Discover the Caribbean Wonders of Tortola on GYPSY PRINCESS this Winter

With summer drawing to a close, Tortola is a fantastic destination for those wanting to chase the sun. Chartering GYPSY PRINCESS is a stylish way to visit the awesome array of attractions the island has to offer. Since Christopher Columbus named this idyllic setting “Tortola”, meaning “Land of the Turtle Dove”, the island has encountered a rich and exotic history which can be experienced through its smorgasbord of attractions – many of which are directly accessible by boat.

For a 10 day itinerary in the BVI, why not visit Smuggler's Cove, an oasis at the western tip where Blackbeard and Captain Kidd used to reside? Or combine surfing in the day with night-time full moon parties for the adventurous among you? Listen to live local music and sample fantastic delicacies on Cane Garden Bay, or swim with the sea's most intelligent creatures at Dolphin Discovery. Further inland, you can trek through the island's beautiful natural park or meander through a maze of trails in the northeastern enclave which leads you through a bat cave. The Rum factory is a fun place to involve yourself with the local drinking culture, while the African Church – the first of its kind for freed African slaves – is steeped in historical significance. Tortola will keep you busy for at least a week, is family friendly and centrally located in the BVIs, allowing for day excursions to other islands and reefs.

GYPSY PRINCESS is a brand new and award-winning Lagoon 450, providing accommodation for up to 6 guests. She combines comfort and elegance as well as brilliant sailing performance, and her crew of 2 have had great feedback on their hosting, cooking and professionalism. Her entertainment system, rib with outboard and range of toys will keep the kids occupied while parents can relax on the stunning Flybridge's padded deck. With a hard-working crew and beautifully furnished catamaran at your disposal, this charter will be a trip to paradise you'll never forget!

Posted on August 26, 2013 by admin

Luxury Crewed Yacht FREEDOM – Available to Charter in Grenada

FREEDOM is a brand new Lagoon 52 luxury sailing catamaran and a result of close collaboration between the architects at Van Peteghem-Lauriot Prévost, the Italian Nauta Design agency and the Lagoon design department. They have yet again succeeded in creating that which embodies everything charterers could want from a catamaran – luxurious on board living, comfort, safety, user friendliness and performance under sail.

The soft shades, fluent lines and luxurious materials give both the interior and exterior of this fabulous yacht a generous and open feel. FREEDOM boasts a fantastic aft deck with plenty of space for al fresco dining and provides a wonderful platform from which to use the yachts many water toys. Inside, her calm exterior offers a tranquil space to relax after an invigorating days sailing.

FREEDOM accommodates up to 6 guests in three queen guest cabins and is available to charter in beautiful Grenada and the Caribbean Windward Islands.

She is a firm favourite here at Boatbookings and comes highly recommended with Charter Broker Adam says that “the owner barred no expense in the production of this yacht. It provides guests the finest of luxuries through out and the captain on board is one of the very best around.

Posted on August 16, 2013 by admin

BVI Crewed Catamaran 7 Day Itinerary – Final Sail – The Bight, Norman Island to Road Town, Tortola

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Snorkeling, Paddle Boarding and Water Skiing in Privateer Bay

Alex and Carla do their utmost to make the final day a fun one, to counteract the sadness of having to leave behind this magical charter. They start the day with a light breakfast and then a cruise around the point to Privateer Bay, a quiet place with a nice reef where we had our final snorkel, water ski and paddle board excursion.

Afterwards, we were greeted with Eggs Benedict, as a final celebration brunch. What could be better?

Back to Road Town 🙁

All good things have to come to an end, but we at least still had a nice sail across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Road Town. We all sat on the front deck, and enjoyed the sail and wind in our faces – no one said a word.

We had one final strawberry daiquiri on the deck, took pictures, and said our thank you’s to Alex and Carla, promising to be back as soon as possible. We also signed their guest book, reading other entries which clearly showed that everyone else had a similarly great time on Souls Calling!

Alex, being Alex, anchored as close as possible to the Ferry Building, and then dinghy’ed us over to the Ferry so that we literally only had to walk 10 feet to get on the Boat. It was so nice to not have to hassle with taxis and hauling luggage at the end of the charter.

Final Anchoring spot in Road Town right by the Ferry Building

The obvious conclusion after 7 blissful days is that there is no better holiday we can think of than a crewed catamaran charter in the BVI with a great crew! It just doesn’t get any better than this!

Click here to see this BVI itinerary all in one page.

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓

BVI Crewed Catamaran 7 Day Itinerary – Day 7 – Soggy Dollar Bar, White Bay, Jost Van Dyke to the Bight, Norman Island

Sadly, this is our final full day on Souls Calling. But in many ways, we’ve saved the best for last!

