Some of The Moorings fleet in the British Virgin Islands

In 1972 Steve and I put together the first of more than 100 cruising vacations for our growing list of Offshore Sailing School (www.OffshoreSailing.com) graduates who wanted more. We got on a plane in the heat of a New York City August morning and sped down to the British Virgin Islands with 34 graduates – all for less than $500 per person including air! It was beastly hot when we changed to a puddle jumper in Puerto Rico, but on the ground at Beef Island a steady breeze off the water wafted through the air. We got to expect those cooling Trade Winds any time of year and, along with our graduates, fell in love with those beautiful, lush islands. A year later, we forged a partnership with The Moorings and started teaching cruising courses on their yachts.

 Today, 38 years later that partnership is going strong. Offshore Sailing School has taught thousands of would-be cruisers to take the helm of a bareboat charter yacht. I can’t think of a better place to fulfill your sailing goals and enjoy a refreshing and rewarding learning experience than from The Moorings Village at Wyckham’s Cay in Road Town, the capital of the British Virgin Islands (http://www.moorings.com/vacation-options/bareboat-yacht-charter/destinations/caribbean/british-virgin-islands/tortola).

This is the place to Learn to Sail, take the Fast Track to Cruising course, our Live Aboard Cruising course and get into Passage Making. You can get US SAILING certification or Colgate Certification and start cruising all over the world at The Moorings bases after just one course. Offshore Sailing School’s Colgate 26 fleet at this location provides a five-day relaxing vacation with certification at the Day Sailing level. It’s also the stepping-stone for Live Aboard Courses on gorgeous 43′ to 51′ cruising yachts, even power cruising on super comfortable Moorings 47′ power cats.

Here’s an excerpt from The Moorings website: The British Virgin Islands (BVI) are comprised of more than 25 beautiful jewels set amid the sheltered, turquoise waters of the central Caribbean Sea. Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, and Anegada are the major isles of the archipelago. The smaller islands, many splendid for day or overnight visits, add to the varied mix of tropical pleasures, which can be as laid-back or as active as desired during a British Virgin Islands yacht charter. White-sand beaches, luxury waterfront resorts, sailor-friendly bars and upscale restaurants, chic boutique shopping, snorkeling and scuba diving on coral reefs teeming with sea life, it is all the perfect blend to create a delightfully rejuvenating experience under sail.

Learning to Cruise on a power boat or sailing yacht in the British Virgin Islands

No matter when you go, you’ll enjoy temperatures ranging from 70 to 80 with constant breezes and beautiful crystal clear waters. At this location you can spend your time learning while staying in a lovely room ashore (our five-day Learn to Sail course on a Colgate 26), go from novice to ready-to-cruise in an accelerated Fast Track to Cruising experience with two days learning the basics on a Colgate 26 and then five days mastering the techniques of handling a beautiful 43’ cruising yacht. Or, if you already have the basics you can step right into the Live Aboard Cruising course and earn your bareboat cruising certification in five action packed days.

Then the world is yours – chartering with The Moorings back in the BVI, heading abroad to the Greek Islands or the South Pacific, or one of their many other locations in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Far East, South Pacific, Mexico and Pacific Northwest.

But you gotta start somewhere, so send me an email (doris@offshoresailing.com) and I’ll get you hoooked up with one of our super sales associates for a learning vcation you’ll long remember!

Yours truly,

Doris Colgate, forever sailing and loving it

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