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Crewed Insider:
Crewed Yacht Of The Month
KATRINA
Katrina is a beautiful 50′ Fountaine Pajot catamaran ready to have you aboard for an unforgettable USVI sailing vacation! Katrina provides an immense amount of space including the sun-bed with 360° views, forward deck and lounge area with adjustable reclining seating, a trampoline perfect for sunning, and a lounging area on the aft deck where you can enjoy Chef Erin’s meals al fresco!
She features an upper deck lounge that has a sectional couch and sunbed area. The forward deck has a spacious lounge area with adjustable reclining seating, trampolines and sunning areas with an aft deck that offers a lounge area plus an alfresco dining area. The salon offers a lounge area with coffee table plus flat screen TV with many movies and USB capabilities.
For guest comfort, Katrina has three spacious queen cabins, each with private ensuite bath with electric toilet, wash basin and separate shower stall and one double cabin. The master stateroom has desk space, separate toilet room, and a walk-in shower. All cabins have air conditioning, two fans, 110v outlets and dimmable recessed lighting.
Paired with the all-star crew duo Ed and Erin, you are sure to have the time of your lives!
Katrina is the complete package for a dream sailing vacation in the USVI!
Your All-Inclusive Charter on Katrina Includes:
8 Guests in 4 Cabins
3 En-suite Bathrooms
Full Air Conditioning
Onboard WIFI
340 Dinghy 15HP Outboard
Snorkeling Gear
Stand-Up Paddle Boards
Kayaks
Large Floating Mat
Tubes
Knee Board
Scurf Board
Fishing Rods
Onshore Games
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Capt. Ed Irwin was born in Newfoundland, Canada and spent as much time as he could outside, fishing the streams for trout and getting lost in the woods. As a small boy he would drive his mother crazy by wandering off only to come home with pockets full of the fish, or birds and small animals that he captured and wanted to keep as pets.
He enjoyed back country camping, hiking, canoeing his entire life. The Boundary Waters lakes and portages were one of his favorite places to get lost in.
The first time he was on a sailboat he instantly fell in love with the simple act of the wind taking the boat anywhere.
After sailing Lake Michigan for many years, Capt. Ed and Chef Erin created a plan to take off on their own boat and sail to as many places of the world that they could. They found an abandoned Cape Dory 36 and rebuilt it and outfitted it for long distance travel. Years of hard work paid off in a beautifully restored and perfectly outfitted classic sailboat that allowed them to live our sailing dreams.
They have spent the past 2 seasons in the Virgin Islands, US and BVI exploring and finding amazing coves, anchorages, becoming PADI scuba certified, and learning why everyone says that once you make it to the Caribbean- you don’t want to leave. They are looking forward to showing guests why the Caribbean is a sailing paradise.
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Chef Erin Irwin’s childhood playground was Tower Marina in Saugatuck, MI. Her family bought a River Queen houseboat when she was 10 and she loved everything about being on the water; always being the first one to jump into the water, no matter what temperature!
Her cooking style has an emphasis on a healthy balance of the Mediterranean foods, Asian cuisines, and comfort foods that are adapted to healthy, but rich versions. She has spent a good portion of her life in Chicago, and became an obsessive foodie, constantly searching for the perfect meal at the perfect restaurant, which was an endless quest that has taught her so much about the experience of eating well.
She loves finding unique themes and creating relaxed, special-moments. She has found sailing to always be the perfect setting for finding that moment to connect to each other, but to something bigger. It has always been the best stage to find joy, peace, adventure and excitement and they want to share that.
They especially look forward to having families find that elusive real time together. There just isn’t anything like being on a sailboat to allow for everything else to fade away and be connected to the people you love. They can’t wait to help others find that perfect spot and that perfect moment that will be a memory that holds forever.
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We’ve got that Feel-Good-Festive-Feeling!
Charter in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Fun Times On The Water!
Want the opportunity to be featured in an upcoming edition of the VI Sailing Insider…
…send us your pictures/videos when you submit your charter review!
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Crewed Charter in US Virgin Islands
VI Sailing Team
“Very pleased! Really enjoyed working with Ellen start to finish.”
Yacht & Crew
”Outstanding! Start to finish an excellent “first time charter” experience.
Couldn’t have been more pleased with the food we all enjoyed. Karson and Liz did an excellent job. Excellent!!!
They were a solid team and thoroughly enjoyed our time with them. Very accommodating and eager to please.
Jason the Captain, new to USVI waters had done his homework and was a wealth of information about the areas we visited.
Would welcome the opportunity to have this crew again… anytime, anywhere!!”
– Dave Van Hoof
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Bareboat Charter in Nassau, Bahamas
VI Sailing Team
“Everyone was polite, informative and made every effort to be helpful and available in the hectic fast turn environment they are a part of.”
