How do you describe a week on what felt like another planet? For most of 8 days, we lived on one – a 40 foot catamaran sailing the British Virgin Islands where we spent far more time floating on the ocean than with our feet on dry land. This trip had existed on our bucket list for over a decade and the stars finally aligned in 2024: we had the perfect travel companions (8 days on a boat together requires the right mix of personalities), our parents were all retired and in good health, our kiddos were old enough for us to feel comfortable leaving the country for 10 days with very little contact, and our jobs were flexible enough for us to be fully off the grid.

The planning began almost a year before the trip was to occur. Luckily, our friend Ryan is an adept planner and travel enthusiast. With input from the group, he meticulously researched yacht companies and designed an epic itinerary highlighting some of the best spots in BVI. We chartered a 40 foot, 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom catamaran with Virgin Islands Yacht Charters and hired a captain. From there, we combed through endless reports to curate packing lists, strategize ways to save money, and maximize fun. Pro tip: fill a box with non-perishable grocery items and other things that are extremely expensive on the islands (think peanut butter, sunscreen, snacks, etc.) and do a one-way checked box at the airport.

Departure day arrived early Friday morning after a never-ending work week and we all miraculously arrived in St. Thomas on time! Ryan and his wife, Joanna, had the earliest flight and rented a car to provision the boat. They had a nice little adventure driving on the left side of the road picking up groceries. Yes, even though St. Thomas is a US Virgin Island, they still drive on the wrong side of the road! We landed just minutes before Tyler and Elena, the other couple that would be joining us for the week and we split a cab through Big Love Taxi Service and met Ryan and Joanna at Compass Point Marina where they had already loaded up the boat with a bulk of the groceries and necessities we would need for the week.

After a delightful evening catching up with the group over food and drinks and meeting our captain, Bryan at The Dive Bar, we retired to the boat slipped at the marina. Day one brought us clear skies and headwinds as we motored toward St. Johns. After a quick pit stop to snorkel at Lovango Cay (just OK spot but on the way), we made it to Maho Bay where we moored. Maho is a gorgeous little bay located within the US Virgin Islands National Park where we paddleboarded, snorkeled, and swam with sea turtles. After grabbing a few drinks at the Paddle-In Tiki Bar, we headed back to the boat for dinner, more drinks and bed.

Sunday was customs day and we sailed over to Soper’s Hole on Tortola to meet with our clearing agent from Ultimate Vacation BVI. The process was impressively efficient; instead of waiting in a never-ending customs line at an airport, our agent took care of the paperwork for us while we grabbed provisions at Harbor Market and lunch with a Painkiller at Pussers. An hour later, we were on our way to Norman Island to snorkel the Caves at Treasure Point. We had never snorkeled a spot like this and it was a cool change of pace from the typical coral-viewing expeditions.

Next up was Willy T’s! The place lived up to its reputation and we had a blast slamming rum drinks and jumping off the top. After a quick pit stop back on the catamaran to get ready for dinner, we dinghied over to the Pirates Bight. Everything was going perfectly until Cade tripped on a beach to deck transition and smashed up a toe. After a lot of blood and some drama, crisis was avoided but it was a bit of a bummer to have an annoying injury on such an adventurous trip.

We woke early the next morning to score a prime mooring ball at The Indians, a famous snorkeling and dive spot. Cade was still laid up nursing his injured toe but Molly got to soak in the underwater wonders. The spot delivered and was one of the best spots she had ever snorkeled! From there, we continued our journey northeast to hit the wreck of the Rhone. The visibility was limited at this spot but Molly and the group got to see a bit of the wreck. The Indians were definitely the better snorkel spot.

Although it was getting later in the day, Ryan called an audible and we decided to hit The Baths on Virgin Gorda before the park closed at 4pm. Pictures did this place absolutely no justice and we were immensely grateful that we arrived at the end of the day as the crowds were starting to thin. After a dinghy ride and swim into the beach, we hiked to the Top of The Baths for a cocktail and a soak in the pool with breathtaking views. From there, we descended down to Devil’s Bay and The Baths, thoroughly enjoying every minute of our nearly private tour of this stunning park and bizarre Batholithic rock formations.

Tuesday morning we awoke at our mooring in Long Bay and set sail for our final eastern voyage to the Bitter End off of Prickly Pear Island. After a quick pit stop for lunch in Leverick Bay, we pushed on for a mooring off of Saba Rock Resort where we were greeted by the Rum Runner and enjoyed some delicious frozen cocktails on the boat before heading off to a nearby snorkel spot. The visibility was middling due to some chop coming in from the Atlantic but it was a great spot for shallow water snorkeling. After a quick shower, the group got dressed up for a phenomenal evening at Saba Rock with happy hour, tarpon feeding, and an absolutely incredible dinner.

Turning back west might have been a sad day, but the boys had booked SCUBA diving on Wednesday which assuaged any apprehension of the trip winding down. We did a morning two-tank dive with Sunchaser SCUBA and hit Ledges and Sharkplano. The Ledges had some great coral and a HUGE southern stingray on the flats. Sharkplano was a very unique (in a good way) dive spot with the typical wreck fish (grouper, barracuda, etc.) as well as some sand flats with pearly jawfish and a decent coral reef. Both spots were fantastic and the owners of Sunchaser were extraordinary advocates for their home reefs.

Feeling a bit famished after the dive, the group reunited and had lunch at the Bitter End Yacht Club. The setting was surreal but the service left something to be desired. Once satiated, the crew set out on a longer sail westward to Marina Cay. It was a gorgeous day for sailing and we even spotted some whales on the way. We hit up Scrub Island for some ice and provisions then enjoyed a relaxing dinner and evening on the boat (other than the hairy butt guys gratuitously bathing nude on a nearby yacht).

We arose early on Thursday since it would be another very full day. First up was Sandy Spit off of Green Cay. When one pictures an idyllic deserted Caribbean island, this is it. Surrounded by turquoise waters and jaw-dropping views in every direction, we spent a couple hours walking the beach, collecting a few shells, and soaking in the scenery.

The next stop was Jost Van Dyke Island and the Soggy Dollar where the Painkiller originated in the 1970s. Having just departed a nearly deserted island an hour prior, this spot provided an extremely stark contrast. Although beautiful, Jost was absolutely packed with people; most were day trippers so some days are inevitably better than others. We ordered a few drinks and found ourselves a nice quiet spot in the water to float/swim/drink. For dinner, we dinghied back to Jost for a pleasant evening at Hendo’s Hideout followed by a dance party on the yacht hosted by our resident DJ/trip planner Ryan.

Friday it was time to clear back into the US side of the Virgin Islands in Tortola. The wind had picked up over night and we ventured back to Sopers Hole on some rather angry seas and repeated the clearing process with our agent, this time over delicious breakfast at Omar’s Cafe. From there, it was back to the shelter of Maho Bay where we spent our last afternoon and sunset at sea playing in the bay and trying to memorize the picture-perfect scenery surrounding us.

With a bit of reluctance, we pointed the boat west for our final leg of the journey back to St. Thomas Saturday morning to gas up and return the catamaran to the marina. Not wanting our other-worldly week to be over, we all chilled on the boat until the taxi arrived at noon to take us back to civilization and the airport. This trip was undoubtedly an experience of a lifetime with an AMAZING group of people and we will definitely be back (2026?!?!)!