Round the point

by Anton Zuiker on March 21, 2026

Sandy Point Beach, St. Croix, USVI

In February, I was back on St. Croix for a week of vacation. Erin was already on the island for a three-week experiment in working remotely, Malia had been with her for the first week, then I joined her for week two, and her sister followed for the final week.

While Erin worked, I relaxed through the week in my hammock under the usual sea grape tree at Sprat Hall Beach. I read, I slept, I swam. It was splendid.

The highlights of this vacation came from being on the water.

The islands had had stormy weather for the previous week, but that Sunday was beautiful and calm and clear. Erin and I joined family for a boat ride, leaving Green Cay Marina on the north shore in calm seas (later, we learned from a fisherman holding two large and colorful mahi mahi that the day before the seas had been even better, glassy).

Our boat went west, past Christiansted harbor, along the coast to the Annaly tide pools and the Maroon Sanctuary Territorial Park, with the rusted-out Hamm’s Bluff lighthouse. Years ago, we’d hiked up there and climbed up into the lighthouse; Oliver tripped and nearly tumbled off the cliff but Erin had jumped down and grabbed his arm. Now I was looking at where he would have perished. Beauty and peril, hand in hand.

We rounded the bluff and went past Sprat Hall, Rainbow Beach, and Frederiksted pier, to the always stunning Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge. (Read my Duke Magazine feature about the turtle research there.). We anchored, swam, and most of the family went to walk along the beach. Then, after a bit of debate about whether to go back or go round, Aaron and Will kept us going along the south coast, a slow visit to a rusting dredger and then Ruth Cay, and a big detour out into open water to get past the security zone for the port. Still motoring, we rounded Point Udall, the easternmost point of United States territory, went past the easternmost antenna of the Very Long Baseline Array, and over to Buck Island for a late-afternoon swim at that amazing beach. We arrived back to the marina at dusk.

I have a 40-year history with St. Croix but I’d never circumnavigated the island. Few people get the chance, Aaron told me; we were drinking Leatherback Brewing beers, naturally; Aaron is a co-founder of that brewery, going on eight years now. (On my last day, at the brewery for lunch before my flight, Aaron gave us a taste of the just-ready Guanabana Double IPA.)

What a treat that day was. I thought about that while I was swinging in the hammock the next few days.

Then, my week almost up and Erin needing a break from the stresses of work—not just the intensity of high-stakes clinical trials contracts but also the power and wifi going in and out—we headed down to Sprat Hall Beach with our inflatable kayak. This is the kayak we’ve had in North Carolina and taken out on University Lake, but Erin wanted to use it in the USVI so she’d checked it as luggage when she’d flown down. So, we inflated it, pushed out, and paddled down the coast toward Frederiksted Pier, where passengers were returning to the Valiant Lady cruise ship for the evening departure. We were sitting low in the kayak, drifting, trailing our hands in the water, enjoying the views.

Turning back, we realized we were going to have to fight the current. When we got back to Sprat Hall, we were tired and delighted and ready for drinks, so a quick drive to Rainbow Beach and were sitting at Rhythms bar, drinking mojitos and eating the wahoo tacos. Just perfect.

So, it was another memorable visit to St. Croix. I can’t wait to go back.

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