Comments

“Ian and Jody were completely welcoming and very laid-back in attitude but quite the opposite in their work-ethic.

Ian’s competence with a sailboat and his familiarity with the BVI were evident from the very beginning. His calm demeanor and friendliness immediately put us all at ease, even though none of us were sailors and had limited boating experience.

Jody had a delicious lunch prepared for us when we first got on board and the great food just kept on coming all week. We looked forward to every meal with a “What is she going to do next?” attitude and we were never disappointed. The meals were varied in type, well balanced in quantity and were always beautifully presented. Topped off with Ian’s skills as a barman, it was a week to remember.

Ian and Jody were also full of suggestions of things to do and see and places to visit. Their knowledge helped us do and see a variety of things or nothing at all, as the mood suited us. It was the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation.

The combination of beautiful scenery, fun activities, great food and drink and a great crew made for a memorable week which, we all agreed, was the best vacation any of us had ever been on.”
-Rick

“I feel like we have two new friends. Jody and Ian exceeded all expectations. Talk about over-delivering! We had such a great time with them. They both have such a contagious sense of fun and adventure. Great energy surrounded us on this vacation. Jody’s cooking was the bomb (I think I gained some pounds) and Ian’s adventurous spirit combined with safety and experience was great.”
-Lisa and Chuck

“We have chartered in the BVI several times. Our week on Yes Dear was absolutely superb! Everyone had a fabulous time – there was always an activity for everyone – plenty of adventure and down time. Ian and Jody were the perfect combo of facilitation, fun and hands-off exceptional service.”
-The Francis Family

“Fantastic journey! This is the best BVI trip we have ever had. We loved being with Ian and Jody for the week. They made everything so relaxing for us. They really went out of their way to accommodate all of our requests. We felt like you were part of the family from day one.”
-Adam & Jennifer

“Ian and Jody made our sailing adventure better than we had dreamed of. They both have the quality of such welcoming hospitality. The food was amazing, the diving was a blast and the sailing lessons were much appreciated.”
-The Cook and Laning Families

“We did not know what to expect, but found so much more than we could have ever hoped for. Ian and Jody make it look so easy. Jody’s love for hospitality and Ian’s love for the sea are evident in all they do.”
-Rick and Kristy

“We have been on this vacation eight times and this was one of our most memorable. Jody and Ian are truly in tune with their guests and their ability to make us all feel comfortable is a true gift.”
-Rich and Lori

“Awesome and outstanding are the words that come to mind. The boat is beautiful, well maintained and very clean. Food – wow! Over the top presentation. Variety, taste and professionalism could not have been better. Captain Ian – very knowledgeable, accommodating and timely. We thank him for all of his sailing pointers, his quick wit and easy going personality. Jody and Ian work great together and make a great TEAM.”
-Jeff and Jen

“This was our fifth trip and by far the best. Ian and Jody are our favourite crew and we hope to sail with them again. The food was excellent along with their great quality and service.”
-Kerry and Johna

“We could not have asked for a better couple to sail with. Excellent food, fun and relaxation. We never could have imagined our 7th trip could get better, but it did, because of Ian and Jody.”
-Shawn and Maria

“Once again, we sailed with the best Crew by far in the whole Caribbean. They somehow remembered what our experience was from last year and gave us a whole new experience this year.”
-Mark and Rhenda

“As usual – FANTASTIC. We love hanging out with Jody and Ian. They have such a special relationship – so caring and kind to one another. Coooking…Jody is the best and Sailing…what a Sailor Ian is.”
-Sarah

“It’s hard to express in a few lines on a page how welcome they made us feel. They put their hearts into everything they do.”
-Monica and Franz

“What a wonderful trip we had. Once again, Ian and Jody surpassed our dreams. The food was out of this world. Ian  takes such great care of a wild bunch. They are an awesome couple with talents that mesh to make an awesome adventure.”
-The Craig Charter

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A Yes Dear Trip Report

Rick Lobbes

The idea for a BVI charter came from Mike, neighbor to Scott and Gina. He and his wife Barbi proposed the idea and we were recruited for the trip along with Keith and Bobbi, Barbi’s sister and brother-in-law.

