New Horizons Wishes you & your loved ones..

a very warm Merry Christmas

& 

a Prosperous New Year! 

Happy Holidays, Happy Kwanzaa & Happy Hanukkah!!  

Here in the warm waters of the Caribbean there are traditions that are as deep as the oceans surrounding us.  Below is a tradition that we would like to share with you and your family, and hope that you enjoy!

Wherever you are this Holiday Season, may it be warm inside and cheerfully abundant around you!

Kallaloo 

“Kallaloo is for good luck in the New year, especially for lovers”, said Arona Peterson, local food expert and author of Food and Folklore of the Virgin Islands. “The old folks believed that if you served kallaloo to your loved one on Old Year’s night, there would be a wedding by June.”

½ pound salted meat—pigtail or salt beef
Water
Ham bone if available; a common substitute is smoked turkey
1 (10 ox.) package frozen cut okra
½ large onion
Seasoning (thyme, celery, parsley—about 1 teaspoon each)
1 cup boned fish (a white fish with skin is preferable), fried
1 clove garlic
½ hot pepper (scotch bonnet works well)
1 (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach 

Soak salted meat in water for a few hours. As with the fritters, your world market may have pig tail. If it isn’t salted, there is no need to soak it. Wash and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook until tender. In the meantime, fry fish and allow to cool. Remove meat from water and set aside. Add water to half full level. Put in the ham bone or smoked turkey and okra. Add onions, seasoning, garlic, hot pepper, boned fish and spinach. Let simmer for an hour until mixture has stew consistency. Return meat to stew and simmer for another ½ hour. This stew is generally served with fungi, a cornmeal dish similar to polenta. I think a round or two of polenta would work just fine. Serves 8. Per one cup serving, 155 calories, 2 grams fat, 43 milligrams cholesterol and 307 milligrams sodium.

(Christmas and Easter are important holidays in the Virgin Islands, as Christianity is predominant among the islands' many religious traditions. Other holidays include New Year's Day, January 1; Three Kings' Day, January 6)

A Time for Giving Thanks & Being Grateful..

FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS...

                  WE WISH YOU ALL A SAFE, HEALTHY & HAPPY THANKSGIVING!       

Warm Thanksgiving Cheer, Caribbean Style..

Here in the Virgin Islands, we are always thankful for the beauty and gifts around us, and this Thanksgiving is no different...

So we've shared with you one of our favorite Holiday toddies, that's sure to melt the cares of old man winter away. Enjoy~

Hot Buttered Rum recipe HOT

A delicious recipe for Hot Buttered Rum, with light rum, sugar, butter and cloves.

Category

Cocktails

Subcategory

Short drinks

Ingredients

1 oz light rum
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp butter
4 cloves

Method

Add the sugar, butter and cloves to a coffee mug. Pour the rum, and stir well. Fill with boiling water. Stir again, and serve.

Serve

Coffee Mug

Please remember to drink responsibly..

History of the U.S. Virgin Islands

Early Inhabitants

The first residents of the present United States Virgin Islands (USVI) were the Ciboney, Caribs, and Arawaks. In 1493, Christopher Columbus visited these islands. He had been searching for a route to India and consequently he called the people he encountered Indians. Columbus named the beautiful islands ‘The Virgins’ in reference to the legendary beauty of St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgins.

The period after Columbus’ visit was quiet as far as exploration and colonization is concerned. Explorers as late as 1587 reported evidence of Indian habitation however settlers by 1625 reported not finding Indians. It is believed that Spanish settlers on nearby Puerto Rico raided the islands on a regular basis. Some Indians were forced to work while others fled. Indian groups lived throughout the Caribbean, however European exploration and colonization brought demise to the indigenous groups. They had no immunity to European diseases and were not prepared to deal with the harsh labor they were forced into. Within several decades following colonization of the Caribbean, Indian populations had plummeted. Today they are found on reserved lands on only a few islands. They no longer exist in what is today the USVI.

St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John

In the early 1600s many countries took interest in the Caribbean and in “the Virgins”; Holland, France, England, Spain, Denmark and the Knights of Malta all sought colonies. England and Holland colonized and jointly inhabited St. Croix in the 1620s. The neighboring Spanish on Puerto Rico invaded the small colony; the French then quickly moved in, removing the Spanish and taking over themselves. St. Croix remained a French colony until 1733.