Yacht & Crew
“Yacht was clean and mostly in good working order.
Again, in a fast turn challenging environment, the charter company and staff were very accommodating.
We liked the Bahama’s very much. Thanks to quality navigation equipment we were able to successfully navigate shoals, find our destinations and avoid hazards.
The Exuma’s are beautiful cruising grounds.“
– James Kingery
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Bareboat Charter in St. Lucia
VI Sailing Team
“Easy working with the broker and concierge team.”
Yacht & Crew
“Charter company was friendly and accommodating. Lynn, the manager in St Lucia was very responsive.
St Lucia was a beautiful cruising area with numerous coves and anchorages featuring excellent snorkeling and beautiful sunsets.“
– Craig Rivera
Bareboat Insider:
Worldwide Charters – Weather & Seasonal Information
Caribbean & Americas
The Caribbean & Americas is a sultry location with a year-round tropical climate. The high season in the Caribbean is during the winter when everyone wants to trade snow for sand! With air temperatures in the low-mid 80s, water temperatures in the high 70s, consistent tradewinds 15-25 knots and very little rain, the Caribbean is the perfect winter sailing location. January experiences a unique weather pattern called the Christmas winds where the winds can gust 35-40 knots at times. Winter months also occasionally bring northern swells, which simply means the northern facing anchorages will be rougher, so you’ll choose another nearby beautiful anchorage instead.
The Caribbean low season is in the summer with air and water temps in the 80s, tradewinds 5-15 knots and periodic showers. Chartering in the summer is pretty popular for families, teachers and other folks who prefer a summer vacation, but we recommend avoiding mid-August to mid-October which is the peak of hurricane season. The full storm season is June – November, but there is very low risk at the beginning and the end of the season. Spring and fall are great mid seasons with desirable sailing weather, little rain and less people than high season.
While the Bahamas is part of the Caribbean & Americans, it’s weather in the winter season is different than the rest of the Caribbean. Since the Bahamas is located at a more northern latitude, it is affected by winter cold fronts. Therefore, if a cold front comes across Florida, the Bahamas can be cool by some people’s standards – it really depends what you’re used to. Air temperatures during a cold front are typically high 60s to low 70s and regular water temperature in the winter is in the low 70s. The high season for the Bahamas is during the spring.
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean is a seasonal location with cruising options from May to October. The most popular months are July and August with desirable overall conditions: great winds, air temperatures averaging in the 80s and water temperatures in the mid-70s. The next most popular months are June and September which also offer great boating conditions and less busy ports. The temperatures during June and September are cooler with air temperatures averaging in the 70s to low 80s and water temperatures in the low-mid 70s. The low season months are May and October with air temperatures in the mid-60s to low 70s and water temperatures around 70.
Each May, the Mediterranean Yacht Charter season “officially” begins with the Cannes Film Festival and the Monaco Grand Prix. During these events, competition soars for marina berths. Superyachts become home to star-studded galas and events brimming with champagne.
Many people book a vacation for several weeks to attend these galas. Imagine the possibility of mixing and mingling with Hollywood royalty, and then continuing in the privacy of your own Mediterranean Yacht Charter to picturesque port towns such as Villefranche, Monaco, and Portofino.
In the summer months of July and August, waters have warmed up to the perfect swimming temperature and beaches beckon to the “desired to be sun kissed” population.
Each day you can enjoy snorkeling, swimming, and seaside gourmet lunches accompanied with fine local wines. In the evening, imagine a cruise to the volcano Stromboli, where the colorful eruptions are ablaze like nature’s fireworks.
September and October offer a grand selection of yachts, as it marks the end of the Mediterranean Yacht Charter season. The Saronic Gulf islands just off the coast of Athens have long been a favorite Charter destination in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Dodecanese chain of Greek islands is also popular and is within easy cruising distance of southwestern Turkey, boasting beautifully preserved ruins of ancient cultures.
Croatia offers a sparkling combination of natural islands, historic sites and a warm welcoming people. Some sites are within a day’s cruise of Venice, depending on the speed of the Charter Yacht you select.
South Pacific
The South Pacific archipelago is located in the Southern Hemisphere, which means different seasons than other yacht chartering regions like the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
The drier season is between April and October, which is the most popular South Pacific yacht chartering season. The wetter and slightly hotter season is between November and March. The least rainfall is historically between June and October and most rainfall is between December and February – the months in between these timeframes are great mid season months with some rain expected, but still with mostly sunny days and consistent winds.
If chartering in the South Pacific is on your bucket list, we recommend between April and November with August and September being the optimum months for idyllic weather and sailing conditions.
The South Pacific is a tropical weather region with yacht chartering opportunities year-round. The air temperatures are always comfortable in the high 70s to low 80s and water temperatures that are similar. The winds are also fairly consistent year-round between 10-20 knots from the East – making the South Pacific a phenomenal choice for yacht chartering.
