Pacific Wave Joining
Instructions
Some things you will need to know before joining us onboard
Luggage
Bring soft luggage, ideally without wheels, for easy stowage. Whatever you bring in the way of clothes will undoubtedly be too much. Our repeat guests always pack much lighter the second time around!
Shoes
We are a “barefoot” boat, so please don’t go running out to buy some expensive pair of yachting shoes. You probably won’t use them. We suggest you bring along sandals, sneakers and maybe reef shoes for your visits ashore.
Sun Tan Lotion
Modern day sunscreens are very effective. You should come well stocked up. Non oily cream types that won’t stain our teak deck are the best. NO SPRAY TYPES AND NO OIL please – they go everywhere! They should be creams and lotions of at least SPF 30. Kids need tons of it.
Photographers
Bring plenty of data storage for your camera and maybe some spare batteries as well. Many guests bring their own video cameras and it’s fun watching the footage through our DVD at the end of the day! Please note we do not have a video camera on board.
Music
The music system is a surround sound DVD / CD player, with an Ipod dock. We encourage you to bring your own Ipod, CDs, and DVD’s with you.
Passports
A valid passport is the principal requirement for entry into all the islands. Visitors from some countries may also need a visa – if in doubt, ask us! Check the expiry date on your passport. Some islands require your passport to be valid for at least another six months after the end of your holiday. Non US passport holders may require an appropriate US visa if re-entering the US Virgin Islands on board Pacific Wave.
Please note that we are not a carrier that is recognized for the US Visa Waiver Program. The requirements are complex. Click here to look at the CBP website or talk to us as we have a good working knowledge of what’s needed.
Power
We are 220V mains power on board. Your 110V hair dryer will not work so we provide these. Most phone and camera chargers are multi voltage and are fine. We have European-style plug outlets but carry plenty of adapters.
Stargazing
Ask about our clever GPS controlled star identification telescope that reads you a description and history of every star you can see. Fascinating.
Wine List
Ask for our list of fine white wines and champagnes. We don’t keep a stock of red wine on board as we consider a moving vessel in the tropics to be the worst place to store quality red wine. Please let us know if you would like us to get red wines for you.
Non-smoking Policy
Pacific Wave operates a non-smoking policy onboard the yacht and tender. Smoking of any kind is not permitted including the use of vapour/electronic cigarettes.
Some Notes For Sailors
Pacific Wave is quite a heavy yacht with technical systems that some people are unfamiliar with. The pressure loads on sheets and winches when sailing are also much higher than on smaller sail boats. We have some rules on your crewed charter in order to avoid damage to the yacht and, most importantly, to keep everyone safe. These notes are designed to give you some idea about how we do things:
- We encourage guests to take the helm whenever they wish – except when we are docking or anchoring, or raising and lowering the main.
- On a typical seven night charter from St Thomas to Virgin Gorda and back, we cover about 100 nautical miles. How much of this is under sail (engine off) and how much is motoring (or motor sailing) is determined by the wind and sea conditions. If the weather is kind to us, we may sail up to 75% of the time. Sometimes it is only practical to sail 50% of the time.
- We have some large winches that are not self-tailing and high loads on the lines. The genoa sheets, for example, can have 180,000 lbs of load (90 tons). Guests are welcome to use the grinders but all other winch work is done by the crew. The crew always operate the headsail furlers, the Navtec hydraulic functions, and the running backstays.
- We do not use a spinnaker on charter – it’s just too big to recover without a full crew of 12.
Because we know the wind limits set for each sail configuration the crew have responsibility for the sail plan including reefing and choice of headsail.
- All navigation equipment and other controls, at the chart table and in the cockpit – including the generator and main engine – are operated only by the crew. Access to the engine room is restricted to the crew.
- Due to our draft we do not sail to Anegada.