Saturday – Travel Day

Arrive at the airport, either USVI, St Thomas (STT) or directly into the BVI, Beef Island (EIS) (8) where you will be met by a taxi who will transport you to the ferry terminal. Crew members travelling from St Thomas by ferry will arrive at the ferry dock in Sopers Hole, clear customs and a taxi will transport you about a mile to the Sopers Hole Wharf and Marina on the West End of Tortola where you will meet your Skipper and board the yachts at 5:00pm. Sopers Hole Wharf and Marina, the original home of Blackbeard the Pirate is an excellent shopping and dining destination with its charming West Indian architecture. Spend the evening shopping at Flamboyance, the place for upscale cosmetics and a variety of perfumes, or visit The Sea Urchin for beach wear from sandals and sun dresses to island-print shirts and swimsuits. Harbour Market has a large selection of deli and gourmet items as well as general provisions for chartering. Dine at the famous Pusser’s Landing which has dockside tables, live entertainment and an outdoor bar, and drinks, including the famous Painkiller drink. Sit upstairs for open air, elegant dining overlooking the harbor with a varied menu of local seafood, pub food, Old English dishes like their specialty Beef Wellington.

Sunday – Day 1

After breakfast, we will complete boat checkout and skippers briefing, the skipper will clear the crew out of the BVI and we will depart for a short sail over to Cruz Bay (2), St Johns where we will again clear customs back into the USVI. Cruz Bay is well known for its shopping and restaurants. For those itching to get into the water, we will dinghy over to Maho Bay where we snorkel the reefs of Maho and Little Maho looking for the rare sea turtles that use this location as a nesting beach. Time permitting, additional potential snorkel stops may include Salomon Bay, Turtle Bay and Hawksnest Point, to finally pick up a mooring ball in Caneel Bay (3) where we will raft up for dinner and then head to the Caneel Beach Terrace and Bar for sundowner drinks.

Monday – Day 2

Head out early to pick up a mooring at Trunk Bay (4) beach, possibly the most famous beach in all the Caribbean. It has perfect powdery white sand and an under water snorkel trail with plaques describing the various items that snorkelers can see on the reef or surrounding area. Nearly 50 years after Laurence S. Rockefeller donated Trunk Bay to the National Park Service, making it part of Virgin Islands National Park, the beach and offshore coral reefs remain among St. John's most breathtaking and well-preserved attractions. After lunch we will clear back into the BVIs at Sopers Hole, top off the boats with water and head toward the wreck of the Rhone, located off Salt Island. The R.M.S Rhone (Royal Mail Steamer) went down in 1867 in a hurricane. The Rhone lies on a reef in 20-80 feet and is awash in schools of friendly fish and is fully encrusted in corals and sponges. Moor the night at Cooper Island (6).

Tuesday – Day 3

Departure for the The Baths (7) where we will spend the morning exploring the huge boulders and rock formations that have formed large caves and a massive tunnel that leads to Devil's Bay beach. After a leisurely lunch, we will sail across the Francis Drake channel to Trellis Bay and explore the home of the Fireball Full Moon Parties where there is a can’t-miss centerpiece – a fire sculpture made by local artisan Aragorn. The sculpture is a fire-filled orb – a steel sphere “fireball” as big as five feet in diameter – with hand-carved silhouettes. The sculpture is placed on mounts in the sea just beyond the shoreline, where everyone can view it. Walk over to De Loose Mongoose, a funky beach bar and restaurant nestled on the south-east corner of Trellis Bay, with a mini De Loose Mongoose bar on the beach end of the dock for a drink, then head back to the boats. Navigate across the channel to Marina Cay (9) for the night. Visit the new Scrub Island resort time permitting.

Wednesday – Day 4

Early morning sail around The Dogs and Mosquito Island to the North Sound, Virgin Gorda, where we will stop at the Fat Virgin (11) for lunch and meet up with the Skippers-in-Training. Dock at the Bitter End where the rest of the day is free to soak up the rays, rent any of the array of sports equipment at the Bitter End Resort and Spa, learn how to wind surf or take a relaxing massage. A single tank SCUBA dive is offered in the afternoon for the divers. Bitter End Yacht Club is the Caribbean's premiere luxury water sports resort, hosting family fun vacations, romantic getaways, and idyllic escapes.

Thursday – Day 5

Head out after breakfast and fresh pastries from the local bakery, set the sails and race toward the drowned island – Anegada (12) where we will take a short taxi ride over to Cow Wreck Bay. After swimming and snorkeling the reef, stop at the Cow Killer Beach Bar and Restaurant where you can try their famous Cow Killers and sample the Shark Fritters. Clean up on the boat for Lobster dinner. I would like to try a new spot, Neptunes Treasure, but will scope it out before we get there. Alternately, Anegada Reef Hotel or Potters by the Sea where we typically will eat.

Friday – Day 6

Drop the mooring ball and sail toward the Island of little Jost van Dyke where we will stop at Diamond Cay (13). Snorkel the reef and hike to the Bubbly pool. The rock formation located on the rugged northern coast of Jost Van Dyke funnels waves through a very narrow passage into this small, natural pool, much akin to a natural Jacuzzi. Quench your thirst after the hike at Foxy Taboo, Foxys daughter’s bar. White Bay for a drink at the Soggy Dollar Bar (14) then pick up a mooring ball in Great Harbor (15) where Foxy’s hails for drinks. Foxys has a great buffet for dinner, then dancing into the night.

Saturday – Day 7

Head back to Sopers Hole (1) to the Voyage Base for a 8:00 am arrival where we will turn the boat back in and depart for the ferry back to St Thomas.

Note: Itinerary subject to change without notice based on weather and sea conditions or at the discretion of the skipper or flotilla leader.

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