Posted by CAP'N PAUL
on 2/21/2009, 5:09 pm
71.202.180.109
Maya Hoover (Michigan) wrote on August 17, 2008 at 9:59am
As a person who typically prefers vacations that involve lots of sun and sand, but no cooking, cleaning, or other less than luxurious aspects of bareboating, the BBS was definitely a departure for me. Sadly, plenty of people who know me (including my parents!) were quite surprised to find out that I’d even signed up for this. I am pleased to report that the BBS was everything that I’d read about and more!
While the age range was wide and I was on the younger end, one thing that everyone had in common was a love of travel, adventure, and new experiences. I went with a friend and didn’t really know anyone else before going, but I left with a ton of new friends from all over the country—even some who also live outside of the US. Everyone was incredibly friendly, fun, and always ready for a good time.
The BVI is a beautiful place and I would venture a guess that there’s no better way to experience it than through a sailing vacation. Throw in over 130 other participants, and the BVI party is wherever you are!
I also got a chance to do six rendezvous dives there with Jost Van Dyke Scuba. Colin, Tom, and the rest of the JVD Scuba staff were absolutely fantastic and were adept at working with divers with varying levels of experience. Outside of the JVD staff, we had a dive master (Andrew Ryal) and a diving instructor (Jimmie Mack) who were also BBS participants, so we were in great hands. As a matter-of-fact, two new divers completed their open water dives at BBS and became certified in the BVI…much better than my check-out dives in the local quarry! Colin at JVD Scuba prides himself on finding diving spots that are way off the beaten path, so we got to do 6 dives in very unique locations with lots of fish and coral.
The BBS is definitely the type of vacation that has to be experienced in order to be fully understood. Before even hearing about the BBS, I knew I wanted to one day sail and dive in BVI, so I figured that participating in the BBS would be a great way to do that. However, I had no clue of how much my experience would be enhanced because of the BBS. This is truly a unique vacation that can’t fully be described in words. While I must say that BBS is certainly not for everyone (you cannot go expecting a Carnival cruise!), if you think that you would enjoy sailing around and meeting interesting new people, get ready to set sail in 2009!!
Reply to Maya
Post #2 Sandra White replied to Maya's post on August 18, 2008 at 4:12pm
As a new BBSer, I was thoroughly satisfied. Cap'n Paul did a good job preparing me for this trip. It was everything he said it would be, and more. When folks ask what the accomodations were like, i usually refer to "camping on the water." This is no "Royal Caribbean Cruise" and it's not for everybody. But in fact our boat, a Moorings 4300, was quite a luxurious yacht. Just the right size for a group of 8 adventurous souls.
At day one, none of us knew each other, except me and my sister. But very quickly, we all warmed up to each other and got very involved in the experience of sailing, partying and laughing thanks to our worthy captains. We were there to vacation, but also to experience the joy of sailing, and that we certainly did!! And meeting up with other crews during the 8 days was just wonderful. And the BVI's is so beautiful, every turn was picturesque. Sleeping on deck and looking up at a sea of shooting stars was just breathtaking.
From the moment I found BBS on Google and saw the National Geographic video, I had no doubt this was the trip for me, and I was right. Looking forward to the Annapolis reunion and visiting Cap'n Pinkney on Amistad.
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