The Danish West India Company first attempted to settle St. Thomas in 1665. They successfully established a settlement on St. Thomas in 1672 consisting of 113 inhabitants. They expanded and settled on St. John in 1694. The Danish had claimed St. John as early as the 1680’s, however hostility from the neighboring British on Tortola prevented the Danes from establishing a settlement. The British, in order to maintain hospitable relations with Denmark, eventually ceased their opposition. After the Danes settled St. John plantation agriculture developed rapidly.

The Danish West Indian Company purchased St. Croix from the French in 1733 bringing St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John together as the Danish West Indies.

Slave Trade and Piracy

In 1685, the Danish government signed a treaty with the Dutch of Brandenburg. This treaty allowed the Brandenburg American Company to establish a slave-trading post on St. Thomas. Early governors also approved of St. Thomas becoming a pirates’ safe haven. The governors realized an influx of pirates would benefit local merchants. While piracy ceased to be a factor in the island’s economy in the early 1800s, the slave trade continued.

In the Danish West Indies slaves labored mainly on sugar plantations. Cotton, indigo and other crops were also grown. Sugar mills and plantations dotted the islands hilly landscapes. Each islands economy prospered through sugar plantations and slave trading. While St. John and St. Croix maintained a plantation economy, St. Thomas developed into a prosperous center of trade. Slave rebellion on St. John and St. Croix are well documented. Legitimate trade and business on St. Thomas influenced a different society where many more slaves were given freedom and an opportunity outside of plantation life.

A July 2, 1848 rebellion on St. Croix, where some 5,000 blacks were free while another 17,000 remained enslaved, prompted liberal governor Peter von Scholten to declare what he had long pressed for, that all unfree in the Danish West Indies were from that day free. While his proclamation was in direct contradiction of the King’s orders and while plantation owners refused to accept the proclamation, slavery was abolished on July 3rd, 1848.

Strict labor laws were implemented several times after emancipation and the populous reacted in tense labor riots. Planters began to abandon their estates and the population and economy in the islands declined. The islands and its residents fell on rough times in the late 1800s due to the poor economy and numerous natural disasters.

US Territories

The islands remained under Danish rule until 1917, when the United States purchased them for $25 million in gold in an effort to improve military positioning during critical times of World War I. St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John became the US Virgin Islands.

While conditions improved, change came slowly and frustrations brewed. Residents felt deceived when they were not granted American citizenship immediately following the transfer and disappointment also existed in that the islands were run by Naval administrators and appointed officials.

The Military and the Interior Departments managed the territory until the passage of the Organic Act in 1936. Today the USVI is a U.S. territory, run by an elected governor. The territory is under the jurisdiction of the president of the United States of America and residents are American citizens.

National Park

In 1956 Laurance Rockefeller gave the National Park Service a generous gift of 5,000 acres of land on St. John. This gift along with subsequent additions have increased the holdings. Today almost two thirds of St. John’s beautiful forest, shorelines and underwater lands are protected by the Park. Historical and marine treasures on St. Croix including Buck Island are also protected by the Park Service, as are portions of Hassell Island.

Water Island: The 4th Virgin Island

In 1996 Water Island, located in St. Thomas’ Charlotte Amalie harbor, was officially returned to the USVI from the Department of the Interior. Today Water Island is the fourth United States Virgin Island.

Tourism

In the mid 1900s the Virgin Islands saw the dawn of new times, more prosperous times. Tourist seeking the the warmth, beauty and relaxation the USVI offers, vacationed in the islands. Hotels, restaurants and shops began popping up on beachfront properties and in main towns. With the rise in business and economy came a rise in the population as immigrants from neighboring islands flocked to the USVI to work. Today the population of the USVI is made up of people from all over the Caribbean. The islands entered the new millennium as one of the premiere destinations for tourist visiting the Caribbean.

PIRATES & EXPLORERS

 OF THE CARIBBEAN - Part I

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE

Sir Francis Drake was born around 1540 as the son of a puritan farmer and preacher. He taught himself the art of sailing as the navigator of a small merchant sail vessel. Later in the beginning of his career, he served as an officer aboard West African slave ships.

