We had a safe trip home, but I’m still rocking like I’m on the Tranquility. I’m hoping that goes away soon!
It’s hard to put into words how amazing that trip was, but I will try. Here are some thoughts:
First off, the crew was amazing. Patric is great; a wealth of knowledge and experience, great sense of humor, patient (especially with the teenaged boys) and kind. I enjoyed talking with him and thought he took a real interest in our group, which was a bit diverse. He was extremely attentive to everyone on the boat, always asking if we needed anything, and even serving coffee. I didn’t expect that level of service from the captain, but the best thing about Patric was just talking with him. GG who cooked for us while Mary was away was simply great. Her food was awesome so we definitely don’t feel like we missed anything. She was quiet, but very nice, and very patient with the kids. I didn’t get to know her all that well since she was mostly in the galley and I didn’t want to bother her. Cooking for our 12 and the crew was a huge task and she nailed it. Rica, the deckhand, was a real pleasure. Everyone loved her, the adults and kids. She was fun to dive with and was awesome keeping the little and big kids happy on the water. Very patient and helpful at all times! Since she was always around on deck, I seemed to talk with her the most. I could just tell through our conversations that she is just a really nice, amazing person, and I surely hope she enjoys her new job at the dive shop in a couple of weeks. Andrea was new to the boat and was just helping out during the week Mary was away. She was super friendly and I appreciated what she did for our group. I got the sense she was still finding her way a bit, but that probably impacted the other crew more than us. We all liked her. A special shout out to the crew for putting up with little kids (8-9 yrs old), teenage boys, and my daughter’s boyfriend who I even find annoying! And, my brother-in-law and I could be just as childish as the kids sometimes too!
The boat was very nice. It was well-kept and clean. Sailing was a lot of fun and we enjoyed when Patric put up the sails and aloud us all to help with driving. I’m not sure we could ever do another boat after experiencing the Tranquility.
The weather was mostly awesome other than some clouds the first day and a bit rougher seas that day. However, it was mostly sunshine all week and very calm.
I thought Patric did a great job designing a route to allow for great diving, but also allow the non-divers get in the water and have fun. We also loved the bars we stopped at – Willy T, Saba Rock, Bitter End, Foxy’s Taboo, Foxy’s, Ivan’s, Soggy Dollar. We also went to the Baths. It feels like we went everywhere anyone would want to go, some places I haven’t even mentioned. I’m not sure what we could have missed.
I think the only negative I can think of was that there wasn’t access to real bait (live or even frozen) for fishing. When we do this again, I will be sure to let Patric know to get some bait. Fishing with artificial bait wasn’t that great. However, this is a really minor comment on an overall amazing experience.
Highlights:
o Seeing constant smiles on my youngest son’s face all week, as well as his two cousins of similar ages. It was a real joy seeing the 3 of them enjoy the water so much all week long.
o Spending quality time with my brother and sister in law all week that I don’t see that often. I would say the same for the time I spent with my college friend.
o Just sailing from anchorage to anchorage, enjoying the scenery, and mostly relaxing with my wife during those times. We also would find time alone in the morning with our coffee/tea before the rest of our group woke up. The mornings before breakfast when it was quiet was awesome.
o Multiple dives and snorkeling
o Foxy’s and Soggy Dollar
o Best painkiller goes either to Foxy’s Taboo or Andrea on the boat. All were good though and we tried them all! My brother-in-law tried to tell me Ivan’s was the best, but I couldn’t trust his judgement at that point in the day…
Everyone from my group loved the experience. The BVIs are more amazing than I really even thought. Sailing was even more fun than I thought. At the end of the day, the crew made the experience. I couldn’t imagine being stuck on a boat all week with a crew that had a different approach.