Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Best day sail?

CVL105

By CVL105,
in St. Thomas/St. John

Recommended Posts

CVL105

CVL105

Posted
Posted

My fiance and I are stopping at St. Thomas on the first day of our honeymoon cruise. I'm thinking a day sail with possible snorkeling may be a fun thing for us to do. Any suggestions?

 

Or any other activity suggestions?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tampafish

tampafish

Posted
Posted

My husband and I sailed with Highpockets last April for our 10th anniversary. It was one of the best things we've ever done together. We took a cab to Red Hook and then met the 1st mate at the dock. Once on board (with only 1 other couple) the captain asked what we wanted to do for the day and we were off with some great Swizzles (really good drink) in hand. We sat up in the front of the boat on the deck on the way out to St. John and got wet, but had a blast and laughed really hard. Once over to St. John we snorkled in a nice area that had both coral and sea grass and saw sea turtles and lots of nice fish. Lunch was delish. I relaxed on the boat after lunch while DH went for another snorkle. Then we headed back to shore - it was a great day! I hope you have a fabulous time! WE brought our own equipment but Kathleen had plenty and Karen (I think) was an awesome first mate and treated us like royalty the whole trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mizLORInj Great Review Rare

mizLORInj

Posted
Posted

We have sailed 3x with Pat on Independence. max of six people and we go over to st. john--usually 2 spots to snorkel. Lunch and great rum punch too. My favorite spot on the sailboat is the bench seat across the back (check out her photos).

You have to take a taxi (~$25pp r/t) to Red Hook.

http://www.independence44.us/

 

This fall we're trying out JollyMon; they pick you up in their dinghy at the ship dock and sail out of Charlotte Amalie. Will let you know how that goes when I return Nov 7!

[url=http://www.independence44.us/][/url]

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mfw2

mfw2

Posted
Posted

I recently did a full day catamaran sail and snorkel with Dancing Dolphin that was awesome. It was booked through Princess cruises but I believe they are also available independantly. Crew was awesome, they had free rum swizzle, beer, and an amazing island lunch with outstanding food. The snorkeling was great and we got to see alot of sea turtles, barracuda's, stingrays and of course colorful fish and coral. The catamaran is peaceful and you just sit wherever you want with your feet dangled off the side. I'm not sure if this is exactly what you had in mind or not but I would definitly reccomend it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
joepeka

joepeka

Posted
Posted

There's a cruise review over on the Carnival board that includes information about their experience with Jolly Mon. It was very favorable and includes a few pictures. Here's the link - scroll about halfway down where member Astep@atime begins talking about "Day 4 - St. Thomas":

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=997210&page=3

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Astep@atime

Astep@atime

Posted
Posted
There's a cruise review over on the Carnival board that includes information about their experience with Jolly Mon. It was very favorable and includes a few pictures. Here's the link - scroll about halfway down where member Astep@atime begins talking about "Day 4 - St. Thomas":

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=997210&page=3

 

 

Thanks for the link to the review...that's what I was going to do.

 

We really enjoyed the Jolly Mon. It was a half day sail - I think the full day would have been even better. But we wanted to leave some time for shopping. The really nice thing about the Jolly Mon is that it's right off the cruise ship pier, so you don't waste any time taxiing around. I'd bet we we sailing while those out of Red Hook were still in a car. Highly recommended. Have a great time!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jtmalt

jtmalt

Posted
Posted
My fiance and I are stopping at St. Thomas on the first day of our honeymoon cruise. I'm thinking a day sail with possible snorkeling may be a fun thing for us to do. Any suggestions?

 

Or any other activity suggestions?

 

Our day with Captain Kathleen and First Mate Paul on High Pockets in May was absolutely the best day we've spent on any excursion, ever....and we've been on some pretty good excursions in the past!

 

High Pockets is a 42 foot sloop that is in absolutely beautiful condition. Kathleen takes out a maximum of 6 passengers at a time, and for this day my wife and I were joined by a group of 4 young ladies who were vacationing together. Kathleen transported us over to High Pockets in a dingy, and we relaxed on board.

 

The ship is obviously lovingly maintained, and Kathleen and Paul are wonderful hosts. Aside from his duties as first mate, Paul kept us supplied with drinks, helped with snorkel equipment, engaged in easy conversation, and generally kept a constant eye out for our comfort. Kathleen explained the islands and cays while we sailed through Pillsbury Sound, and told us the history of the area, and the history of the ship. The weather was as near perfect for sailing as it could be.

