Where do we board the boat?*

Asante lives in Great Cruz Bay, St. John. For most of our trips we are sailing the waters and stopping in the bays between the Western side of St. John and the Eastern end of St. Thomas. Therefore, we normally pick up guests via dinghy on the Beach in Cruz Bay next to High Tide. If you are staying at The Westin on St. John we can certainly pick you up from the beach in Great Cruz Bay South of the dock in front of the volleyball net. Please note that when we pick up via dinghy on one of the beaches you will be taking off your flip flops, and wading into the water a little bit in order to board the dinghy. We don’t suggest wearing long pants that are difficult to roll up a little bit. There is a good chance that clothes below the knees will get a little wet.

If you are staying in St. Thomas, Asante can pick you up from the dock at the American Yacht Harbor Marina Fuel Dock in Red Hook, but the American Yacht Harbor Fuel dock charges $50 for each pick up and drop off of guests (an extra $100 for both for the day). Therefore, if you would like to be picked up and dropped off at the American Yacht Harbor fuel dock there will be an extra $100 added on to your trip cost. To avoid those extra fees we can also anchor Asante in Redhook and pick you up via dinghy at the dinghy dock next to Tarpon’s Table.

Where do you sail?

We sail the beautiful waters of the Virgin Islands hopping between snorkel stops and beaches of St. Thomas, St. John, Lovango Cay, Great and Little St. James and all of the other outlying Cays of the Virgin Islands. The weather and sea states change daily, and the itinerary for your full or half day trip can change just as fast. Not to fret, Captain Teddy will put you in the calmest waters for the given conditions and there are amazing snorkel spots and beaches around all of the islands. You are welcome to contact Captain Teddy by emailing teddy@sailingasante.com, or texting or calling him at (404)408-9077 – please leave a message if he can’t answer because he is out on the water. He will call you back as soon as he is back on land. He will be happy to talk to you about some of the most popular itineraries. Captain Teddy will also get in touch with you once you book your trip to make sure we are all on the same page about where and when you will be boarding the boat and where you would like to sail.

Do You Go To Lime Out?

Unfortunately, Asante does not go to Lime Out. The tacos are amazing and it is a fun time, but it just isn’t feasible on a monohull sailboat that starts it’s trips in Cruz Bay. Lime out is in Coral Bay on the other side of St. John, and it is usually a 2.5-3 hour motor straight into the prevailing Easterly winds and waves. The way back to Cruz Bay is also about a 2.5-3 hour sail. Therefore, on a 6 hour Full Day Sail, there would be no time left for actually hanging out and enjoying the Lime Out experience or any other stops to snorkel. If Lime Out is an absolute must on your trip, contact Captain Teddy about the possibility of him helping you book a power boat. He may even be available to captain that power boat for you!

What is Included in my Virgin Islands Sailing Charter?

Snorkel gear**, snacks, water, sodas, rum punch, an assortment of beer and local hard seltzers, ice, and noodles to float on are always provided on Asante’s sailing charters. Extra cooler and refrigerator space is also provided. You are welcome to bring any other food and beverages of your choice. If you have any specific requests, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate. There is usually a supply of rum and mixers on board. You are welcome to bring your own lunch. You are also welcome to purchase lunch (not included in the price of the trip) at one of the amazing locations on the water such as Pizza Pi, the floating pizza boat nestled in Christmas Cove, fast casual dining from Lovango Beach Club and Resort on Lovango Cay, or the VW bus conversion food truck at Maho Crossroads across from Maho Beach in St. John (just to name a few of our favorites).

What should we bring with us?

  • Towels!!! – Laundry is difficult when living on a boat and if we have to do laundry every day, it gets real expensive.
  • We have 6 sets of regular, adult sized snorkel gear that fits MOST, but if you really enjoy your specific mask, fins, etc, please feel free to bring it along! If you have specific fitting gear, please feel free to bring it. We don’t have 6 XL sets or 6 XS sets of gear. Please plan accordingly for your group. We don’t normally have an issue fitting our guests into snorkel gear, but it has happened once or twice.
  • Driver’s License (or ID cards) – not absolutely necessary, but legally it might be nice to make sure we have the correct guests on board.
  • Passport – only necessary for Jost Van Dyke, BVI trips
  • Sunscreen – REEF SAFE, NO OILS, SPRAYS, OR SELF TANNING LOTIONS PLEASE
  • Dry fit shirt or rash guard, especially if you don’t enjoy slathering sunscreen all over yourself.
  • Hats
  • Cameras
  • Towels
  • $75 Cash per person for customs and immigration fees – Jost Van Dyke, BVI trips only

Note: PLEASE BRING REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN ONLY. A law passed in the U.S. Virgin Islands in July of 2019 bans the importation, sale, and possession of sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, and octocrylene, which are deadly to corals and threaten the health of coral reefs. Sprays, powders, and SPF 50+ sunscreens have also been linked to damaging our reefs. More information can be found at Island Green Living Association.

Is there a bathroom on board?

Yes. There is a head for passenger use.

What types of payment do you accept? What about crew gratuity?

We greatly appreciate cash, but also accept Venmo and credit card payments. There is a small service charge to use credit cards. Follow these links to check out our Rates and Book Online with us!

Tip is not included, but it is customary to tip your crew 15-20% of the cost of the trip.

Private Charters vs. Per Person Booking and Rates

We are constantly experimenting with rates in order to accommodate all guests and all types of trips. For the 2023-2024 season we have slightly shifted the booking process and rates to be more reflective of the number of guests on board. You can find a little blog post that I wrote about it here.

What is your deposit and cancellation policy?

We have a 72 hour cancellation policy. Customers will receive a full refund or credit with 72 hours advance notice of cancellation. Cancellations made with less than 72 hours notice, but more than 24 hours prior to the trip time will only receive a 50% refund. No refunds will be given for cancellations made less than 24 hours prior to the trip time or in the event of a no show.

Customers will also receive a full refund or credit in case of OPERATOR cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Contact us by phone to cancel or inquire about a cancellation. Day of cancellations or no-shows will be charged the full price.

Discounted Trips:
FOR ALL DISCOUNTED BOOKINGS there are NO refunds for guest cancellations, but we will do our best to reschedule and use your payment for a trip at a different day/time. We are trying to get away from having guests book and clog up multiple times on our calendar with specials such as our annual EARLYBIRD discount code only to cancel them and want a refund last minute (it has happened).

Note: We are happy to try to reschedule a private trip based on our availability, but you’ll have to call or text (404)408-9077 to inquire about rescheduling. If rescheduling isn’t a possibility based on our availability, the cancellation policy applies to your original booking date.

*Please note that it may be most convenient to pick you up in a dinghy to get you to Asante. The dinghy is very sturdy but may require some climbing onto and off of the boats. Our crew is always there to lend you a hand.

**If you plan on jumping into the crystal clear waters to snorkel, swim, float, paddle board, and enjoy, you will have to climb a small boarding ladder to re-board Asante.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with more questions!

info@sailingasante.com

(404)408-9077 – Please leave a message or send a text. We may be out sailing!