Sailing from the Caribbean Sea to the Gulf of Mexico in 1567 Drake and his cousin John Hawkins were attacked and defeated by a Spanish Armada. They lost all of their vessels, and barely left with their lives. From that time on Drake would have a deep hatred for Catholic Spaniards. In the years 1570 and 1571 Drake familiarized himself with the Caribbean territory, and made many friends amongst escaped African slaves. Soon Drake led battles against the Spanish with the help his African friends.

In 1572 Drake was equipped with 2 ships and 73 sailors by his cousin Hawkins, and his associates. Queen Elizabeth also commissioned Drake as a privateer, to sail for America. In 25 days Drake crossed the Atlantic and found himself in the Caribbean Sea. After an unsuccessful attack on the Spanish port Nombre de Dios (today’s Nicaragua), Drake started to make new plans on plundering a Spanish caravan transporting gold. From the beginning the entire escapade seemed to be another loss for Drake. However, with certain setbacks, the enterprise brought Drake success and fame. Bringing his plunder to queen Elizabeth, he was selected to be the head of an expedition that was to sail around the world. Drake was flattered with this appointment, and made new more extravagant and hazardous plans.

On December 13th 1577, Drake began his expedition. Drake set sail with 3 ships, accompanied by two supply ships (Which he later planned to abandon). Drake sailed with the queen’s courtesan and his friend Thomas Doughty. After harsh weather, and tough sailing, Thomas Doughty, a mutineer, convinced Drake’s exhausted crew to revolt against their captain. Drake’s reaction was ruthless. When Drake reached his destination on the West Coast of South America, Drake had Doughty convicted to be beheaded in a court-martial. After the incident, Drake changed his ship’s name to "Golden Hind".

Sailing to Valparaiso, Drake encountered rain, and storms. His three-mast ship was devastated by the journey. No Spaniards were able to identify the Golden Hind as a pirate ship (make link to ship page), and fell victim to Drakes attacks. Drake plundered a Spanish war-ship, and the port of Callo. Drake’s real treasure was the information on the heading of Spanish galleon named "Nuestra Senora de la Conception", popularly named by the Spanish sailors "Cacafuego" ("Fireball"). The Spanish galleon sailed smoothly to the coast of Panama unaware of the impending danger.

On the 3rd of March 1579 with the first sign of the "Cacafuego" on the horizon, Drake commanded all sails to be prepared. Around 6:00 p.m., the Golden Hind met the Spanish Galleon with cannon fire, in short the Galleon was forced to surrender. Drake plundered unimaginable wealth. The task of relocating the Galleons hold took Drake’s crew four days. Drake acquired 80 pounds of gold, 20 tons on silver, 13 cases of silver coins, and cases full of pearls and precious stones. On the 26th of September 1580, the Golden Hind burdened with the holds heavy and precious cargo, sailed to the port of Plymouth after three years of adventures around the world.

On the 28th of January 1596, 16 years after Drake was knighted, he began his last journey against the Spanish strongholds of the West Indies where after successfully accomplishing his objectives Drake passed away. As a farewell, Drake’s crew ignited two captured vessels, and while the cannon’s did solute him, the water of the Caribbean Sea had engulfed him.

History of Pusser's Rum

For well over 300 years, Great Britain's Royal Navy issued a daily "tot" of Pusser's Rum to the crews of their ships - and always a double issue before battle and after victory! First introduced into the Navy in 1655 as a substitute for beer, by 1731, it was in general use.

And the name Pusser's? Nothing more than a corruption of the word "purser". On board ship, the purser was responsible for ship's stores - including the rum. Everything that came from the purser was called "Pusser's" -- and still is today. Hence the name Pusser's Rum!

The history of rum in Great Britain's Royal Navy was largely that of social change, both in England and the Royal Navy. From 1650 throughout the 18th century, shipboard life was incredibly difficult. The daily issue of Pusser's Rum was the highlight of the day. Then, too in those days, battles were fought "eyeball-to-eyeball". The mental alertness and courage required to pack a cannonball into a muzzle loader were far different from that required to operate the modern weapon systems of today. Thus in 1970, the Admiralty Board decreed that there was no place for the daily issue of rum in a modern navy, and so ended the daily issue of Pusser's Rum in the Royal Navy on July31st,1970. This date since then, is referred to "Black Tot Day". The rum issue, one of the longest and unbroken traditions in seafaring history, ended as the last tot of Pusser's was drunk on board Their Majesties Ships. "Round the world" in every ship of the Navy, glasses were raised in their final salute. 'The Queen'!", they said, and it's no exaggeration to say that at that moment many a strong man shed a tear at the passing of a tradition so old and fine, that was to be no more.