After looking on the Web and some discussion, we settled on a week-long charter on the Yes Dear, a 58’ catamaran, crewed by Ian Barber and Jody Boyd.

Planning began in May 2008 and, when we firmed up the sailing date, I started a count-down clock on my computer – 234 days to go. Occasionally, I sent out e-mail “updates” to “the crew” with the number of days remaining and the current weather in Road Town, BVI. As winter strengthened its grip on our lives, the warmth and sunshine of the BVI seemed a long ways away, both in time and reality.

It helped somewhat when, in early January, we got to fill out our “preference sheet”, which was an Excel matrix that solicited information about our favorite foods – breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was four pages long and went into great detail about what we liked or didn’t like in terms of food and drink. Jody made a meal plan based on our preferences. I remember seeing the preference sheet for the first time and being amazed at the detail planning that was going into “our” cruise. It wasn’t going to be anything like a big cruise ship where you show up and pick from the menu what you want to have or shuffle along the buffet trying to determine what looks good. In this case, the menu was being planned ahead of time to fit our likes and dislikes. Oh, did I mention the “liquor” section? You name it – we could have it pretty much for the asking.

Unfortunately, at the last minute, Mike and Barbi had to drop out of the trip so it was the other three couples who ended up going.

After a 3:30 a.m. wake-up and a very cold shuttle to the terminal, we blasted off out of Detroit at 6:00 a.m. on Sat, February 21, flew to Washington DC and then on to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, where we landed at about 1:30 in the afternoon. In the airport, we changed into shorts and t-shirts and consumed our first Painkillers, the Virgin Islands’ version of the Pina Colada.

After killing a couple of hours shopping in St. Thomas, we boarded the ferry for the one-hour ride to Tortola, British Virgin Islands. After clearing customs in Tortola, we found our transportation to Fort Recovery, our hotel for the night. The Fort was just that, a fort from the 1600’s, and still had the old stone watchtower near the beach.

That evening after dinner, we got a taxi and went to the Bomba Shack, a beach bar we had heard of on the Internet. Famous (or infamous) for its “Full Moon Parties” and “mushroom tea”, we found Bomba’s right on the beach with sand floors and pictures of past parties as well as women’s panties (and a few men’s briefs) hanging on the walls and from the rafters. From the pictures, it was obvious that this bar could definitely be a hard-partying place.  And, judging from the sizes and styles of some of the underwear on the walls, Bomba’s had been a place visited by a great variety of people.

We all tried the “Bomba Punch” with varying degrees of success. It’s pretty potent stuff, and two members of our group, who shall remain nameless (not me…), ended up leaving their underwear as decoration in keeping with Bomba Shack tradition. That night after returning to Fort Recovery, we heard some strange howling noises and dogs barking, but we’ll leave it at that.

All night that night, the wind blew rather hard and was still blowing and causing whitecaps on the ocean the next morning, raising my fears of what it might mean for us when we got out there on a boat. We got a ride at 11:00 a.m. to Soper’s Hole, a marina on Tortola, did some last-minute shopping and hung out at the charter office until noon when Ian and Jody appeared to pick us up. We had the advantage on them as we had seen their pictures on the boat’s website, but they had no idea what we looked like. They walked us to the Yes Dear and welcomed us aboard with chilled champagne.

We claimed our staterooms, finding them to be compact but not cramped. Ours was in the starboard aft hull and had a queen-size bed with a sink, a toilet in a rather small closet and a shower. The walkway made for some cozy encounters when passing each other and there was a large hatch over the bed which had a large, semi-opaque plastic cover. The cover allowed light to flow into the room and there were two portholes we could open when at anchor. The room was not at all claustrophobic, but was light and airy-feeling.

