north to the Grenadines our next trip (did St. Lucia/south to Tobago Keys in 1987).  Your Usual Suspects site
is superb and big help.  Just wanted to say thanks."
- Dave F. (Dec. '01)

* * *

"My god, I couldn't stop laughing while reading your site. 
I have been chartering in Grenada and the Grenadines for 8 years now
and taking different groups of people with me each time. When asked what to
expect and what it will be like I will direct them to your site.  For the ones
that have been there, a reflection on the "blast from the past.""
- Pete S. (Nov. '01)

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"Thanks for sending me your updates.  I read them every time you send
them out and they always manage to take me away on holiday for an
hour or so as I reminisce about our recent trips."
- Karin F. (Oct. '01)

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"I read with interest Roy’s report and particularly picked up on
the “Hairoun” part.  When we did our provisioning planning we gave great consideration to all sorts beverages and tested many in the early stages to finally narrow it down to a couple of rums ( Mount Gay and Malibu ) and
one kind of beer.  This was largely dictated by strategic safety
considerations regarding survival gear and grab pack
contents as you are trying to avoid difficult decisions
in case of emergency, Heineken or Carib ????

So Carib it was until we were offered Hairoun at the Blue Lagoon
Restaurant just before departure. I think that was the only beer they had to offer with lunch that day.  After a few sips it was clear that we had made a serious mistake and went into high emergency mode.  A Jeep was dispatched
to the airport supermarket to fetch a case and an extra cooler was commandeered.  After the first passage to Mustique it became
evident that we had underestimated the demand for Hairoun
and started to try to trade our Caribs for Hairoun with
other cruisers.  That strategy proved unsuccessful and
as we were running low on the brew I became
concerned with safety and efficiency.

One hand for the boat and one hand for Hairoun seemed to
be the M.O.  Fortunately we reached Bequia without major problems and
were able to properly restock just in time.  We allocated the Caribs to
our Boat Boy Defense Fund, as per your strategy."
- Hervé L. (Oct. '01)

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"Garrett Alton Holmes went sailing for the first time yesterday.  Reports indicated he wasn’t big on helming but loved trimming the jib sheet - once in
his hand, he wouldn’t let go of it.  Rumors that the only way he would let go was to put a beer in his hand have been denied.  No comment was made to
the suggestion that it was the flask of Scotch instead."
- Wendy L. (Oct. '01)

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"We are going down to St Vincent in 2 weeks for a 10 days
charter and I just found your site trying to find last minute information .
It is great and you had me laughing out loud at my desk.  We will give you a full report of course as soon as we recover.... Although since we will be on
a cat you  will probably have to account for the passage speed differential.
We are at a disadvantage when it comes to the number of rummers per
leg ratio, but on the other hand the bar open sooner for happy hour.....

I appreciated what your friend said about museums, monasteries,
cathedrals, and fortresses. I don't do 'em either!!! I particularly
liked the term Mental Floss!!! I'll add one to the Mantras~
“I'm too blessed to be distressed!!!”

Now concerning beverages... Bill made this up while we
were on Cayman Brac a number of years ago: 
coconut rum, pineapple juice, Amaretto
You decide the proportions. 
We call it a Misty Cove
and it's scrumptious. 
Thanks again" 
- Hervé L. (Jun. '01)

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"I have just read Relaxation 101 and am immediately
going down to Human Resources to hand in my resignation.
There. It felt good to say it. I'm not going to do it (yet).  But it did
feel good to say it.  But I can still go on vacation.  And I am going to go on vacation (sailing in Greece in September).  And I am going to make sure my crew-mates read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest every pearly word
of wisdom in Relaxation 101. Thanks."
- Keith M. (Jun. '01)

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"Thanks for the email about the update to your site.  After all
the time my crew and I have spent on your website here’s a couple of
things I’m sending to thank you.  First, here’s the address of a website that shows me and my wife Michelle on our recent sailing course before our
charter last summer in the BVI’s.

http://members.home.net/fleming.m/sailing/

And secondly, you’ll find attached a logo I made for my upcoming trip to
The Grenadines.  I’m going to use it to get some baseball caps and golf
shirts and beer “coolies” made for the crew of “Porto Flip”, brutal
name, I know.  I adapted the one I am sending you with the name
of your boat “The Usual Suspects” spelled out in nautical
flags.  Thanks again,  Roy"
- Roy B. (May. '01)