 

Paul kept our glasses filled with our choices of exotic juices, soft drinks, and adult beverages (including rum swizzles with freshly grated nutmeg!)

 

Eventually, we moored at Caneel Bay, and we enjoyed a long snorkel along the reef there. The reef was in great condition, and sea life was abundant. Paul was always unobtrusively keeping an eye out for our safety while we snorkeled.

 

Kathleen served up a delicious lunch of linguine and marinated chicken with fresh garden herbs, accompanied by a wonderful salad with fresh fruits...she was even kind enough to prepare a separate portion to accomodate a food allergy for me. Lunch was topped with a scrumptious homemade rum cake.

 

We made a second snorkel stop at Levongo Cay, where we snorkeled a very healthy reef, as well as the turtle grass flats. We saw dozens of rays at that stop, and our companions spotted some sea turtles as well.

 

Then, alas, under the blue Caribbean sky, we had to make our downwind sail back to Red Hook. The conditions were just awesome, the colors of the sea constantly changing. Kathleen chatted with us about our hometowns, and about her life in the Caribbean. This was our first time in a monohull vessel, all of our previous excursion had always been in catamarans, and we just loved the feeling as the ship gracefully cut through the water.

 

After experiencing this daysail, it's no mystery to us why Capt. Kathleen gets such uniformly excellent reviews, and is so highly regarded. The ship is a beauty, with an open area for sunning and a shady cockpit for sitting and chatting. Kathleen is the consumate hostess, and we look forward to joining her again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 4 months later...
misand

misand

Posted
Posted
We have sailed 3x with Pat on Independence. max of six people and we go over to st. john--usually 2 spots to snorkel. Lunch and great rum punch too. My favorite spot on the sailboat is the bench seat across the back (check out her photos).

You have to take a taxi (~$25pp r/t) to Red Hook.

http://www.independence44.us/

 

This fall we're trying out JollyMon; they pick you up in their dinghy at the ship dock and sail out of Charlotte Amalie. Will let you know how that goes when I return Nov 7!

 

 

Can you tell what a day was like? How expensive etc?

Thanks,

misand

Link to comment
Share on other sites
laser110

laser110

Posted
Posted

I would suggest Rumbaba. Sailed on her in June and had a great time. Captain Bobby is a great guy and his lunch was great!

 

I have sailed on numerious day sailers out of St. Thomas including Winifred, and many others that are no longer sailing. Rumbaba was by far one of the best.

 

Scott

Link to comment
Share on other sites
adonisr

adonisr

Posted
Posted
We have sailed 3x with Pat on Independence. max of six people and we go over to st. john--usually 2 spots to snorkel. Lunch and great rum punch too. My favorite spot on the sailboat is the bench seat across the back (check out her photos).

You have to take a taxi (~$25pp r/t) to Red Hook.

http://www.independence44.us/

 

This fall we're trying out JollyMon; they pick you up in their dinghy at the ship dock and sail out of Charlotte Amalie. Will let you know how that goes when I return Nov 7!

[url=http://www.independence44.us/][/url]

 

Sooooooo - how did it go?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sailor Gal

Sailor Gal

Posted
Posted

Another vote for High Pockets. We sailed her last week and had an abosolutely marvelous time. Kathleen is the "hostess with the mostest" and such a gracious and friendly person. She is very flexible and works hard to make sure we had a great day doing what we wanted to do. We had calm seas and light winds so we went to Little St. James and Christmas cove for awesome snorkeling. The boat is beautiful and the food and drinks were the best. Kathleen made the food from scratch and presented it in a lovely fashion with wine and flowers. She runs a top notch tour. Arrangements were easy and Kathleen responded promptly to all my questions. She even arranged to have her taxi couple pick us up and deliver us back to the ship which made our day worry free. This was our 4th day sail and we definitely would return to sail High Pockets in the future. ENJOY

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dvan68

dvan68

Posted
Posted
My husband and I sailed with Highpockets last April for our 10th anniversary. It was one of the best things we've ever done together. We took a cab to Red Hook and then met the 1st mate at the dock. Once on board (with only 1 other couple) the captain asked what we wanted to do for the day and we were off with some great Swizzles (really good drink) in hand. We sat up in the front of the boat on the deck on the way out to St. John and got wet, but had a blast and laughed really hard. Once over to St. John we snorkled in a nice area that had both coral and sea grass and saw sea turtles and lots of nice fish. Lunch was delish. I relaxed on the boat after lunch while DH went for another snorkle. Then we headed back to shore - it was a great day! I hope you have a fabulous time! WE brought our own equipment but Kathleen had plenty and Karen (I think) was an awesome first mate and treated us like royalty the whole trip.

