On the Rock St. John has been called a beautiful rock between the Atlantic Ocean
and the Caribbean Sea that is a stage for a theater of island life,
playing out the drama of the myriad of St. Johnians, with a cast of four
thousand characters and a million annual visitors. Casting for living on the rock calls for a wry wit, creativity, tenacity, joy, cynicism, tolerance, survivorship, love of nature, general respect, infinite patience, resourcefulness and a strong spirit. This column has featured St. Johnians Miss Lucy, Father Crespo, the Principals at public island schools and the cast also includes sailors, crab racers, construction workers, artists, island dogs, musicians, restaurant and business owners, barflies, bureaucrats and taxi drivers; the famous, the infamous, the pirates, the pioneers, those who care about everything, those who don't care about anything, the healthy, the addicted, the angry and the loving, a blend of ages, colors, beliefs and socioeconomic levels, brothers and sisters of all races and cultures, are all wrapped up in an 18-degrees-latitude, generally out-of-the-box attitude. Some are looking for their destiny, some are looking for their truth and some are just looking for a parking space. The old time St. Johnian boaters have sailed and fished in the waters around the rock for decades or lifetimes and include some of St. John's most colorful characters: Les Anderson of Penelope, Bob Nose of Alcyone, Doug of Gypsy Spirit, Peter Muilenburg of Breath, Griz of Gone Ketchin', Bali Bob of Windsong, Jack of Johanna, Lee and Guido, Santa the Fisherman who hangs out at Patrick's (Some say that he's forgotten more about fishing than most guys will ever know!), Elliot of Silver Cloud, Jeff Crokin of Slideways, Fisherman Wally Leopold and Phil Chalker of the Wayward Sailor. "I've been sailing the Bahamas and the Caribbean for 36 years,"
exclaims Capt. Phil. "Mother, Mother Ocean"("A Pirate
Looks at 40" by Jimmy Buffet) could be about my life." He has a love of the creatures on our reefs, especially the Caribbean reef octopus. "I'd like to give them an eight armed hug, but they aren't into it. They are one of the most intelligent and gentle species on the planet. I even had a tee shirt designed in honor of them," said Capt. Phil. He's shared this admiration and respect of the sea with guests aboard his day sail charters for many years, snorkeling with the guests every trip, free diving and pointing out unusual sea life, telling stories of their habits and quirks. "I have a great concern for the future of our reefs," he said. "We must do something about the run-off and ecological laws to protect the reefs and their creatures. It is my hope that we can preserve the reefs for the grandchildren of the children who are currently snorkeling on the Wayward Sailor, so that they, too, can enjoy the reefs generations from now," said Capt. Phil. Day after day, year after year, he gets up before dawn, repeats his safety orientation, tells his jokes and reef talks to hundreds of guests, but he doesn't tire of it. "I've gone out with Capt. Phil every vacation for the past seven years and he still has his enthusiasm," said Michael Robinson of South Glasbury, Connecticut. A native of Detroit, he began his ocean going career in the salvage diving business, then switched to scuba diving charters in Haiti and the Bahamas for fifteen years, cruising the Caribbean at every opportunity, usually single-handedly. "Trinidad and Dominica are my favorite islands," he said. "In Trinidad, the people are wonderful, international and really friendly and Dominica is just so naturally beautiful." One time, while diving in the Bahamas, he encountered a Goliath Grouper, formerly known as the Jewfish. "He was about 800 pounds. They get to be 1200 pounds and inhale their prey, you know. He sucked the gloves right off my hands and then boomed. (A very loud sound they make in their throat that sounds like dynamite exploding). I just about jumped out of my wet suit!," he exclaimed. He's worked on a few movies including "Jaws" in the Bahamas. "The mechanical shark was really something," he said. "Unfortunately, that movie created an unprecedented and unnecessary fear of the ocean in many people," he said. He also worked on the popular television series of the early sixties, "Sea Hunt". "We taught Lloyd Bridges how to dive," he said. "My buddy was his stand-in and did the dive scenes in the beginning episodes." This sailor also has a spiritual side, as an ordained minister who performs marriages and vow renewals on land and sea, onboard his sailboat and on remote beaches of outlying cays. He' says he's a "spiritual minister from the streets of Detroit", challenging couples to be each other's best friend and blessing them with "May you never grow too old to hold hands". He has lived aboard his 30' Islander for 24 years, through haulouts and hurricanes. "I always stay aboard during hurricanes," he said. "In 1998, I got caught at sea in tropical storm Hortense with 50 knot winds and 20 foot waves, getting pooped (cockpit filled with water) once. But the boat behaved admirably," he said. Living aboard a boat in 92 square feet of cabin space has meant certain sacrifices. "I haven't had a frig or TV since 1968. That means I'm not always up to date on things like show business, " he laughed. "One time I was at a party with Eric Clapton at Paradise Island (Bahamas) and I didn't know who he was. When he picked up his guitar, I said 'Hey Eric, do you play?' and everyone cracked up!" He also hasn't driven a car but four times in the fifteen years he's lived on St. John. He's a familiar sight striding about Cruz Bay with a slight limp from a knee injury from clearing his land on Lovango, wearing a gray Wayward Sailor tee shirt and cap, heading off to island stores for provisions. "I once wore a pedometer and clocked in 92 miles in a month," he said. Salty and funny, Capt. Phil Chalker: one of the cast of St. Johnians,
a character on the island stage, playing out the drama of the theater
of life ON THE ROCK.
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