This was our 16th charter, all with The Moorings and an early celebration trip for our 50th wedding anniversary. This one was going to be a bit different in several ways. First was our younger son, who has provided the "muscle" for previous charters when his parents got older, wasn't coming. So we decided to charter a Moorings 4200 3 cabin, our first catamaran, and hire a skipper.
The boat was excellent. It was in great shape and comfortable both underway and at anchor. One issue, which became more of an issue due to some unfortunate falls by the aged parents, was a lack of good handholds in strategic places. A couple of examples: no handrail on the steps down to the births; lack of shelving on both sides of our owner's cabin birth, made it a bit of a struggle to get in and out. Mounting / dismounting from the dinghy was more of an issue, especially after our earlier falls. None of these are issues for younger, more mobile, individuals, but they were for a couple in their 70s.
The best part of the trip, and probably what saved the trip from being a disappointment, was the skipper assigned to us by The Moorings: Julian Hodge. Many years ago we had Julian for our chart and/or boat briefing and to this day we recall those presentations. Julian was adept at finding not just a spot to anchor (he's not real fond of Boatyball) but the spot that would be best protected from wind and wave action. We arrived very early and Cooper and were able to anchor close to shore, tucked in a corner, inside of the mooring field with sandy bottom. At Great Harbour JVD, he got a spot inside of all the mooring balls which have taken over most anchoring locations.
When it became apparent the my wife and I would struggle getting in an out of the dinghy, he would make arrangements with local restaurants for takeout which he and our older son would bring back to the boat. If docks were too high, he would beach the dinghy and help us in and out in the shallow water. When we returned to The Moorings he "parallel parked" the 4200 in between 2 other catamarans on the main dock with hardly any space between us. When we needed to dismount the boat at the end, he kept the port engine in reverse to minimize that step onto the dock.
He was a true gem that was more like a family member during the trip rather than hired help.
The trip was unlike any of our previous ones but enjoyable nonetheless. Just being in the BVI surrounded by the beauty, interacting with the locals, enjoying great meals throughout, and, oh yeah, getting to sail between many places made it a great vacation.
Also want to give kudos to Island Birds. Using frequent flier miles we were able to get to SJU in first class seats. That freed up the travel budget so we could splurge on a charter flight between SJU and EIS. Clearing customs on our return in the FBO was far superior to fighting lines in the main terminal. The pilots were professional, ground crews efficient, and it was a worthwhile expenditure for us. The only issue, which may well preclude doing this if we return to the BVI, is that getting my 6'6" 310lbs self in the small planes is tough. Regardless of my issues, i recommend them to anyone looking for a charter flight.
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