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Trip report…3 kids ages 7-9 and 6 adults on a Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 out of Horizon.

Day 1 (Arrival): We flew into STT at 1:30pm. I had already contacted Kevin and, as promised, he was waiting with a sign near the baggage claim. He knew we had to get to west end and had already called Native Son and found out they had a ferry leaving at 2:30. He said it wouldn’t be a problem and he had let NS know we were coming and they wouldn’t leave without us. We got there at 2:15, got on the boat, and were off to WE. That’s service!! Once at Nanny Cay, we checked into the hotel and the kids hit the beach/pool. I walked the docks and noticed a rigger on our boat. I recognized him from our last trip, as he had brought us a sail slug that came off our lagoon 42. Without reminding him, he said, “oh yeah, I remember you, you were on Sea Vous Plait.” That was correct. Again, more great customer service.

Day 2: Riteway delivered our food as scheduled. There were a few substitutions, but no big deal and I can’t even remember what they were. BVI watertoys delivered our kayak and SUP’s also…no problem. We hired captain Lizane again for our first day to help get us acquainted with the boat. It was really like a family reunion. The kids ran up to her and they all hugged. I can’t say enough about Lizane. She is an amazing young woman. We got off the dock a little late, but no big deal. We sailed to the Indians, snorkeled, and then on to Norman. We had a newbie couple with us and they were in awe at this point and having a great time. Horizon came and got Lizane and we said our goodbyes.

Day 3: We sailed on the outside of Norman and headed for the drop, hoping to catch dinner. The seas get a little more sporty out there, but the boat handled it fine. We hooked a barracuda, but no dinner. We really didn’t know what we were doing so we were pretty happy to catch anything. We had fun with the fishing and will try again next time, a little more seriously. We then sailed on to Cooper, which was great. We had dive gear with us and dove cistern point, which was cool.

Day 4: Headed north to the north sound. We decided to try the BEYC this time. I had wanted to go there for many years. I went, I saw, I won’t go back. I think a pack of cookies in the store was $9. We stayed on a mooring ball and dinghied over to eustacia sound. That was something different, but not worth the expense of BEYC. The kids enjoyed Saba Rock again. Last time we dinghied from leverick to Saba rock, which was crazy. If we only knew then what we know now…there’s a ferry for that.

Day 5: Motored over to Leverick. Ran into Nick, who already had our car on its way. Part of the reason we tried BEYC was because the ladies didn’t like the showers at leverick. This time, we just used the boat showers since they gave us free water anyway. Much better option. We then drove our safari truck to the baths, Savannah Bay, and Rosy’s grocery store in Spanish Town. Prices were good at Rosy’s. I think we paid $3 for that pack of cookies we wanted…hit the buffet and jumbies party that night. Kids had a great time and we wore them out.

Day 6: Off the dock by 9 to sail to Anegada. This was our first time to Anegada. Honestly I’m not sure what all the hype is about regarding getting there. Lizane suggested we set a course of around 20° magnetic from the north sound entrance, sail for 6-7 miles, and then fall off to about 0°m. We did just that and it put us very close to where we needed to be to enter the channel. I kept an eye on the GPS and made sure we stayed a little to the west. I think we got into the mooring field at around 11:30 and there were still plenty of balls. Spent the day exploring cow wreck and loblolly by jeep, rented at DW. Had dinner at Potter’s which was great.

Day 7: Sailed to Scrub Island. I called ahead and asked for the TTOL discount, which they gave me. I didn’t find the dock hand as helpful as the guys at leverick, but they are hard to beat. Kids spent the day in the pool, we had some drinks at the bar, ate on the boat, and took long showers. Everyone really liked this stop. I know it’s not for everyone, but especially with a group of kids, I would highly recommend.

Day 8: Off to JVD, where we picked up a ball near foxy’s taboo. We snorkeled the area, where we found a moray eel and several stingray. Also hiked the bubbly pool. It wasn’t very bubbly, but perfect for kids.

Day 9: JVD to Peter island. This was a long sail through the thatch cut and right into the wind. It was our last full day of sailing, so I wanted to sail as much as possible and leave the motoring for the very end. We also dove the wreck of the rhone that day, so we did end up motoring some for time’s sake. During our dive, one of our crew had a minor emergency and we called VISAR to the scene. Luckily, two of our crew are very experienced divers and one is an instructor. They handled the situation exactly as they should. It turned out our crewmember was fine, but I was really glad to have VISAR check her out anyway. They got there within about 20 minutes of the phone call and were very professional. We went on to Peter Island where, we decided to hit ocean’s 7. Who wants to cook after that stressful incident? I’m glad we did that as I thought it was some of the best food we had during the trip.

Day 10: Short sail back to Nanny Cay, where we spent the night before our departure, which was a total cluster. No problems getting to the airport with Kevin’s help again. Our AA flight was delayed and we missed our connection in Miami. We ended up on a flight to Dallas, which was also delayed by an hour. We got into Dallas at midnight, after having left the hotel at 8am CST. The kids were done. Our flight home was booked for 7am, so we got a hotel room and slept for a few hours. The AA rep in Dallas said they would reimburse us for our room, but I’m waiting for a response from them. We’ll see.

Takeaways: I don’t have any other reference, but we REALLY like Horizon Yacht Charters. It feels like a very personal experience. We are not wealthy people with money to throw around, so the service and value we get from them is very much appreciated. AA sucks and I said I’ll never again fly them, but the truth is that next time we do this (and there will be a next time) we’ll look for the cheapest air carrier and use them. The airlines have us all by the cajones. If you need a cab, call Kevin Campbell. That guy is awesome. Since this was our second trip, we were all more relaxed and I found everything to be really easy. The sailing in the BVI is simple and that’s why so many people go there. Despite that fact, anything can happen in the ocean and sailing and scuba diving can be dangerous. In an emergency, be prepared, stay calm, and call VISAR.

Over the next year, we will decide whether or not to return to the BVI or try other waters like the windward islands. I’m torn. I like the idea of having a place to go back to like the BVI, but it’s a big world and I’d like to explore a little too. We’ll see.

Thanks for the report...you will be back. Sometimes getting comfortable with an area also makes for a good vacation as well. AA has never let me down but I am on a short list...I think the cheapest fare is now the best fare as well.

LOL at your comment about the deck hands at Scrub and Leverick! We had the exact same experience! The guys at Leverick are top notch and very helpful and the guys at Scrub seem to just walk out after you are secure to collect money.

Since you also had a few young kids and were on a Fountaine Pajot... we may have been tied up right infront of you in that new Mooring 45.4 with the 5,8, and 9 yr old on Friday night.

Hey Andy, yes that was us! Great meeting you and thanks for helping us get out! That was pretty funny! Matt.