Sailing Archives | Rum Therapy

February 12, 2019June 6, 2019

Voyage Charters in Soper’s Hole and the Boat of the Future?

During our recent trip to Tortola, we had the chance to stop by to find out more about a charter company based in Soper’s Hole, Voyage Charters.

They had been recommended to us by some friends who had sailed with Voyage in the past, so we thought we’d stop by to find out more about their operation and what they offer for an upcoming sailing trip we’re planning.

*Voyage Charters in Soper’s Hole, Tortola*

Voyage Charters & Voyage Yachts were both started by Robin and Jo-Ann Downing, a couple from South Africa who first visited Tortola in 1995 and fell in love with the area. Voyage Yachts manufactures performance oriented, luxury cruising sail and power catamarans in Cape Town South Africa, sells pre-owned yachts, and offers yacht management. Voyage Charters offers all-inclusive charters, captain only charters and bareboat charters on a variety of beautiful sailing vessels.

When we stopped by to visit, Sarah gave us a tour and told us not only about their operations, but the challenges they faced after the destruction of hurricanes Irma and Maria. Although much of Soper’s Hole is still being re-built, the Voyage Charters building, pier and boats are all in great shape.

Sarah then mentioned that everyone at VC was super excited as they had just received a new vessel the day before. The name of this new boat is Electrified and it is the first electric powered charter yacht in the BVI. Electrified is a Voyage 480 that is eco-friendly with renewable power generation and a high efficiency standby generator. Voyage sees this technology as the future for their charter industry, offering an enhanced boating experience and less impact on the BVI environment. Electrified will be one of the boats available for charter through Voyage!

Looking to book a sailing vacation in the BVI and want to find out more? Give Voyage Charters a call or send them an email to set up a vacation of a lifetime!

Voyage Charters phone numbers:
+1 888.869.2436
+1 443.569.7007

Email: [email protected]

VC Facebook page
Instagram

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Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

April 26, 2018June 6, 2019

Big Blue Excursions, St. John

We recently had the chance to meet Sharp & Margaret Kemp of Big Blue Excursions during our recent trip to St John and just love their story. Here’s the abbreviated version.

Sharp grew up on the coast of North Carolina on and around boats. As he grew, he developed an insatiable desire to be on the ocean and to travel. He began working and hopping around the Caribbean and Central America searching for perfect waves to surf and places to go fishing any chance he got. Once, while surfing in Costa Rica, he met a girl named Margie who had a passion for sailing, surfing, and traveling as well. She was living in the Virgin Islands.

Margie is a 100 ton master captain. Like Sharp, she grew up on and around sailboats and with her family, experienced incredible sailing adventures around the world. The longest leg was the four thousand mile intense journey across the Bearing Sea from Russia to Alaska. She also sailed across the English Channel in a tiny little boat with some old salty dogs at age 19. She said it was some of the gnarliest sea conditions she’s ever seen. At 26, when Sharp and Margie were married, she had been working as a sailboat captain for years in the islands.

They moved aboard their 46’ Pan Oceanic cutter to live, laugh, surf and sail their way around countless islands in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean. In 2016 they sailed more than 13,000 nautical miles from their home on St. John through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific Ocean to Australia. They really enjoy creating new memories and meeting new people.

Upon their return to St John, they purchased a boat excursion company named Big Blue Excursions – a mere 2 months before not just one, but two Cat 5 hurricanes hit the Virgin Islands…

Even though they lost two of their boats in the storm, this couple exudes an infectious positivity, pleasantness and zest for life, possibly, in part, derived from the amazing things they’ve seen and experienced. Although rightfully a bit frustrated with the wait time for insurance reimbursement, Sharp and Margie look forward to re-building and expanding their brand and company on St. John and with the unique experiences they offer, I know they will. Even thought the tourism traffic in the VI is not yet back to where it was before the hurricanes, they are experiencing strong bookings and great reviews.

Your day, your way, your pace is Big Blue Excursions motto. We had the pleasure of spending a day on the water with them on their boat “Gypsea Girl”, during our recent stay in St. John. When asked what we most wanted to see and do, we said “everything”! We ended up requesting some time in Jost Van Dyke to check on the progress since the hurricanes and then asked Sharp – our captain for the day, to choose the remainder of the days itinerary.

