Itinerary
Day 01
After being escorted through customs and immigration by Sail Caribbean staff, you’ll get acquainted with our beautiful home base at Hodges Creek Marina. You’ll also meet your Captain and everyone else on your program. Your first boat meeting will take place over a delicious local meal to set the course for the rest of your coming adventures. That first night you will participate in several activities and games to get to know the rest of the crew. At the end of a long day of travel and busyness, it is usually an early and restful night.
Days 02-05
After a quick group meet and greet with Mike, Sail Caribbeans founder and director, you’ll head right into learning about the different parts of the boat and preparing to get underway. For the next few days, you will learn how to sail by getting out into the Sir Francis Drake Channel and getting your hands on the lines, winch handles, and taking the helm. When not sailing, students will be getting used to life onboard and enjoying watersports and scuba diving in the beautiful waters of the British Virgin Islands. Students who signed up for ASA certifications will spend lots of time practicing in our performance keelboats and maybe even do some racing!
Days 06-09
At this point in the program, students will begin preparations for their sail down-island, which starts on Day 10. Days will be spent learning about offshore sailing safety, practicing sailing drills, and planning down-island navigation. Before the passage, the boats will head into port to re-provision and enjoy a nice night on land together before the long voyage ahead.
Days 10-13
On their overnight passage to Sint Maarten, students can expect to experience countless shooting stars, both an amazing sunset and sunrise, and the thrill of seeing land appear in the distance after a night at sea. After the passage, students can relax and explore the Dutch port of Philipsburg, Sint Maarten. The crew will head ashore to relax and feel their land legs.
The next day, the boats will head over to St. Eustatius and explore the rich history of the island by taking a hike to the famous Fort de Windt. In the afternoon there will be time for a snorkel and a community service beach clean.
Days 14-17
The next stop is the island of St. Kitts, where students will get a tour of the island by Sail Caribbean’s long-time friend – and local legend – Percy. Then they will explore the historic Brimstone Hill Fortress, which took a full 100 years to build, as well as relax on the beach and visit local shops.
The next few days will be spent exploring the volcanic Dutch island of Saba. Students will be greeted by a breathtaking 800 steps leading from Ladder Bay to The Bottom. Both divers and snorkelers can explore stunning coral reefs found in Marine Park, which circles the entire island. Before leaving, students will take a hike into the lush vegetation and cloud forest of Mt. Scenery before preparing for their blue-water voyage back to the BVI.
Days 18-20
After the downwind passage back to the BVI, students will take a much-needed break at Scrub Island and take full advantage of the two pools and waterslide. The next day, the Delta fleet will meet back up with everyone else on other programs for a day of waterports and beach games.
The following morning, everyone will head to the famous Baths of the BVI. They’ll hike through the incredible granite rock caves and caverns, then snorkel back to their boats, but not before stopping at the world-famous Devis Bay Beach. That evening, everyone will head back to base for a night of skits, awards, and a final incredible local meal.
Day 21
The last day usually starts with a somber mood as students say their goodbyes to their boats – their homes from the past two weeks – and the incredible friends they made along the way. Students are busy coordinating how they will stay in touch with one another and already starting to plan which programs they want to do next summer. As the ferries pull away from the BVI, taking the same channel that everyone has spent the last few weeks sailing, it would be a lie to say that there are no tears shed by both students and staff.
Sail CaribbeanActivities
ON EVERY SAIL CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE
Sail Caribbean offers ten different adventure groups with 30 different sessions in the British Virgin and Leeward Islands of the Caribbean. You live aboard a modern 50′ monohull yacht or 45′ catamaran with other teens in your age group and learn to sail. No experience is necessary. Every adventure focuses on an activity, but each offers scuba, marine biology, community service, cultural exchange, watersports, friendships, personal growth and lifelong memories.
Want to compare adventures? Download our 2024 Schedule (PDF)!
Courses
Sailing
Prerequisites: None
This certification is bestowed on any crew member who demonstrates the ability to fully participate in the daily sailing tasks on board and passes a written test proving that they’ve mastered fundamental information on safety, seamanship, navigation and boat handling skills.
Prerequisites: SC Crew
Proving you have an understanding of some of the more advanced sailing theories and demonstrating the ability to participate in sail reefing, timed tacking and jibing, island crossing, advanced navigation, anchoring, docking and de-docking skills along with racing tactics and proper safety techniques will earn you our Bosun certification.
Prerequisites: SC Crew & Bosun
A focus on leadership while underway is the core of this certification. You’ll earn Mate certification if you succeed at assigning crew positions, directing most phases of seamanship and safety drills, demonstrate proper engine, dinghy and equipment use and maintenance, keep an accurate ship’s log and monitor the weather all skills that make you a capable second in command.
Prerequisites: None
If you’re arriving at Sail Caribbean with prior sailing experience and are very keen on making the commitment to learn more, why not take this opportunity to gain a nationally recognized certification? You’ll participate in seminars and practice your helmsmanship on our big boats, and then demonstrate your sailing and seamanship skills during two to three intensive days on our own Colgate 26’, Opal Bella. The goal of this certification is for the participants to be able to single-hand (maneuver alone) these keelboats. Written and practical exams fulfill the requirements and you’ll have an official certification that’s valid for years to come and a stepping-stone to many other sailing certifications. View more details about ASA certifications here.
