We had just dropped the mooring off The Bitter End in Virgin Gorda’s North Sound in the BVI and started the 15-mile passage north to Anagada when a gusty squall swept in from the Atlantic and began pelting us with rain drops the size of grapes. But, there was no panic, no rushing to the mast to drop the mainsail, no frantic rolling up of the headsail. That’s because we were snug at the inside helm of a 45-foot power cat.
The squall passed and soon we climbed to the bridge to enjoy the sunlight and the view of the low island ahead emerging above the horizon. We were doing 12 knots and even in the bumpy seas built up by the squall the ride was smooth and comfortable.
Since the early days when Charlie and Ginny Carey first started the Moorings in Road own, Tortola, chartering in the BVI has meant cruising for a week or more on a sailboat. The trade winds, squalls included, were the driving force and the snap of the mainsail’s leech, the tug of the genoa sheets and the silence of sailing without the engine on was the allure.
But, times change and so do the needs of families heading off on a charter vacation. That’s why we and so many others are opting to charter a power cat instead of a sailboat. There are lots of reason for cruising in a power cat.
First, you can go where you want, when you want without worrying too much about the wind direction, the chance of rain or the time of day. You can get up early and motor 10 miles to a favorite beach. Hang out there snorkeling all morning and then pick up the anchor and motor another 10 miles to a pretty cove for lunch.
In the afternoon, you can motor out into deep water to ry your hand with the fishing lines before steaming another 10 miles to your mooring for the night. This is not how you cruise on a sailboat.
What the speed and convenience of a power cat gives you, aside from the spacious accommodations, is freedom. You can fill you days with tropical activities instead of managing the sails and going six knots. Sailing is still wonderful. But in the limited time of a week of charting, a power cat makes a lot fo sense.
Read more about power cat charters here.
Learn more about BVI chartering here.