We met Sharp at 9am on the St. John National Park Dock for our full day excursion. Margie was there to welcome us too, but was unable to join us for the day. After an introduction and safety tips, we were off to explore.

Honeymoon Beach, St. John

We headed out, passing the scenic St. John north coast as Sharp passed on interesting information on the different beaches and landmarks as we cruised by.

The rest of the day was spent exploring and enjoying beach and beach bar time on White Bay and Great Harbour Jost Van Dyke,

Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke
White Bay, Jost Van Dyke
Gypsea Girl in White Bay

checking out beautiful Sandy Spit (even without any foliage!),

Waiting for lunch at Pizza Pi, Christmas Cove, USVI

and enjoying a delicious Blumin’ Onion pizza at Pizza Pi in Christmas Cove, St. Thomas (delicious pizza made on and picked up from a boat!). To top off the day, we spent some time snorkeling on the south side of St. John in Rendezvous Bay before heading back, sun kissed and full of the day’s adventures. Captain Sharp packed a lot into our day just as we had requested, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

If you’re heading to St. John or St. Thomas soon (Big Blue Excursions can arrange pick-ups in St. Thomas too), be sure to give Sharp and Margie a call. They offer full and half day excursions for your group of up to 11 people and will tailor a VI adventure just for you. Although all of the Big Blue Captains can take you to not only the well-known spots, they would absolutely love to show you the hidden VI gems that not everyone gets to see and experience. Want to snorkel all day? No problem. Island hop and catch a lobster? Check. Lounge on beautiful beaches and visit the local beach bars? Yep. Your day, your way, your pace!

Contact Big Blue Excursions to set up your perfect Virgin Islands excursion!

By phone: (340)201-3045
Email: [email protected]
Online (includes a 10% discount!) Click the Book Now button on the lower right of page: BIG BLUE USVI

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

January 5, 2018June 6, 2019

Our Windstar Experience Aboard the Star Pride – The Ship

The Star Pride, one of Windstar Cruises luxury yachts, was recently our home away from home for a week as we traveled south from San Juan, Puerto Rico to embark on a new adventure. We’d taken many cruises before on larger ships, but we were really looking forward to experiencing a cruise on a much smaller luxury yacht.

Well, we were not disappointed. Our week with Windstar was wonderful and it was quite different in many ways than other cruises we’ve taken. From absolutely seamless transfers to and from the airport to walking right on the ship during embarkation (no lines at all!), our embarkation was effortless. The relaxation began the moment we arrived.

Here are just a few of the reasons why we enjoyed our Windstar Experience.

Rooms, or should I say suites? The Star Pride is an all-suite yacht. There are 64 Ocean Suites with large picture windows, 36 Balcony Suites with French style balconies, 4 Classic Suites with private verandas and 2 Owners Suites with private verandas. We were able to preview all suite categories on board the Star Pride and all were spacious and comfortable.

We had a balcony suite for the week and it was spacious, well appointed and relaxing. Amenities in our room included a Queen size bed with luxurious linens, a stocked mini-bar/refrigerator, a flat screen TV and DVD player, a safe, robes & slippers, a full sized bathtub and L’Occitane Bath amenities.

Sitting area in our suite
Plenty of room in the walk in closet
Spacious bathroom
Chocolate covered strawberries awaited our return from a fun day in Les Saintes, Guadeloupe

We loved opening up the sliding glass door to the balcony to hear the waves, feel the breeze and watch the wildlife (we saw a large pod of dolphin swimming alongside our ship the first morning!).

Morning on Martinique from our balcony

Size and guest to staff ratio. The Star Pride can accommodate 212 guests and has a staff of 151. With a ratio like that, you definitely feel pampered and taken care of. Our cruise was slightly less than full due to cancellations after the hurricane and an itinerary change (valid concerns after hearing about the destruction Irma and Marie left behind, but alas, the guests that cancelled missed out – the Caribbean IS open!).

Star Pride in St. Barts – one of the islands hit hard bay the hurricanes, but recovering very well

Potentially another benefit to the high guest to staff ratio – many of the staff members greeted us each time they saw us by name after meeting us for the first time and even remembered our food and drink preferences. I’m not sure how they do it, but the personalized touch did not go unnoticed and it made us feel a bit like celebrities!

