To Charter or That Is the

My feet felt so free. True, I had only made the transition from flip flops to bare feet, but that little bit of stripping down was a pinnacle moment. The crease of the smile broadened on my face.

For the next week, my wife, seven others, and I were going to be catered to and see some of the most spectacular sites the British Virgin Islands had to offer. This fully-crewed catamaran charter checked all my boxes. My ideal trip was a go, go, go!

Prior to this trip, my wife and I had sailed just under 11,000 nautical miles in less than eleven months. We cruised our 1996 Island Packet 37 from San Diego, all throughout the Mexican coastlines, then crossed the Pacific and island-hopped through the Marquesas, the Tuamotus, the Society Islands, and Hawaii, then back to San Diego in less than a year. Staying idle is not in our blood.

Not to Charter, Question! By Captain Michael Harlow

Within an hour of stepping onto our barefoot catamaran, we were sailing across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Peter Island. The protection of Dead Man’s Bay was perfect; there was hardly any wind, the sunset was incredible, and my wife and I didn’t have to do an anchor watch. If the anchor dragged, we were confident the hired skipper would look after it and keep us all safe. After another cocktail, I went to sleep with nary a worry. Waking up the next morning to the sounds of spoons tinkling in coffee mugs was the perfect melody. A few of the other guests were up and conversing in hushed tones, taking care not to wake anyone. I poured some java into my cup and socialized with our new friends. The night before, we had all introduced ourselves over an amazing dinner and quickly learned that we all had more than one commonality: we all love sailing, and we all loved to hike. An amazing breakfast was served, and we devoured every speck of it with zest and zeal. Then Captain AJ yelled, “The pool is open!” Hearing this, we all donned our snorkeling gear and jumped into the crystal clear and warm waters of the Caribbean. I was excited to try out my new underwater housing for my iPhone 11. The video footage and still images both above and below the water were incredible. I was having the time of my life. The anchor was lifted, and we motorsailed to Cooper Island for some lunch, snorkeling, kayaking, and beachcombing. With so much to see, we were off to the beautiful island of Virgin Gorda. Once anchored, the captain launched the dinghy, and we slowly puttered the rigid-hulled inflatable offshore of the Baths. We slid slowly

into the water from the dinghy and lazily swam through the aquamarine liquid until our feet touched the sandy beach. Our first mate, Roxy, took a headcount, then we all followed her like puppies as she took us on a tour and educated us about the sinister history of this beautiful rocky shore. In a time, not so long ago, the stunning pools and grottoes of the Baths hid a secret of slavery and the undeniable hardship for the workers that toiled in the local rum trade. The name of the Baths is all too ordinary. After days or weeks of hard manual labor in the fields, the slaves came to the protected rock outcropping to bathe in the Caribbean waters, while the plantation owners watched over them. We exited the labyrinth of granite rocks, and the tropical beach of Devil’s Bay opened up before us. The beach looked postcard-perfect, with swaying palm trees, blue-infused waters, and even a puffy cloud here and there to offset the sun’s bright gleam. Once again, we waded into the water and swam out to meet the dinghy; some of us decided to swim to the catamaran, which was less than a lap pool’s distance away. We all quickly showered on the aft end of the boat to rinse off the saltwater, then we each meandered off to our private cabins for an afternoon nap. The next morning, I donned my free-diving gear, while others went to scuba dive the wreck, the Kodiak Queen. This wreck has quite a history. It survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, was one of the largest crab vessels of its time, and was purposefully sunk as part of the underwater art installation. Prior to being sunk as an artificial reef, the superstructure had been outfitted with a large wire-framed Kraken, which enveloped the aft end of the ship to make it look as if the beast pulled the boat down to its abyssal grave. To my dismay, though, the last hurricane in 2017 tore the artfully-done beast apart, and only remnants remain. Another aspect of the catamaran bareboat charter is engaging with the locals as well. At the famous Michael Beans’ “Happy Arrr!” in Leverick Bay, everyone got their toes in the sand and their party on because the show that Michael puts on is an “all in” experience. Not only is the show an amazing amount of fun, but some of the proceeds go back into the community to help the local children. If you love sailing, then the next day was perfect. We enjoyed a wonderful downwind sail all the way down to Marina Cay. We worked up quite an appetite from sailing and snorkeling most of the day, so our first dinner on shore, Scrub Island, was magnificent. While the group of us dined together, the captain and first mate refreshed our cabins with newly-laundered linens, loaded on fresh provisions, and had a cocktail nightcap awaiting us upon our return. No charter experience is complete without hitting up some of the touristy areas, so we sailed to the island of Jost Van Dyke and anchored off the sandy beach of the Soggy Dollar. As per tradition, we all swam to shore and posed in front of the live feed internet camera located outside the bar. Here’s a little known fact: you can pay it forward, so to speak, and buy a drink for a friend that you know will be coming to the Soggy Dollar in the future. You sign their name in the book and pay for their drink, and they have a free drink upon their arrival. We sailed ten minutes down the beach to anchor and check out Foxy’s Taboo. While some drank and some shopped, I decided to go for a short stroll, not knowing it could have been my last. As I walked in front of the bar, I heard a cracking sound, then a giant, “Boom!”