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"We are bareboating for two weeks starting this Saturday down in the windwards and I have been looking for good first hand info on the islands. Only having two weeks I don't want to waste anytime. Your site is perfect and has really helped me realize where we should and shouldn't go. It took me awhile to discover your site, but I did just in time and I hope it will make our charter go smoothly. Good sites like this are a great asset to bareboaters, thanks and I look forward to reading more about the Suspects."
- Harman S. (May. '01)

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"Can’t tell you how much I enjoy your website.  What a great
find while stuck in the grips of a New England winter.  Anyway, as I
read further, I realized we actually saw you guys at the Barefoot dock in April 2000.  We chartered the same week on a Beneteau 38.  I think you guys were right across the dock from us on Sat. April 1^st, where we were getting ready
to leave.  What jolted my memory was the picture of you re-lettering
your boat.  I remember thinking “ I hope that his boat or
someone is going to be pissed.”"
- Art P. (Mar. '01)

* * *

"Hey, great website.  We chartered your boat in January and
found it in great shape.  It was a delight to sail, and we
had a great time.  Thanks for making it available. 
Good luck and keep the website updates coming."
- Peter M., Associated Suspect (Mar. '01)

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"This month’s update was very entertaining as I  usually suspected.  I
was disappointed to see your comments page has turned into a chat room
and you are allowing all types of bullshit onto your site.  We expect only top
quality cruising lies, exaggerations and tall tales, not this steer manure that
smells like to comes from the state of Texas.  Please clean up this site.
There is room for only one clown on this site and that is you."
- Al C. (Feb. '01)

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"Just one question, how can you do such good work
and drink so much?  8)" - Jim L.  (Jan. '01)

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"Nice observation of the difference between charterers and cruisers.
That’s been our observation, as well." - Jere L.  (Jan. '01)

* * *

"What an AWESOME web site.  Was surfing for some information
on the Grenadines, and stumbled across you.  We are chartering out
of Barefoot, so I’ll say Hi for you.  Thanks for taking the huge amount of
time to put all this information there.  It is greatly appreciated.  I feel like
I’ve already been there before I get on the plane." - Gavin D.  (Jan. '01)

* * *

"I LIKE RUM." - David "Lumberjack" H.  (Nov. '00)

* * *

"Seth from Barefoot Charters pointed me to your web site, which I find extremely well done, extremely informative, and EXTREMELY
funny :-)) I immediately thought about adding a link
from my site (http://www.SailOnLine.com)
to yours." - Michel B.  (Nov. '00)

* * *

"I've enjoyed your updates very much, especially the last. It's nice to open up the mail and find something fun to read. You have a knack for telling a story,
maybe learned over a rummer or two." - Terry S.  (Nov. '00)

* * *

This then would be a comment on the ‘comments’ - particularly the one by Al C. about bullshitting on the site.  I personally know Al C. and if he says its bullshit, then it is indeed bullshit.  There are few other human beings on this planet that can detect bullshit at the levels that he can.  This particular talent has been developed after many years of living in and for the particular substance in question. Simple reality reengineering or factual
embellishment is beneath him. After all he makes quite a
living at the very thing he has detected on your site.

Further I’ve noticed a connection that is at the very heart of your site subject matter - Rummers lead to bullshit - bullshit leads to more Rummers -
“will the circle be unbroken, by and by Lord, by and by”" - Jim C.  (Nov. '00)

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"STOP BULLSHITTING ON THIS WEBSITE!  Oh, if there was no bullshit, there would be no website..." - Al C. (Oct. '00)

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"Enjoyed your latest update about Lenny. We went through the same sort of initiation back in '96 on our first charter out of St. Martin.  Oh yeah... how's about posting your Rummer recipe?" - Mark D.  (Oct. '00)

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"It’s nice to see beautiful colors like this and to be able to go back to the Grenadines without leaving Paris." - Frank L.  (Aug. '00)

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" You have great timing! This morning was a bit of an assburner - 3 year old emperor syndrome you know. Thinking of the Grenadines brought back some fun thoughts. Thanks for restarting my morning!"  - Blair D.   (Aug. '00)