Welcome to Paradise! Upon arrival to your catamaran, meet fellow crewmembers and settle into your accommodations. Instruction begins at 1500 hours with boat orientation, basic engine and safety checks. Plot our course with navigation tools and charts for the following morning departure. Meal plan to provision the boat with foods and beverages of your choice. We’ll enjoy dinner on shore at one of the area’s great restaurants then get a good night’s sleep before our early morning departure. Pinch yourself-- you’re really here in the Mecca of sailing destinations!

Good morning mates! Let’s get the coffee brewing and some breakfast in our bellies as we leave Road Town. Sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses are a must as we sail up Sir Francis Drake Channel--the waterway passage lined with islands, coves, cays and beckoning sandy shores. Feel the winds catching the sails and practice sailing skills over the endless sea. Ready the bow hook for arrival at Manchioneel Bay, Cooper Island, to snag our first mooring ball. Cooper Island is believed by some to be the inspiration for Jimmy Buffet's famous tune Cheeseburger in Paradise. The man knew a good thing when he saw it.

On-the-water instruction, crew-over-board exercises, learn about clearing customs and flag etiquette as we head for The Baths on Virgin Gorda. No, you don’t need soap for this bath, but a waterproof camera may be desired to capture images of this natural wonder. We’ll lunch there and have some time to snorkel and/or climb the trail over boulders the size of train cars that tumble over caverns to the beach. Next stop, Marina Cay, (pronounced “key”). Study time and Bare Boat exam. Once you pass your exam, we’ll head ashore me hearties for a rousting pirate party with the singer/songwriter Michael Bean. Raise a glass for a day well spent on the water and enjoy the merriment of fellow sailors from all parts of the world.

West to Monkey Point for anchoring practice, snorkeling, and lunch on the hook. Sailing on to the pristine crescent cove of Cane Garden. Students will navigate through the reef and practice docking.
This is the site of many a jam-packed Jazz Festival and some of the island’s best restaurants such as Quito’s Gazebo and Myett’s.

Depart for the quaint island Jost Van Dyke with stops at beautiful white Sandy Cay; Sydney’s Peace & Love bar, restaurant and T-shirt shop; Great Harbour, home of Foxy’s and White Bay with numerous beach shacks such as the soggy Dollar Bar and Ivan’s Stress Free Bar. If it’s lobster and entertainment you seek, you’ll find them on Jost. More on-the-water exercises, MOB, anchoring, and a night on the hook. Cruising Catamaran Exam.

We’re up early and departing for the picturesque colorful harbor of Soper's Hole for a quick stop. Then on to Norman Island for our final evening at a bay called The Bight--inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s swashbuckler tale Treasure Island. We’ll board the popular floating restaurant and bar William Thornton, aka Willy T’s for a last night dinner to reminisce and swap tales of our own.

Early breakfast, last minute snorkeling at The Indians, (best to enjoy these warm Caribbean waters while you can), packing up our gear, then back to Tortola by noon. Sadly, this glorious week has come to an end, but hopefully you’ve learned more than you thought possible, made new acquaintances, put a check mark on your Bucket List, and can start counting the days for your return to one of the loveliest places on earth!