Schooner Alliance will sail in the British Virgin Islands from December 16, 2007 thru January 7, 2008 offering week long charters.  She will then sail to the San Blas Islands in Panama to continue the charter season January 27 thru April 7.

BVI CHARTER INFORMATION  (Scroll down the page for PANAMA info)



GETTING THERE:

Your BVI charter will begin in Soper's Hole, West End, Tortola.  To get to Tortola you can either fly to St. Thomas, and take a ferry, or you can fly directly to Tortola via St. Thomas or Puerto Rico.  If you fly directly to Tortola the airport is on the east end of the island and the ship will be located on the West End.  It is a $12 taxi ride per person to Soper's Hole, West End.

If you fly to St. Thomas, the ferry dock in Charlotte Amalie is only a 5 to 10 minute taxi ride from the international airport and there are numerous departures each day to West End Tortola.  The ferry ticket is approximately $45 roundtrip and takes about 1.5 hours.  You will clear customs at the ferry terminal when you arrive at West End Tortola.

You can board the Alliance any time after 3 pm Sunday afternoon in Soper's Hole. We will be docked just across the harbor from the ferry dock at the Soper's Hole Marina.

We will  have welcome aboard cocktails and hors'douvres after you get settled in. You will then stroll the docks ashore to choose from a variety of restaurants for dinner on Sunday evening.  After Sunday evening all of your meals will be served on board Alliance.



A typical Virgin Island charter will be spent at a different anchorage each night, with a few hours of sailing and the rest of the day to explore the local environment.

The Alliance will get under way in the morning after a leisurely breakfast on deck and sail to a new anchorage.  You can spend the afternoon snorkelling on the reefs, walking on the beach, or napping in the hammock on board the ship.  If you want to go to the hot spots you may have heard about like Foxy's or Willy T's we can make sail for those places. There you can go ashore and dance to steel drum under the stars or have a lobster dinner at the beach bar and restaurant.  Or if you want a more quiet experience we can anchor in a peaceful island cove where you can swing in the hammock on deck under the stars and relax after a delicious dinner on board.



 PANAMA Charter Information

If you are the more adventurous traveller and prefer to get away from it all then you should charter in the San Blas Islands of Panama.   The San Blas Islands are located at the base of the rainforest in the Kuna Yala territory of Panama and are inhabited by the Kuna Indians.  Kuna Yala consists of 365 tiny palm covered islands that are mostly uninhabited.  The Kunas live in grass thatch huts many of which do not have running water or electricity.  

Kuna women are known for the beautiful Mola tapestries that they hand stitch into intricate tapestries.



The men spend their days fishing from the cayuco or log canoe.  The local catch is the delicious spiny lobster, spider crab, conch, and octopus, plus a variety of different fish.

While on board the Alliance you can experience their traditional way of life as they paddle up to the ship in their dug-out log canoes to sell us their fresh caught seafood, as well as the local fruits and vegetables that are in season.  You may even have the opportunity to sail in a dugout canoe with a local.



In Kuna Yala there are no large resorts crowded with tourists. What you will find is peace and quiet in undisturbed anchorages.  You can make your own entertainment on board the ship with board games and cards, a guitar if you would like to play a tune, or choose from the selection of books to read. Most likely though you will retire early after a sunsoaked day of sailing and snorkelling in the tropical blue waters of San Blas.  The local Kuna Indians follow the sun with their daily routine - early to bed and early to rise - as most of the islands do not have electricity.

You may have the opportunity to take a dugout canoe excursion up a river on the mainland into the rainforest of Kuna Yala.  Here you experience a virgin rainforest up close as you glide up the river on a handmade log canoe.



                                                         River Trip



                                          In the Rainforest

GETTING THERE:

To get to the San Blas Islands you will fly in to Panama City, Panama (PTY airport code).  There are daily nonstop flights from many major US cities.

Depending on your travel arrangments, you will probably want to stay one night at a hotel in Panama City.  We recommend the Country Inns and Suites Amador hotel which is located at the entrance of the Panama Canal.  You can watch ships coming and going into the canal from your balcony.  It is a spectacular sight and worth a stay!  Panama City is located on the Pacific side of the Canal, and you will be joining the Alliance on the Atlantic side of Panama.



Canal view from hotel balcony

The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America and is only 40 miles wide at the narrowest point.



From Panama City there are 2 options for getting to the ship.  You can fly from the regional airport, which is downtown, to El Porvenir - one of the San Blas Islands.  It is about a 30 minute flight and the price is approximately $95 round trip including tax.  The Alliance wil be near the runway and we will pick you up from the airport in Porvenir.  The other option is to take a 4 wheel drive vehicle ride from the city through the rainforest and to the Kuna Yala territory.  This option is $40 per person round trip.  It is approximately a 2.5 hour trip, one hour of which is on the paved Panamerica Highway, and the rest of the trip is through the rainforest on a rough dirt road where 4 wheel drive is a must.  We can arrange to have you picked up at your hotel for the rainforest drive.  Please note this route is not for the weak back or bladder - it is a bumpy rough ride!

Full meal service and beverages are included in your charter.  We also have kayaks, snorkel gear, a sailing dingy, and all of the comforts of home - except for the tv and telephone!

                    

                                         Double Stateroom

                 

                           Stateroom Head, shower and sink

The staterooms on Alliance are very comfortable with plenty of headroom, opening ports or skylights, a double bunk, sink, hanging locker, and private head with shower.  We have plenty of hot water, so you will not be roughing it aboard Alliance!  Of course we do like to be as ecologically responsible as possible, so nothing is wasted or abused.  We conserve water and electricity, and garbage is separated and disposed of properly.  We eat all of the fish that we catch, and buy as much local food as possible to support the local economy.

Come Escape to Panama this winter!

                   Please call 757-639-1233 for more information.

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