Prerequisites: Basic Keelboat Sailing (ASA101) certification
Demonstrated ability to skipper a sloop-rigged auxiliary powered (outboard or inboard engine) keelboat of approximately 25 to 35 feet length by day in moderate winds and sea conditions. Knowledge of cruising sailboat terminology, basic boat systems, auxiliary engine operation, docking procedures, intermediate sail trim, navigation rules, basic coastal navigation, anchoring, weather forecast interpretation, safety and seamanship. View more details about ASA certifications here.
Prerequisites: Basic Keelboat Sailing (ASA101) and Basic Coastal Cruising (ASA103) certifications
Demonstrated ability to skipper a sloop-rigged, auxiliary powered keelboat (or catamaran, if course is conducted on such) of approximately 30 to 45 feet in length during a multi-day cruise upon inland or coastal waters in moderate to heavy winds (up to 30 knots) and sea conditions. Course is conducted as a live-aboard cruise of at least 48 hours. Knowledge of provisioning, galley operations, boat systems, auxiliary engine operation, routine maintenance procedures, advanced sail trim, coastal navigation including basic chart plotting and GPS operation, multiple-anchor mooring, docking, health & safety, emergency operations, weather interpretation, and dinghy/tender operation. View more details about ASA certifications here.
Prerequisites: Bareboat Cruising (ASA 104) certification
Become an expert in maritime navigation with this course, designed to teach you essential skills such as dead reckoning, chart plotting, and recognizing aids to navigation. You will learn how to effectively use a hand-bearing compass, parallel rulers, dividers, and a hand-held GPS. This certification offers practical experience, enabling you to confidently navigate a vessel using only a chart, compass, and ruler.
Prerequisites: Coastal Navigation (ASA 105) certification
Learn to safely act as both skipper and crew of a sailing vessel of about 30 to 50 feet in length in both coastal and inland waters, in any conditions. This course has a specific emphasis on night sailing and how to safely make overnight passages. Practice skills like man-overboard recovery, anchoring, and reefing at night. To complete this course, participants will take the practical part of their examination at night.
Scuba
You will experience the thrill of scuba diving under the close supervision of a qualified PADI Instructor in ideal conditions. Under the palm trees on the beach, we’ll begin with an orientation and skills session – you’ll be introduced to the basic concepts of scuba diving. Next you’ll learn about equipment, basic skills and safety procedures. Afterwards, you’ll practice those important scuba skills in three to five feet of calm, clear water right off the beach. You’ll continue with your first dive experience off that same beach in 20-30 feet of calm water. Once you’re comfortable with the basic skills, one of our custom dive boats will take you to enjoy your first open water dive. It will be no deeper than 30ft, and you’ll be able to explore one of our amazing reefs with your instructor.
The DSD course is available on all of our programs except Charlie. Students will spend 2-3 sessions with our PADI instructors. In the future, if you decide to become certified, these skills and the open water dives may be credited towards your PADI Open Water Diver course.
Prerequisite: Must be Open Water certified or equivalent
Non-certification recreational diving is available as an option on all of our adventures. Ever imagine diving on a coral garden, drifting through a rainbow canyon, or exploring a sunken wreck? You will enjoy recreational diving in the BVI with our own Sail Caribbean Divers Instructors and Divemasters. On Delta in the Leeward Islands, professional dive instructors from each island along with our dive staff take you to gorgeous dive sites. You’ll gain expert knowledge from each local instructor and get the most out of every dive site you visit. You must provide proof of certification from a recognized agency like PADI, NAUI, YMCA, or NASDS.
Prerequisite: 12+ years of age.
This PADI course is the most popular entry-level dive program in the whole world! Throughout our PADI Open Water Diver course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of safe scuba diving, including dive equipment, techniques, and planning. This certification allows you to rent scuba equipment, obtain tank air fills and also enroll in PADI Continuing Education courses (PADI Adventure Diver, PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, or even PADI Specialties).
The PADI Open Water Diver certification is recognized worldwide. To earn this rating, we’ll introduce you to eLearning:
eLearning is an online Open Water course developed by PADI.
Non-diving “classroom” lessons are completed at home before your summer program starts.
The online course, averaging 6-8 hours to complete, presents the material in an “easy to use” manner and assures that you thoroughly understand the information. You can divide the course into several separate learning sessions to fit your schedule. No pressure — you set your own pace.
You can get one-on-one assistance from our professional scuba instructors in the Caribbean — the same instructors that you’ll have during the summer! They are on call by email to answer questions you may have along the way. This is personal attention that might not be available in a larger classroom setting.
Parents can oversee the sessions and possibly offer assistance.
The greatest advantage is that when you arrive in the Caribbean your time is spent underwater developing the skills required to become a qualified, capable, and safe diver. You’re not in the classroom! The first thing that you do is take a review test to prove that you’re ready to go diving!
During five confined water training dives, your instructor will demonstrate, and then you’ll practice and master, important diving skills. Finally, applying everything you have learned, you will make four open water dives at favorite dive sites around the British Virgin Islands.
Dates & Costs
| Session | Start Date | End Date | Cost* | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta 1 | 06/23/2024 | 07/13/2024 | $7695 | 21 |
| Delta 2 | 07/15/2024 | 08/04/2024 | $7695 | 21 |
*The tuition above does not reflect optional insurance, optional courses, and transportation fees.