The cabin on the main deck contained the galley as well as a large table with a padded bench around two sides of it. The galley was Jody’s domain and we were (smilingly) told to pretend that there was an invisible electrical fence across the entry-way through which only Jody could safely pass. A bit territorial, but it was her area so we respected it. Across an aisle-way from the galley was a bar with five bottles of commonly-used liquor upside-down in dispensers, an icemaker and a blender.

There was a small desk for a computer, available for guest use, and there were stairways descending from either side of the cabin down into the catamaran hulls which contained the staterooms.

On the back deck of the boat, under a fiberglass roof, there were two tables – one that could comfortably seat six and, across the aisle-way, a small one that could seat four. The helm was in front of the smaller table and, under that table, there was the large wicker basket in which we kept our shoes while on board.

Built into the deck and the backs of the benches around the tables were various storage compartments and a refrigerator from which we could obtain cold water, pop or beer anytime we desired.

After we got somewhat settled, Jody served us a wonderful lunch of saffron coconut shrimp and salad. While we ate, Ian and Jody briefed us on the “do’s and don’ts” of life aboard a sailboat. Fresh water was “made” from sea water, so showers were of the “Navy” style – get wet, turn the water off, soap up, rinse. No shoes while on board, no jumping on the trampoline, hang on to something when walking around, watch where you walk because, “off the pavement”, it’s very deep and wet, etc.

Then, they asked us where we would like to go during our week. Having no real idea of what was in the area, we asked them what they recommended. They replied that they had their favorite places to go, so we told them go on their favorite trip and just take us along for the ride.

We left the dock and motored out of the harbor. Once clear, Ian raised the sails and shut off the engines. What a wonderful feeling. The wind filled the sails and the hulls made a gentle “hiss” as they cut through the water. I found a seat on one of the pulpits on the bow and just tried to soak it all in. The water and sky were multiple shades of blue, the islands were green, the air was warm and the sun was out. We had music playing on the outdoor speakers and most of our group laid out on the trampoline, just enjoying the warmth, the lack of snow, the scenery and the sensations of finally having made it to our long-anticipated vacation.

Our first stop was to anchor near some good snorkeling – a reef and some caves the water had carved into some cliffs. We snorkeled and swam for about an hour, seeing lots of marine life. After we were done, we set sail for the Bight – a large lagoon near Norman Island. Anchoring there, we found ourselves in the company of about 30 other boats, all anchored for the night.

Over our first round of appetizers (daily at 4:30), we discovered Ian’s ample skills as a barman. He plied us with Painkillers, which were our new favorite drink – at least until the next day’s appetizer-time…

After a great dinner, we took the dinghy (a 16-foot rigid inflatable with a 90-horse outboard named No Dear) to the “Willie T”, a ship permanently anchored in the Bight that is used as a floating restaurant/bar. The parties there are the stuff of legends and they have a couple of picture-books on the bar to prove it. We danced and drank for a couple of hours before Ian came back to retrieve us.

Our first night sleeping on the boat was very soothing – no real rocking – just a gentle and occasional sway – very comforting. Ian ran the generator and air conditioning all night so our cabins were very comfortable with plenty of airflow.

The next morning, we found a wonderful breakfast (Eggs Florentine with basil-almond pesto and tomato) waiting when we got on deck, along with fresh coffee.

After breakfast, we untied from our mooring ball and left the Bight. We stopped to snorkel at “The Indians”, a small reef with two large rocks jutting out of the top of it to a height of 30 or so feet. The sea life around the reef was spectacular. Scott and Gina wanted to dive so the Divemaster, Ms. Freddie Pickles (no kidding – that’s her real name) met the Yes Dear near The Indians. Freddie came out in her own dinghy, tied up to the Yes Dear and came aboard. She hails from England and is quite a character. A bit stout in stature, she described herself as being “built for comfort, not speed”. She briefed Scott and Gina on what they could expect on their dives and they got into and under the water. The rest of us snorkeled around The Indians looking at the sea life that surrounded the reef. Scott and Gina said it was a good dive and that Freddie was one of the best Divemasters they had ever been with.

