We will also offer our normal 4 day Bareboat program, combined with the St Thomas International Regatta for $2,840.   This class starts Sunday, March 20th, with racing on the 25th to the 27th (which can be done separately from the class, and is always a popular event).  In 2017 we won our class on Varuna!

Sunday Fly in to St Thomas and head to VAruna, which will be at the St Thomas Yacht Club.. We will provision her Sunday afternoon, run through a checkout of Varuna,  review the procedures, practice docking, run through a checkout of Varuna, review the procedures, and work on the Navigation.

Monday  We sail off to St John.  We will visit 4-5 harbors on the way over.   Typically, the first leg will be from the St Thomas YC  to Little St James island at the SE tip of St Thomas where we will practice anchoring.  The second leg will be to Great Cruz Bay or Fish Bay, St John.  The 3rd leg will be to Reef Bay, with a 4th leg to Salt Pond where we will spend the night.

Tuesday    We will start off visiting a few more harbors at the eastern end of St John, where anchoring is allowed, and where we can practice drills like anchoring with 2 anchors.  Actually, Round Bay is exactly the kind of harbor where 2 anchors should be used, given the dramatic wind shifts due to the high hills.  Then we will sail on somewhat of an open water passage to Jost Van Dyke, then clear into and out of the BVI’s (if possible).   Alternatively, we will stay in US waters and head out north of the Virgin Islands.  We will return in the dark, or if an open water passage is needed for Bermuda racers, we will sail through the night and return the following morning.

Wednesday Afternoon – Thursday   Back to the north side of St John, where we visit the amazing harbors of Francis, Cinnamon, Hawknest and Caneel.  By Thursday afternoon we are back at the St Thomas Yacht Club for Race Prep and some fun parties!

Friday – Saturday  Three days of some of the best racing and most enjoyable parties you will ever experience!

Saba / St Barts Program

Sunday   Fly in to St Thomas and head to VAruna, which will be at Independance Boatyard. We will provision her Sunday afternoon, run through a checkout of Varuna,  review the procedures, practice docking, then sail off to the Cowpet Bay, where VAr has a mooring at the St Thomas Yacht Club.

Monday   Run through a checkout of Varuna, review the procedures, then sail off to the West end of St John.  We will visit 4-5 harbors on the way over.   The first leg will be St Thomas YC  to Christmas Cove, Great St James island at the SE tip of St Thomas where we will practice anchoring.  The second leg will be to Reef Bay, St John, where we will pick up a mooring and have lunch.  The 3rd leg will be to Coral Bay, with a 4th leg to East End where we will spend the night.

Tuesday   Sail through the British Virgin Islands.  That afternoon / evening, we will head offshore to Saba (Dutch), about 100NM away. Will be an upwind passage, often in 20+ knots of wind. 2-hour watch schedule 12-6.

Wednesday   Clear into Saba in the AM, tour Island, few hours shore leave (incredible hiking), then sail off to St Barts (French) for the evening and clear in. Enjoy a lovely French diner!  This harbor requires classic Med Mooring.

Thursday   Morning shore leave to explore this lovely island. Sail back to St John, grabbing a mooring at Maho Bay for the evening.

Friday   Clear back into the US at Cruz Bay.  The second leg will be to Honeymoon Beach, St John, where we will pick up a mooring and have lunch.  The 3rd leg will be to Cinnamon Bay where we will spend the night.

Saturday   We sail back to the St Thomas Yacht Club for a clean up and final debrief, then pack up and head off!

Note: The cost for the Bareboat class and certification is $2,200. This does not include food (about $100 per person for food and beverage onboard). One breakfast, one lunch, and two dinners will be taken ashore. You will also pay the customs entry fees per harbor (about $40 per person), and any dockage charges, fuel costs, and other running expenses will be split up and paid for by the crew just as it would be on a charter. The fee does include race entry fees and other costs relating to the regatta.

January 2017 Class Testimonials

“The lessons and week of sailing could not have been better.”

“As relatively new sailors in Portland harbor, my wife and I often team up with another couple who are friends of ours who also have a small sailboat.  After one particularly good sail, we talked about cruising the coast of Maine or in the Caribbean.  Though much can be learned hands on, we all felt a course would be the prudent path to take.  Heidi did some initial research and found Sound Sailing Center in Connecticut.  When we looked into the options, Heidi confirmed the reputation and I jumped at the idea of warm sailing in the winter in the Caribbean.  After a few phone calls, our flights were booked.

The lessons and week of sailing could not have been better.  Martin is a top notch sailor who not only knows his Sailing but is a true teacher. He explained how to do things, when to do them and why.  We spent the week sailing, practicing mob drills, reeling, and studying for the cruising exams.  But never was there a dull moment or a time when we weren’t learning.  We also found time to explore, snorkel and enjoy the sunsets.  Our partners who did not complete the course were less “on duty” but also were part the crew, helped sail, learned a lot, and enjoyed themselves.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to do any serious sailboat cruising.  My understanding of sailing a larger mono hull, sailboat navigation, diesel engines and docking has grown by leaps and bounds.  And it all happens in the warmth of the Caribbean on what I considered a vacation.  Take the plunge and I promise, you won’t regret it and you will become a much better sailor for life.Thank you Martin!” -Tom

“…the perfect night we moored in Reef Bay and saw the luminescent jellyfish”

“I was thrilled to find Sound Sailing Center’s website offering the Bareboat course in the Virgin Islands. A few calls later and it became clear that it was the perfect course for us and you were able to accommodate our schedule. Martin and Kelcy were so helpful in meeting our needs and answering our questions throughout the whole booking process.

When we arrived in St. Thomas, you greeted us warmly at the boat, and proceeded to teach us everything we needed to know – and more! – to confidently sail anywhere. Thank you!

Some of the highlights from last week that I will always treasure…the perfect night we moored in Reef Bay and saw the luminescent jellyfish…LOTS of man overboard/ reefing/ mooring/ anchoring drills (I can do these in my sleep now!)…docking practice at St. Thomas Yacht Club…early morning navigation lessons on deck…picking songs from your crazy long iphone playlist…threading the needle between Lovango and Congo Cays…drinks on deck at sunset, and SO much more. In all seriousness, Martin, I have no doubt you’re one of the best sailors in the world and I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from you last week. Thank you for being such a great host, teacher, companion, and coach, but most of all, for believing in us and helping us become more competent and confident sailors.” -Heidi