Are day sails worth it?

[sue27]

We are booked with high pockets for a day sail (approx 9:30 to 4 ish). It works out to 400$ CAD for 2 people (with US to CAD exchange rate and taxi on top of the day sail rate of $130 US).

My question is:

For those that have done a day sail (sailing, snorkeling, lunch combo) while in St. Thomas, is it worth the cost?

It will be our most costly port day, so I am wondering if it is worth the expense.

Thanks!

[Sailor Gal]

If you want to sail and be away from the crowds - it is well worth it. We're getting ready to do this for the third time. Love the relaxing atmosphere and personal attention. It is definitely a day of spoiling. You get what you pay for! Try it - you'll love it!

[gracie65]

We are booked with high pockets for a day sail (approx 9:30 to 4 ish). It works out to 400$ CAD for 2 people (with US to CAD exchange rate and taxi on top of the day sail rate of $130 US).

 

My question is:

 

For those that have done a day sail (sailing, snorkeling, lunch combo) while in St. Thomas, is it worth the cost?

 

It will be our most costly port day, so I am wondering if it is worth the expense.

 

Thanks!

 

 

I have done Highpockets once & am booked again in November. We had such a good time that our itinerary was booked around St. Thomas. It has by far be the best excursion we have taken in 15 cruises & can't wait to see Kathleen again. The sail, the meal everything is fabulous!!!! It will be the best day of your week. Please feel free to ask me any specific questions.

[Texarribean Chick]

Hey Gracie (again) - Chick here. I have mentioned before on these threads how much we love this! It is by far the best day for DH and myself. It's also our most expensive day.

We are definitely 'lay on the beach, relax and partake in libation" type folks. We love Capt. Jim/Jester Sailing Adventures. Seems like I have read before that you have taken him as well - why not this time? Is he already booked, or are you just looking for something new? DH and myself also love the personal attention even when we have booked with others that are strangers to us..........we have been with Jim so many times, that we still receive the utmost personal attention. There is absolutely nothing better than kicking back to good tunes, breezes and drinks! I say it's well worth the money! Good Luck! Crystal.

[Texarribean Chick]

my bad! I so just realized that Gracie 65 was not the OP. Anyway - hope MHO helped Violet. I would be happy to answer any specific questions you might have. Crystal.

[gracie65]

Hey Gracie (again) - Chick here. I have mentioned before on these threads how much we love this! It is by far the best day for DH and myself. It's also our most expensive day.

We are definitely 'lay on the beach, relax and partake in libation" type folks. We love Capt. Jim/Jester Sailing Adventures. Seems like I have read before that you have taken him as well - why not this time? Is he already booked, or are you just looking for something new? DH and myself also love the personal attention even when we have booked with others that are strangers to us..........we have been with Jim so many times, that we still receive the utmost personal attention. There is absolutely nothing better than kicking back to good tunes, breezes and drinks! I say it's well worth the money! Good Luck! Crystal.

 

No, that wasn't me. We've only done a daysail once in St. Thomas & it was with Kathleen. I loved it & would not consider using anyone else. She is awesome. Yes, it's expensive but with what all it includes & the solitude makes it well worth it. I'm not one to take the cruise line tours where I feel like cattle being herded through a gate. This was the most relaxing day we have ever had. I'm hoping this time the water will still be warm. Last time was in Feb. & the water temps. were too cold for me. Everyone else in my group got in though.

[AlbertaClipper]

We did a full day sail last year with Island Girl and thought it was the highlight of our cruise. We are doing the same this year, but only for a half day as we are otherwise doing snorkelling on at least one other stop. We are conscious of the exchange rate as fellow Canucks but would recommend at least a half day as well worth the money.

[Perfect Stranger]

If you enjoy boating and snorkeling it is worth it.

 

I had been taking Bonine during my cruise and I still began to get nauseous near the end of the sail over. My son hadn't taken any and he lost his breakfast. Neither one of us had snorkeled and are weak swimmers. The guide was very kind and helpful, which I'm thankful for. We both found the face masks extremely uncomfortable and the process of putting on and off the equipment kind of a pain, to be honest. I was, however, feeling NO PAIN on the way back. The rum punch was the best part-LOL. For us it was something to try once to say we did it, but we're not going to do it again.

