Caribbean Sailing Club - Sailing Tours in the Caribbean

SAILING ROUTE

DAY 1
Arrival at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. Participants arrive individually and should find their own way to the pier, which is by the old and former Hotel Ramada Inn. This in turn is close to where the big cruise ships tie up (see picture to the right). Transfer to the boat and check-in. We will use the first evening to get to know each other and can visit some of Charlotte Amalies attractions.

DAY 2
We will cater up this morning and put things in place on the boat. If we start early, we will be able to shop and take a city tour, before we sail 8 nautical miles east/northeast to St. James Island, or 3 nautical miles to Caneel Bay in St.John. We will anchor for the night there.

DAY 3
Morning swim and check out at Cruz Bay (picture to the right). We will be leaving American territory and will continue in British waters.
Short sail, about 4 nautical miles, north-east to Francis Bay, for more swimming and snorkelling. Possibility for lunch at West End in Tortola, at the former pirate haven Soper's Hole . We will check in here with the local immigration office.
We sail onward, 5 nautical miles to the north, to Great Harbour in Jost Van Dyke. They say that Bob Marley played here before.

DAY 4
Check in at the immigration office in Jost van Dyke (BVI), if we have not done so the day before.
We sail over to Sandy Spit and Sandy Cay.
We anchor in the beautiful cove, Cane Garden Bay, in Tortola and spend the night here. Good chance to check out the towns night life.

DAY 5
Today, we shall sail to the famous Gorda Sound (see picture to the right). Here we will have the chance to visit the luxurious resort "Bitter End Yacht Club". The path here is arranged such that you can take a walk by the sea and at the same time enjoy the view of a botanical garden with interesting Caribbean flora.
We take a relaxing drink in the characteristic bar and watch the sunset.
We can have dinner at Saba Rock, a tiny island with a good restaurant. You can either enjoy a sumptuous dinner buffet or choose from their Caribbean a la carte menu.

DAY 6
We start the day with a tour to Spanish Town, the main town in Virgin Gorda. A taxi tour will bring us to a few scenic view points. Remember to bring your camera.
Here you will experience the lush vegetation of the island and get your first impressions of how the locals live.
After the tour we will sail about 20 nautical miles north-east to the turquoise-green waters around the coral island Anegada.

We start the day early as the sail will take about 4 hours. We will try our luck with fishing on the way. Hopefully, we can have tuna fish for dinner! On the way to Anegada, there is a good chance to spot dolphins and whales.

DAY 7
The whole day will be spent in Anegada. If you feel sporty, you can go around the island or parts of it. The alternative is to relax, sunbathe, snorkel and/or swim.
Loblolly Bay and Flash of Beauty in Anegada are some of the best beaches you will ever see and experience.
You can also observe the avian life in the marshes in the middle of the island, with pelicans and flamingos: a paradise for bird lovers.

DAY 8
From Anegada we will proceed to Virgin Gordas southern coast. We will take a break at “The Baths”, to snorkel a bit and explore "He Devil's Bay". From there you can take a very special tour among the round, gigantic granit rocks that pepper this part of the island. Lunch at the bar "Top of the Baths". The restaurant has a small swimming pool and it is possible to take a dip if you order food. Fantastic view of the northern coast of Virgin Gorda. We sail onwards to Cooper Island, where we will anchor and spend the night in Machioneel Bay.

DAY 9
From Cooper Island (see picture to the right) to Road Town, capital of Tortola. We will check out here, fill water, cater, etc. It will be a life experience to swim with dolphins in “Dolphin Discovery”. Alternative is to shop in the streetmarket or take a lunch break by the sea at Marina Cay Hotel near the harbour. After lunch we sail onwards to the famous snorkelling area "The Indians", Here you will see a lot of coral formations and tropical fishes. In the evening, we will anchor in the large cove "The Bight", by Norman Island. We can enjoy the evening by the beach bar, at the pub of the pirate ship or on the boat.

DAY 10-11
From Norman Island we sail via Sir Francis Drake Channel to St. John island. After checking in with American immigration in Cruz Bay, we can explore the town or have lunch on the boat, where the breeze will cools us down after our land tour. We either sail or motor to St. Thomas where we will anchor near the cruiseships.
The next day will be spent packing, shopping in the colourful street market in Charlotte Amalie or window shopping in the shops that sell jewellery, clothes, etc. at reasonable prices. Then it's the airport for the flight back.