In late August. ASA and the Manhattan Yacht Club will once again partner to deliver guests a luxury sailing yacht experience aboard the Sailing Yacht Arabella. Sailors will depart Newport, Rhode Island for the offshore destinations of Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cuttyhunk.
This Grand Tour of New England is about celebrating sailing and the end of summer. This season it is about overcoming the obstacles that we have faced so far in 2020. Our social distancing has helped to lessen the spread of COVID-19 and this sail will be a reward for our patience.
A group of ASA members sat in the warm, calm waters of North Sound. In the shadow of Virgin Gorda, they wished for beers to quench their thirst. Like magic, it happened. A call to Arabella and soon enough, a dive bag filled with ice-cold Carib Lagers showed up.
The crew on Arabella knows how to make everything right.
It is a simple formula. Smiles. Sunshine. Patience. Good wind. Paradise reveals itself.
Kelsey Durham was racing in Bermuda when the Commodore of the Manhattan Yacht Club noticed his ability on the water. In other words, Kelsey won a few races and soon Michael Fortenbaugh realized having Kelsey aboard Arabella, the flagship of the Manhattan Yacht Club, was a good idea.
It’s the middle of January and you may be suffering from the winter blues but a group of ASA members is sailing on Arabella in the British Virgin Islands. You might be a bit envious when you see what they are up to right about now.
However, you should know that you could be doing the exact same thing. Take look at https://asa.com/arabella/ to find a trip that fits in your schedule.
For now, live vicariously through a few images of what life is like right now aboard Arabella in the British Virgin Islands.
Raising the Sails on Arabella
Guests aboard Arabella can help with getting the yacht ready to sail or they can sit back and let the crew hoist the sails. In this case, you can see that all hands were on deck. As we left Soper’s Hole, West End, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, most of the passengers helped with the sailing. From hoisting the sails to taking a turn at the helm.
Soper’s Hole, West End, Tortola, BVI
The view of Arabella’s rigging from the bow
Scrub Island
North Beach, Scrub Island
A quick walk from the dinghy dock and the main entrance to the Scrub Island Resort, North Beach is a Caribbean paradise. Clear warm water and cold Island drinks. Don’t forget the cracked conch and the conch fritters at the One Shoe Beach Bar.
The Painkiller With a View at the One Shoe Beach BarThe View from Donovan’s Reef Restaurant at Scrub Island Resort
North Sound
Virgin Gorda: The Baths
The Baths at Virgin Gorda can be impressive when they are not bombarded with tourists. The secret is to keep left on the trails and go away from the crowds. These quiet beaches had very few people on them even though most of the site was crowded. The tip is to get to the Baths as early as possible.
Exploring a Cave at The Baths
Cooper Island
The Patio at Cooper Island Beach Club
The quaint, boutique Cooper Island Beach Club is perfect for an afternoon off the boat. While some guests went snorkeling, a few hit the rum bar which boasts the largest rum collection in the Caribbean. 280 rum choices waiting for you to spend an afternoon with them.
Jost Van Dyke
White Bay is home to the Soggy Dollar Bar as well as numerous beachside restaurants. There is no dinghy dock so you have to get wet if you are coming ashore.
A group of ASA members sat in the warm calm waters of North Sound. In the shadow of Virgin Gorda, they wished for beers to quench their thirst. Like magic it happened. A call to Arabella and soon enough a dive bag filled with ice-cold Carib Lagers showed up.
The crew on Arabella knows how to make everything right.
It is a simple formula. Smiles. Sunshine. Patience. Good wind. Paradise reveals itself.
Take a look at the latest update in the form of a picture gallery from the ASA / Arabella tour of the BVi..
Currently, a group of students is preparing to embark on a voyage from Bermuda to the British Virgin Islands. On that voyage, students will earn their ASA 108 and ASA 117 certifications while instructors will earn ASA 208 and ASA 217.
ASA 108, Offshore Passagemaking Learn to skipper a sailing vessel on extended offshore passages requiring celestial navigation. Knowledge of long-term passage planning, offshore vessel selection, sail repair, offshore first aid, watch-keeping, emergency procedures, abandon ship protocols, safety and seamanship.
ASA 117, Basic Celestial Endorsement Learn to apply basic celestial navigation theory and practice to determine latitude and longitude at sea using a sextant and Nautical Almanac.
Instructor Evaluator, Captain David Renoll of R & R Charter and Sail School is leading the courses and shared his thoughts on the first leg of this voyage.
There are eight sails on Arabella, and when she is fully outfitted to move in the wind, she is majestic. When you see her from shore, you ponder what it would be like to feel the movement on her decks. When you are on board, you sit in awe. She is elegant and poised as she adapts under full sail. While Arabella acts like a sailboat, she advances across the ocean like Audrey Hepburn would move across a crowded room in her little black dress.
Arabella moves with grace, sailing like the ocean is hers. When you watch from the bow, all you can see is the sails leaning away from the wind. You can almost see Bernoulli’s math being worked out and you can hear the wind being utilized to bring forth the experience.
Sailing on Arabella is still sailing, but it should not be confused with a dinghy on the lake or your first ride on a Catalina 27.
As an ASA member, you get to experience Arabella firsthand. If you are up to it, you can even take the helm or raise a sail.
Will You Be Sailing Arabella?
As winter arrives in your neighborhood there will be a group of sailors working on their tan aboard a mega-sailing yacht in the British Virgin Islands. As snow is being shoveled, there will be sand between someone’s toes. The hot tea indoors will not compare to the rum punch at a beach bar. Arabella, will spread out her sails and glide through the warm waters in the British Virgin Islands and a group of ASA members will be detoxing from life with the wind in their hair, a drink in their hand and not a worry in the world.
Ask yourself, why aren’t you going on an Arabella Cruise with ASA? There are a few spots left. Find your cabin!https://asa.com/arabella/
By the time the scent of sunscreen had permeated the deck of Arabella, the sails were up, and the exquisite ship was slicing through the waters off Newport Rhode Island. A week would go by, and the lucky ASA members aboard would visit Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cuttyhunk. A few members took the helm, others basked in the sun, and quite a few made lifelong friends.