[prescottbob]

ST. THOMAS, USVI / CROWN BAY (0800-1700): Since we would be 'sharing' St. Thomas with several other cruise ships at this particular port of call (approximately 20,000 cruise passengers and cruise ship staff members), we had booked yet another sail and snorkel tour several months in advance via the internet. Also, since this would be our last 'major' Caribbean ports visit (although Half Moon Cay was yet to come), I wished to reserve a small, special tour to end our cruise. This was especially important since we would be returning to the 'real world' three days forthcoming. So after doing some research, we decided to book an all day tour with Kathleen Nelsona, owner (with husband) and captain of the "High Pockets", 42' racing sloop. (sailhighpockets.com / $125 pp +$45-50 cab fare/couple). The tour is limited to six passengers only that includes a 'gourmet' lunch, champagne & wine and, of course, free flowing rum punches (simply wonderful), beers, liquors and sodas. Kathleen is a retired R.N. who moved from California with her husband to St. Thomas over a decade ago. Her number one goal is making sure all her passengers have the best sailing experience possible. She definitely achieved that end. Following a 30-40 minute van ride across the island (with two other wonderful couples from our CC roll call board), we arrived at the marina and boarded. We sailed for 45 minutes or so while Kathleen gave us a narrative of the history of St. Thomas, of the various cays and islands nearby and current politics of the island. We made our way to a small area by a private island where we anchored and commenced snorkeling of the nearby reef for an hour or so. Meanwhile, Kathleen was busy preparing the marinated chicken, fettuccini, salad, bread with Danish butter and rum cake. Following a luscious lunch (and plenty of punch & champagne) we collectively decided to sail instead of hitting another snorkel site due to the high wind speeds that had developed. Nothing can be more fun then that "45 degree" high speed sailing in a racing sloop across Pillsbury Sound. Unfortunately, we needed to make our way back to the marina by 1515 to meet the van that the six of us (CC group) shared in order to get back to the port by 1600. It was truly an exhilarating and a memorable sail. Great sail, great company and great food. Does it get any better? (Answer=No) Rating: A

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Bon Voyage & Good Health!

Bob:)

[Tak8]

I have done a day sail twice in St. Thomas. Both on the Winifred. I really enjoy the day sail. You just have to make sure it is right for you. It's nice to have less people, normally 6 or fewer. The lunch was good and the snorkeling excellent. One potential downside a large chunk of your time is spend on the boat - sailing. I enjoy it. It's different than a catamaran or a speed boat. For our a little over 6 hour trip almost 4 hours were spent on the boat - sailing. If that sounds like something you would enjoy, it's worth the money.

[Mike073]

Ditto on Kathleen and High pockets. However, Kathleen's deck hand's girlfriend works as the deck hand on the Winifred. I guess they are all kissing cousins down there.

[mizLORInj]

YES YES YES

It is the activity we love when in St. Thomas. We sail with Pat on the beautiful Independence 44' sailboat. It's the perfect day.

http://www.independence44.us/

The lounger at the aft of the sailboat is my favorite spot! With a rum punch--ahhhhhh!

Whatever daysail you choose, don't forget to tip the deckhands! (some web sites don't mention that, but it is the expectation).

[sue27]

Where did you sail to with High pockets?

[gracie65]

Where did you sail to with High pockets?

 

When I went the plan was to go to St. John, but the seas were too rough that day. She knows the area well & took us to a secluded cove where it was very calm. I think it was called Honeymoon Beach.

[swigso]

YES YES YES

It is the activity we love when in St. Thomas. We sail with Pat on the beautiful Independence 44' sailboat. It's the perfect day.

http://www.independence44.us/

The lounger at the aft of the sailboat is my favorite spot! With a rum punch--ahhhhhh!

Whatever daysail you choose, don't forget to tip the deckhands! (some web sites don't mention that, but it is the expectation).

Ditto that, we have had great day sails with Captain Pat and Ray.

The boat is beautiful and the rum punch is the best, well worth the cost.

You will not regret doing this trip.

