Hi Reader,

Over the weekend, I returned from a last-minute invite to check out a BVI by-the-cabin charter. This trip was special because I had the joy of bringing along two first-timers: my 7-year-old son, experiencing his first charter, and Emilia from our Yacht Warriors team, enjoying her inaugural BVI adventure.

My recount of the trip is the focus of today's newsletter.

Before we jump in, a couple quick notes:

BVI mooring ball reliability concerns continue: one of our Yacht Warriors' guests was sailing last week (we actually bumped into each other in Anegada!) and they experienced a mooring ball failure at the Indians. Here's their recount of the experience:

Stay informed: Don't miss the detailed account of my own experience with a recent failed mooring ball in Anegada, along with some essential tips for mitigating risks when using mooring balls.

Summer book picks: thank you to everyone who shared their favorite summer reads! Here are a couple of reader recommendations to add to your list:

• "Island of the Blue Foxes", by Stephen Brown: "Amazing book on the exploratory sailing done for Russia by Vitus Bering. Great book similar in character and intensity to Wager and Wide Wide Sea.Perhaps very interesting to sailors with examples of lack of preparation, false assumptions about location, laziness/tiredness in the face of opportunity…"
• "The Captain from Connecticut", by C. S. Forrester: "No Hornblower but a fascinating story. Experiences I don't ever want to say I've been there and done that."

Thanks to a last-minute invite from Dream Yacht Charter, we embarked on a BVI by-the-cabin, week-long cruise.

Many of you know how I feel about Dream Yacht, so let's recount that quickly. They are often not my first choice due to fleet maintenance concerns, but I do recommend them when it makes sense. I also personally charter with DYC in certain destinations. But, this was my first trip with them in BVI. More often than not, they hit the mark, and this trip was no exception.

Keep in mind this journey was complimentary, although we did have to cover Extras and travel.

Below is a short recap of the trip - if you are considering a by-the-cabin charter, stay tuned for next week's edition, where I'll detail what's included, my likes/dislikes, and whether this type of trip might be a good fit for you.

A last-minute adventure with two first-timers

This was a pretty typical week-long float plan designed for first-timers to BVI. You'll hit most of the popular spots you often hear about.

After snagging a passport for Holden the day before we left, we caught up with the boat at the Indians on Sunday morning since we had a prior obligation before we left. DYC was kind enough to run us out to rendevous with the rest of the crew on a chase boat which saved me a fair amount on a private water taxi.

We spent the rest of the day at Norman where we swam at Pirates Bight and soaked in some views from the island's lush trails.

On Day 2, we relaxed at White Bay, had lunch at Hendo's (always amazing!), and visited our Irma adopt-a-tree in front of the Pink House Villas. In the afternoon, we scooted over to Great Harbour, taking it slow, and enjoying the laid-back vibe (we skipped Foxy's).

After a lazy morning, we motored up along the north shore of Tortola to have lunch at White Bay - a new-to-me mooring field. Typically, we will drop the hook at the picturesque Muskmelon Bay just to the north. En route, we hooked up on a school of bonito, our first fish of the trip.

You can't beat a walk on the beach at White Bay, and we gawked at the $250 million yacht, Multiverse, that anchored nearby.

Marina Cay was our next destination, and we spent the late afternoon/evening enjoying the amenities at Scrub Island. It was my first visit to the beach bar/pool at North Beach.

Thanks to our skipper Max’s early start, we enjoyed The Baths in rare solitude. The day continued with exciting newcomer visits to The Caves Trail and breakfast after a refreshing swim and hike.

Next, we sailed up the SFD Channel to North Sound. Unfortunately, Saba Rock was closed for a private wedding, so we spent our time at BEYC. Another first for me in BVI was the rental of a Hobie Cat. So much fun, and I'll definitely do this again next time.

With Max at the helm, our swift sail to Anegada was a highlight, topping out at over 10 knots. We rented a Moke and did my usual counterclockwise loop, starting at Flash of Beauty for a roti and snorkeling. We limed away the afternoon at Tipsy's before joining the whole crew ashore at the Wonky Dog for a lively lobster dinner.

Our last day featured snorkeling at Mountain Point and George Dog before heading to our final destination at Cooper Island. The highlight here, as always, is the amazing, unobstructed sunset, a great finale to the trip.

That's it for today! - Matt Weidert