Destinations
(Example Itinerary)
British Virgin Islands | Boston | Grenadines | New England

British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands – The sailing Capital of the Caribbean. Fly into Beef Island Airport, Tortola where one of our staff will meet you for the scenic coastal drive to our base at the Nanny Cay Marina. Your catamaran “home” will be at the marina.


Arrival Day:
Best Revenge 5 awaits you at our base in Nanny Cay Marina. You will be greeted upon arrival by your crew and welcomed aboard with a refreshing cocktail. After being shown to your cabin and introduced to your new home, take a little time to get settled in. Enjoy dinner aboard and while your yacht remains in harbor for the evening, you can taxi into Tortola’s “capital”, Roadtown, or over to West End to sample some Pussers rum, the most famous drink in the Caribbean.

Cruising Day 1:
After a scrumptious breakfast, a short sail takes you to the Indians for a delightful snorkel or scuba dive. Following a lunch stop at Peter Island, it is time to head up the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Salt Island. Here you can dive or snorkel the Wreck of the Rhone, famous for its part in the movie, “The Deep”, and acclaimed as the best wreck dive in the Caribbean. Dinner will be served on board at Peter Island.

Cruising Day 2:
The most recognized place in the BVI’s is The Baths, a unique formation of large boulders, littering the beach along the southern tip of Virgin Gorda. You can choose to explore the many caverns and grottos either by foot or by snorkel. In the afternoon we will sail to The North Sound, the BVI’s favorite playground. The protected waters lend themselves to every water sport imaginable, windsurfing, water-skiing, kayaking or simply a game of volleyball on the beach.

Cruising Day 3:
After breakfast, we will venture out into Eustatia Sound, where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean. The water is crystal clear and teaming with tropical fish and reef life just waiting for you to explore. Rendezvous at the Bitter End for a smooth rum punch and relax to the sounds of the Caribbean steel drum band. Lunch is served on onboard with a beach barbecue for dinner.

Cruising Day 4:
Following breakfast, partake in an adventurous sail to Anegada, a flat coral atoll completely surrounded by reef. Many ships have been lost off the reef, providing an underwater paradise for scuba divers and snorkellers alike. Anegada is surrounded by a mile of the most glorious beaches and renowned for the best-grilled lobster in the Caribbean. Lunch will be served on board and guests usually take dinner ashore at one of the restaurants along the beaches.

Cruising Day 5:
Sail to Marina Cay, with its brightly colored villas and tropical flowers, undoubtedly the most spectacular cay in the BVI’s. The diving at Diamond Reef is some of the best to be found anywhere. Spend a relaxing day around the cay or lazing around the boat.

Cruising Day 6:
Haul up the spinnaker and sail for Jost Van Dyke, the beach bar capital of the islands. We will drop the anchor at Sandy Cay for lunch and kayak ashore to explore the island. Don’t forget to enjoy a frozen drink at Foxy’s. After lunch we set sail back to Tortola towards Nanny Cay. As it is the last evening guests dine ashore at one of the many restaurants in Tortola, with a recommendation to try QUITO’S WITH A GREAT LOCAL BAND EACH EVENING.

Departure Day:
After breakfast aboard, it is time to pack up all your belongings and memories. Your crew will arrange transport back to the airport before exchanging fond farewells.

Boston

What is it that called to the first settlers to stay and eke out a living from the land, battling harsh winters and Native Americans who didn't want to give up their land or their way of life? What is it that makes the people living in this region so fiercely independent? Is it the weather during the summer, with the bright sunny days that seem to last forever, or when the fog rolls in and wraps itself around you with its dark cottony silence, or even the days of cold, slashing rain, when you can finally curl up with a good book and not feel guilty about it? Is it the coastline that varies from beaches to craggy cliffs, from cozy harbors to off-shore islands, with lighthouses scattered to guide you along the way? What ever it is, once experienced, it will call to you to return again and again.

We will explore from Boston to the mid-coast of Maine. Since the voyage begins in Boston, you might want to take the opportunity to visit nearby Marblehead and Salem. Marblehead, with its rocky beach and magnificent harbor, historic homes and narrow streets, is New England as you imagined it when you dreamed of taking a New England charter holiday.

