Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PLANNING YOUR BOAT TRIP
A felicitous combination of geography and geology has positioned the Virgin Islands as sail-
ing's Magic Kingdom. Here you have a year-round balmy climate, steady trade winds, little
to worry about in the way of tides or currents, a protected thoroughfare in the 35-mile-long
Sir Francis Drake Channel, and hundreds of anchorages, each within sight of another. These
factors make the Virgins one of the easiest places to sail - easy, that is, for capable sailors
with piloting skills - and quite a bit lower on the seasickness scale than other Caribbean
cruising grounds.
More than a third of visitors to the Virgins come to sail. In addition to the sandy beaches,
waving palm trees and multihued waters, travelers find all the beach bars, ecologically sens-
itive moorings and purveyors of luxury groceries needed for a sailing sojourn lasting a week
or two.
