Reflections on the 2013 St. Croix Boat Parade

Is there a better time of year anywhere?

Christmas on St. Croix is magical. Even during the island’s toughest times, the holiday spirit pervades all we do and even island-time productivity slows to a snail’s pace. It’s as if the entire island takes a long, healing breath and pauses to rejuvenate from the long year we will send off on Old Year’s Night.

We celebrate our good fortune to be able to live in an environment of warm breezes, silken sand, azure seascapes, bright Caribbean colors and a generally jovial set of friends and neighbors. We try not to make our friends living elsewhere too jealous by posting our images of our beach frolicking as their pipes freeze.

And no event ushers in the Navidad-infused exuberance like the St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade.

Since 1994, boats have paraded through the Christiansted Harbor displaying unique and creative lighting designs. The participating captains and crews work so hard to bring their own brand of tropical holiday delight to the ever-growing throngs of Crucians and visitors lining the boardwalk.

Each year, Crucian Gold celebrates this effort by donating a handmade jewelry design from Nathan Bishop’s workshop, just a block away from the Harbor in Christiansted.

This year, we are donating a piece from the “Reflections” collection. We feel it is a perfect tribute to the sailing culture of St. Croix.

The collection was inspired by Nathan’s life on St. Croix. Born and raised here, Nathan spent countless hours on the beaches, on and under the Caribbean Sea.

Brian Bishop, Nathan’s father and founder of Crucian Gold, was a professional diver and avid fisherman. Nathan learned to sail on a sunfish in the Christiansted harbor with his father.

Upon returning from college with a degree in fine arts and his passion for the ocean, Nathan began to “collect” images and photograph the water’s surface, creating a study of the sea at different times of day and in different weather conditions.

While designing jewelry at his studio in Crucian Gold, he experimented with creating the ripples of the ocean from his photographs in metal.  After many attempts at forging silver and copper into ripples, he perfected the effect he was looking to create.

The “Reflections” collection - which includes handmade earrings, pendants, and bracelets - pays homage to the sea and those who live by it.

And that is the story behind our decision to share a piece from the Reflections collection with the captains of the 2013 Christmas Boat Parade. Thank you to all who make the parade a successful holiday tradition on St. Croix.