Salem is also a quick hop away, and since you are in the area, you will want to include it on your "must see" list. Just realize that Boston has grown around it, and it is not the colony of the 1690s that you read about in your history books. The Salem Witch Museum is great fun for young and old alike, and the actors do a magnificent job in bringing the Witch Trials of 1692 to life with lessons relevant to contemporary issues of human rights and tolerance. Time permitting, the House of the Seven Gables that was featured in Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1851 novel of the same name is nearby and the tour there is excellent also. If you didn't read the book in your freshman high school English class, never fear, there is an audiovisual program to fill you in on the plot.

Back to your charter yacht, and it is now time to head north and explore New England as it was seen by the first European settlers - from the deck of a vessel! Leaving Boston behind, you will go through Boston Harbor Islands State Park. This is an archipelago consisting of 30 islands, most of which are undeveloped. Georges Island is the visitor and transportation hub of the park; if you are not on your own yacht the only way to experience the islands is via the ferry from Boston.

Cape Ann is home to artists, who come for the unique quality of the light, and to generations of fisherman who have used it as their home port as they fished the Banks. Most recently the movie "Perfect Storm" portrayed Gloucester and its fishing community. Gloucester and Rockport are the most well-known towns in the area, clinging to their rocky shores and filled with restaurants and shops. Gloucester was not only the first settlement on Cape Ann, it is also the oldest seaport in the nation, having been established in 1623. The statue of the Gloucester fisherman is a New England landmark, and the inscription at the bottom reads: "They that go down to the sea in ships", a fitting tribute to the more than 10,000 Gloucester fishermen that have been lost in three centuries of fishing. Each June during the Saint Peter's Fiesta there is a Blessing of the Fleet Ceremony.

Rockport, another fishing village and major artists' colony, is also home to a weathered red lobster shack that has held such a fascination for so many artists that is has actually been name Motif No. 1! Shhh - don't tell anyone, but it is actually a replica of the original shack which was destroyed in a storm several years ago - maybe the Perfect Storm? Rockport is great fun to poke about in, with a terrific selection of galleries, craft shops and restaurants to choose from.

Next stop: New Hampshire with its total of 18 miles of coastal shoreline. Wait! You didn't even know that New Hampshire had a shoreline? Don't worry, it probably only means that by the time you were old enough to play with the State Map Puzzle, which graces most every home, someone had already lost the tiny states of Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire, and those states had long ago been sucked up in the vacuum cleaner, never to be seen again. So, for heaven's sakes, get out the atlas and see that New Hampshire does indeed boast a shoreline! Robert Frost wrote: "Just specimens is all New Hampshire has, One each of everything as in a show case, Which naturally she doesn't care to sell.." The sentiment pretty much personifies and typifies New Hampshire. Tiny though it is, it does have a splendid variety of scenery: seacoast, the highest mountain peaks in all of New England, fertile farmlands, dense woodlands, and even a host of small islands, the Isle of Shoals. These offshore jewels are actually split between New Hampshire (Star, Lunging, and White) and Maine (Appledore, Duck, Cedar, Malaga, and Smuttynose). Yes, you read that right, there is actually an island named Smuttynose. Where else but in New England would you find such a name?

Capt. John Smith was the first European to map the Isle of Shoals in 1614. Only, at that time, he named them "Smith Isles", but the name didn't stick. Eventually the name of the Isle of Shoals was adopted, speculation being that they were not named for shallow water shoals, but for the abundance of fish, as "shoals" and "schools" of fish mean the same thing. Of the Isles, Capt. Smith wrote: "of all the foure parts of the world that I have yet seene not inhabited, could I but means to transport a colonie, I would rather live here". However, when Smith was granted only these same tiny islands in payment for all his years of service, he was less than thrilled and never returned. Today they remain largely uninhabited, the main attractions being the Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore and the Oceanic conference facility on Star Island.

