Our 2026 six day class will cover what you need to successfully charter a yacht in the Caribbean and includes an overnight offshore passage and racing.
Bareboat Class: Saturday, March 21 to Thursday, March 26, 2026
BVI Spring Regatta: Friday, March 27 – Sunday, March 29, 2026
The cost for the Bareboat class with US Sailing certification is $2,980. Many couples have done this course together. If one of you is along for the ride and not participating in the drills, the cost per couple is $3,900 for the forward stateroom or $3,700 for an aft stateroom. If both of you are doing the drills and getting certified the cost is $4,900 for the forward stateroom or $4,700 for an aft stateroom.
The cost for students or observers to add on the St Thomas Regatta is $500 per person. We typically rent one or more Condo’s for the St Thomas Regatta, as we race with 8-10 people. There is also a per night berth fee or Condo room charge, which is $300 per night for a room in the Condo, $250 per night for the Forward Cabin, or $200 per night for the aft cabin.
The cost for just the BVI Regatta is $900 plus the per night condo or berth fee noted above.
As always, SSC members receive a 10% discount on the above prices.
Note: The cost for the Bareboat class and certification includes food. One breakfast, one lunch, and two dinners will be taken ashore and are not included. You will also pay the customs entry fees per harbor (about $40 per person), and any dockage charges, fuel costs, and other running expenses will be split up and paid for by the crew just as it would be on a charter. The fees includes race entry fees and other costs relating to the regatta (like CSA measuring, lunch, water and a post race beer and crew shirts).
Please read before signing up Payments, Cancellation and Refund Policy
Are you interested in doing a bareboat charter and experiencing a variety of the Caribbean Islands? If so, our Bareboat Class will give you all the needed skills. The 2026 class includes big boat racing experience at the BVI Spring Regatta.
The class is taught on our Jeanneau 409, which offers a comfortable 3 stateroom interior with 2 heads, combined a double berth in the main salon. This Yacht is well equipped with gear like the latest Raymarine electronics, a large solar array and a Lifesling set up with an easy hoisting system designed for use by a person of virtually any level of strength.
An explanation of the system written by Martin van Breems was covered in Sail Magazine;
Topics include
- Clearing in and out of Foreign Ports
- Extensive docking practice (partly done in CT waters)
- Inspecting the boat, rigging and systems
- Man overboard drills with a Life Sling
- Diesel and ships systems inspecting / servicing
- Trip planning, supplies & provisioning
- Eyeball and GPS navigation, dead reckoning, bearings
- Night sailing / watches
- Preparing for 18-25 knots of wind
- Anchoring techniques including Med Moor
- Storing and deploying a dinghy
- Single line docking, bow, stern in & alongside
- Call or email us for more information and a registration form
Our 2026 dates, with the sample itinerary follows;
Prep Class We normally host a prep session in advance of the regular class to review docking, reefing, and other basic skills. This prep session is taught in CT, typically a week in advance. It is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 14th with the backup on Sunday March 15th.
Friday March 20th (or early Saturday) Fly in to St Thomas and head to Tatihou, which will be at the St Thomas Yacht Club.. We will provision her Friday afternoon.
Saturday The class starts at 11am. We run through a checkout, review the procedures, practice alongside and stern in docking for 2 hours. Typically, the first leg will be from the St Thomas YC to Little St James island at the SE tip of St Thomas where we will practice anchoring. The 2nd leg will take us to Secret Harbor, ending up at Buck Island to practice picking up a mooring (and maybe a little snorkeling!).
Sunday We continue on to Downtown Charlotte Amelie for Med Mooring. Sunday night we spend near the downtown area, typically at Water Island.head to St John and cover MOB drills, Reefing, Navigation and sailing drills.
Monday We sail to St John. This is typically upwind sailing in what are often 3-6′ seas. We will start off visiting a few harbors on the southern side, ending up at the eastern end of St John, where anchoring is allowed, and where we can practice drills like anchoring with 2 anchors. Round Bay is exactly the kind of harbor where 2 anchors should be used, given the dramatic wind shifts due to the high hills.
Tuesday We continue our sail around St John. We visit a few harbors on the northern side, ending up near the amazing Francis Bay. More review of Reefing and MOB drills.
Wednesday Wednesday morning we visit a few more harbors on the North side, ending up at Caneel Bay. Wednesday afternoon / evening we typically do the overnight passage, which is typically a run out into the North Atlantic, then back to the BVI’s (Jost van Dyke) for the Foreign Port of Entry. We do a 2-hour watch schedule from 6pm-6am. Then we clear into the BVI’s in the AM.
Thursday We will clear into Jost early Thursday Morning, then sail to Sopers Hole or Tortilla and few other harbored, ending up in Nanny Cay or a nearby Marina before 3pm to complete the Race Registration and offload the extra gear. If not doing the racing, students will be able to depart Thursday afternoon or Friday morning. There are many ferry’s that run from Tortola to St Thomas. You will be tired, plan some down time!
Friday – Sunday Three days of some of the best racing and most enjoyable parties you will ever experience! This is optional for Students.
Class Testimonials
“The lessons and week of sailing could not have been better.”
“As relatively new sailors in Portland harbor, my wife and I often team up with another couple who are friends of ours who also have a small sailboat. After one particularly good sail, we talked about cruising the coast of Maine or in the Caribbean. Though much can be learned hands on, we all felt a course would be the prudent path to take. Heidi did some initial research and found Sound Sailing Center in Connecticut. When we looked into the options, Heidi confirmed the reputation and I jumped at the idea of warm sailing in the winter in the Caribbean. After a few phone calls, our flights were booked.
The lessons and week of sailing could not have been better. Martin is a top notch sailor who not only knows his Sailing but is a true teacher. He explained how to do things, when to do them and why. We spent the week sailing, practicing mob drills, reeling, and studying for the cruising exams. But never was there a dull moment or a time when we weren’t learning. We also found time to explore, snorkel and enjoy the sunsets. Our partners who did not complete the course were less “on duty” but also were part the crew, helped sail, learned a lot, and enjoyed themselves.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to do any serious sailboat cruising. My understanding of sailing a larger mono hull, sailboat navigation, diesel engines and docking has grown by leaps and bounds. And it all happens in the warmth of the Caribbean on what I considered a vacation. Take the plunge and I promise, you won’t regret it and you will become a much better sailor for life.Thank you Martin!” -Tom
“…the perfect night we moored in Reef Bay and saw the luminescent jellyfish”
“I was thrilled to find Sound Sailing Center’s website offering the Bareboat course in the Virgin Islands. A few calls later and it became clear that it was the perfect course for us and you were able to accommodate our schedule. Martin and Kelcy were so helpful in meeting our needs and answering our questions throughout the whole booking process.
When we arrived in St. Thomas, you greeted us warmly at the boat, and proceeded to teach us everything we needed to know – and more! – to confidently sail anywhere. Thank you!
Some of the highlights from last week that I will always treasure…the perfect night we moored in Reef Bay and saw the luminescent jellyfish…LOTS of man overboard/ reefing/ mooring/ anchoring drills (I can do these in my sleep now!)…docking practice at St. Thomas Yacht Club…early morning navigation lessons on deck…picking songs from your crazy long iphone playlist…threading the needle between Lovango and Congo Cays…drinks on deck at sunset, and SO much more. In all seriousness, Martin, I have no doubt you’re one of the best sailors in the world and I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from you last week. Thank you for being such a great host, teacher, companion, and coach, but most of all, for believing in us and helping us become more competent and confident sailors.” -Heidi