Afterwards, we pulled up anchor and sailed to Little Harbour off Peter Island. Ian turned the Yes Dear so the stern was facing the island, Jody dropped the anchor off the bow and Ian backed down from it to ensure it was properly set. Because we needed to secure the stern to the island to keep us from swinging, Keith volunteered to swim a line to the island and secure it around some large rocks. The rest of us sat on the boat, drinks in hand, watched and hailed Keith for his heroics.

After the boat was secured, we ate lunch and spent the afternoon sunning and sight-seeing. All of us except Kristy went ashore to Peter Island to explore. There was an old concrete dock where Ian let us off and we followed a paved path up the side of a hill, pushing our way through the underbrush. At the top of the hill, we found an abandoned resort that had about 10-15 guest rooms, a veranda and a kitchen that contained a very old microwave oven. Weeds and brush were beginning to reclaim the buildings and it was apparent that nobody had used the place in a very long time. Kristy spent her afternoon laying out on the trampoline as she was coming down with a cold and felt like resting. She also used the opportunity to recharge her solar batteries after being in a Michigan winter for 3 months.

After our “exploration”, Ian took all of us but Kristy around the island in the dinghy so we could wander around Peter Island Resort. The Resort is owned by the Amway Corporation and it is a first-class operation. We wandered around a bit, looked at the beach with the hammocks under the trees and “conversation groups” of beach furniture around the area. We stopped at the bar for a drink. While we were there, a waitress came over to the cash register and rang up lunch for six guests sitting at a table nearby. They had had burgers, beers and an appetizer or two – $300…Yes, Amway is doing quite well down in the Carib…

After using the really-fancy, marble-floored restrooms, we radioed Ian for pick-up and he came and retrieved us. Appetizer that evening was deluxe nachos and the “Drink-of-the-Day” was the “Wicky-Whacky-Woo”. I don’t know what was in them other than seven different kinds of liquor, but they went down very smoothly. With a kick. Dinner was a very delicious, medium-rare beef tenderloin.

That evening, after dark, Ian turned on the underwater lights on the stern of the Yes Dear, drawing hundreds of minnow-sized fish. It wasn’t long and the crowd of minnows attracted some barracuda which started feeding on them. Not too long after the barracuda started feeding, three manta rays showed up to clean the bottom of the bits the barracudas missed. We all sat around and gawked, having never seen anything like it. Ian said he had never seen three mantas together before. It was every bit as cool as it sounds.

The next morning, we sailed to Salt Island, an abandoned island that was formerly used to harvest salt in silting ponds located on the island. The salt water seeps up through the water table and, when the ponds dry up in the summer, they contain salt to be collected, dried and used.

Just off Salt Island is the wreck of the HMS Rhone, a mail and cargo ship that sank in a storm in 1867. Some of the passengers on the ship made it ashore to Salt Island where they were cared for by the people living on the island. In gratitude, the British Crown agreed to “lease” the island to the BVI government in exchange for one pound of salt per year. At one point, as Freddie Pickles related the story to us, some of the islanders decided to get smart and sent a pound of store-bought salt to the British Exchequer for that year’s “rent”. The salt was returned with a note kindly requesting the real article, harvested from Salt Island. Apparently, someone in London was keeping a close eye on things…

Scott and Gina dove the wreck with Freddie who rendezvoused with us that morning. The rest of us snorkeled around the wreck and could clearly make out the hull, drive shaft, propeller, etc. It was really fascinating to see something that has been under water for over 140 years. If you’ve ever seen the 1970’s movie, “The Deep”, you’ve seen the wreck of the Rhone as it was used for the movie, although the scene most people remember is Jacqueline Bisset swimming in a wet t-shirt, or so I’ve heard…

On Salt Island itself, there is a small “settlement” of 3-4 residential buildings and outbuildings. Ian told us that the last person living there was a crazy man who left in the late 1970’s. Supposedly, he had been hit in the head by a falling coconut and that, coupled with the isolation of the island, drove him crazy. After lunch (Cuban pork wraps with mango chutney), we explored some of the buildings finding old food and soap containers as well as several Bibles, all falling apart at the seams.  We also walked the hills of the Island and took some pictures of the cliffs and the ocean. We literally had the entire island to ourselves for the entire afternoon.