Ever since a small group of English fishermen landed on Odiornes' Point (now the town of Rye, just south of Portsmouth) in 1623, independence and self-reliance have been traits exhibited by the people living here. In fact, on January 5, 1776, New Hampshire drew up its own constitution and declared its independence from England six months before the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776. New Hampshire's only seaport, Portsmouth was once the capital of the state and homeport to a dynasty of merchant seamen. The shipbuilding industry increased the importance of Portsmouth Harbor, and with the establishment of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1800, additional fortification of the area, beyond the early forts built for the protection of the colonists were needed. This period saw an additional four forts being constructed, with the final coastal fortification during WW II, when batteries were added to Fort Foster and Fort Dearborn was constructed. What this means to you is that there are plenty of forts that are historic sites or parks and all are fun places to spend time exploring.

Henry David Thoreau termed Maine the last remaining wilderness east of the Mississippi in his journal of 1846-1857. Indeed, today, 90% of Maine remains virtually uninhabited. Even though the first known European explorer, John Cabot, first set foot in Maine in 1497, it did not become a state in its own right until 1820.

The sea chills quickly as you move northeast, so if you are planning to swim in Maine, York Beach is the place to do it! York Beach has a long stretch of white sand, surrounded by dunes and marshes. If you don't want to swim, York Village has many historic buildings, a colonial-period cemetery, and the oldest jail in America, the Old Gaol. Nearby Ogunquit means "beautiful place by the sea", which indeed it is with its three-mile beach of inviting white sand. From the center of town, the legendary Marginal Way, a mile long path winds along the ledges high above the Atlantic, providing superb views of the ocean and shoreline tidal pools.

Past the Kennebunks lies Portland, Maine's largest city (population 65,000) and the states' commercial and cultural center. First settled in 1631, Portland was burned to the ground three times: by raiding Indians in 1676, by invading British troops in 1775, and by accident in 1866. From its beginnings, the city was an important maritime center, with its natural deepwater harbor, and because it was 100 miles closer to Europe than any other port in the United States. Overfishing of the Atlantic fisheries and lobster beds has cut into Portland's trade, so many of the docks have been converted to other uses, including artist's studios and retail shops. One of the "must sees" in Portland is the Maine Historical Society, with its many exquisite old houses, including the 1785 boyhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The new Portland Public Market with its colorful displays of local seafood, baked goods, cheeses, produce and specialty foods sold by the people who make, catch or grow them is a fun diversion.

Camden, with its sparkling harbor, is a Maine classic; it is every traveler's fantasy with postcard perfect scenery in every direction. The harbor bustles with activity, filled with fishing boats and cruising boats alike. So beautiful and popular in fact, that you might find it too busy and opt for the less hectic nearby Rockport, perched helter-skelter on a patch of hills overlooking the harbor with a lighthouse at its northern tip. The mile-long breakwater protects the harbor, and though not as beautiful as Camden, it might appeal to the person in search for a quieter pace.

We have now come to the most northerly stop of our journey, Mt. Desert Island, home to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. Viewed in 1604 by a Frenchman, Samuel Champlain, he wrote "The mountain summits are all bare and rocky.I name it Isles des Monts Desert." Not real poetic, but unlike Capt. Smiths' naming of his isles, the name stuck.even the French pronunciation, de zert, as in "I'll skip the salad, just give me the dessert". Acadia National Park was established in 1916 and occupies most of Mount Desert Island, as well as part of Isle au Haut to the south and the Schoodic Peninsula to the north. Much of the land was donated by George Door and by John D. Rockefeller Jr, who also paid for construction of many of the park's roads.

Bar Harbor is where you go to relax after hiking the trails of Acadia. Once rivaling Newport, RI, for its wealth and extravagance, a great fire in 1947 that burned out of control for nearly a month destroyed much of the island, including most of the mansions. The few mansions that survived have been transformed into inns. Plenty to do in Bar Harbor, whether you want to stroll the shore path, explore the Abbe Museum, which has one of the largest collections of Native American craftwork in the Northeast, poke around its many shops, or sample some of the culinary delights in the restaurants. Or you just might want to get an ice cream cone and sit on a park bench overlooking the surrounding islands and contemplate that nagging question: What is it about New England that feels so much like home, calling you to return back again and again?

