CREW MEMBERS TESTIMONIALS
Peg and I cannot tell you how much fun we had. The boats, country, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, everything was so much more than we ever thought. I hope this will become a yearly endeavor for us
More fun than we ever thought.
Doug & Peggy
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SAILING THE LEEWARD ISLANDS St. Martin (Sint Maarten), Anguilla, St. Bart’s
Joan Moran is a keynote speaker, commanding the stage with her delightful humor, raw energy, and wealth of life experiences
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You never know what to expect when you sign up for a trip with people you have never met before. What a great way to meet charming new friends while sailing through paradise. Our boat was gorgeous, with plenty of space. We were treated to breathtaking sunsets, dolphin sightings, watching giant tarpon off the back of our boat, snorkeling with large schools of fish. The combination island hopping, eating out, and cooking-in seemed perfect. Our Captain, Peter, was exceptionally knowledgeable, personable, commanding during stressful times yet laid-back during the easy times. He is a fun-loving, patient captain, and will be happy to teach you the nuances of catamaran sailing, or you can just hang out as deck candy. It's all up to you. How could you improve this experience? Take a longer trip? It was fabulous.
Terri
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“Sailing Trip of a Lifetime with Captain "Rusty" Pete's Flotilla”
Reviewed November 16, 2014 as posted on Trip Advisor
As part of a private flotilla organized by Captain "Rusty Pete" of Dallas, TX, we sailed a Voyage 520 catamaran during a week-long training session to obtain our American Sailing Association 104 (bareboat cruising)and 114 (catamaran) certifications. The flotilla cats were rented from Voyage Charters of the West End/Soper's Hole. Our training boat was "Dana's Jus Chillin" which made for a great radio sign-off, as in "Just Chillin...Out!"
Since we were in the BVIs to train, our perspective and experience was different from those of our fellow flotilla mates. But, Soper's Hole has a couple of good restaurants and a quite good grocery store. If you want a tasty sandwich, go upstairs at the Harbour Market (the grocery store). We purchased two custom-made sandwiches built with delicious whole-grain French bread, for approximately USD4.00 per sandwich. That's considerably less than other "nautical dollar" purchases around the BVIs, and they were hearty sandwiches. Prices at Harbour Market are generally reasonable. Availability: some perishable items such as sour cream appear to be really popular. Either figure out when those things get stocked or prepare an alternative recipe. Also, there are planned power outages. The grocery store seems to have power, but some restaurants and stores might not. Don't dismay - the power will come back on.
Regarding the sailing and training: as promised, it really was the trip of a lifetime. We got to sail the nicest boat we'll probably ever be able to charter, we gained valuable sailing experience, visited the BVIs in beautiful weather and saw just about everything, all while training with a great group of sailors. Captain Rusty Pete offers vacation boating as well as training boating, so this is a perfect opportunity for couples or groups. The sailors get to sail, and everyone else gets to snorkel, enjoy the ubiquitous "Pain Killers," and eat great food while enjoying the view. Just so you know: the Voyage 520 is equipped with a water maker. That's a huge relief on a multi-day charter and provides sailors with an opportunity to learn trouble-shooting on another system.
There's so much to say about this trip, the essence of which is - if you have the opportunity, do it.
Eleanor
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Thank you for a fantastic flotilla! I had no idea it would be so much fun. The sailing, the beautiful and picturesque islands and the great people made for an outstanding week. Thank you for putting it all together, taking such good care of us and being our all-around exceptional captain!!
Sincerely, Natasha
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Peter Byrom aka "Rustypete" is the consummate sailor. He handles the 52 ft. Voyager catamaran as though it were his toy. He fine tunes the boat's performance like an accomplished voilinist tunes a Stradivarius, a pleasure to behold.
Ralph Tucker
Retired
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I have just signed up with Captain Peter for the upcoming November 2012 trip, and I would invite you to join me. This will be my fourth trip with this experienced and knowledgeable captain and I hope it will not be my last. Each trip is different, challenging and I believe something you will remember for the rest of your life. Come on and loose yourself for a week....once you do you will be back.
Ralph Tucker
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This will be my third trip with Captain Peter. He is an experienced sailor and knows the Virgin Islands. While at the Bitter End on our last trip, I had the pleasure of watching Peter back a 54-foot catamaran into a slip not much wider than the boat with 12-15 knots of cross wind. Lesser captains had to pick up a mooring ball. I would sail with Peter anytime.
Ralph Tucker
Retired
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I have sailed on two trips with Peter and both times it was great. Peter is a lot of fun as well as being a skillful and safe sailor. I hope to do it again soon!
Tom Parham
Happy Sailor