After our adventure ashore, we hoisted anchor and set sail for Cooper Island. We anchored there and some of the folks went ashore to walk around and shop. I didn’t go along, but they had a good time. That evening, we took some pictures of the sunset that were some of the most striking pictures of the entire trip – the sky was multi-colored – incredibly beautiful.

The next morning, we headed to the island of Virgin Gorda to tour The Baths – not exactly what it sounds like. The Baths is a large (really LARGE) formation of rocks in which wind and water have cut tunnels big enough to walk through. You “tour” the Baths by following a path of sorts through the water-filled “tunnels” in the rock. The depth of the water ranges from ankle to mid-chest. There are places where the “ceiling” is open to the sky and the sunlight streams down, illuminating the “tunnel” in multi-colored reflections off the rocks and the water. It is a truly beautiful place to be and experience. There are, predictably, large numbers of people who tour the Baths and there were a large number of boats anchored nearby when we pulled up. It’s a popular stop for cruise ships, although they have to send people there in smaller launches – many of them fat European men in Speedos, but memorable only because they provided a marked contrast to the beauty that surrounded us.

We walked the path through The Baths, which took about 45 minutes, and stopped at various places for photo opportunities. It is difficult to describe the beauty of the place using just words without sounding overly-dramatic or like the “hyperbole key” is stuck, but it is someplace you should see at least once in your life. After our tour, we climbed the nearby hill to a restaurant/bar called the Top of the Baths where we refreshed ourselves with libations from the bar.

Ian picked us up in the dinghy and took us back to the boat for lunch – burgers on the grill. After lunch, some of us went into Spanish Town to poke around. Kristy was in the midst of nasty sinus infection by now and I was hoping (against hope) to find a pharmacy that would sell some antibiotics over the counter like they do in Mexico. I found a pharmacy, but they wouldn’t sell anything without a prescription. We bought some t-shirts and gifts for Ian and Jody while Ian restocked some of the liquor supply.

After we got back to the Yes Dear, we untied from the mooring ball and set sail for North Sound, near the Bitter End Yacht Club and Necker Island. It took three hours to sail there, but the weather was spectacular, the scenery was beautiful and we just enjoyed being on the boat. For those who easily get seasick and are queasy at the thought of sailing, they should know the Yes Dear is 31 feet wide and extremely stable. Kristy is susceptible to motion sickness but wore a Scopolamine patch all week and never had a problem. In fact, nobody ever came close to getting seasick during the week. We had, admittedly, pretty calm seas, but the motion of the boat was very slow and stable with very little roll and even less pitch.

Approaching North Sound, we were met by a man standing in a dinghy with a VERY large-lensed camera who took pictures of us and our boat. He works for a company called “Yacht Shots” and they post pictures of various charter boats on the web for purchase by the passengers at a later date. We all waved and smiled appropriately.

Passing through North Sound, we went by the Bitter End Yacht Club which is home to some very large and expensive yachts and condos. Bitter End is located on Virgin Gorda, We sailed through a passage between a couple of islands and anchored off Prickly Pear, just to the east of Virgin Gorda.

Approximately a mile or so away from where we anchored is Necker Island, which is owned by Sir Richard Branson who also owns Virgin Airways and Virgin Records. It is his private island and contains a complex of villas which are quite spectacular. It can be rented by anyone who has $30,000 rolling around in their pockets to stay a night. Yes, a night…

Regular guests include movie stars, rock musicians, supermodels and world politicians. It’s even been the site for a photo shoot for a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue or, so I’ve heard… The island experience comes with a complete staff and all the amenities imaginable. We climbed in the dinghy for a closer look and Ian took us almost all the way around Necker. There were several different sections to the beach, each with lounge chairs. One section contained a volleyball net and another had several small sailboats on it. There was also a very long zipline leading from one of cliff-side houses down to the beach – we estimated its length at about 400 feet – looked like fun. Approximately a quarter mile off Necker Island is a small sand spit. On the sand spit, there are three fake palm trees and some plastic pink flamingos. On one of the palm trees, there is a security camera. Apparently, the trees were put there to keep boats from running into the spit, which could be hard to see at night. It was amusing to see something so artificial in an area of such great natural beauty. The deviant side in us thought briefly about landing and having our pictures taken with the pink flamingos, but our “good” side decided that might be pushing it a bit.