Grenadines

Canouan is quite literally the gateway to the Grenadines, and the Grenadines are regarded by most as the “Jewels of the Caribbean”. No Cruise ships or even Taxis, the only transportation is reserved for private yachts like ours. The first afternoon and evening you will enjoy the facilities and dine ashore at the Tamarind Bay Resort.

Cruising Day 1& 2:
Over a full breakfast, the guests and crew have a tough decision to make – Do we spend the first night in Mustique or head straight down to the Grenadines! A decision that unfortunately will depend on the sea conditions, as sailing North to Mustique can be quite rough. In the opposite direction and just over a one hour sail is……… paradise - the Tobago Cays.

Here will be sailing on very calm seas in clear blue waters the color of your swimming pool. Very often pods of dolphin will come alongside and play in our wake. Snorkeling and Diving on the shallow live coral reefs with their vast diversity of marine life is an experience second to none. Depending on which route we take, we will spend two days and one night in the midst of these strikingly beautiful atolls.

Cruising Day 3:
Early afternoon cruise to Union Island where we will go alongside the dock for the night. As the island name suggests, this is the crossroads for Yachts cruising the Grenadines with quite a bustling local marina community. After cocktails and dinner on board we walk over to the bar at the Bougainvillea restaurant for more cocktails and entertainment.

Cruising Day 4:
Palm Island, an exclusive private island resort is a short hop across the channel. We will stop here for a walk around this beautiful palm fringed island and a swim in the turquoise waters before sailing on to Mopion, a tiny spit of white sand in the middle of nowhere. We sail on to another favorite spot, the private island resort of Petit Saint Vincent. Dinner on board in the very calm anchorage and then another shore excursion for those that want to test their karaoke.

Cruising Day 5:
Today takes you to the primitive fishing bay of Chatham on the uninhabited west side of Union Island. Snorkeling amongst the Pelicans diving to catch their prey is an unforgettable experience. Towering cliffs that plunge into the sea either side of a long white beach make this the perfect spot to take a cooler to the beach and wonder if this is what Paradise looks like.

Cruising Day 6:
Mayreau Island lies on the South Western extreme of the Tobago Cays. Here, tucked away, on its western side is a unique slender spit of land dividing the rugged windward side from the calms of the leeward. On the Leeward side is a stunningly gorgeous long white beach with a stone beach bar – you are now in Salt Whistle Bay. Venture over the top of the island to visit the little fishing village with its old Chapel and school. After lunch, your Captain and Hostess will prepare a floating bar with exotic cocktails. Sip and swim! Afternoon departure back to Canouan and dinner ashore at The Tamarind Yacht Club.

Day 7 – Departure Day
After breakfast, sadly your adventure comes to an end – but not for long. You will already have made plans for your next venture.

New England

Ah, New England. The very thought of it evokes a kaleidoscope of images, memories and smells. An area so steeped in history that it comes alive and banishes the remembered labor of childhood history classes. But is was probably in those same childhood classes that you first heard of, and studied New England. The textbook images of white church spires piercing a clear blue sky, forests ablaze with autumn colors, bright red lobsters, waiting to be feasted on. Have you experienced New England yet? Have you smelled the salty sea air, the green of woods, the wild roses growing along the cliff? If you haven't, it is time you did, and if you have, now is the time to go back again and create more wonderful memories.

Middle New England, so close, but so exotic. Newport north to Boston, with stops at the close islands and a chance to whale watch, this is our setting, ripe for exploring. We begin the adventure in Newport, which is exciting and beautiful in any season. Sleepy and snow shrouded in winter, she blooms with bustling life during the summer. You will want to schedule a full day in Newport, and then probably wish you had been able to linger longer. There are several "must do" things in Newport, and highest ranking on the list is visiting the famed Cottages. Mansions to most of us, these were merely summer cottages for the rich and famous following the Civil War. The Preservation Society of Newport maintains eight of the perhaps dozen that remain. Walking across perfectly manicured lawns, standing on the wide verandas looking out at the ocean or marveling at the grandeur of the interior one of these mansions, stop and close your eyes. Listen very carefully. Can you hear the clink of champagne glasses, the soft tones of the chamber orchestra? Can you imagine living in this manner? Living the life you read about in The Great Gatsby? Days gone by, but lucky us, we can still enjoy the beauty and pretend we were there, if only for a moment.

