Have you always wanted to try sailing? Have you ever dreamed of visiting the British Virgin Islands and getting to see what those beautiful islands have to offer?
Well, now may be your chance!
We’d love for you to join us on the 1st Annual Rum Therapy/Rum Gallery Flotilla!!
Destination: British Virgin Islands
Date: April 5 – 12, 2014
We are teaming up with rum expert Dave Russell of Rum Gallery to provide you with an
itinerary that will include some of the prettiest beaches and best beach bars that the BVI has to
offer. In addition to the great stops and sailing adventure, Dave will also be holding a rum
tasting to learn more about different rums of the region! We have a limited number of boats and
cabins available and will fill them on a first come, first served basis, so if you’re interested, let us know right away!
Boat Options
A Fully Crewed Charter on a Catamaran
Why a crewed charter?
This option is probably the best for you if you have never sailed before and just want to sit back, relax and enjoy the experience. We have 21 crewed charter cabins (6 boats total) available and they are through Festiva Sailing Vacations.
What’s included in the price?
Festiva is giving us a discount off of their normal Spring price per cabin (see pricing below) and the deposit and booking of these cabins will be through them. Check their website (http://www.festivasailingvacations.com/) to see the Lagoon 450 and Lagoon 440 and how the cabins are configured. Each cabin on either vessel has it’s own bathroom and each cabin sleeps 2 in a queen size bed.
The rate below includes: Captain, Chef, 5 dinners, 6 lunches, 7 breakfasts, appetizers, snacks, standard bar, snorkel gear, sea kayak, and taxes. That’s right – it even includes your beverages (standard bar – premium liquor can be purchased and brought aboard or furnished by them for an additional fee). AND this rate will include a Rum Therapy goodie bag per cabin which will contain 2 Rum Therapy Flotilla Tees, 2 Rum Therapy Caps, 2 RumHuggers, and lots of other surprises! The rate does not include the crew gratuity and a cruising permit fee of $39 per cabin.
Crewed Charter Cabin Rates:
Lagoon 450: 4 cabins per boat $3, 951 per cabin
Lagoon 440: 3 cabins per boat $3, 921 per cabin
How do we reserve a cabin?
Contact Pamela ([email protected]) to let her know if you’d be interested in a cabin on the 450 or the 440. She will provide you with the Festiva contact information to put down your deposit. If you have friends that would like to come as well, let us know so that we can put you on the same boat. If you have either 3 or 4 couples and would like to have an entire boat to yourselves, that can be arranged. Solo couples will be given a cabin based on a preference for the Lagoon 450 or Lagoon 440.
What’s the deposit and when is it due?
A deposit of 50% of the cabin rate will be due by August 22 to reserve your cabin with the balance due 60 days before our sail. Upon booking, Festiva will send you a questionnaire about food allergies, likes and dislikes.
We have sailed 3 times with Festiva and it’s been a great, relaxing experience. If you have specific questions about the boats or itinerary, please let me know. Contact me to let me know if you would like to reserve a cabin on one of the crewed charters!
[email protected]
A Catamaran with a Skipper
Dave Russell will be the Skipper on this “sure to be a blast” catamaran and this is what he has to say about the experience.
Thank you for expressing interest in sailing in the BVI’s with Skipper Dave. The Rum Gallery and Rum Therapy would love to welcome you to the Flotilla. You probably have many questions, so let’s tackle the biggest ones first to see if this boat is the right one for you.
How much will this cost, and what is included in the price?
46-foor Sunsail 464 catamaran – $3700 per cabin. Each cabin has a queen size bed, a door that closes, private head (toilet) and shower. The price is fully inclusive of all breakfasts and lunches onboard, one dinner aboard, beverages and refreshments aboard. Meals ashore and beverages ashore are paid by the passenger. No tipping is required. A $925 (25%) non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your cabin.
Do we have to sail?
Yes: A boat functions best as a team. Active participation in the sailing, raising and trimming the sails, steering the boat, mooring, stocking the cooler with beverages and ice, managing the dinghy, etc is highly desired. The vacation will be what we make it. If you are new to sailing, this will be an experience in which you’ll have a blast learning what makes your boat go. If you’re an experienced sailor, even better! My motto is “Safety First.”
What else do we do?
We will sail 3-5 hours each day, arriving at a different island paradise. The sailing conditions during April in the BVI are usually perfect, with just the right amount of wind and relatively calm seas. At each destination, we will have plenty of daylight left for island exploring, swimming, snorkeling, island-style shopping, lounging around, reading a book or doing pretty much nothing. There will be a beach, a restaurant and bar (or several) at each destination.
Who is Skipper Dave?
I’m a certified sailing instructor. I sail all over the world, about five-six trips each year. I’ve sailed the BVI so many time I’ve lost count. Sailing is my passion, and with every new sail I’m as excited as my very first time. At home I sail in San Francisco Bay.
What about the Rum?
I have a rum review website called
rumgallery.com. I judge rum at tasting competitions and tour rum distilleries all over the world several times each year. My taste for rum was acquired while sailing in the Caribbean over 20 year ago. A glass of rum has been known to be in my hand after the sailing is finished for the day and we’re safely moored somewhere for the night. I am a half-decent bartender, so we’ll have plenty of nice sundowners. We sail and drink responsibly.
Other stuff
Meals – We are the chef. We will have plenty of food for breakfasts and most lunches aboard. We will probably eat ashore every night except one, but cook one dinner onboard. Dietary Needs – Before submitting the food and beverage provisioning request, I will ask each of you about your food preferences so that the boat is provisioned with things you like.
Smoking – This is a boat for non-smokers.
[email protected]
Bareboat
If you are qualified to sail a vessel on your own, there are several catamarans and monohulls
available and we can hook you up with some information on chartering. You will be responsible for setting up the charter and then you can meet up with the rest of the group for an exciting week of rum adventure! Contact Pamela for more information.
[email protected]
Are you ready to set sail? We hope so and hope to welcome you aboard soon!