The next morning, we sailed to the island of Anegada, which is often referred to as the “Drowned Island” of the BVI’s. It was about a 2.5 hour sail and I put a fishing line in the water on the way without results. But, that’s why they call it “fishing” instead of “catching”. Off the shore of Anegada is the fourth-largest barrier reef in the world, which was clearly defined by the waves crashing against it. It went a LONG ways from the island.

This was the one evening we planned to have dinner “off the boat” at a beachfront lobster restaurant. Ian had to call the restaurant that morning to make reservations so they would know how many lobsters to go out and catch that day for dinner that night. So, yeah, it was fresh lobster…The restaurant was right off the end of the dock and we walked past it on our way to meet our taxi.

Ian told us about a beach on the far side of the island from the harbor where there was some good snorkeling. He packed fins and masks with snorkels into a mesh bag for us to take with us. He also contacted a taxi driver named Mitch who showed up with a pick-up truck with benches in the back. Mitch was an interesting man…orange polish on his toe-nails. We think Mitch liked to drink a bit…fortunately, he drove quite slowly. We loaded up in the back of Mitch’s truck and set off for Loblolly Beach. Along the way, we toured Anegada and saw the cacti and sawgrass that grow there in abundance. There were also cows and goats wandering free throughout the island and on the road. Luckily, Mitch was driving slowly enough that the presence of livestock on the road never became a concern.

We got to Loblolly Beach and found the snorkeling to be very good – about 40 yards offshore lies a reef. The fish and coral were beautiful. After snorkeling, we took a walk along the beach and discovered that it goes for a VERY long way…we could see it receding into the distance and didn’t bother to explore the entire length.

After getting back in Mitch’s truck, he took us to see some mudflats where pink flamingos congregate. There they were – way off in the distance – some little pink dots. Ok….back on the truck. Next, we went to visit Cow Wreck Beach or, rather, the bar at Cow Wreck Beach where we bought drinks from the rather surly woman behind the bar. Mitch apparently saw some friends of his – Mitch seemed to have lot of friends – and he joined them in a drink. But, hey, who’s counting?

When we all finished, including Mitch, we climbed back into Mitch’s conveyance so he could deliver us back to the dock. Safely there at approximately 4:30, Scott, our resident Practical Joker, formed a plan to “get” Jody. As we had walked past the restaurant where we planned to have dinner, he announced that, when we got back on the boat, he was going to tell Jody the place looked “disgusting” and that we had decided to have dinner on the boat that evening after all. Now, Jody is something of a perfectionist who likes to plan ahead and work her plan. She was not planning on serving dinner to us that evening. Ian agreed to play along as best he could. As expected, Scott played his part to perfection and Jody looked appropriately perplexed. Ian made himself very scarce because, in his own words, he is “terrible” at keeping a straight face. We let Jody off the hook about ten minutes later and, fortunately, she is a very good sport. She confessed to having had a mild panic attack while she was trying to figure out how to prepare and serve dinner in a short period of time, particularly since her main course-type food was frozen.

As it was getting dark, we loaded into the dinghy and Ian took us to the dock. We strolled to the restaurant and sat at a long table on the beach that had a tiki-type roof over the length of it. Everybody but Ian ordered lobster and it wasn’t long before I had the biggest lobster I have ever seen set in front of me. Cut in half and laid out, it literally filled the normal-sized dinner plate. It had to be all of three pounds – I couldn’t finish it – and it was amazing in flavor and texture. The evening was beautiful with warm air, gentle breezes, fun friends and a delicious meal. I decided that, if I ever hit the lottery, this was the kind of life I would love to lead full-time.