Indian Ocean & Asia
These tropical paradises offer yachting enthusiasts year-round warm climates with little seasonal variation. The region of the Indian Ocean and Asia is humid in nature; therefore, rain occurs regularly with some differences of quantity depending on the season. But not to worry: there are an abundance of sunny days!
The water temperatures are always ideal for swimming and the air temperatures remain in the low 80s during the day and decrease into the mid-high 70s in the evening. The wind generally blows year-round with some changes depending on the destination – for example, Seychelles tends to have stronger winds around the spring equinox in March and the autumn equinox in September.
The seasons in the Indian Ocean and Asia region vary depending on each destination’s location relevant to the Equator.
Destinations that are located south of the Equator like the Seychelles and Bali, Indonesia will generally have seasons similar to the South Pacific; the least rainfall is during June to October and the most rainfall is during December to February.
Destinations that are located north of the Equator like the Maldives, Thailand and Malaysia have seasons similar to the Caribbean; there’s less precipitation during the first half of the year and more precipitation during the second half of the year. Please see the details of each destination for specific weather conditions.
News & Events:
American Airlines Adds More Caribbean Flying With Service To British Virgin Islands
New seasonal service between Miami and the British Virgin Islands launches next summer!
Next summer American Airlines is launching more Caribbean flying from its Miami hub with new service to Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) in the British Virgin Islands.
The new seasonal flight, operated daily by Envoy with an Embraer E175 aircraft, will start on June 1, 2023 and will run through the summer, restarting again in November.
Or call us at (941) 966-9387
Yachting Cocktail Recipe Of The Month
~ COQUITO ~
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The Caribbean Coquito gets it’s inspiration from the famous Puerto Rican coquito made with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, and rum. A popular and scrumptious alcoholic beverage that you will find on many Caribbean tables this time of the year.
Ingredients:
~ 1 can of sweetened condensed milk 14 ounces
~ 2 cans of sweet cream of coconut 15 ounces
~ 1 can of evaporated milk 12 ounces
~ 1 glass of rum 8 ounces
~ 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
~ 1 teaspoon of coconut extract (optional)
~ 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Add all ingredients to the blender and mix well.
2. Pour the coquito into a pitcher or an empty bottle and refrigerate.
3. Serve cold or enjoy with ice.
Notes:
~ The original recipe calls for Bacardi Blanco, but you can use any rum of your choice.
~ If you desire a more intense coconut flavor it is recommended that you do add the the coconut extract.
~ Drink responsibly.
Destination Spotlight
Antigua And Barbuda
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The twin bays of Antigua, English and Falmouth, are perhaps the West Indies’ yachting epicenter. Shiny new superyachts and square-rigged schooners line the ancient Nelson’s Dockyard, the western hemisphere’s oldest.
Stroll along the palm-lined walks, admiring the old masonry and enormous sail loft pillars, or pay a visit to the museum for a more in-depth look at the area’s violent history. However, Antigua has much more to offer than simply history. It is a popular yachting destination due to its exquisite white sand beaches, long-standing yearly sailing competitions, and limitless anchorages.
Jolly Harbour, Nonsuch Bay, and Green Island are among the greatest anchoring spots. Jolly Harbour, where you will be starting your charter from, is a huge marina with a shopping complex. The marina contains 155 spots for yachts up to 75 feet in length. They also offer 13 moorings inside the bay for yachts up to 50 feet long, as well as a large anchorage immediately beyond the bay.
To approach the Nonsuch Bay and Green Island anchorages on the east side of the island, make your way through the dazzling turquoise seas between shallow reefs. Nonsuch Bay, a deep inlet with several surrounding nooks, offers countless options for exploration. Green Island, surrounded by unbelievably blue sea, located at the southern extremity of the anchorage’s lengthy barrier reef.
Sheer Rocks, just south of Jolly Harbour, is a charming boutique resort and restaurant perched high on a hillside with an unbroken view of the ocean and adjacent coves. Spend the day at the pool drinking homemade sangria and snacking on tapas.
Sandra’s Island Fusion in Falmouth Harbour is a more informal option, with enormous servings of seafood, local curried goat, and jerk chicken, among other specialties. Try the spicy sauce, which is created from scratch in-house.
Do you want to learn more about real Caribbean cuisine? Nicole’s Table, located just outside the capital of St John’s, is the house, restaurant, and culinary school of local chef Nicole. Spicy fragrances fill the humid air as you learn about local ingredients, prepare a local dinner, and then settle down to enjoy the results of your efforts.
The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta, which is followed by Antigua Sailing Week, draws a large throng of spectators and participants from all over the world every April. The island is alive with excitement, and everyone is welcome to join in on the fun with nightly parties, live music, and other activities.
Contact us today to help you get started!