First Bareboat Sailing Trip

RickG · Post by **RickG** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:13 pm

Sweet Christine and I are headed down to do our first sailing trip April 20-27. I'm excited and Christine is a bit nervous. I had my sailing school on Tortola in January, so I feel pretty good.

We're renting a 45' Jenneau from CYOA on St. Thomas. It's a bigger and more complex boat than I had planned on, but similar to the 44' Bennetau I trained on... plus an in-mast mainsail furler, bow thruster, generator and AC. With our thin sailing resume I wanted to have a skipper introduce us to this complex boat. We'll have a skipper on board our first two days. That will give Christine some time to get used to the big boat. Thanks to Capt. Jay for great advice on sailing school and CYOA.

So, where do you go when you have 45' of fun to take with you? We're going to work on sailing the first two days. If things work out April 21, I'd love to moor at Caneel Bay and dinghy to Cruz Bay for drinks and cocktails. I keep hearing that you have to be flexible and let the weather tell you where to go. I'd like to sail around St. John and visit Jost Van Dyke.

I'll keep an ear out for forumites that week. We'll have lots of play time. It's going to be nice to wake up at the beach.

Cheers, RickG

Maggy · Post by **Maggy** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:44 pm

I'm very excited for you. Wish you the best of luck and I hope that everything works out perfectly. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Hopefully the weather will be perfect. Wait a minute, we're going to be in the BVI's too

. Hope to get to see you guys if you sail somewhere near VG.

augie · Post by **augie** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:49 pm

Devil's Rest?

RickG · Post by **RickG** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:59 pm

augie wrote:Devil's Rest?

Hey, where do you live?

Cheers, RickG

RickG · Post by **RickG** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:01 pm

Maggy wrote:I'm very excited for you. Wish you the best of luck and I hope that everything works out perfectly. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Hopefully the weather will be perfect. Wait a minute, we're going to be in the BVI's too . Hope to get to see you guys if you sail somewhere near VG.

We'll be in touch!

Tracy in WI · Post by **Tracy in WI** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:07 pm

I arrive on island on the 21st until the 27th and would love to meet up for a drink or two in Cruz Bay.

Hope you have a blast sailing!!!

augie · Post by **augie** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:08 pm

RickG wrote:
augie wrote:Devil's Rest?
Hey, where do you live?

Cheers, RickG

In April, still here in Florida. Ask me again, in late summer/early fall.

jmq · Post by **jmq** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:09 pm

What, you're not gonna bust out and head on a beeline over to Anegada first time out? What kind of credit card captain are you?

Seriously - wishing you fair seas and wind, and have a blast

54b · Post by **54b** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:20 pm

Congrats, Rick and hope you have a great trip...will be very interested to hear about your adventure as I think this type of vacation is where we're eventually headed as well...Mrs. 54b has already looked into a deal where you train on a Catamaran for a week and then get to take it for a week (which sounds very similar to what you did)...

My only hesitation is I keep having this nightmare where I back the boat into the Indians and knock them down like Clark Griswold knocked down Stonehenge in European Vacation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DewEKz9TzmM

Coden · Post by **Coden** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 8:39 am

Good luck and have fun!! We plan on taking our lessons down there just as soon as we can. Then we will hopefully move our sailboat down there and cruise the islands. Life is good!!

ski2play · Post by **ski2play** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:03 am

RickG, we are looking so forward to hearing about your adventure and seeing pictures. We are down there the 17th to the 24th so a cocktail in Cruz Bay is not out of the question. Staying on the East End this trip so wave when you go by!

What fun you will have!

Myheart'sinSTJ · Post by **Myheart'sinSTJ** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:41 am

Wow! What a great adventure! To be free on the water and come and go as you please, I always thought it was so cool to see people come and go on their dinghies in Cruz Bay, talk about the life! Safe sailing and we look forward to a trip report!

liamsaunt · Post by **liamsaunt** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:55 am

How exciting! Please share your adventures with us. Have a great time.

UF Prof · Post by **UF Prof** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 11:59 am

RickG,

Fair winds and a following sea!

I want to take that class. Bareboating is on my bucket list! (But, I don't think LProf is too thrilled over the idea)

RickG · Post by **RickG** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 12:18 pm

I'll post some things as we go. We'll have Internet anywhere we have ATT.

Capt. Jay recommended Rob Swain Sailing School on Tortola. It was a great intensive experience. I had one other student on a 44' Beneteau and we sailed our butts off and did a lot of studying. Burton, my instructor, is also a racer, dive master and pilot instructor. My training partner was an engineer, so we got as technical as we could stand.

Experience on similar is really the most important thing. I spent some time last night looking at boats on the Chesapeake Bay!

Cheers, RickG

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