Guest's Post & Comments

10 days around St John, FANTASTIC!!!!!!

By May 1, 2016 No Comments

Hi: My name is Laura Kay and I have just had the most fantastic 10 day cruise. My friend, Barbara, booked a Caribbean trip for five of us aboard the “Guiding Light” with Captain Shane McClellan. We arrived at Red Hook Harbor without a clear idea of where we were going. I was told, “It will depend on the wind and the weather.” That was good enough for me, as I am always ready for a new adventure.

Since I had already been to the BVIs I was pleased when it was decided that we would circumnavigate the island of St. John. What a great choice that turned out to be!! Our whole group loves to sail and snorkel and we were given several choice opportunities daily to do both. We saw beautiful coral, a huge variety of interesting fish which included angelfish, parrot fish, porcupine fish, trumpet fish, schools of blue tang, barracuda and sharks, plus dolphin, turtles, sting rays, sea urchins, eels and crabs. My favorite “sighting” was a spotted eel, but seeing the two Caribbean reef squid was certainly thrilling also.

Shane is certainly knowledgeable regarding navigation, history of the area, and what is available for a variety of interesting activities. He is flexible with the itinerary and will plan everyday according to the interests of the group. Plus, Shane is lots of fun and has a great sense of humor!! In addition, he is a fantastic captain. I am a novice sailor, but most of the rest of the group is quite skilled. Shane allowed us all to sail the ship, and he was very patient with me. He not only guided me during my time at the helm, but he explained how and why each procedure was set up. It was a thrill to be able to sail the “Guiding Light”!!

Also, we had fresh homemade bread during the entire trip! Shane is obviously an excellent cook!! His dinners would rival Emeril!! All of the dinners were his own recipes and included an original salad, a delectable main dish and a delicious dessert. I can’t wait for him to put all of his recipes into his cookbook!! In the meantime, I am joining his newsletter so I can get the recipe of the month.
As our time with Captain Shane and the “Guiding Light” is concluding (this is our last night aboard ), I can truly say this experience surpassed any expectations I had for the trip!! Our group will reminisce with our memories of our magical time with Shane many times over!!!!

[Shane – Laura Kay is a new guest with a group that is returning. We spent 10 nights sailing around St John and found some amazing snorkel sites (amazing “Photos of the Day” to follow). If you need beach bars and a party atmosphere, then the BVI is where you want to go. But if you want quite peaceful (sometimes to yourself) anchorages where you relax and enjoy your time aboard, then I think you will enjoy St John as much as this group]

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