 

This sounds like a really nice day - what are the rates?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jtmalt

jtmalt

Posted
Posted
I just emailed her as there are no rates listed on the website...

 

This is the email I received prior to my booking with them back in May 2009. I don't know if rates have changed since then:

 

Hello there! Welcome to beautiful St Thomas. Thank-you for your interest in sailing aboard High Pockets. The sailing, snorkeling and great eats makes for the best day of your vacation! We have so much fun out there too, I hope you'll join us for the day! Let me tell you more about us.

High Pockets will sail with a minimum of two to maximum of six guests, leaving the crowds behind. Your day includes everything! You just bring towel, sunscreen, swimsuit, identification and cameras (underwater ones too!). That's it, we provide the rest. An open bar with a wide variety of beverages quenches your thirst. The sailing is world class and the sightseeing is spectacular! Our destinations vary day to day, depending on wind, current, and sea conditions. I make sure to find a calm cove for all water fun. Most often we find ourselves within St John's National Park. For snorkeling, we provide quality gear (or bring your own) with experienced instruction and swim vests that make snorkeling fun and easy for everyone. The snorkeling is fantastic and often our guests will spot sea turtles among other fascinating sea life (check out the 4th page of our website). Don't wish to snorkel? No worries! You may relax in sun or shade aboard our spacious yacht with a Rum Swizzle in hand, listening to island music while taking in the beautiful sights. Or, perhaps beach comb ..... it's up to you. Of course we offer all amenities, such as a clean bathroom and changing room, for everyone's convenience.

Fine dining afloat- We serve you our specially prepared entree while you relax in our shaded, cushioned cockpit. Lunch is tender medallions of marinated grilled chicken breast served with linguini in a light lemon herb sauce of fresh squeezed lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, dusted with herbs from my garden. Our salad of crisp greens is tossed with chunks of fresh apples, pears and sweet dried cranberries in my own vinaigrette. French bread and butter round out the feast. A splash of Chardonnay perhaps? Fresh cut flowers, cloth napkins, and wine goblets complete the perfect picnic. Dessert? My famous homemade rum cake is served during our leisurely sail home.

Our full day sails from 9:30 AM to around 3:30 PM. I will meet you in Red Hook at American Yacht Harbor Marina on 'A' dock, by the tall flag pole. The rate is $140 per person Master Card, Visa or Traveler's Checks. You may wish to participate in our cash discount program of $130 per person. Cash gratuity for mate at your discretion. Please include the name of the ship in which you are cruising. In addition, I would appreciate a phone number where you can be reached.

To make a reservation, we just need a Master Card or Visa to hold your day. The name as it reads on the card, the number and the expiration date. You can send two separate emails for security. Alternatively, you may call us with the information at xxxxxxxx. You may also try our cell phone (xxxxxxxxx) if you have difficulty reaching us on the land line due to the usual local phone company headaches. We always answer the phone! We do not charge your card, unless you wish to use it, then please bring it with you. I will send you a boarding pass via email. Our cancellation policy is 48 hours to avoid penalty of full payment. We do not charge your card if your ship diverts from St Thomas for any reason. Of course we understand emergencies.

Taxi information: We are just a 20-25 minute scenic taxi ride from your ship. Taxi fares are set by the island's Taxi Association at about $10-12 cash each person, each way, depending on where your ship docks. Taxis are plentiful at your ship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
KZcruzer

KZcruzer

Posted
Posted

:)

My wife and I went on our first Day Sail in St Thomas in October aboard Winifred (sailwinifred.com) which is a classic wooden Yawl owned and operated by Kenny and Chelsea. They are a young couple that offer a lot of personal attention. We had a great time. The boat is very comfortable on the open water. Apparently Kenny spent a couple of summers sailing all around the Virgin Islands. He knows all of the islands and it very comfortable on the water.

 

They sailed us to St. John for snorkelling and lunch.

 

Kenny is a certified dive instructor so we felt very comfortable with him in the water with us since it was our first snorkel experience. We actually went to two different spots, one before lunch and one after.

 

Lunch was very well prepared. I was surprised to see that is was a freshly cooked dish with fresh garden salad.

 

The whole trip lasted 6 hours and was well worth the $110 (cash discount).

 

Looking forward to our next trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...