Open Bridge Policy. Windstar Cruises has an open bridge policy while at sea, and we really enjoyed being able to stop by the bridge to talk to Captain Ricardo Pinzon or his crew, see the charts, pinpoint our location and have the crew identify different islands in the distance.

Tuna Tartare appetizer prepared by Chef Mario Pagan

Dining experiences. Yep. We’re foodies and the Star Pride offered some of the best cuisine we’ve had on vacation. AND on our particular cruise, Puerto Rican Chef extraordinaire, Mario Pagan, spent the week aboard as part of the James Beard Foundation collaboration with Windstar, offering a cooking demonstration on Puerto Rican influenced dishes and preparing one of the entrees each evening. The menu on Star Pride changed daily and we’d have a hard time finding something to complain about with anything we ordered.

Delicious Bison Salad

Another dining highlight was the on-board deck BBQ. Offered one evening towards the end of the cruise, the staff assembled an incredible smorgasbord of delectable delights, including Caribbean lobster, other seafood delicacies and delicious grilled offerings prepared right on the deck under the stars.

A look from an upper deck at just a few of the watertoys available at the Watersports Marina

On board Watersports Marina. The Star Pride has a retractable water sports platform off the back of the boat. From the private platform, guests can enjoy a variety of watersports including kayaks, SUP boards, Hobie Cats, waterskiing snorkeling, jumping on the over-sized water trampoline and lounging on the water mats.

Private beach for the Windstar Beach Party

BEACH PARTY! Windstar features a private beach party on all of its Caribbean itineraries and during our cruise, it was on the island of St. Lucia.

Excited for this event, we headed out early to a pretty beach close to Pigeon Island State Park to enjoy the festivities and were some of the first guests to arrive. The Star Pride crew pulled out all of the stops on this one. We spent a lovely afternoon enjoying the St. Lucia sun and sand, food, drinks from the bar, and watertoys brought over from the ships watersports marina. It was a beautiful day of fun in the sun.

Size DOES matter. Truly a big benefit in our book is that due to the size of the Windstar yachts, they can sail into smaller ports and hidden coves so that you can really experience the destination, but not necessarily experience the crowds.

Enjoying live music and champagne

Do as much – or as little – as you like. Whether we wanted to spend the day lounging in the sun on the deck, or wanted to try a bit of everything including yoga classes, trying every piece of equipment at the watersports marina, getting a seaweed wrap at the Windspa, working off some calories at the Fitness Center, listening to live music on deck at sunset or checking out a late night movie and ordering room service popcorn, we could do as much or little as we wanted.

Happy Hour in the Star Bar before our sail-away from St. Lucia

Enjoy happy hour on the deck during the sail-away parties. Each evening, when the Star Pride pulled away from port, we would assemble in the Star Bar on the upper deck for happy hour with new friends we’d met on the cruise and to enjoy the sail away song, Conquest of Paradise, as we said that last goodbye to another beautiful island.

We’ll be covering a few other highlights of our Windstar Experience (such as the itinerary and excursions) in upcoming posts, so stay tuned for more. Would we sail on Windstar again? Absolutely. In fact, we think the Tahiti cruise may be calling our name…

Did you miss Our Windstar Experience Aboard the Star Pride Part 1?

To find out more about this and other Windstar itineraries, contact Windstar Cruises.

We thank everyone at Windstar Cruises for inviting us to sail with them on the Star Pride. Although we were sponsored by Windstar to take this cruise, the views are solely our own and we only recommend products or services we believe our readers will enjoy.

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Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

December 22, 2017June 6, 2019

Our Windstar Experience Aboard the Star Pride

Windstar’s Star Pride

When we were invited to embark on a Windstar Cruise aboard their beautiful ship, Star Pride, we were not only very excited to experience a small ship luxury cruise, but we, in typical Rum Therapy style, were also hoping to see some new beautiful beaches, explore islands we’d yet to visit, and learn about local rums (and rhums) and local rum cocktails.
Check, check and check and a whole lot more.

Chef Mario Pagán during a cooking demo

This particular cruise would also welcome aboard Chef Mario Pagán, one of Puerto Rico’s premier chefs and part of the James Beard Foundation. Chef Pagán would not only provide a cooking demonstration on preparing Caribbean dishes with a Puerto Rican influence, he would additionally prepare a signature dish each night during the cruise.

