This summer we went boating. Not on the M/V Capt. Vic but on a small pleasure boat. It was so much fun feeling the wind in my hair and listening to the kids scream when their Dad was going a bit fast. While boating we got to enjoy our beautiful Virgin Islands where the weather is usually great: the warmth of the sun, the turquoise blue waters, the view of the sandy beaches. It all left quite an impression that is memorable. More importantly, it was family time that I enjoyed. At home, we are all hooked up to our devices, cell phones, iPods and iPads or the good old TV. No one is talking. But when we went boating, the outdoors provided the perfect backdrop for conversations. We didn't swim, snorkel, or waterski, although all of these are perfectly good activities to enjoy while boating. Instead, we just island hopped and enjoyed the beauty that is the Virgin Islands, both US and British. Stay safe while boating. Luckily our driver is a bonafide boat Captain. But if you don't have a licensed driver you can always take lessons and learn how to maneuver a vessel. Your family will enjoy the adventure. Let us know about your boating experiences by commenting below.
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Some may wonder “well isn’t catching a car ferry in the Virgin Islands similar to catching it anywhere else?” Yes and no. Yes, like any place else, you can make a reservation or book online. Give us a call at 340-779-4000 or book online at http://www.lovecitycarferries.com/book-now.html. If you call, our receptionists will help you. If you choose not to book, not a problem, the M/V Capt. Vic departs from St. Thomas to St. John at 7 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, 5 PM, and 7 PM. The true differences arise once you are on island. Firstly if you are coming from the continental USA, you will have to get accustomed to driving on the left. It is not as bad you may anticipate. Driving is driving left or right, just follow the cars ahead of you and stay in your lane when you are making a turn. Also, we have this thing in the Virgin Islands call island time so don’t be too perturbed if someone stops in the middle of the road to talk to a friend. It happens. Trust me; they won’t be in a hurry no matter how much you blow your horn. Make sure to plan your route with possible delays in mind. There are numerous ways to get from the airport in St. Thomas to the Red Hook terminal facility. Here is one, click and scroll to the bottom of the page: http://www.lovecitycarferries.com/contact-us.html. Once you arrive in Red Hook, St. Thomas there are just a few more things to get accustomed to that may differ from catching a car ferry elsewhere. In the Virgin Islands you have to pay fees at the terminal in Red Hook before you can access the departure docks. The fees are collected by the Virgin Islands Port Authority http://www.viport.com/. This fine agency is keeping our ports safe and secure so please pay attention to their rules and regulations. The M/V Capt. Vic is a black and white car ferry and the crew wears blue tops. If you bought a ticket it is important that you make sure you board the correct vessel. The trip to St. John is about 25 minutes to 30 minutes long. Get your camera ready. Pillsbury Sound, the waterway separating St. Thomas from St. John is picturesque. Enjoy this short cruise and most of all enjoy your stay in the Virgin Islands. A Good sailor will also go back to basics in a storm. He will take down the spinnaker; he may remove the jib. He focuses all his attention on the most important thing to get him out of the storm-- he focuses on the mainsail. ~Dirk Zeller I read the quote above in a book on real estate. But I thought it to be applicable to all areas of life. Yes, focus on the mainsail --goals, objectives, values, etc. Get back to basics. Do what is right. Do what you know produces big results. The sad thing is that sometimes we meander through life without a mainsail. Imagine you were on a sailing ship with no mainsail and a storm came. The storms or even slightly high winds would toss you hither, thither and yon. You may end up someplace you had no intentions of going. Life is the same. We need our mainsail to win. For Love City Car Ferries, Inc. our mainsail is our customers. You are why we do what we do. Contact us at any time. We appreciate you and whatever your mainsail is......focus on it. Best wishes! Crewed motor yachts are yachts that you charter for a vacation without needing to have any sailing experience. With the crewed charters, you don’t have to do any work in handling the yacht or navigating the waters of the location you choose. You can choose to have a luxury charter where you have exquisite surroundings and meals prepared by a chef. Waiters bring you drinks and the members of the crew will provide instructions for water sports if you need any. Crewed motor yachts range in size from yachts that can only take 2 passengers to ones that can take up to 12 or more.
