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BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
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BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
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Do you want to escape the winter weather and spend it in Paradise? How about fabulous weather, good winds, pristine water, great snorkeling/diving, short sailing distances between islands, quaint local bars and restaurants on the beach, good company and great boats? Well, now is your chance! The BVI's are where cruising on larger boats outside the USA started for the Sailing Club back in the mid-80's. It was a trip we did every spring for many years. Why? Because it is the perfect combination of good sailing and fantastic activities. You can sail for 4 or 5 hours, or less, each day to different islands, then enjoy swimming or other water sports after anchoring or picking up moorings in unspoiled bays that you think may only exist on postcards. Maybe dinghy ashore and walk across the sand to places like Rhymer's Beach Bar or Sydney's Peace and Love, where you make your own drinks and just tell them what you owe when you leave. Swim at the Baths on Virgin Gorda, maybe dive the wreck of the Rhone near Salt Island where the movie The Deep was filmed, hang out on the beach at Cooper Island and drink painkillers - whatever you like to do, it is here.
We have three 41-foot boats reserved for this trip from Footloose Charters on Tortola Island. The trip starts with a pre-board on Friday night, January 13, 2006, so that we can get an early start on Saturday. The Footloose charter base is a short taxi ride from the Beef Island airport. We plan to do partial provisioning from the charter firm to simplify the food shopping but allow for the meals we will want to eat ashore. Other than a stop at Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda for ice, water, and any supplies we may need, we will be anchoring or on moorings most evenings. The trip ends at Noon on Saturday, January 21st. This trip is going to be popular with newer members who want to experience it for the first time as well as the Club "old timers" who remember the excitement of our first experience at sailing outside of the USA. Whichever camp you may fall into, don't miss this one! Don't hesitate to sign up if the perfect winter getaway is what you are looking for! The cost of the trip is $990 per person (Skippers - $600). This price covers charter fees, insurance, partial provisioning, travel insurance, BVI National Park Fee and Cruising Tax. Additional food, fuel, slip/mooring fees plus any other incidentals expenses are additional and will be handled by each boat's crew. A $300 deposit is required to hold your position. Please make your check payable to The Sailing Club, Inc. and mail it, along with your completed reservation form, to Don Gilmore, at the address below. Reservations will be processed beginning on August 12, 2005 with a random draw of those received by that date. All reservations received after that date are on a first-come, first-served basis. A second payment of $345 will be due on September 1, 2005 and a final payment of $345 will be due on October 11, 2005. In addition, a different cancellation policy is in effect for this trip. Cancellations received after November 14 may be subject to a $25 cancellation fee, regardless of reason or replacement. In addition, in the event anyone cancels after that date and no replacement is available, he or she will also be required to pay any additional fees and charges that cannot be canceled prior to the trip in addition to forfeiting all trip fees paid to date. A pre-trip meeting will be held at a time and place to be announced. All crewmembers should make every effort to attend in order to meet our crewmates, plan your meals and make travel plans.
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The entire cruising area in the BVI's is a total of only about 35 miles. There are too many islands in this area to mention them all, but they range from uninhabited to sparcely developed. Since we will be together every evening, it will be easy to temporarily swap crew members if some are more interested in sailing all day and some want to get ashore early. The basic sail plan is to circumnavigate the islands either clock-wise or counter- clockwise and stop wherever we feel like it! "Must stops" include Norman Island to snorkel in the caves, Virgin Gorda for the Baths, Jost Van Dyke for Foxy's Bar and Sydney's Peace and Love, White Bay for fantastic snorkeling, Cane Garden Bay to hear the steel drum music waft over the water while sitting in the cockpit with your crew members, perhaps enjoying an adult beverage. It really doesn't matter which direction we start out because the stops are the same.
