Start in the British Virgin Islands. Bring water, sun and ripening coconuts to room temperature. Add 6 female boat captains, 45 women sailors, 4 charter sailboats, and 8 BYOBoats. Sprinkle in a few assorted husbands and other guests Season liberally with Painkillers and sailing stories. What do you get? The first annual Women Who Sail Rendezvous!
It all began as a bright spark in their minds, one sunny winter California day. “Where can we go on our next adventure?” Captain Holly Scott and Captain Kathleen (‘KC’) Matlock, of Mahalo Sailing Adventures in Seal Beach, CA, are professional charter skippers. Captain Holly is the owner and writer of the iconic Charlie's Charts Cruising Guides. As stated on their website, they will “show you how to sail and live a self-sufficient lifestyle on a comfortably-equipped vessel, while sightseeing and experiencing the local beauty and customs of places such as The Sea of Cortez, Fiji, Tahiti, Thailand, San Juan Islands, Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Mediterranean Coast, the canals of Europe and more.”
Since KC and Holly are members of the world wide Facebook group, Women Who Sail (WWS), the next step was only a small leap away.
WWS has over 5,600 members worldwide. Members range from women dreaming of sailing to those with extensive experience on all kinds of boats. They share their expertise on subjects from servicing the engine to how to feather your cruising kitty and anchorage advice. They are young, old, single and partnered, and all bring their love of being on the water. WWS can count on a friendly face and support wherever they meet and can be traced through Facebook or their WWS burgees.
The event was created on Facebook March 11, with an open invitation to members and their friends for the First Annual Women Who Sail Rendezvous on May 16-23, 2015. Within two weeks, details were going out to the group about the gathering and the spark was catching fire!
This was just too good of deal to pass up! Opportunity of a lifetime to meet so many WWS in person, in sailing paradise, the British Virgin Islands! I should mention here that since I live in St. Croix with DH (Dear Husband), it will just be a hop, skip and jump for me to join them on our own boat. And of course, we’ll be bringing more Women Who Sail with us!
Using social media, women began sharing their travel plans and setting up ferry rides from St. Thomas to Tortola. As you might imagine, women were traveling from all over the country and arriving on different days to allow for flexibility and collaboration with each other. Some are coming for the whole trip, others are arriving later or leaving early. Such is life on sailboats!
We have three charter boats, along with 9 Bring Your Own Boat (BYOB) owners so far, with approximately 50 women. DH (Dear Husbands) and SO (Significant Others) on the BYOB will comprise the male contingent.
The Indians in the BVI. Photo by Anne Bryant
As you might imagine, by now things were getting complicated. Introductions were definitely in order so that we could get to know each other. We began sending in short sailing bios to KC, who compiled them in a shared document. Don't you just love the power of the Internet? We are going to be meeting some AWESOME women in May! We will be making some life long friends! Women Who Sail burgees and T-shirts are flying off the shelves. We need to be able to find each other during our Rendezvous!
The charter boats will depart Hodges Creek Marina, Tortola, which is the base for Dream Yacht Charters. We expect to be visiting the best of the BVI hotspots, providing that they have room for 16-20 boats! Norman Island, Virgin Gorda, Tortola, Jost Van.Dyke, here we come! Look out Cane Garden Bay, the Bight and Willy T, the Baths, Foxy’s and the Soggy Dollar Bar!
Now that we’re getting close, we are enlisting volunteers to help with some of the tasks! Who will get donations for the raffle, who will organize the boat tour, who will manage the onshore meet ups, who will share their special drinks, recipes and talents? Who will be in charge of the morning net, vendor discounts, official photographs, progressive cocktail party/dinner, treasure hunt and the daily FB post?
And, who will organize the dinghy raft up? What is a dinghy raft up, you ask? Ours is yet to be determined, but here are some options:
- Tie all the dinghies together behind a boat and pass around delicious snacks
- Tie all the dinghies together behind a boat and make your way around to all of them, meeting as many people as you can. This can become a bit precarious as the evening wears on!
- Tie all the dinghies together into a huge flotilla and drift during Happy Hour. Motor back when you’re finished or when hazards draw near, whichever comes first!
Women bring special talents wherever they go, and especially to an organization and event such as this. Collaboration, willingness to share and learn from each other, willing to work for the greater good, and an adventurous spirit are all coming together in May for a very special rendezvous. The first of many!
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. " -Mark Twain
To learn more:
Mahalo Sailing Adventures mahalosailing.com
Charlie's Charts Cruising Guides charliescharts.com
Check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/WomenWhoSail
