TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Offshore Sailing School

After many land-based trips to the BVIs over the years, I took our family on our first ever sailing charter last July (a crewed charter on a Moorings 5800) and the experience was nothing short of amazing. At the recommendation of the Moorings, we've signed up for the Fast Track to Power Cruising course offered by Offshore Sailing School in Tortola for this July. The course is 6 days of comprehensive hands-on instruction (on-board systems, steering, docking, anchoring, safety, maintenance, etc.) followed by a certification exam that leads to US Powerboating Level 1 & 2 certification. Anyone have experience with this course, or can shed any light oj what the certification exam entails?

My wife and I had a somewhat similar experience. We had some land-based trips and fell in love with the BVI and then did a crewed charter (Sailing Catamaran). We were immediately enamored with the experience on the boat, but had absolutely zero experience at doing it ourselves. A year later, we were trying to decide on what to do for our anniversary trip (2017) when we came across info on the Offshore Sailing Fast Track course and decided to go for it. Since we did the sailing course, the first couple of days were focused on Basic Keelboat and we were based out of Scrub Island. It was a great way to start. Our instructor, "Dutch" was awesome. After that we spent 5 days on the catamaran with the instructor. It was a great way to learn, hands on, and there is no more enjoyable place to learn it than the BVI. We had a tremendous sense of accomplishment when our instructor left us at Cane Garden Bay and we were on our own to get back to Scrub the next day. I want to reiterate that we had no experience, but I highly recommend thoroughly reading and studying all of the information that they send you. Enjoy mornings over coffee quizzing each other prior to the trip. I don't know how different the Power Cruising is compared to Sailing, but I assume it is fairly similar (minus the sailing aspect). Since receiving our certifications in June of 2017, we have been on 4 charters and have our 5th one planned in March and plan to go in May as well. One of the best gifts we have given our family as our 11 and 14 year old girls are now very knowledgeable and helpful on the trips and incredibly passionate about the BVI.

Excellent...

Now, you need to stay current, continue studying and reading, and take more advanced training.

Good on ya, you both have a good start, but trust me, it is the tip of the ice berg.

My wife and I did the same thing. Offshore gives you the skills and confidence to charter your own yacht. It was a life changing experience for us. Ended up owning two Mooring boars before Irma ended that dream.

Don't do it. I took their course in Tampa Bay 20 years ago, then took the family on a bareboat charter in the BVI. After that experience, we kept coming back every year. Then we chartered in other Caribbean locations. Then we bought a boat and put it in charter, with ample owner's time. Then we started annual 2-month summer excursions down-island (and return). You don't want to get addicted like us.

Seriously - their course was an excellent preparation for bareboating, but the real education comes from time on the water.