A giant palm tree —50 feet tall, trunk rotted, and stripped of all of its fronds—snapped and fell behind me, missing me by about three feet. I was feet away from being a statistical anomaly, killed by Hurricane Irma three years after she had made landfall here. Happy to be alive, we set sail to Norman Island, where a few of us went night snorkeling in a beautiful and tranquil bay. The following day, more adventure awaited us as we woke up before dawn. Our captain took us on a hike to the summit of Norman Island, and we took in a beautiful Caribbean sunrise. After yet another amazing lunch, we island-hopped over to Pelican Island, where we snorkeled the anticipated spot, the Indians, two rock formations that jut up from the sea bottom with plenty of underwater scenery of sea fans, coral, and other subaquatic flora and fauna. We rounded out the day snorkeling at the Caves before anchoring in Little Harbor off Peter Island.

Early the next morning, a few of us took a fun-filled dinghy ride around Peter Island and went scuba diving on the hilariously-decorated, purposely-sunken ship of the old Willy T. Being a scuba divemaster, I have explored some of the most incredible underwater places around the world. However, none have made me smile and laugh underwater as much as this wreck. If you like pirates, this wreck has it all. We walked the plank (underwater), had sword fights with cutlasses, played a deck of cards with pirates, looked through a looking glass, and played like children along with all the skeletons that had been sunk along with the boat as another BVI underwater art exhibit. As our last day at anchor was coming to an end, my wife and I decided to go on a short hike up to the hurricane-ravaged Amway House to take in a little more history. This once-beautiful home (and all of Peter Island) was owned by the Amway Corporation from 1978 to 2001. The home had been destroyed by a hurricane and is now being reclaimed by nature. Goats, hermit crabs, birds, and other fauna meandered through the bush, and the trees and vines reached for the sky, attempting to block the incredible and magnificent views.

Knowing that our vacation was slowly coming to an end, we cooled off with one last snorkel. The squid, rays, pufferfish, and turtles literally posed for the camera one last time. I was in bliss. On our last day, the anchor was lifted, the stern line pulled in, and after a nice hour or so sail, we were back in Nanny Cay Harbor where it all started. The group of us treated our captain and first mate to dinner at the local beach bar. Between dancing, a lobster dinner, and (of course) one last sundowner, we reminisced over our incredible week-long adventure in the BVI.

Helpful hints for a successful charter • Don’t pack too much. Space is limited, and you will be in your swim gear most of the time, with the exception of dinner. • Do as much or as little as you want. It’s all up to you. • It’s much easier to get in a day before and leave a day after. You’re on vacation, so take the time to settle in. • All currency in the BVI (and USVI) is the U.S. Dollar. • Check the power outlets before you arrive. Our boat had 110V (standard), however some boats may differ • You won’t need your shoes the entire time. Shoes aren’t allowed on the boat, and sandals were fine for dinners on shore • Tips for the captain and first mate are typically 10% of the charter. Get cash before your charter, so you’re not scrambling to get it at the end of the trip. • Bring an underwater camera. You will love the pictures—it’s almost too easy • Bring several bathing suits. You will be in the water quite a bit!

Evergreen studded islands, abundant wildlife & peaceful anchorages...beginner or experienced we can help you discover the world-class cruising ground in our back yard! • Charter a cruising sailboat for a week or two and explore the beautiful San Juan

Islands and the greater Salish Sea!

Catamarans, trawlers & motoryachts too. •Learn to sail during a weeklong live-aboard course (private instruction options available). •Join a guided otilla and enjoy the company of other boaters as well as the comfort and ease of having a otilla leader.

We are standing by to help you plan your 2021 charter, course or otilla!

CHARTER SCHOOL

Bellingham, WA • 360-671-4300 sanjuansailing.com