Originally, our cruise was to originate in San Juan, Puerto Rico and visit the islands of Culebra, St. Barths, Montserrat, St. Maarten, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke. Unfortunately, hurricanes Irma and Maria made an unwelcome visit to each of these islands in September, causing Windstar to make the difficult decision to change the itinerary to allow time for the islands to heal and recover.

**On a side note, although a few areas received substantial damage from these storms, much of the Caribbean was not impacted. Don’t be afraid to make travel plans for 2018 as the Caribbean IS open and even some of the hardest hit islands are beginning to welcome visitors back and with OPEN arms!

Beautiful Scenery in St. Lucia

Anyway, we were informed that our itinerary would change, and this new itinerary would allow us to visit several islands that we’d not seen! We’ll be covering our adventures in a series of subsequent posts, but suffice it to say for now, we had a wonderful time and can’t wait to share it with you.

Find out more! Read Part 2 – Our Windstar Experience Aboard the Star Pride, The Ship

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

August 8, 2017June 6, 2019

5 Reasons to Book a Virgin Islands Sailing Vacation

Have you been dreaming of exploring the gorgeous Virgin Islands? Have you ever thought of a sailing vacation on a beautiful catamaran in the Virgin Islands? Well, here are 5 great reasons to book a sailing vacation in the Virgin Islands now!

1. You can experience a sailing vacation without knowing a thing about sailing!

The internet is full of gorgeous photos of sailboats and catamarans skimming the beautiful blue water of the Caribbean… Have you ever wished you could experience that but don’t know a thing about sailing? Well you can! There are several options available when chartering a sailing vacation, including a full charter with a captain and cook, a half-board, which includes a captain and cook and half of your meals (for those that want to enjoy more of the local cuisine) or a captain only charter, in which the guests provision the boat and do their own cooking. Your charter broker can discuss the options and help you decide what is best for your group!

2. You get to experience multiple islands

There are literally hundreds of locations to visit in the Virgin Islands. Exploring this area on a sailing vacation means that everyday you will get to see something new, beautiful and exciting!

You will probably visit at least one new island a day which gives you the chance to see more than a land only vacation.

3. You can go where bigger ships can’t go

On a chartered sailing vacation, you can get to places you won’t be able to reach by a much larger vessel, which means you can see many of the best attractions minus the cruise ship crowds.

You can enjoy your own private beach or cove for the day, snorkel an isolated reef – or, start your own party at a secluded beach bar!

4. Flexibility

A sailing vacation offers a lot in terms of flexibility. Need a catamaran that sleeps 4 or 20? Do you want to snorkel everyday? Do you like to sleep in or get up early? Do you want to check out as many beautiful beaches as possible? Do you have special dietary needs? Do you really want to try a Roti, or a Painkiller?

Are there certain locations you’ve been reading about (perhaps on the Rum Therapy website!) that you’d really like to experience? Are you looking for a quiet family vacation or do you have a group of close friends that likes to find a party? Your charter broker will help to match you with the perfect crew and vessel to maximize your sailing vacation experience.

5. It’s a good vacation value

Regardless of which charter option you choose, a sailing vacation offers a lot in terms of vacation value.

Many things are covered in the price of a charter, including mooring fees, fuel, and cruising permits, as well as meals & beverages (depending on your charter choice), water toys and a crew with extensive knowledge of the area so that you will get to sample the best of the islands!

Ready to go sailing?

This article was sponsored by Certified Charter Broker Laura Jagielski of Denison Yacht Charters. There are many advantages to using Laura as your charter broker. Because Laura lives in St.Thomas, she can provide an extra level of concierge service. She knows all the must see spots throughout the Virgin Islands and will arrange your transportation to and from your yacht. She will be there to personally greet you at the dock when you begin your charter, ensuring a great send-off. In addition, she will meet you at the end of your charter to answer any questions and assist you with your departure. NO detail is too small. She is dedicated to ensuring that your trip exceeds your expectations.

