Since receiving so many helpful suggestions from this forum to make our charter even better than we imagined, here are a few things that we learned that may prove helpful:

* Since the boat's VHF radio was in the nav station in the starboard hull, it was useless to the helmsman. Having a handheld VHF aboard was really convenient.

* I bought a Garmin 176C chartplotting GPS specifically for this trip, and pre-loaded it with Walker's waypoints. The rig comes with a semi-permanent sticky mount that we affixed to the cabin top. We could leave the mount but stow the GPS out of sight when we weren't aboard. In addition, on returning home I was able to download our recorded track to my PC and email it to everyone as a souvenir of the trip. This device really made navigating a no-brainer. Went thru 4 'AA' batteries every two days. The cig plug was in the cabin and too far from the helm to be of much use.

* We didn't provision in advance because we had a large crew with differing tastes. Next time I will order the heavy stuff and the staples from Bobby's (water, rum, PK makings, soda, etc.), let them deliver it, and just shop for the lighter stuff. Humping all those heavy boxes down the dock in the Caribbean heat after a sleep-deprived 20-hour day is something that I will not repeat.

*We had everyone put some money in a kitty to pay for ice, moorings, diesel, water, and the like. Better to over-fill the kitty at the beginning of the trip (and give refunds at the end)than to under-fill it and having to keep adding more. We found that for eight of us for the 10 days that $100 per person covered all the provisioning and boat expenses for the entire voyage.

*Three men and five women can live for 10 days on a boat that holds only 150 gallons of fresh water. Being careful, not militant, we never added more than 80 gallons in the two water stops we made. Biodegradable saltwater soap (Aqua Lather) was key.

*Having a couple of dime-store floating rafts in the water behind the boat at anchor was great...they cost a couple of bucks each and we left them aboard.

*Bringing my own regulator, which doesn't take a lot of room, saved me $80 on the SCUBA equipment rental.

*There were some in the boat, but having an extra box of clothespins was essential.

*I folded and packed each article of clothing in a one-gallon ziploc bag with the air squished out of it. This way they pack really small and each shirt or pair of shorts is dry and fresh when needed.

*Having green lightsticks to hang in the rigging made the boat easier to find in dark anchorages, especially in the condition we were sometimes in.

*We got almost daily use out of the FRS radios. Two were enough for the eight of us.

*We brought 50 feet of clothesline and a leatherman. Amazing how often we needed these for various things.

*We bought a bag of charcoal and never used it. No one wanted to be the poor sap next to a flaming hot grill. Cold cuts, cheese, crackers, breakfast bars, coffee, and chips and salsa were devoured. I'll bring some cheap Tupperware next time, as the ziplock bags in the coolers and the icebox were punctured by the ice and leaked.

*Underwater flashlights were useful above water, too, and we could let them roll around on the wet floor in the dink without fear of breaking them.

*Keeping a daily jounal, usually over coffee in the morning, gave me some built-in quiet time and made it easier to remember all the details upon returning home.

*Having the right crew aboard was the best part of the trip. All had been guests on my boat back home, so I knew they were seaworthy. All were polite, respected local customs, and left every beach and anchorage cleaner than they found it. Not a single cigarette butt went over the side. Five of the eight had never been to the BVI before, and I believe they all want to go back.

After polling the crew:

Best Anchorage: The Bight, Norman Island
Most Fun for the Crew: The Willy T
Friendliest People: Anegada, by far
Best PK (other than Jenny's): Soggy Dollar
Best Meal Experience (tie): Anegada Reef Hotel &
Pirate's Bight (Norman)
Best Conch Fritters: Cooper Island Beach Club
Best Snorkeling (tie): Great Camanoe & Great Dog
Best Beach: Cow Wreck, Anegada (by far)
Best Nightlife: Foxy's