Have you ever wondered what it would be like to set sail and drift away from the world? My husband and I have often wondered what life would be like on a boat.  Traveling we find ourselves walking along marinas dreaming of the perfect boat or yacht. I always say, “Dream Big!” From the San Juan Islands, Roche Harbor, to the San Diego Bay, and the enormous yachts in Monte Carlo we find ourselves drawn to destinations that are popular for a boating lifestyle.

Bucket List Catamaran Vacation

It has been on our bucket list to charter a catamaran in the British Virgin Islands for years!  People say it is the best place to try a charter out because with so many islands you can always see land. When a friend called and said let’s book a charter, our dream became a reality.  Previously, I met a girl who raved about a trip with Soulshine Charters in St. John so they immediately came to mind. I reached out and they had availability the only week that would work in our schedule so we took it as a sign and booked our trip.

People were amazed we were headed to the Virgin Islands in April 2018 after the hurricane hit the area so hard last September.  Some said we should wait until the area was fully rebuilt. My thought at the time is they probably need some tourists spending money to help recover. So I thought it was a perfect time to start booking our vacation.

A Night in St. John

The Soulshine Charter departs out of St. John in the US Virgin Islands. You fly into St. Thomas and take a 30 to 40-minute taxi ride to Red Hook. Once in Red Hook, you take a short ferry to Cruz Bay, St. John. Many charter companies depart from Tortola but the flights from the US are more expensive. Flying into St. Thomas and taking a ferry to St. John is fairly easy. Currently, Spirit Airlines has affordable flights to St. Thomas. You can also check out American Airlines too

The large chain hotel resorts were still closed but I found a small, quaint hotel on St. John called the Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel a night before our charter was departing. Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor
We met David, the owner of the Cruz Bay Boutique Hotel and he was fortunate to have minimal damage from the hurricane. He even had wi-fi up and running. His hotel is located in Cruz Bay and you can walk to all the shops and restaurants. A luxury resort with an infinity swimming pool is usually my vacation style, but meeting the owners of this small, quaint hotel and having a conversation about the area over coffee is something you don’t get at large resorts. His wife even gave my husband a lift to the National Park dock because he threw his back out carrying a heavy duffel bag. How is that for above and beyond service?

Tip- Make sure you travel with a rolling duffel bag for every boat charter! Suitcases are too big for the rooms!

We began our first evening with happy hour glasses of wine during a glowing orange sunset over the water. The Landing shrimp appetizer at the Landing made our night and we’ve been craving them since we’ve been home. If you like shrimp don’t miss the Landing shrimp when in St. John.

Shops and restaurants are open at the Mongoose Station where we strolled around looking at locally made art and jewelry. The highlight of the evening was listening to the guitar player with glasses of chilled Champagne at Morgan’s Mango. It was a perfect, romantic evening with my husband! No cell phones! We were now on a digital detox vacation. Try it some time, just put your phone in airplane mode for a few days while on vacation or an entire week.

The next morning we hiked to Honey Moon Beach and had a little time for shopping before we met our catamaran. Yes, ladies, there is shopping in St. John! The shops are open and wanting you to spend money. The shop owner in a boutique had just opened up two days before and her entire store is on sale. She told me missed the high season because of the hurricane damage. When you hear stories from the locals you realize how much tourism affects their businesses. The hurricane affected so many business owners and they need tourists to come spend money. I only spent one night in St. John and it felt great to be there. The locals are so friendly and are excited to see tourists arriving.

Soulshine Charters

Let your soul shine with Soulshine Charters! They named their boat after the song by the Allman Brothers. This song always takes me back to a week spent with friends and the crew on Soulshine.

The best part of booking Soulshine charters is that you don’t have to do anything before you arrive. You only need to pack a rolling duffel bag and step aboard the boat. They do everything for you. We had the knowledgeable Captain Kevin sailing the boat, Pete the first mate (part owner of the boat), and Megan the friendly Chef and Beverage Queen. Normally, Captain Jim Lee is on the charter but he was getting married so Captain Kevin, a sailing pro with many years of experience was substituted for our charter. They say having a good crew is the most important part of having the best vacation. Luckily for all of us we enjoyed getting to know the crew and by the time our vacation was over they felt like friends. The second advice for a great charter vacation is going with the right friends. Make sure your interests align and that you like the friends you are going with.

The Catamaran

The catamaran is a 2006, Lagoon 440. There are three stateroom cabins for your group. Each stateroom has its own bathroom. These cabins became our home for a week.

One Tip- Make sure you latch the windows and hatches while underway!

It’s a Bonnie Thing- stayed in this Cabin! Ahoy!

 

The crew sleeps in the Portside forward cabin.

The boat is large enough for everyone to spread out during the day or while under sail. The trampolines in the front of the boat are sunny and you can feel the ocean spray from the waves while sailing. The interior area is the kitchen area where Megan prepares your meals. We did played Cards Against Humanity at the table one evening.

Food & Beverage

Prior to your arrival, they send a suggested itinerary, menu options for you to choose, and a beverage list. As you can imagine my wine selections and preferences were overboard. I love Bubbles and Champagne! It’s definitely a Bonnie Thing. No one had ever asked for as much as I had requested. Being on a boat for seven days, I just didn’t want to run out of the Bubbly. Megan, the onboard Chef called me and we talked and laughed. She was super accommodating. Apparently, Megan knows best because we never did run out of Bubbles or alcohol. If you prefer certain brands you can bring them on board or have her arrange to get them for an additional fee. She even found a few of my favorite wine brands on her shopping trip. Keep in mind certain brands may not be sold in the Virgin Islands.