Contact Laura to help you set up your Virgin Islands Sailing Vacation!
Email: laura@denisonyachtsales.com Office Phone: 340-473-0073

The Denison family has been trusted in the yachting community since 1948 when Frank Denison founded Broward Marine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mr. Denison landed a United States Navy contract, with the first flight of four, 144′ wooden minesweepers, for the Royal Dutch Navy under a NATO contract. Since then the Denison family has manufactured and sold more yachts over 70 feet than any family in the industry. The Denison company is not only a powerhouse when it comes to yacht brokerage but also a trusted name in the charter yacht world. With offices all over the world from Hong Kong to California to Florida to the Virgin Islands, the crew at Denison would be honored to show you how three generations of yachting expertise can be an asset to your yachting experience.

This is a sponsored post. Although we were compensated by the company who sponsored it, the views are solely our own and we only recommend products or services we believe our readers will enjoy.

April 21, 2016June 6, 2019

Festiva Sailing Vacations “Save The Reef” Campaign

Ahhh…sailing in the Caribbean. One of our favorite things to do – especially in what some call the sailing capital of the Caribbean – the British Virgin Islands.

We’ve sailed several times in the BVI so far – twice on an all-inclusive crewed charter with Festiva Sailing Vacations. Why do we going back to sail the BVI? We love it’s beauty, the variety of things to see and do, the sailing conditions and its vibrant underwater life.

But with the increase in popularity, there is an ongoing need to protect the islands above and under the water so we can all continue to enjoy the beauty of the area.

That’s why we were pleased to hear from Festiva Sailing Vacations that they are donating 5% of their profits for the entire month of April, 2016 to the Association of Reef Keepers (ARK) located in the British Virgin Islands to assist in marine restoration and coral nurseries.

According to ARK, the contribution will assist with the on-going maintenance of their coral nurseries. There are two nursery sites with a total of 1,000 corals growing, which will be out planted later this year to enhance some of the BVI reefs. Afterwards, they will continue growing coral and hopefully add a few more nursery sites ensuring healthy reefs for years to come.

Have you been wanting to find out more about an all-inclusive sailing vacation in the British Virgin Islands? Be sure to check out Festiva Sailing Vacations website and contact them for more info.

Want to see some of what you can see and do on a sailing vacation in the BVI? Check out our series called Sailing the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter!

This is a sponsored post. Although we were compensated by the company who sponsored it, the views are solely our own and we only recommend products or services we believe our readers will enjoy.

August 30, 2015June 6, 2019

Sunday Serenity: A Boat Nap

We recently were going through some photos of past travels and ran across a pic we had taken of a young man thoroughly enjoying an afternoon nap on a boat in Anegada.

That got us to thinking about one of our favorite things to do during a sailing vacation.
Take a nap.

The gentle rock of the sea, the warm sun on your skin and a fresh sea breeze all combine to make a perfect recipe for some zzzz’s, and we try to enjoy that as often as possible while on a boat.

Can’t wait to go sailing again and take a nap…

What about you? Would you enjoy a little boat nap?

Find more Sunday Serenity posts here:
Tropical Tips & More

To see more island posts, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

July 29, 2014June 6, 2019

Sailing the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter, Part 4

We awoke to yet another spectacular morning view through our porthole.

copyright Rum Therapy — Morning view of the water around Anegada

We were reluctant to leave this island with the electric blue water, but were anxious for the adventures ahead.

The sail out of Anegada was nearly as beautiful as the sail in – except for one thing.
We were leaving!

Before getting back to Virgin Gorda, our captain planned to make a snorkeling stop at The Dogs, a small group of uninhabited islands just off the coast of Virgin Gorda. The four Dogs Islands, called George, Great, West and Seal, have a number of coral ridges that are great for snorkeling and diving.

We stopped at George Dog, anchored, spent some time checking out the coral and fish in the clear blue water, and then found a place to lounge and relax in the sunshine.

From there we had a short motor over to check out the spectacular Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda.

Next stop – The Baths!

Even though we’ve been lucky enough to visit The Baths several times, we were nonetheless excited to explore them again AND show our boatmates this amazing area. The Baths National Park is found on the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda and is comprised of massive granite boulders, white sand beaches and sparkling shallow blue pools which can be explored via a trail that winds through the rocks, sand and pools.

Find out what it’s like to take the path through the boulders of The Baths here: Exploring The Baths, Virgin Gorda

See more pictures of The Baths here: The Baths, Virgin Gorda

After a great afternoon of exploring, we swam back to our boat, where we were greeted with the drink of the day and a delicious dinner! At this point in the trip, we’d gotten used to such pampering and were trying to figure out how to take our crew home with us…

But alas, our sailing trip was nearing the end. That night we anchored in Spanish Town and dinghied in for a drink and the view at CocoMaya.

