BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS FLOTILLA BAREBOAT CRUISE
PERFECT SAILING IN CARIBBEAN TRADEWINDS WITH COLGATE SAILING ADVENTURES®
November 5-13, 2022 on Spacious Catamarans
As we dream of days under sail on crystal clear seas, the sailor’s port of call that comes to mind over and over is the beautiful British Virgin Islands. Easy to get to, this is the one place in the world where every day under sail is truly a gift. Quiet anchorages beckon, where all you hear are the gentle sounds of inquisitive sea birds flying by. Sun-soaked harbors with sandy beaches are bordered by aquamarine waters that blend into deep blue seas. Delightful eateries dot the shores. Fun restaurants and bars can be found perched on hilltops with to-die-for views of incredible sunsets.
WARM WATERS, CONSTANT BREEZES AND EASY NAVIGATION
This is the perfect place for sailors to get away without having to travel overseas on long flights. You are in sight of land at all times, reaching, running and beating from one island harbor to the next. Most days you stop for lunch and snorkeling on colorful reefs. The fleet may join in friendly competition on a round-the-islands race or head to Anegada on a day-long sail. No formal license is required to sail in the British Virgin Islands on a bareboat charter cruise. Tradewinds are likely to be from the northeast at 15-20 knots, day-time temperatures hover in the mid eighties, and waters are a pleasant eighty degrees.
On this fabulous flotilla cruise you sail on four-cabin/four head Sunsail 454 catamarans. To save the environment, most anchorages are filled with nicely spaced mooring balls, giving all piece of mind as you swing in the breeze, swim off the boats and toast another fine day under sail during happy hour in the cockpit under a canopy of stars.
LAID BACK AMBIANCE AND DANCING TO THE ISLAND BEAT
Some evenings the group will rendezvous in a quiet anchorage, others in a lively destination with island music and dining in the open air. The yachts will be provisioned with goodies for breakfasts and lunches, and three dinners – a nice combo that allows opportunity to explore ashore. And, of course, the inevitable “dregs” BYOB party evolves as all the crews rendezvous on one of the flotilla yachts with inventive hors d’oeuvres.
SAILING RESUME REQUIRED FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS
Important Notes:
- All flotilla participants must be fully-vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus before embarking on a flotilla trip
- These trips are hands-on activities that require complete, unaided mobility getting on and off docks, boats, and dinghies
- All participants must complete a Sailing Resume before being confirmed on the trip, including answering questions regarding existing medical conditions that may hinder their full participation
- A Skipper and Navigator will be assigned to each boat based on the completed Resumes
- All Skippers on European charter trips must also have their US Sailing IPC, International Proficiency Certificate. Learn more about the IPC here.
Your cruise leaders must have a completed resume for all who book a Colgate Sailing Adventures® Flotilla Cruise. When you are ready to book, please print, fill out and email the form in the link below and send it to Cheryl@OffshoreSailing.com.
SAILING RESUME FOR FLOTILLA CRUISES
Call for Reservations:
888-454-7015 or 239-454-1700
CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS YOU MAY VISIT
The cruise starts in Road Town, Tortola, capital of the British Virgin Islands where The Moorings began its bareboat charter yacht business over 50 years ago. The Colgate Sailing Adventures® flotilla group will rendezvous at The Moorings base on Wickhams Cay II, where you will be astounded by gorgeous yachts waiting for charter parties to arrive. Our four boats are ready to board by 6 p.m., so plan to get there by mid-afternoon if you are not coming in a day or two early to relax ashore. First stop is usually a short sail across Sir Francis Channel. Here are some island highlights you may visit.
COOPER ISLAND
Located just 6 nautical miles from the base is a beautiful island with a protected anchorage at Manchioneel Bay. The Cooper Island Beach Club – a small resort with restaurant, rum bar, coffee shop, boutique, and outdoor lounge areas is the perfect place to watch your first island sunset.
VIRGIN GORDA
No cruise in the BVI is complete without a stop at the world-famous Baths, a natural rock formation with tunnels, pools and caves. There’s a path leading through the giant boulders to Devil’s Bay. A nice restaurant at the top looks out to the massive rocks below, with panoramic views of the islands. Nearby is Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor which has several restaurants and a grocery. Usually the fleet enjoys a stimulating sail up to Leverick Bay in North Sound, another favorite spot for BVI sailors.
ANEGADA ISLAND
A long cruise to Anegada from North Sound takes you to a sparsely populated 11 mile long, very flat island unlike any of the others in the BVI chain. Surrounded by sandy shores with swaying palms, its interior is home to salt ponds teeming with birds including a flock of pink Caribbean flamingos. The Atwaters, your cruise leaders, will likely arrange a group dinner ashore at one of several outdoor eateries known for Anegada lobster. Whether the fleet spends one or two days here, you will want to enjoy spectacular snorkeling and explore by taxi, bicycle or scooter.
