Captain’s Log: Dreaming or Knot?
The Basics
The boat: “The Happy Heifer”, 2023 FP Elba 45
Crew: Captain Trevon (instructor) and First Mate Stephanie
ASA Students: Lori, Peter, Jill, Tyler, and William
Courses Completed: ASA 101 (Basic KeelBoat), ASA 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), ASA 104 (Bareboat Cruising), ASA 114 (Cruising Catamaran)
Day 1: Boat Buying Aspirations
The crew on this Virgin Island’s Christmas trip is full of experience that they share with Captain Trevon upon arrival! Peter has his RYA certifications but hopes to get more familiar with ASA. He said he already found the textbooks to be far superior and is looking forward to the hands-on learning. He and his wife, Jill, are considering buying an Elba 46 in the near future. Tyler would also like to buy a boat. He works remotely and figures he would rather work from a boat that work from home. He already has his ASA 101 and ASA 103 certifications but hasn’t had much sailing experience at sea. His ASA certifications were done at a lake in Colorado. Will and Lori already own a Hobie and aren’t in the market for a new boat but they would like to see how they handle a larger boat and if chartering catamarans may become part of their future plans!
Day 2: Feeling Some Jet Lag
Sometimes flights can leave students a bit worn out upon arrival to the Virgin Islands— but that’s ok! Go Sail’s trips and itineraries are flexible so Trevon let the crew sleep in and readied the boat for departure. Once they set off, the crew had a great time taking turns at the helm while the catamaran was under power. Once everyone had a good feel for how to steer the sailboat, Captain Trevon added in some man overboard drills – great practice to hone in those steering skills!
Day 3: Christmas Stories
Waking up in Caneel Bay was the perfect way for this crew to start Christmas Eve! They began by practicing picking up mooring balls. Tyler really enjoyed the first time of grabbing a mooring ball. He thought it was daunting but after a few practice moorings, he felt much more confident in doing them! The crew then motored up through the windward passage, raising sail and tacking east toward Jost Van Dyke. Everyone took turns working the sheets and driving. By the end of the day, they had sailed into Maho Bay and enjoyed a Christmas Eve dinner of Jamaican jerk chicken, cilantro lime rice and a beautiful spinach strawberry salad. “After cleanup, we went around the table telling Christmas stories and everyone laughed, cried and really had a wonderful night getting to know each other better,” Captain Trevon wrote.
Day 4: Christmas Day in Happy Heifer Fashion
What better way to spend Christmas morning than meandered through the mooring field singing Christmas carols and having lots of other boats join in the singing and celebrating? “Many waved us over to their boat to get video and share the Christmas spirit. Fun!” Captain Trevon wrote in his Captain’s Log. After celebrating gleefully aboard “The Happy Heifer” the crew took off downwind, skirting the north shores of Lovango and Grass Cays. Everyone got to drive through the different points of sail, tacking and gybing and getting the reps in. The day ended with a delicious Christmas dinner at High Tide in Cruz Bay.
Day 5: Dreaming or Knot?
Will got up and had to tell the story of witnessing Lori busy tying knots in her sleep, which gave everyone a good laugh while munching on Stephanie’s famous avocado toast for breakfast. The crew then practiced charting and made a plan to sail to Lameshur Bay, several miles to the east into the wind. The crew practiced tacking and tried to carve upwind as much as possible while on a close reach. By late afternoon, they’d made it to their destination and celebrated with a beautiful evening of snorkeling!
Day 6: Friday Already?!
No help from Captain Trevon today— he tasked the ASA students with leaving Lameshur Bay, raising full sail and gybing downwind all the way to Water Island. Not only did they make it to their destination but they showed their competency as sailors so Captain Trevon could sign their ASA certifications! The crew couldn’t believe it was already Friday and reminisced about the happenings of the week and how special a Christmas they all had.
Day 7: A Windy Departure
Winds were 20+ knots with rain threatening so the crew made a run for it, working through the Haulover Cut and back to the Frenchtown Marina! It was quite the adventurous week aboard The Happy Heifer!