Rare Pissarro Exhibition Stern Pissarro Gallery in London is hosting an incredible exhibition, “Camille Pissarro: Works from the Gallery Collection”, from November 17 through December 4, 2021. The collection, which includes 45 pieces of his artwork, spans Pissarro’s entire career! Born on the island of St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies, Pissarro (1830-1903) is one of […]
Hassel Island
The Little Sloop, SORA Sails to the US Virgin Islands ~ 1942
The Sloop, Sora This little yacht arrived at the Creque Marine Railway for service in 1942. She was a pretty sailboat believed to be from New York. Her bottom was painted green with a white waterline, blue topsides, and she had a mahogany cabin on top. During the summer month of June, she was spotted by […]
Can You Name the National Flower of the US Virgin Islands?
Can you name the National Flower of the US Virgin Islands? It’s the Yellow Cedar! Sometimes it’s called Ginger Thomas, but its official name is Tecoma Stans. Growing up, we referred to this shrub as the Yellow Trumpetbush because of the shape of the flowers. They formed beautiful clusters like a bouquet. We used to […]
See the Damage to the Creque Marine Railway After Hurricanes Irma and Maria
Before Hurricane Damage The Creque Marine Railway is a special, historic property that first became a part of our family’s holdings in 1910. While visiting over Christmas, I had the opportunity to see what Hurricanes Irma and Maria had done. Unfortunately, it became obvious that the building suffered significant damage. Most of the steam […]
How the Coaling Women Persevered ~ 1907
One of the unique scenes on Hassel Island was the line of women who served as coal carriers or coal porters on the coaling dock. The baskets of coal averaged 80 to 100 pounds, yet these coaling women carried them on the tops of their heads without steadying them with their hands. Here’s an interesting […]
How Derrick Barges Help the Maritime Industry ~ 1933
The September 1932 hurricane wreaked havoc on the maritime industry in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Boat owners were writing to the owner of the Creque Marine Railway to reserve space at the slip. It was shaping up to be a busy season for them. One such letter Mr. Creque received was […]
Rebuilding a Sunken Sailboat ~ 1916
The Schooner, Eagle Last year, I shared a fascinating story about the inter-island sloop, Eagle. Included were rare photographs of her crew and some of her passengers. The Owner In late 1916, the owner of the Eagle was Captain Oswald Waldemar George of St. John. His route spanned the seas between the British Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic. The Eagle, like the Zuhrah, Fancy Me, […]
The Sinking of the Schooner, FANCY ME ~ 1926
Launching The Fancy Me The Fancy Me was a locally-built schooner that became infamous when she was lost in a hurricane with most of her passengers who were returning home to their families. It was one of the most tragic events that occurred in the maritime history of the British Virgin Islands. The schooner was built on Hassel […]