After dinner, we returned on the No Dear to the Yes Dear and bunked down for the night. The next morning, we ate breakfast and set sail for Brewer’s Bay where we anchored for the day. While there, Kristy, Gina, Ian and I went snorkeling on a reef in the bay and, later, Ian took Keith and Kristy water-skiing behind the No Dear.  Ian put the sea kayak in the water and the couples took turns paddling around the bay. There were pelicans feeding nearby – they would circle at about 30-40 feet altitude, then fold their wings and power-dive into the water. Most times, they came up with a mouthful of fish. They did it over and over and over again and it was very entertaining to watch. The rest of the morning and early afternoon we enjoyed just being lazy in the sunshine and warm air. The scenery was, as usual for the BVI, spectacular – multi-shaded water, green island with steep hills, cows feeding on the sides of the hills and houses dotting the hillside.

Later that afternoon, we lifted anchor and sailed to nearby Cane Garden Bay. We went ashore to do some wandering around and some shopping at the little stores and stalls that line the beach. We laid out on some beach lounge chairs and just enjoyed the experience. After dinner on the Yes Dear, we went back ashore and visited a bar owned by a local Reggae star named Quito (“kee-toe”) Rhymer. He is, apparently, pretty famous throughout the Caribbean and he and his band play live in his bar on most nights, including the one when we were there. They were excellent musicians and we danced and enjoyed the evening. Over the bar, there hung a waterski with four or five holes drilled into it, which was known as the “Shot-Ski”. Some members of our party elected to do shots so the ski was pulled down and placed on the bar. Their shots were poured into shot-glasses which were placed in the holes in the ski. At the count of three, they all lifted the ski and simultaneously consumed their shots.

The next morning, we set sail for White Bay on the island of Jost Van Dyke. Enroute, we passed Sandy Cay, a small island/sandspit, on which grows some palm trees. It is an idyllic place – often photographed as the “ideal paradise island”. If you Google, “Sandy Cay Virgin Islands”, you will find pictures of it.

Mid-morning, we moored off of White Bay, which has a beautiful white beach and is home to a series of little beach bars including the Soggy Dollar, Ivan’s Stress Free and Seddy’s One Love. The Soggy Dollar got its name because, although you can anchor off of White Beach and dinghy in, because of the sharp drop-off, the only way to get onshore is to wade or swim. Therefore, any money in your pockets gets soggy. The Soggy Dollar has a clothesline stretching along the back of the bar over the cash register where the soggy dollars are hung out to dry. They also claim to be the inventor of the Painkiller.

At one of the other bars, you tell the bartender what you want and they hand you the ingredients for you to mix your own.  I had never before been at a self-service bar…but, it was fun. We spent the afternoon lolling on the beach and slowly strolling from bar to bar to bar…the sun was out, the air was warm, the breezes were gentle, people were playing the surf or laying out in the sun. It was an idyllic afternoon. At our last stop at Ivan’s Stress-Free Bar, we sat down with Ian and Jody as well as the crew from another catamaran and just enjoyed hearing their stories about life on a chartered catamaran.

The Yes Dear was built in South Africa by a company called, “Voyage”. It was bought by a man who lives in California and was sailed from South Africa to the BVI on its own bottom by a delivery crew. There, the owner “chartered it back” to Voyage through the charter service it owns in the BVI. Voyage found Ian and Jody to crew it, but they work for the owner who collects a share of the charter fee. Voyage Charters collects a management fee for its services in booking the charters and caring for the boat. Voyage Charters has a website listing the boats and the crewmembers on each boat. When I looked at the site before our trip, I wondered why so many of the crewmembers were South African, but Ian gave me the foregoing explanation, which made perfect sense. Ian and Jody are Canadian, but most of the other crews are South African and most are younger husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend couples. It’s a hard life and one that most people couldn’t live for an entire career. But, I can see where it would be a lot of fun for the right people at the right time in their lives.

