Many visitors like to skip the booking agents and book a day sail or snorkeling tour themselves. This can be a great opportunity to talk to your captain personally before you go and make sure you get the trip you want. 

Most booking agents require the companies they book to carry insurance, a Virgin Islands Business License, First Aid and CPR training and a US Coast GuardCaptain's License. These are important documents that show the company is not just a fly by operation or a cruiser out to make a few quick bucks on the side. 

It's a great idea to book your own tour but be sure to ask whether they are licensed and insured. Legitimate companies will have these documents immediately available. Established companies will almost always offer a better tour because they have a reputation to uphold and it is their business. You don't want to end up on a poorly maintained boat with an inexperienced captain. 

You also may want a company that holds a Virgin Islands National Park Permit. Only certain boats hold Park permits. Even on tours to the British Virgin Islands stopping in the park for a snorkel is a nice add on. 

When sailing to the British Virgin Islands your tour company should require a currentpassport and should clear you back through US Customs. If they don't ask for this, choose another company to avoid hassles at the airport on your way home. 

To get the best excursion you can be sure the company has an established on -line presence. A company that's been around a while should generate search results not only for their own website, but for press releases, travel forums like this one, blogs, etc. 

To get the excursion you deserve do your research first, vacation only comes once a year. Good luck and happy sailing. 

Capt. Han 

This adventurous family snorkeled Rondevu Bay on the South Shore before sailing out to a little island in the Virgin Islands National Park for a picnic lunch. 

We sailed to Sandy Spit in the British Virgin Islands. The island is a perfect dot of sand with a few palm trees in the middle. I was surprised to see that the island had actually grown to the south. A good size sandbar had formed, although you can still walk around the whole idyllic island in 5 minutes! We also found the african vine Knik Knik growing. It was brought by the slaves from africa, they used the seeds as playing pieces in the game of Warri - the oldest board game in the world.

2007 is going to be a great year. Check out our new guests, new boats and new destinations.

We've already sailed to Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands thanks to Bruce and Amanda. We've added new staff including a certified US Sailing instructor available for lessons. St John, St Thomas, sailing the Caribbean from island to island.

On our last snorkel tour we saw a french angel fish, a spotted moray eel and a huge scrawled file fish. Our snorkeling spots never cease to amaze me.

If you want to rent a boat, learn to sail or take a sailing charter or snorkel tour you won't have anymore fun than this!

This mother and son team sailed out to uninhabited Henley Cay and Honeymoon Beach. We played tag, went snorkeling, and sailed through some big ferry wakes. They helped work the jib and had a fun ride on the front net! I dropped them right at their room at Caneel Bay.

This adventerous couple signed up for three sailing lessons. They are learning to sail so they can charter a catamaran in Belize and go island hopping! Glad we could help.

Another couple just chartered a yacht from Sunsail, it's their second one this season after taking sailing lessons with us last year.

What are your sailing goals?