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, and the Soggy Dollar Bar

We woke up to the quiet and beauty of White Bay, with only a few other boats there. The first activity was for the kids to snorkel the bay looking for “soggy dollars” – a lot of people lose dollar bills when swimming to and from their boats, and it’s fun to try to find them. We collected $7, and saw a beautiful stingray swimming along the bottom, as well as many other fish.

We then took a walk down the beach to the eastern end, which is pristine and much quieter – a perfect walk to reflect on the past week at the BVI.

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke – a view of the Eastern Beach

This beach is also home to “Ivans Stress Free Bar” – which has thousands of shells incorporated in its construction and is, well, stress free.

Ivan's Stress Free Bar, White Bay, Jost Van Dyke — Ivan’s Stress Free Bar, White Bay, Jost Van Dyke

Why Worry? A sign at Ivan's Stress Free Bar — Why Worry? A sign at Ivan’s Stress Free Bar

We continued our walk to the end of the beach and climbed the hill to get a good view of the magnificent White Bay panorama.

Back to the Boat, it was time to hit the Soggy Dollar Bar (and t-shirt shop). It was quiet in the early morning, which gave us the time to enjoy the hammocks and beautiful views of the boats.

Souls Calling, as seen from the Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost Van Dyke

We spent the entire day at the White Bay, including lunch and the requisite “painkiller” drink, which was created there, and watched the scene of dozens of boats arriving, partying, then leaving a few hours later.

The party scene at White Bay, Jost Van Dyke

It is clear why the Soggy Dollar Bar always makes the top 10 list of the world’s best beach bars.

Back to the Bight

In order to get to Road Town by noon tomorrow we wanted a short final sail, so we headed back to the Bight, Norman Island, in the late afternoon.

The route passes the West End of Tortola, with a nice view some of the villas and Soper’s Hole, then past St Johns to Norman Island.

We anchored in the Bight and Captain Alex saved his best surprise for last. He invented what he calls “Halyard Jumping”, where he attaches a water ski handle to the halyard, then another line to his dinghy. The jumper gets in the water next to the boat, grabs onto the water ski handle, and then Alex floors the dinghy away from the boat. Physics prevails, and you are vaulted out of the water approximately 50 feet in the air, for an exhilarating ride and view of all the boats in the Bight. You can choose to jump, or simply ease back into the water.

Alex keeps this for last, because it gets rid of the last day blues, and he knows that if he did it on the first day, that’s all the kids would want to do!

Halyard jumping was a fantastic treat for the last night, then a beautiful lasagne dinner prepared by Carla. The perfect final day in the BVI!

Tomorrow – the final sail back to Tortola, and reflections on an incredible week in the BVI.

Click here to see this BVI itinerary all in one page.

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓

BVI Crewed Catamaran 7 Day Itinerary – Day 5 – Anegada to Little Jost Van Dyke

This morning we took a taxi over to Loblolly Bay, which is known for it’s beautiful beach, relaxed lifestyle and beautiful snorkeling on the reef. On the way we got a glimpse of the famous pink Flamingos on the north end of the island.

This beach at Loblolly Bay is on the Atlantic side of Anegada, so there are larger breakers. There is a small hotel there, with individual bungalows, and a bar/restaurant area.

Loblolly Bay, Anegada

A shaded Bench at Loblolly Bay — A shaded bench at Loblolly Bay

Sailing to Little Jost Van Dyke

Loblolly Bay took the whole morning, and after returning to the boat for a “cheeseburger in paradise”, we set sail for the long run down to Little Jost Van Dyke. This is a long sail of approximately 3 hours, and because it’s with the wind it is normally calm. It’s good to scan the sea, as often whales and dolphins are spotted.

Sailing toward Little Jost Van Dyke, with a view of whales and the north coast of Tortola

We anchored at Manchioneel Bay, on Little Jost Van Dyke. It is has a small beach with a wind-battered out-of-business bar that is tended by a scarecrow (don’t ask, it’s the BVI), and is quite remote. We chose it because it was the perfect place for a bonfire and dancing on the beach without bothering anyone. It is also very close to the Bubbling Pools and Sandy Spit, two of our destinations for tomorrow.

Screen-Shot-2013-04-23-at-12.29.27 — Bonfire on the Beach, Manchioneel Bay, Little Jost Van Dyke

Tomorrow – Bubbly pools, Sandy Spit, and White Bay, Jost Van Dyke.

Click here to see this BVI itinerary all in one page.

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