One time, while we were sailing, I came out of the cabin to find Jody on one of her few breaks from the galley just watching the BVI slide by. I said, “Just another day at the office, eh?” She replied, with a sigh and a sly smile, “Yeah…this is just brutal.” It’s obvious both of them enjoy their way of life, but it does have its downsides. They live aboard the boat and use whatever stateroom is not being used by guests. If all the boat is “full”, they take the smallest room on the boat as theirs. Jody was usually up by 6 to start breakfast and they usually retired about 10 at night. They are responsible for the boat and its passengers on a 24/7 basis and they don’t really have a choice as to their passengers. Most are kind and fun to be around but some can be VERY demanding and some can be just downright unreasonable. At the end of the week, it was very nice to hear Ian tell me, “You know, this week has been about as good as it gets for Jody and me.”

Anyway, after our afternoon on White Beach, we untied from the mooring ball and sailed around the point to a more protected anchorage for the night. There were about 30 boats in the anchorage and we joined them. Ian hooked up the BBQ grill and did steaks and corn on the cob. During dinner, we were treated to the sight of the rather large man on one of the adjoining boats taking a shower on the stern of his boat…sans clothing.

After dinner, Keith modeled a new garment he had created. In the months prior to the trip, amidst various jokes about clothing we would be wearing on the trip, Keith had promised (or threatened…) that he would wear a “Spong”. He claimed it was his own creation and was a cross between a Speedo and a thong. On the last night of our trip, we got to see his Spong, which he had created that afternoon out of half of a coconut shell, some coconut husks and some fishing line. While pictures were taken and are being held for blackmail purposes, the entire effect is best left to the imagination. It was, in short, a sight to behold.

That night, we took the dinghy to shore and spent about an hour or so at Foxy’s where Bobbi danced and Keith sort of moved in time with the music. It was a fun evening and a good way to cap off our trip.

The next morning, we sailed back to Soper’s Hole on Tortola, bid Ian and Jody a sorrowful goodbye and climbed aboard a water taxi back to St. Thomas. It was very hard to leave the Yes Dear and Ian and Jody. I would have gladly gone right back out for another week. I decided that, if I ever played and hit the lottery, a catamaran in the Caribbean is where I would like to spend my retirement.

The water taxi stopped in St. John’s to clear Customs. We all had to go into the Customs office on the dock there and have our passports stamped, bags checked, etc. As we were standing in the Customs office, I noticed that the dock it was on was moving. Then, I looked out the window and saw the building was surrounded on three sides by concrete. I realized that it wasn’t the building that was moving – it was me. I had earned my “sea legs” and was getting my “land legs” back.

After arriving in St. Thomas, we got a van to take us to our hotel, the Ritz-Carlton. It was our first five-star hotel experience and it was an experience. We had a great room, great food, a beautiful pool and a great time just hanging out at the end of a most relaxing week. The service was impeccable. I felt like something of a fraud– afraid that these staff people who were treating me with such respect would find out I was just a guy from s small country town who happened to be there by accident.

All three couples went their separate ways for dinner that night to spend some time alone after a week of togetherness. It might be too much information, but in dressing for dinner, I realized that it was the first time in a week that I had put on underwear or shoes other than sandals. That for me, more than anything else, signaled that a week of freedom and relaxation was about to end.

The next afternoon, we headed for home. It was in the mid-80’s and sunny when we left St. Thomas and it was 8 degrees and dark when we landed in Detroit. That 75 degree temperature swing in the wrong direction was a real kick in the head. But, we were so “blissed-out” at that point, we took it in stride and made our way home.

In summary, it was, very simply, the trip of a lifetime. Maybe, someday, we can do it again. But, at least we can say we’ve done it once. I know that those who made it possible for us wouldn’t want me to make a big deal out of it, but we owe them a huge debt of gratitude for enabling us to have such an incredible week. Thank you to all involved from the bottoms of our hearts.