GREAT HARBOUR
To the north and west of Tortola, Jost Van Dyke is a must stop because of its seaside attractions. Foxy’s in Great Harbour has been there for more than 48 years, with a ton of burgees from visiting yachtsman decorating the open air bar and restaurant where a band plays most nights. A short hop to the west is White Bay, where you’ll find the Soggy Dollar Bar and several other fun places to grab a snack, an island drink (the infamous Painkiller Cocktail was invented here), and of course buy a souvenir t-shirt.
TRELLIS BAY AND SCRUB ISLAND RESORT
If there is a full moon on this cruise, the fleet might want to join the Trellis Bay Full Moon party featuring fire balls on the water and live entertainment. Across the channel is Scrub Island Resort, home to Offshore Sailing School’s Caribbean base and BVI training center. This luxury resort has a three-tired swimming pool with a slide and swim-up bars, accessible if the fleet docks there one night.
NORMAN ISLAND
The Bight at Norman Island is a popular anchorage with many mooring balls. Most yachties head to the Willie T for a drink and snacks, some dine at Pirate’s Bight Restaurant. There’s great snorkeling at The Indians – an interesting group of rocky islands before you get to The Bight, and at The Caves located on Norman Island at Treasure Point just outside the passage into The Bight. You can swim or dinghy into The Caves and with an underwater flashlight see teeming sea life in shallow water. The interior walls of the caves are purple and rusty orange.
Call for Reservations:
888-454-7015 or 239-454-1700
2022 BVI FLOTILLA PACKAGE COSTS AND DETAILS
If you are an Offshore Sailing School graduate with US Sailing Bareboat Cruising Certification (BCC), you get a $300 discount on package rates. The discount is only for those with BCC certification, so if one person in a party has it and the other doesn’t, only the sailor with BCC gets the discount. Here are the rates:
• Single in a private cabin: $5,800
• Two traveling together and sharing a cabin: $5,100 per person
Special Discount* for Those with BCC Certification
• Single in a private cabin: $5,500
• Two traveling together and sharing a cabin: $4,800 (*special discount)
What Your Package Price Includes:
• Your single or shared cabin aboard per your reservation
• Provisions for breakfasts, lunches, snacks and three dinners aboard during the cruise
• Two group parties and dinners ashore
• Cruising taxes and parks permits
• Commemorative cruise shirt and hat
• WiFi access aboard your yacht
• Complete handbook to help you plan your travels
• Cruise leaders with the group throughout the cruise
Extras to Plan On
• Travel to and from the British Virgin Islands
• Transfer from/to arrival/departure point to The Moorings base
• Any meals not included in package above
• Extra provisions, wine, beer and other beverages you may purchase for the cruise
• Mooring and docking fees (see note about “shared kitty” below)
• Tours, excursions, taxis, bicycle, scooter or other rentals
• Kayaks, paddle boards, fishing gear you may wish to have during the cruise
• Any other expenses you might incur
Shared Kitty: On all Colgate Sailing Adventures® flotilla cruises, the crews on each yacht maintain a kitty for shared costs such as extra food, drinks, other supplies for the boat, mooring and docking fees, kayak/paddle board rental if desired.
HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THIS SPECTACULAR BVI FLOTILLA CRUISE
Call 800-221-4326 or 239-454-1700 to book your cabin or email info@OffshoreSailing.com. But don’t wait as there are only 15 cabins available on this British Virgin Islands bareboat charter! 30% deposit of the total package is due when you sign up. Your sailing resume must be reviewed and approved before you will be confirmed on this trip. The final or full payment is due July 2, 2021, with a $300 refundable security deposit. No refunds are allowed after July 2, 2021. Please purchase travel insurance – learn more.
Call for Reservations:
888-454-7015 ♦ 239-454-1700
Sail@OffshoreSailing.com
HOW TO GET TO THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
You can fly into Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) on Tortola via San Juan, Puerto Rico or take a flight to Cyril E. King International Airport (STT) in St. Thomas, USVI and then the Roadtown Fast Ferry into Roadtown Harbour. We recommend you contact a Moorings in-house flight specialist at 866-649-2003 before you book your flights.
Call for Reservations:
888-454-7015 or 239-454-1700
SIGN UP TODAY – BVI CRUISES FILL IN NO TIME!
There is huge pent up demand to start chartering in paradise again. Consider happiness! That’s what a cruise in the British Virgin Islands is like as you reach along in light seas, with the wind caressing your face. It doesn’t get better than that!
