Captain’s Log: Along for the ride
The Basics
The boat: “Endless Joy”, a 2024 Lagoon 46
Crew: Captain JT (instructor)
ASA Students: Ron and Larien (with Lynn and Lois along for the ride)
Courses Completed: ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104 (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran)
Day 1: Along for the Ride
Captain JT met his 4 passengers in the BVI to discuss their backgrounds, sailing goals, and itinerary ideas before boarding “Endless Joy.” Ron and Lois had sailed in the BVI before but wanted to visit a few new places on this trip. Larien and Lynn hope to bareboat charter worldwide as a large family activity. Both the ladies didn’t come to take ASA courses— they just wanted in on the fun and the experience! Captain JT assured them they would have just as much fun, whether they took the courses or not!
Day 2: Packing for Fun
Before leaving the marina, the group wanted to pick up some extra provisions. Including kayaks and SUPs! They called the surf shop, had everything delivered to the boat, and then off they went! The guys practiced maneuvers under power until they felt comfortable enough to raise the mainsail and unfurl the jib. From there, they worked on trim, steering all the points, and tacking in the Drake Channel between Tortola and Peter Island. By the afternoon, the crew had made it to Cooper Island and then picked up a mooring in Manchioneel Bay with plenty of time to kayak, swim, and eat dinner ashore.
Day 3: Scuba then Sail!
No reason you can’t have multiple types of water adventures on your sailing trip in the BVI! Half of the crew spent the morning diving with Sail Caribbean Divers while the other half did yoga on the beach and then learned how to drive the dinghy. In the afternoon, the winds picked up and the crew learned how to reef the mainsail as they tacked their way up the Drake Channel towards Virgin Gorga. Encountering several other boats along the way made for a great opportunity to discuss stand-on, give-way situations. Once in the National Park, the crew moored, hiked the Baths, and snorkeled with an octopus and Spotted Eagle Ray!
Day 4: Quick Fix
The voltage regulator in “Endless Joy” went out and the crew had to call for a fix! However, assistance came quickly and the crew made the most out of the extra time at the mooring. They opted to go souvenir shopping while Captain JT stayed behind with the technicians to get everything working again! While things aboard can break even on the best of yachts, Go Sail is always committed to making sure students don’t spend long waiting for repairs. The crew still got plenty of sailing in on day 4 and then enjoyed cocktails and dinner at Saba Rock!
Day 5: The Longest Sail Day
The crew woke up ambitious! They prepared a passage plan from Gorda Sound to Jost Van Dyke, a 25 mile sail downwind. The students set off and found it surprising how much different steering downwind felt than sailing upwind. It took a few minutes but they got the a hang of it, did a few jibes, and enjoyed watching the flying fish alongside the boat. They passed Sandy Spit and then Sandy Cay before jibing one last time and dropping the sails. The group did some swimming and kayaking before going ashore for a walk on the beach at Great Harbor. A job well done on the crew’s longest sail day!
Day 6: Happy Birthday, Lynn!
What better way to end a sailing trip than to wish Lynn a happy birthday on the beautiful waters surrounding the British Virgin Islands. One of the days highlights was “racing” other boats tacking up the narrows and even catching up to two other boats several tacks ahead! The water clarity at Indians was the best Captain JT had seen all season so the crew jumped in for a few hours and snorkeled! Afterwards, they celebrated Lynn’s birthday at Willy T, the pirate bar ship, and jumped off the op deck. A wonderful way to end another amazing sailing vacation in the Virgin Islands!