The Menu

When you read the menu it tough to pick items because they all sound delicious. On Soulshine breakfast is served every morning. We couldn’t decide on the breakfast menu so we had Megan prepare her favorites. The banana rum french toast is worth the calories! I also liked the Eggs Caprese. Lunches and Dinners are half board. Megan prepares delicious fish tacos if you like fish. One of my favorite dinners was steak off the grill with mashed potatoes. We enjoyed a fresh catch night and seared tuna on the other dinner nights onboard. Megan is the hostess with the mostess. I’ve been craving her Jerk chicken and Caesar salad. A friend on the charter bareboated and hired a Captain before this trip. They had to do their own shopping before departure. If we come back to the Virgin Islands I would do this again. We didn’t lose any precious time on our vacation shopping, having to cook or clean. You feel spoiled rotten with Megan cooking, cleaning and serving you. It is worth the extra $$ to maximize your time to enjoy your week.

Seared Tuna Steaks

Reasons to Book A Soulshine Charter

• They do all of the customs paperwork and check in to the British Virgin Islands for you. We didn’t even have to leave the boat for the customs office.
• They provide the fun! A Hobie Pedal  Kayak, Paddle Board, Snorkel Equipment, The Slingshot & games on board
• They do all the shopping
• Unlimited Beer, Wine & Cocktails are included in the price! Megan makes a good Margarita & Donkey Rum Punch!
• Megan is a good Chef!
• You don’t have to cook or clean
• The Captain is an experienced sailor so you don’t have the stress of sailing, mooring, docking, and operating the boat
• It departs from St. John
• Compared to other Inclusive Charters, they have great pricing. In 2018, it is $275 a person per night based on 6 people.

 

Things To Do

What do you do on a boat for 7 days? What if I get bored? Work with your Captain to build an itinerary that takes you to shore every day. The best part of sailing the British Virgin Islands are that the islands are close together and you can sail to different bays each day. Don’t miss The Baths on Virgin Gorda, the Iconic Soggy Dollar, Foxy’s or dinner at Cooper Island Brewing Company.

Soulshine Charters has snorkel equipment on board. Our itinerary was packed full and I wish we had more time for snorkeling. They have a paddleboard and a Hobie pedal kayak. There is hiking on the islands, bars, and restaurants on shore. I never got bored once. At night you can visit a bar like Foxy’s which became the highlight of our trip where we met some delightful, fun characters that gave us a night to remember. (The word Magoo will never be the same)

Evenings on board were spent fishing, listening to music, drinking, and playing games such as Make it Rain! Bring some $1 bills to play this game where you get to make it rain with real cash. We were the party boat that evening and I’m sure the other boats were wondering why $$$ were being fanned tossed in the air! They have Cards Against Humanity on board too. Some nights you stay up late and some nights you go to bed early. It is your adventure so make sure to spend it having fun!

I suggest having theme nights! They make for fun photographs! We had a Colorado night, a Nautical themed night and a Hawaiian themed night. A pirate themed night would be awesome too! Next time!

The Experience

I’m glad we finally got to experience life on a catamaran for a week. Checking off an item on your bucket list is exciting. It is about making things happen and creating memories. Would I do it again? Definitely!

One thing that enriched our vacation was not having cell service and feeling away from life and the real world. No news, politics, or work. We felt free! I think that is why people love sailing. There is something magical about drifting, sailing, rocking, and looking at the horizon on the sea. You have time to do things you normally don’t have time to do and you lose track of the time and days. I even became a morning person! Naturally waking up to the sun streaming in through the window. Every day became an adventure.

Is a Boating Lifestyle still a Dream?

A few came back from this trip wanting to buy a catamaran. I learned I don’t want to buy and live on a boat. Although I enjoyed this bucket list trip, I found it hard to sleep at night with the motion of the waves and sounds of the water lapping against the boat. It was hard to get used to the humidity and sleep without air conditioning. The land moved for days after our trip! Living on a boat is not for me and I learned that after 7 days on the trip.

Have you heard that expression ” Sea Legs?” It’s a real thing!

I like larger rooms, flushing toilets, air conditioning, privacy, and luxury. These are a few things lacking on a sailboat and things that made it exciting to go home. However, I find myself desiring to be back on a boat again after this vacation. It feels conflicting! Do I want to buy a boat? Probably not but I wouldn’t turn one down if the opportunity presented itself. There is a lot of maintenance cost, stress if you don’t know what you are doing, and more work involved. I learned I don’t want to be far from land on this trip and I don’t always feel comfortable in the water. Chartering is more my style.  If you are curious about owning a boat, try booking a Catamaran charter first. The Virgin Islands and Soulshine Charters are great for a first timer.

Secret I sometimes shop boats! After this trip, I will always be looking for ways to be back on a boat. It could be a sunset sailing tour, a cruise, or another charter. Now that I have experienced the Virgin Islands.  I would like to spend a few nights at the picturesque Scrub Island Resort & four nights on board the Soulshine. Guess what? Soulshine will even come pick you up from the resort! A little luxury resort stay and a sailing adventure is a perfect It’s a Bonnie Thing vacay! A Catamaran charter is a good test to see if you are a Pirate or Sailor! Arg!

Cheers & Bon Voyage to your Bucket List Dreams,

Bonnie