It all started with a previous client, an old trawler and 10 days in the BVI.
Hi! We’re Mike and Gena Evans, owners of Somewhere in the Sun Beach Villa. For over 30 years, we ran a construction and consulting business in Atlanta, Georgia, and spent nearly every weekend on the water — whether it was at our lake house in Alabama or on our cabin cruiser near Atlanta. When a client once told us he couldn’t attend a meeting because he was sailing the BVI with his sons (something he had done every year for three decades), we were intrigued. Mike immediately began researching, and before long, we booked a boat ourselves.
That “boat” turned out to be a rolling, tubby old trawler — but to us, it was the Queen Elizabeth. For ten days, we hopped between anchorages, swam, snorkeled, laughed with our kids, and fell in love with the islands and their people. When we returned home, we found ourselves glued to the few webcams available back then, longing to return. Mike finally looked at me and asked, “How do we do that EVERY day? What do we need to do to make that a reality?
Trading Work for Waves
We made a plan to grow our business, save as much as we could, and eventually sail away. That meant trading in weekends at the lake for sailing lessons, navigation courses, and even diesel engine and wilderness medicine classes. Our motorboat friends teased us, but we were determined. Six years later — a year later than planned — we sold our condo, cars, and most of our possessions and moved aboard our Lagoon sailboat, Freebird.
For the next five years, we sailed the Caribbean. We met lifelong friends, enjoyed every moment (almost), and discovered that “home” no longer meant Atlanta — it meant Jost Van Dyke. We spent countless days anchored in White Bay, feeling like we already belonged to the island community.
Hurricanes, COVID and Life Changes
Life at sea wasn’t always smooth sailing. We were in the Caribbean when Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit just weeks apart. We fled the BVI ahead of Irma only to run straight into Maria in Puerto Rico. Our sailboat was damaged, marinas destroyed, and we spent five long months stuck in Puerto Rico before we could return. When we finally sailed back to the BVI, the devastation broke our hearts. Still, we helped however we could and kept moving forward.
Just as the islands began to recover, COVID hit. Borders closed, islands locked down, and we even spent months away from our boat when travel became impossible. Between hurricanes and lockdowns, we realized it was time to make a change. That’s when we decided to become “CLODs” — Cruisers Living on Dirt. Palm trees, beaches, and fruity drinks were still calling our names just from a different place this time.... a place called Sandy Ground.
Sandy Ground Estate
If we were going to live on land, there was no question where we wanted it to be: Jost Van Dyke. During the height of COVID, we heard about a hurricane-damaged home for sale on the East End. The owner could no longer travel from the U.S., and although we had only a handful of old photos to go on, Mike’s real estate instincts told us to take a leap faith and we did. Site unseen, we placed an offer on the house and made arrangements to go see it in person.
Traveling during COVID was an adventure in itself — hospital COVID tests in a janitor’s closet, plastic-lined taxis, and peanut butter sandwiches on the go — but when we finally saw Sandy Ground Estate, in the middle of COVID, we knew it was meant to be. The view was breathtaking, the beach was pristine, the potential was undeniable, and we could already imagine the home we would build together.
Building Somewhere in the Sun
The last few years have been a true labor of love. Renovating and rebuilding on a remote island comes with plenty of challenges, but with our construction backgrounds, an amazing Grenadian crew, and a lot of patience, Somewhere in the Sun took shape. We added a pool, created spaces to gather and relax, and poured our hearts into every detail. Along the way, we made lifelong friends and grew to love Jost Van Dyke even more deeply.
Today, Somewhere in the Sun is the home we once dreamed of while staring at those old webcams from Atlanta. It’s a place to rest, to gather, to celebrate, to explore — and now, we’re thrilled to share it with you.
We hope you love your time here as much as we do. We can’t wait for you to experience the beauty and joy that captured our hearts so many years ago. Welcome to Somewhere in the Sun.
The History of Sandy Ground Estate
Discover the timeless stories and rich heritage of Sandy Ground Estate. Learn how the the Rockefeller family influenced Sandy Ground Estate and Sandy Cay from conservation efforts to community support. Meet Ethel McCully, a true innovator whose visionary ideas and leadership left a lasting impact on the Virgin Islands. Discover the inspiring stories behind their legacy and how they helped shape the history of this vibrant island.