A crewed motor yacht charter is an excellent choice for a family vacation. Children are welcome on these yacht charters, but none of the crew will be assigned to looking after them, even with luxury motor yacht charter. Parents are expected to keep the children entertained and to bring whatever they need for enjoyment aboard with them. Crewed motor yachts are perfectly safe for children, but like any location, you do need to keep them within your sight at all times. When you choose a luxury motor yacht charter, you have a personal chef to prepare your meals. However, before you arrive to meet the yacht, you will already have informed the company about your food preferences through the food preference sheet. This sheet also includes a list of beverages for you to choose from, which include soda, wines and alcoholic beverages. The chefs of crewed motor yachts take great care to prepare meals that you will enjoy and only use the freshest ingredients. In the case of fruits and vegetables, the chef of a crewed motor yacht charter may buy foods at the various locations. Whether or not you experience any seasickness on crewed yacht charters depends on you. It is probably a good idea to take some form of seasickness medication with you so that you can thoroughly enjoy being on a luxury motor yacht. If you are new to vacationing on a crewed motor yacht charter, be sure to let the crew know so they can choose routes that will cause you less discomfort. If you smoke, you will have to limit your habit to the outside areas of the yacht. Since the interior of the yacht consists of close quarters, yacht charter companies do not permit smoking inside. With crewed motor yachts you have comfort and style. You do not have to bring anything with you and all the linens, dishes and utensils are there for you to use. Both the exterior and interior of these yachts are roomy so you can sit back and enjoy the charter in comfort. You don’t have to worry about the wind because the motor will take you to your destination on time. You can enjoy air-conditioning with luxury motor yacht charters, although most of the charter yachts do have this feature included. Depending on the location and type of charter, some crewed charter yachts include scuba diving equipment, kayaks and other equipment you would need to enjoy a variety of water sports. Charlotte Amalie Harbor, St. Thomas, VI Have you ever enjoyed the pleasure of spending an afternoon boating on a lake or an ocean? If so, then you know how fun boating can be. You know that there is nothing quite like the feeling of being on the water and enjoying time in beautiful weather. Boating is a great activity for many reasons. First, it is great because it allows people to be outside in the beauty of nature. There is no better way to spend a beautiful afternoon than boating. Not only do you get to be outside, but you also get to enjoy being in and on the water. Boating enables you to enjoy the warmth and the sun. It is necessary and helpful for people to get outside and boating is one of the best ways to do that. Boating also provides time for family and friends to gather and enjoy the company of one another. Busy families can get away from the rush of work and activities and enjoy a quiet day away from all distractions. Boating can be a perfect activity that combines rest, beauty and fun. Friends can come together for a day or a weekend and enjoy renewed friendship and conversation during a special boating trip. A great thing about boating is that it includes several different ways to have fun. Boating allows you to enjoy the quiet and peace of anchoring at a spot on the water or you can enjoy the wind in your face as you speed from one side of the water to another. For many people, boating also means swimming, tubing, and even waterskiing. Once you are out on the water there are so many ways to enjoy the day. You can anchor the boat and spend hour after hour jumping into the water and swimming. More adventurous people will want to try out a tube or a waterski to enjoy boating even more. Some will love the thrill of watching the tubers or the waterskiers from the safety of the boat. Whatever water activities sound fun to you, boating is a great way to enjoy them all. If you have never learned how to handle a boat you can take lessons and learn how to lead your friends or family in a boating adventure. If you do not own a boat and are not sure if purchasing one is right for you, look for a family member or friend to lend you theirs for a weekend boating excusion. In no time you will be so excited about boating that you will want to purchase your own. Your family and friends will look to you to provide the endless hours of outdoor fun that boating is sure to provide. Enjoy! From your M/V Capt. Vic Friends at Love City Car Ferries, Inc. |