In the morning, we began the last day of our vacation….. :(

We spent the early hours enjoying Cooper Island and Cooper Island Beach Club.

A short hop over to to Salt Island for a snorkel of the Wreck of the Rhone – and then our final stop of the trip – Peter Island.

Read more about Little Deadman’s Beach, Peter Island

After dinner ashore at Deadman’s Beach Bar & Grill (part of the Peter Island Resort) we reflected on the great week we had just experienced. In 7 days we were able to to see so much of the BVI, including visits to the following islands:
Tortola
Norman Island
Sandy Island
Little Jost Van Dyke
Jost Van Dyke
Anegada
Virgin Gorda
Cooper Island
Peter Island

We were also treated to some excellent sailing through the beautiful islands, pampered with great food and drinks, and we got to experience all of this with a wonderful group of friends.

Sun-tanned, relaxed and refreshed, we were completely ready to go again!

Thanks to our wonderful crew and the folks at Festiva for another really great sailing vacation!

In case you missed them:
Sailing the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter Part 1
Sailing the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter Part 2
Sailing in the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter Part 3

Looks like it’s time to check out another sailing itinerary! Perhaps the Grenadines again, or St. Maarten/Anguilla/St. Barths? Or maybe Greece?…..

To find out more about a Crewed Charter Sailing Vacation with Festiva including the itineraries they offer, contact them through their website:
Festiva Sailing Vacations

And follow them on Facebook:
Festiva Sailing Vacations

Copyright©Rum Therapy 2014
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

July 22, 2014September 25, 2019

Sailing the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter, Part 3

Wow – we were already 4 days in to our sailing vacation. How time flies when you’re having so much fun – well, and a little rum!

We woke this morning to this view of Great Harbour from our porthole…

After a delicious breakfast of eggs, fresh pastries and fresh fruit prepared by our lovely cook, we dinghied to Great Harbour to explore just a little more. We then set sail for our next destination, Guana Island, and passed stunning Sandy Cay along the way.

After Sandy Cay, we enjoyed a very nice sail around Tortola, passing by some of the harder to reach beaches on Tortola’s North side such as Trunk Bay, Josiah’s Bay and Lambert Bay.

Passing beautiful White Bay on Guana Island, we pulled into Monkey Point, where we spent a few hours snorkeling at one of the best spots on the trip. Here we saw very large tarpon (at least 3 ft!) and schools and schools of small brightly colored minnows.

Next stop – North Sound, Virgin Gorda.

We docked that night at colorful Leverick Bay (see more about Leverick Bay here), which allowed us to easily get off the boat and explore the area.

We’d been to Leverick several times in the past, but were never there to enjoy the “singing pirate”, Michael Bean at Jumbies…that is until this time!

It was a fun show – lots of singing, pirate shenanigans and rum punch and we enjoyed Jumbies until the sun went down.

We were welcomed back on the boat with a delicious Happy Arrr of our own. Every evening our crew would prepare a delicious round of lite hors d’oeuvres and a “drink of the day”. Tonight’s drink? A strawberry daiquiri with fresh mint…yum…

Day 5 we awoke with anticipation of a sail to “the drowned island” – Anegada.

Lying approximately 15 miles north of Virgin Gorda, this island just doesn’t look like the others in the BVI chain. Only 28 ft at it’s highest point, it’s flat topography is far different from the other islands. Anegada is surrounded by coral reefs and hundreds of shipwrecks and it takes an experienced captain to safely navigate the sail in – and we were very happy to leave this task in our capable captains hands (another benefit of a crewed charter!)

At about 2 hours, the sail to Anegada was the longest of the trip. It was a gorgeous sunny day with enough wind for a decent sail, but smooth enough that we could do this….

And a little more of this…

Until we started to get close to Anegada and the water looked like this.

Once safely anchored in Setting Point, we dinghied to shore, rented an open cab truck for the day and set off exploring.

If you’ve yet to visit Anegada, let me tell you, it should be called “Ahhh”negada! The beaches, although devoid of a lot of foliage or palm trees, are simply spectacular. It’s almost hard to describe the water color – electric maybe? First stop – the beach north of Pomato Point.