[pnut362]

we have done our daysail with Rumbaba for the last 2 years in a row and would never consider going with anyone else!

have a great time with whoever you choose!

[kimbo444]

Hi

We are actually going to do a day sail too this time - never been with an outfit called Nightwind. Kathy actually recommended them because our group has 9 in them. It sounds wonderful, and the captains wife was extremely helpful in getting transportation arranged and booking our reservation. I think it will be so much fun to get away from the normal tourist areas and have a remarkable day at sea. Can't wait!!!:D

[BURNSMN]

Hi

We are actually going to do a day sail too this time - never been with an outfit called Nightwind. Kathy actually recommended them because our group has 9 in them. It sounds wonderful, and the captains wife was extremely helpful in getting transportation arranged and booking our reservation. I think it will be so much fun to get away from the normal tourist areas and have a remarkable day at sea. Can't wait!!!:D

Just did the Yacht Nightwind a week and a half ago. It was a wonderful day. Hope you enjoy!

[granddutchess]

We have done a daysail with Rumbaba and I would not hesitate to recommend them. Excellent in every way.:)

[pjamk]

Just did the Yacht Nightwind a week and a half ago. It was a wonderful day. Hope you enjoy!

 

We are going out with Nightwind this Month July 2009 and will post a review. Previously we sailed on the Winifred and have to say it was a big disappointment, not worth the $125 pp. BTW I saw the ship was forsale , I wonder if this had anything to do with it?

[laser110]

I have sailed on a lot of boats over the years, many which no longer exist or sail from St. Thomas. In 2008 we sailed on Winifred and had less than a good time. Capt Sharon is a nice person, but I think she forgets at times that she is in business because of her guests, but I am not going into that here.

 

This past year, 2009 we decided to try Rumbaba after finding their website. Here is a review I wrote for another cruise board. I hope this is ok here.

 

Scott

 

On June 2nd my wife, myself and my In-laws took a sail onboard “Rumbaba” and I wanted to share our day.

 

It started off perfect, we arrived at American Yacht Harbor on the east end of St. Thomas at Red Hook around 9:15 and after a brief drive around looking for parking we decided to drive down by B Dock so I could drop my mother-in-law off since she had a broken foot and wouldn’t have to walk too far. Waiting for us by the dock was Captain Bobby. He told me the best place to park across the street and off I went. By the time my wife and I made it back to the dock, my in-laws were in the dingy on the way to the boat. A few moments later he returned got us board and off we went to Rumbaba. A jump onboard, off with the shoes and stowing of our bags and we underway. Well sort of, low tides had us stuck in the bottom, but we easily powered out of it and into clear water.

 

The trip out of the harbor and through Vessup Bay was uneventful. We chatted and became familiar with Bobby and his mate Karen ( I think got her name right, I am terrible with names). The trip out was met with an offer for drinks and some really awesome homemade banana blueberry bread. As we raised the mainsail and Bobby unfurled the jib the topic of where we would like to go came up. He explained we had 2 choices – we could either do a longer sail and have one spot to snorkel/swim, or do a shorter sail and go to 2 places to snorkel and swim. My father –in- law suggested we try Maho Bay. Bobby said the winds looked favorable for that and we could try for it.

 

The winds were great in my mind. I have been sailing a long time, learned to sail in the USVI and sailed competitively throughout college, so I knew we could make it. In fact, we made the trip up to Maho Bay with only 3 tacks, mostly running on broad reach or close hauled. The highlight of the sail was the rain. We saw it moving across St. John and hoped that it might just miss us. We thought wrong as the green hills of St. John slowly disappeared in veils of white. It moved to open water and eventually got to us with a nice puff of wind lifting us up as the rain approached. Not much we can do except don the weather gear and ride it out. These things come and go in the USVI all the time. Everyone put their gear on except me. Not that I was too “macho” for it, but having sailed in college in all weather from rain, to sleet to snow, I wasn’t about to have a little rain ruin my fun. It poured, as we plowed our way through and just as quickly as it came it was gone, moving behind us towards St. Thomas. We watched as the rain made its’ way across Pillsbury Sound to make St. Thomas disappear in a veil of white as it done with St. John earlier. The rest of the sail up was perfect as we made a final tack into Maho Bay, sailed further and then furled the jib, lowered the main and turned on the engine. A quick pick up of the mooring and we were suddenly there. Total Sailing time about 2 hours.