One of the best way to appreciate the sheer beauty of the mansions and their view of the ocean is by walking the Cliff Walk, a three-and-one-half-mile coastal path that hugs the coastline. Though it begins near Newport Beach (just off Memorial Boulevard) and ends on a side street off Bellevue Avenue, you can pick it up at several places along the walk, including Forty Steps, located at the end of Narragansett Ave. Beautiful at any time, early mornings are particularly magical, especially when the wild roses are in bloom.

If you have time and energy, other places to visit include the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the Museum of Yachting, the many galleries and "Antique Alley", which is a cluster of antique shops grouped on Spring and Thames Street. Depending on when you are there, the Chowder Festival and Jazz Fest are great fun.

Leaving Newport behind, it is Island Fever Time, New England style. Block Island, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, conveniently nearby, but miles away from the frantic pace of everyday living. Block Island is only about 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island, with Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket adjacent to Cape Cod. Rarely crowded, even in the middle of summer, Block Island is a colorful palette of multicolored clay cliffs, shifting sand dunes, crashing waves, and fields of honeysuckle. One quarter of the island is designated as preservation land where rare birds and habitats can be observed. The Greenway is a network of trails that wind through park, conservancy and private land; it starts mid-island and ends on the south shore. However, most people coming to Block Island are eager to visit the beaches. The most popular is Crescent Beach, which is actually three separate beaches. The first is Benson Beach, complete with chair and umbrella rentals, showers and a snack bar. Following the dune paths, you will arrive at Scotch Beach. Further on is Mansion Beach, located beneath the cliffs and the ruins of a former ocean-side mansion. Mohegan Bluffs are located on the island's south shore and are multi-colored clay cliffs that tower 200 feet above the ocean. They stretch for several miles along the shore, offering spectacular ocean views and steep paths leading to the beaches that rim the coastline below.

Bartholomew Gosnold brought a group of colonists in 1602 toMartha's Vineyard. These were to be the first residents of the triangular-shaped island, named for the wild grapes Gosnold found growing everywhere. The colonists were gone after 3 weeks,but soon replaced by many more. The Vineyard is 20 miles long, and 10 miles wide, large enough to have a myriad of fascinating places to visit, small enough to be able to do so on a bike. The island is one of rolling moors, salt marshes, secluded coves and colored cliffs, perfect for those who enjoy the outdoors. For the history and architecture lovers, Edgartown is a treasure trove, waiting to be explored. Start at the Martha's Vineyard Historical Society and Vineyard Museum, which includes the Thomas Cooke House and Captain Pease House. Though not part of this complex, the Vincent House Museum gives you a glimpse of life as it was, 300 years ago. The Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust maintains this structure, built in 1672, which is the oldest house on the Island. Time for some fresh air? Hop back on your bike and take experience Martha's Vineyard State Forest, in the center of the island, with its dense stands of pines, or the Manuae F. Correllus State Park, which has 4,400 acres of hiking paths and bike trails. Still not tired? The Oak Bluffs to Edgartown trail is a 12-mile round-trip that runs along the waterfront. If you have any energy left after your day of history and riding, pick up a copy of the Vineyard Gazette, the newspaper that has served Martha's Vineyard for over 150 years!

