Featured School: Go Sail Virgin Islands

It seems like the U.S Virgin Islands always get overlooked by its neighboring cousin the BVI. Why? Getting to the US Virgin Islands is easier and if you factor in flights, ferries, and taxis a trip to the US Virgin Islands is more affordable. Go Sail Virgin Islands is teaching students how to sail in the beautiful sailing grounds of the USVI and they are this month’s featured school. 

Get to know Go Sail Virgin Islands and try not to drool when you look at their photos.

Where They Sail 

Sailing conditions are Champagne every day! Sail, Sail, Sail in this is a year-round sailing destination with fresh breezes and calm seas.  Go Sail Virgin Islands offers bareboat certification courses on sailing vacations in the glorious U.S. Virgin Islands. The active learn-to-sail experience keeps people coming back to the tropical conditions with daytime temperatures of 80 – 85°F and 15 to 20 knots easterly winds year-round.  Serene inviting bays have inviting crystal-clear turquoise waters near 82°F.

Here are 3 reasons why the USVI is so easy:

• No passport required
• You can get to the boat in less than 1 hour from the airport.
• It is much less crowded than nearby islands. 

Cruising couples find it to be a perfect cruising area! It’s safe for families, the conditions are predictable, and the beaches are beautiful. There are three main islands called St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. The bays are known for great snorkeling, fun beach bars, and very accessible, calm anchorages. These islands will blow you away for their diversity as well as pristine underwater world with turtles, sting rays, tropical fish, and coral.

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

St. John is 80% US National Park with an endless supply of pristine beaches with accessible hiking trails all over the island.

BAYS WE VISIT:

• Cruz Bay
• Honeymoon Beach
• Hawksnest Bay
• Trunk bay
• Cinnamon bay
• Maho bay
• Leinster bay
• Lamesur bay
• Coral Bay

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
St. Croix is the largest of the US Virgin Islands and boasts quiet beaches, and the boardwalk in Christiansted is an awesome place to grab dinner.

BAYS WE VISIT:

What They Teach 

We are offering Bareboat Cruising Catamaran Certifications through the American Sailing Association (ASA) with a 7-day live-aboard sailing course. Our courses are designed around the student’s strengths and customized for every cruise. We offer an International Proficiency Certificate (IPC) with every 104 Certification. Courses available to take are ASA 101, 103, 104, 114, 106, and 118.

Meet Their Instructors

Meet our Captains & Crew! We look forward to sailing with you. Our goals are to Build Your Confidence, Help You Gain Experience, and Master Sailing Skills. You will be ready to plan your next adventure and set the bareboat dream vacation underway!

Captain Genevieve Evans ASA Master 50 Ton USCG STCW

Captain G feels that good sailing captains are good leaders with communication, understanding, empathy, planning, organizing, listening, and command of the situation.

Captain Trevon Baker 201/203/204/214 USCG

Students have so appreciated his 30-year sailing knowledge and teaching style. He is knowledgeable, patient, considerate, and encouraging. Not to mention his sense of humor and stories!

Captain Jalil Jacallen 201/203/204/214 USCG

See it, hear it, and do it! He uses 7 different teaching methods: demonstration, guided learning, discovery, experiential, role-playing, lecture, and problem-solving with decades of sailing in the USVI.

Their Program 

Sailing is a lifestyle and has become a bit of an addiction for some, including American Sailing Captain Genevieve Evans is the owner, and operator of Go Sail Virgin Islands. Smile, Sail, Smile, it’s a sailor’s life for me.  You might just sell everything, buy a sailboat, and set off on a grand adventure. We hope to inspire the next generation of sailors through live-aboard adventures in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Like many ASA students, Captain Genevieve had an undeniable urge to sail in the Caribbean, a thirst quenched only by the sea. She set off on an adventure in 2010 to the Bahamas for an ASA 101/103 course. This turned into cruising the Bahamas for 1500 miles on an incredible adventure! Taking the ASA course turned out to be the catalyst for the life of an American Sailing USCG captain, a passion to share sailing, the opportunity to mentor new Instructors, and the cruising experience put into every course Go Sail the US Virgin Islands offers. 

While teaching sailing for the past decade in the U.S Virgin Islands we have learned so much about the rich history, the local culture, and sailing conditions. A week on the boat with us and you will get so much more than just sailing! We have seen couples sell everything they own, move to the Caribbean, become Captains, and start whole new careers. Some bareboat cruise every year with family in the USVI to escape winter and maybe even are planning to retire on a yacht. ASA student graduates find our flotillas useful for those who would like to get more experience and go sailing with a group. When you join the community, you have access to an entire network of sailors all over the world. Go Sail Virgin Islands, then the world!