 

Bobby and Karen( again hope I got that right) quickly fitted us with swim fins masks and snorkels and jumped into the dingy to ride to shore, where we got out to gear up. Maho Bay beach was relatively un-crowded with a few people swimming in shore and few snorklers by the rocks where we were headed. In no time at all we were set and we moved along the rocks on the right side of the beach. The waters were filled with tiny fish swimming around, there must have been at least a million of them and they made for a great scene as their silvery bodies reflected the sunlight. Overall the reef was dead, with a few signs of life in sea fans and the odd Elkhorn coral formation. We did however see some great fish including a barracuda approximately 2 feet in length, several Queen Parrot fish, cowfish, puffers, royal grammas, butterfly fish, and tile fish aka as Old Wife a local VI favorite fish to eat.

 

Bobby had great timing as we made our way back to the beach he was on the way with the dingy to pick us up to head back to the boat for lunch.

 

I should say now, lunch was a definite highlight on this trip and one of the reasons why I picked Rumbaba over other boats. Captain Bobby offers his guest a choice of either grilled Mahi Mahi, Tuna, Chicken, or Steak. Through communication a few weeks earlier with him I told him we all wanted the Mahi Mahi and we weren’t disappointed. First, we were met with a huge tray of “appetizers” which included chilled grilled shrimp, cut up carrots and celery, grapes and crackers. While we ate, Bobby got the grill going and started to cook the fish. Along with some home made garlic bread. It wasn’t long before the fish was done and sent back down to the cabin where it was plated with some salad, pasta and fruit along with a piece of the garlic bread and then handed up to be enjoyed. The fish was awesome! A nice thick piece that wasn’t under or over cooked, had a nice marinade and really was a highlight of the day. It was washed down with a series of Painkillers and other libations making for one of the best lunches we had all week.

 

After lunch we quickly packed up and left the mooring for a leisurely sail down wind back to St. Thomas. The winds were strong enough that we only needed the jib and the sail was casual and relaxed as Maho Bay faded into the distance behind us and Red Hook grew closer. Bobby kept us entertained with various stories about the boat and past guests, including one about a lady who once fell off the front of boat after just one too many, and how her husband/friend nonchalantly proceeded to tell them she went overboard.

 

Having spent a lot of time growing up in the USVI we also talked about the changes over the years, especially on St. John, where it is still mostly parkland, but some people have been able to build where it was once thought unobtainable. Bobby pointed out the home sites of the some of the VI’s more notable and famous residents too, which was fun. As we made it into Vessup Bay again, out came homemade chocolate chip cookies which helped put a nice touch on the end of the day.

 

By 4 we were on the mooring again and getting ready to go back ashore. The 4 of us loaded up into the dingy with our bags and gear and Bobby took us over to another dock where it was easier for my wife and mother in law to get off the boat. After saying goodbyes we headed towards the car and back to our Villa at Frenchman’s Cove.

 

Total cost - $125 a person if you paid by cash or $140 by CC. We also tipped the mate $40 each as we felt she did a great job throughout the day.Without a doubt we will book on Rumbaba again in the future. It was a highlight of our trip and really made for some great memories

[Lovely_Star]

We sailed with Rumbaba last September along with two other CC members . . . shout out to Lori and Paul ;) we had an amazing time I can't rave enough about Bobby and Karen. The food was delicious, the drinks were flowing, the snorkeling was delightful it was just awesome. If we have the opportunity to visit St. Thomas again for a land vaca (keeping my fingers crossed) we will more than likely hook up with them again!

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

We sailed on the Island Girl in Sept 08 and have booked a sail with them again in Oct.

[deb63]

We sailed on the Island Girl in Sept 08 and have booked a sail with them again in Oct.

 

That's nice that you are rebooked with them. You really enjoyed it? Did you do the 1/2 or full day?

 

I have Island Girl booked for next year, a full day. Have never been - but am looking forward to it.

[bridegirl]

We are booked with them for next week - any tips or things you particularly enjoyed?

 

Thanks!

 

Susy