Of the great American Novels, one of the best loved and most often quoted is Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Melville said of the Nantucketers: "these sea hermits, issuing from their ant-hill in the sea, overran and conquered the watery world like so many Alexanders, parceling out among them the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans". For almost 100 years, Nantucket was among the world's greatest whaling ports. Today the whaling is gone, but the island remains one of the most charming and picturesque places in New England. To visit the Nantucket of days gone by, make sure you visit the Whaling Museum, which is housed in what once was a factory for refining whale oil. There are exhibits of all of the tools of the whaling trade, plus a whaleboat, an excellent collection of scrimshaw and a full-sized whale skeleton. The local Historical Society has pamphlets giving a self-guided walking tour of Nantucket Town, the main port. During its heyday, Nantucket Town was home to over 10,000 residents. The cobblestone streets, lined with large stately trees surrounding elegant houses, give testimony to the success of the sea captains, merchants and ship owners. One of the most well-preserved is the Hadwen House, which contains many of the original furnishing. The oldest remaining house was built in 1686 and is a fine example of the saltbox style dwelling so popular in the Colonial 17th century. One of the best ways to see the natural side of Nantucket is by bike. There are several well marked bike paths on the island, offering you views of cranberry bogs, wetlands, moors and ponds. Be warned, several of these paths are 12 to 16 miles long, so you will want to be prepared. One of the best places to relax and rejuvenate in Nantucket Town is The Brotherhood of Thieves. With its low, oak-beamed ceilings, wood paneling and lots of candles, you feel like you have been transported back in time and quite possibly over to England! What a lovely way to end a very pleasant day.

Hyannis bills itself as Cape Cod's "hub", and is indeed packed with restaurants, shops, clubs, hotels.and people! A popular base for visits up and down the Cape, Hyannis is the Cape's commercial center. Summer season is brimming with things to do, including the Hyannis Harbor Festival in June, the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, and the Boston Pops with Pops-by-the-Sea in August. Intense national attention was focused on Hyannis in the early 1960's, when John F. Kennedy was president. The Kennedy family still owns a large estate, the Kennedy Compound. The John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum documents JFK's life and his time in Hyannis.

November 21, 1620, the Mayflower Pilgrims landed at what is now Provincetown after 67 days at sea. They stayed but a month, as the soil was thin and fresh water was scarce before sailing on to Plymouth, across Cape Cod Bay. During that month, they wrote and signed the Mayflower Compact, a charter establishing a government based on the will of the majority. This document, as we all learned in history class, would set the stage for the writing of the Constitution and the American Revolution. Known to those who love her as "P-town", Provincetown brims with life and merriment. There is always something to do, rain or shine, but perhaps the best part of P-town is watching everyone else. Gay life is a given, but there are plenty of other colorful individuals that call it home, and then, of course, you can always watch the antics of the tourists. A Mecca for artists, the Provincetown Art Association and Museum has four galleries of changing exhibits by Outer Cape Artists. There are several other museums to poke about in, but for the sheer fun of it, visit the Marine Specialists. Crammed with everything from cheap souvenirs to military surplus items from the USSR, the shop will put you into sensory overload!

Just outside Provincetown is the Cape Cod National Seashore, established in 1961. Encompassing 43,500 acres, the park runs from Provincetowon down to Orleans, including within its borders: ocean beaches, wind-swept dunes, salt pond marshes and spectacular cliffs, as well as pitch pine and scrub-oak forests. A succession of glacial deposits and wind and wave erosion formed Cape Cod's present hook shape. Studies indicate that the sea and wind action are eroding the Cape at an alarming rate, and that the land itself might be sinking into the sea. Take some time to sit on the beach and simply watch the waves roll in, reflecting on the what has happened to this locality to create it, and what continues to shape it, and consider how precious the area is.

The entire province is special, but one of the most spectacular treats of the region is to go whale watching. Assuming you will end your charter adventure in Boston, your captain has saved the best part of the trip until last by giving you the chance to experience the thrill of seeing whales on your final day at sea. The Stellwagen Bank is located about twenty-five miles of the Massachusetts coast and is one of the richest marine environments in the United States. The 640-square-mile area is the perfect physical, oceanographic and meteorological blend of circumstances that combine to produce an enormous quantity of plankton that lures pelagic fish, sea birds, turtles and marine mammals. Stellwagen Bank is both the principal feeding ground and nursery for both large and small whale species, including fin, minke, northern right, pilot and orca. Perhaps the most exciting whale species to populate the Bank is the humpback whale, with their impressive displays of flukes and flippers.

The entrance to Boston Harbor is guarded by an archipelago consisting of 30 islands. As your captain eases your charter yacht past them and into her berth in Boston, you just might find yourself thinking that maybe next time you should start your charter in Boston, explore some of those islands, then head on up the coast to Maine. Yes, you haven't even finished this adventure, and already you are planning your next charter; which really is the what a holiday is about, isn't it?