And not another soul around….

We drove on a short way to Cow Wreck Beach and Beach Bar. We could have easily spent a few days here. Great beach – fun beach bar! Find out more about our visit to Cow Wreck here. After an hour or two we pressed on – intent on seeing as much as possible and landed on Loblolly Bay.

Here we enjoyed some good snorkeling and a beverage at the Big Bamboo Beach Bar.
Read more about our visit to Loblolly here.

Totally sun and salt water drenched, we made our way back to Setting Point and then our boat to enjoy our “drink of the day”, while watching yet another amazing sunset.

And to top this excellent day off, we cleaned up and went ashore for a Lobster dinner at Potter’s by the Sea. Man, I could get really used to this!

Stay tuned for Sailing the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter Part 4, the last couple of days, where we visit The Baths, snorkel The Rhone and spend time on Peter Island.

In case you missed them:
Sailing the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter Part 1
Sailing the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter Part 2

To find out more about a Crewed Charter Sailing Vacation with Festiva, contact them through their website:
Festiva Sailing Vacations

And follow them on Facebook:
Festiva Sailing Vacations

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

July 15, 2014June 6, 2019

Sailing the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter, Part 2

One of the best things about a crewed charter is that you can just sit back , relax and enjoy the experience. No cooking, no cleaning – just sailing, enjoying the view and soaking in the sunshine…

We awoke the first morning in the Bight of Norman Island to the smell of fresh coffee prepared by our wonderful crew. I threw on a swimsuit and cover-up (pretty much the attire for the week!), grabbed a book and made my way to the deck. It was 8:00am and the day was already gorgeous – the water sparkled in the sunshine and there was just a slight warm breeze. I grabbed a cup of coffee and settled in to a comfy seat in the sun on the front of the boat, attempting to get into the story in front of me – but my eyes kept wandering to the beautiful view around me.

Map of our crewed charter sailing route Day 1-3

The black line indicates our approximate sailing route and the white lines point out just a few of the places we stopped along the way.

Day 2
After a light breakfast, we motored around to The Caves of Norman Island where we spent some time snorkeling (check out that crystal clear water!) kayaking and attempting good form (or just to stand up) on the stand up paddle board. The Festiva catamarans come equipped with a SUP board, a kayak and snorkeling equipment – so you can try it all!

copyright Tum Therapy — Snorkeling at The Caves, Norman Island

A delicious lunch on board the boat…

…and then we made our way to The Indians for another great snorkel.

We’d had a full morning of playing in the water and were sun and salt-water drenched, and really enjoyed relaxing on the beautiful sail around Tortola to Cane Garden Bay where we anchored for the night.

The rest of Day 2 was spent exploring beautiful Cane Garden Bay (See What to See and Do in Cane Garden Bay) until sunset,

…then back on board we spent the evening sipping on some really tasty rum punch while listening to the sound of music from Quito’s waft over the calm bay.

Day 3
Day 3 started our with a visit to one of my favorite little islands, Sandy Spit, where we snorkeled, swam and walked the entire island (it takes approximately 10 minutes if you walk slow!)
(Find out more about Sandy Spit)

Then, just around the corner, we made a stop at the new B-Line Beach Bar on Little Jost to check it out, play a little cornhole in the sand and try one of their specialties – the Passion Confusion.

From there we sailed over to the fabulous White, Bay, Jost Van Dyke where our captain anchored for the afternoon.

After a graceful entry into the waters of White Bay, we swam to shore with our soggy dollars to check out as many of the beach bars on White Bay as possible, including One Love, Soggy Dollar and Ivan’s.

(See Barhopping on Jost Van Dyke)

Later that evening we motored over to Great Harbour for the night, enjoyed a sunset dinner on board, then dinghied to shore for some music and dancing at Foxy’s.

Once again exhausted from a great day of exploring Jost Van Dyke, we retired to the nets to chat with our boatmates and relive the experiences of the day.

In case you missed it: Sailing the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter Part 1

Stay tuned for Sailing the British Virgin Islands on a Crewed Charter Part 3, where we’ll cover our stops at Leverick Bay, Virgin Gorda, a sail to Anegada and much more!

To find out more about a Crewed Charter Sailing Vacation with Festiva, contact them through their website:
Festiva Sailing Vacations

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