On the Origin of "Grog" and Vernon's Orders

Over the centuries, the amount of rum changed from time to time. Prior to 1740, Pusser's Rum was issued to the men neat, that is without water. They received 1/2-pint twice daily! Admiral Vernon (pictured at right), the hero of Portobello and the Commander-in-Chief, West Indies Station was very much concerned with what he called the swinish vice of drunkenness which he believed was caused by the men drinking their daily allowance of rum neat, that is without water. He believed that if the same amount of rum was mixed with water, and then consumed that it would reduce drunkenness and discipline problems for which the punishment could be brutal. Thus he issued his infamous Order to Captains No. 349 on August 21, 1740. His order stated that the daily allowance of rum "be every day mixed with the proportion of a quart of water to a half pint of rum, to be mixed in a scuttled butt kept for that purpose, and to be done upon the deck, and in the presence of the Lieutenant of the Watch who is to take particular care to see that the men are not defrauded in having their full allowance of rum... and let those that are good husband men receive extra lime juice and sugar that it be made more palatable to them."

The sailors, or "Jack Tars" had affectionately nicknamed Admiral Vernon "Old Grog" from the "grogram" cloak he often wore on the quarter deck. The watered rum gave great offence to the men, and soon they began referring to it contemptuously as "Grog" from the name they'd already provided Admiral Vernon. Thus, true Grog is Pusser's Rum and water with lime juice and sugar!

The "scuttled butt" in Vernon's Order eventually became the "Grog Tub" from which the daily Grog was issued. Petty Officers received their Pusser's Rum 'neat' directly from the Spirit Room at 1100 hours daily when the bos'n piped "Up Spirits!" to herald the event. The issue of Grog to the rest of the sailors followed one hour later.

Changes in the Issue

The ration - or tot - was later increased to two parts water and one part rum, and in 1756, the daily ration of Pusser's Rum was increased to one pint per day, per man. Finally, just before the tot ritual ended in 1970, it was reduced to one-eighth pint.

Over the more than 300 years that Pusser's Rum was issued on board ships of the Royal Navy, a whole litany of special terminology grew up around it. (see Pusser's Folklore). Pusser's Rum became a form of currency, a way to pay off old debts or to reward a shipmate for a favor. Even card games were played for rum. Pusser's Rum had a value that was defined by such terms as "a wet", "sipper", "gulper" and "sandy bottoms", all used to define the amount.

Stalwart men, like Chief Petty Officer Frank Reynolds (pictured on the right) kept the vital sea lanes open during the Battle of the Atlantic of World War II. The highlight of each man's day was the issue of their daily tot of Pusser's Rum. When the Royal Navy finally abolished the rum issue, many of the old salts took early retirement and never returned.

The Pusser's Rum tradition is still alive. In 1979, Charles Tobias–entrepreneur, global sailor, raconteur–sought to resurrect the Pusser's Rum tradition. He obtained the rights and all the blending information from the Admiralty, and formed Pusser's Ltd. on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands and began bottling and selling this storied spirit in 1980 to the public for the first time. (Prior to then, it was restricted to the Royal Navy). British Navy Pusser's Rum is the same Admiralty blend of five West Indian rums as issued on board British warships, and it is with the Admiralty's blessing and approval that Pusser's is now available to the consumer.

The Royal Navy Sailor's Fund, a naval charity more commonly called the "Tot Fund" receives a substantial donation from the sale of each bottle of British Navy Pusser's Rum. Aside from the fund's original bequest, the Pusser's contribution has become the fund's largest source of income

History of the British Virgin Islands

History of the British Virgin Islands

The Territorial Flag is a defaced blue ensign with the Union Jack in the upper hoist corner, which is centered at the fly end with the badge bearing the Virgin Islands Coat of Arms. It was official adopted on 15 November 1960.

