Day Trip: STJ All Day on Disco Boat 44′

Yellow leg:

Depart American Yacht Harbor heading east into the rising sun. The waterway between St. Thomas and St. John is known as the Pillsbury sound.  This is where the Atlantic and Caribbean Ocean collide so prepare for some waves and wind for the first 5-10 minutes. After you pass Grass cay, one of the three islands to your north, the water will settle down and St. John should block the wind. The third island to the North, the only inhabited one, is calledLovongo Cay. Legend has it the island had a brothel where sailors would visit to “love and go”.  Now only a handful of residences speckle the hillside, most of which run their homes with solar and wind power.  As you make the voyage between Lovongo and St. John you will see a large jagged rock formation to your left called Caravel Rock which you can choose to visit now or after lunch. Now that you have rounded the northwest corner of St. John you will see all the brilliant white sand beaches that line the north shore. This is where you can discuss with your captain which one you want to go to. Perhaps all of them! The last beach on the yellow leg is Maho bay and tends to be the calmest of them all.

Orange leg:

Shoot over to Trunk bay if you haven’t already. This is one of the most famous beaches of them all. Because of the high tourist traffic the coral has unfortunately become less vibrant over the years but the beach boasts an underwater snorkeling trail for you to follow around the big rock right off the beach.

Red Leg:

Whistling Cay is known for its snorkeling and you can spot it by the small abandoned concrete building on the south side of the island that use to be the customs building. There is a mooring on the northwest side of the island.

Purple:

If no scuba divers are using the mooring at Caravel Rock this would be a great stop to snorkel before lunch. If you are feeling adventurous ask the captain where to jump off the rock. There are several different spots at different heights that provide a big rush and an even better photo opportunity. Bring the GoPro.

Blue Leg:

Its lunch time. You are very close to Caneel Bay Resort which allows non-guests to moor up private vessels in the bay and sends a friendly staff member to pick you up in their ferry and take you up to the resort. Considering most guests at this hotel spend upwards of $1000 per night a private boat entrance fits the mold. We highly recommend the food and wine selection as well as the balcony seating on the second floor. The other option is to have the captain back the boat up to the beach in Cruz Bay so you can choose one of the many restaurants available.  Do some shopping while you are here or just grab something quick and get back on the water. I must mention the absolute best ice cream on St. John, Scoops. It’s in Mongoose Junction right below the Tap Room Brewery, which is home to the Virgin Islands Mango Pale Ale! They also make a rich homemade root beer that goes great with a scoop of vanilla.

Green Leg:

Here you have lots of options. You can turn around and go back to visit Cinnamon, Hawksnest, or Solomon Beach or you can go snorkel Stephens Cay, go to Christmas Cove, or just relax in the beach chairs at Beach Bar and watch the sunset.