The British Virgin Islands were first settled by the Arawak from South America around 100 BC (though there is some evidence of Amerindian presence on the islands as far back as 1500 BC.]  The Arawaks inhabited the islands until the 15th century when they were displaced by the more aggressive Caribs, a tribe from the Lesser Antilles islands, after whom the Caribbean Sea is named.
The first European sighting of the Virgin Islands was by Christopher Columbus in 1493 on his second voyage to the Americas. Columbus gave them the fanciful name Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes (Saint Ursula and her 11,000 Virgins), shortened to Las Vírgenes (The Virgins), after the legend of Saint Ursula.

The Dutch established a permanent settlement on the island of Tortola by 1648. In 1672, the English captured Tortola from the Dutch, and the English annexation of Anegada and Virgin Gorda followed in 1680. Meanwhile, over the period 1672–1733, the Danish gained control of the nearby islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John and Saint Croix.

The British islands were considered principally a strategic possession, but were planted when economic conditions were particularly favourable. The British introduced sugar cane which was to become the main crop and source of foreign trade, and slaves were brought from Africa to work on the sugar cane plantations. The islands prospered economically until the middle of the nineteenth century, when a combination of the abolition of slavery in the Territory, a series of disastrous hurricanes, and the growth in the sugar beet crop in Europe and the United States significantly reduced sugar cane production and led to a period of economic decline.

DID YOU KNOW??In 1917, the United States purchased 

St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix from Denmark for US$25 million, 

renaming them the United States Virgin Islands.

The British Virgin Islands were administered variously as part of the British Leeward Islands or with St. Kitts and Nevis, with an administrator representing the British Government on the Islands. The island gained separate colony status in 1960 and became autonomous in 1967. Since the 1960s, the islands have diversified away from their traditionally agriculture-based economy towards tourism and financial services, becoming one of the wealthiest areas in the Caribbean.

About the B.V.I.

Territorial Dish
Fish and Fungi has been chosen as the Territorial Dish. Their forefathers were fishermen and sailors and made their livelihood off the sea. Without question fish, whether fish and fungi with mayonnaise sauce, or fish and fungi with butter sauce, was a staple in every home. 



Territorial Music
The music which has traveled with the people from Africa through slavery and emancipation and evolved through to today – Fungi Music, has been chosen as the official music of the Virgin Islands. “Fungi” is the local name of folk music. The word means a “cook up” of combination of. According to local history, fungi music has its roots in African Heritage. and they brought with them the “Bamboula drum” and their dances.

Fungi music evolved in the Virgin Islands during slavery, and was later passed on from generation to generation.

BUCKET LIST WORTHY ISLAND TRIPS!!!

Check off your Bucket List during off season!

Snorkel @ Christmas Cove Wildlife Sanctuary

Hike & Swim @ The Baths National Park, Virgin Gorda

Painkillers @ Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke

Champagne Toast @ Sunset on a Vintage Sailboat

At New Horizons & Breakaway Charters

We have you covered!

Our 65’ Sailboat or 55’ Powerboats offer the best chance to see these great attractions and much, much more!  Our experienced Captains  & Crew are full of Caribbean Pirate Tales, Fishing Legends, and Island Life Folklore!!  Bet your booty that one of these pirates has caught a fish bigger than your car and twice as wide, or so the story goes…

No other tours in the Virgin Islands can compare to Our Loaded Itineraries of

 Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences:

Champagne & Strawberries?  4 Course Meal?  Sunset on the Water?  After Dinner Drinks  & Smooth Sail Home?  All found on the same boat and trip?  Absolutely!  Our Sunset Dinner Cruise takes the sand out of your toes and puts a smile on your face.  It is the most romantic way to express love and thank you to your significant other!

Stay tuned to our Blog to see updates on other trips and vacation ideas!!!

EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY!

JOIN US ABOARD THE NEW HORIZONS SAIL BOAT 

FOR OUR SUNSET DINNER CRUISE!

Our cruise begins with champagne and strawberries

 at the dock, and the bar is open all night!  

Just kick your shoes off and relax as we set sail to beautiful Christmas Cove, and our crew will make their way around with appetizer of salmon and caviar on cream cheese rounds, and tomato basil brochettes. 

Once we arrive at Christmas Cove, we will set out our delicious dinner, served buffet style. Enjoy our fresh Mahi Mahi and Island Style Chicken while watching an amazing Caribbean sunset on the water. 

 

After dinner, indulge in our delectable home made brownies

and cheesecake,

 before sailing back under the twinkling stars

Add a little magic to your night, join us for a memorable and unique dining experience on the water!