USVI-On-Line

There has been some discussion on this forum about whether or not Capt. Phil is still taking guests to Jost van Dyke or not.

I have recently corresponded with him and I specifically asked him about it and told him that if he's still sailing to Jost, I'd like to set the record straight on the forum. Here's an excerpt from his e-mail:

Hi Margo,
I'm definitely still going to Jost...in fact, I'm one of the few boats that
still goes there due to Homeland Security's requirements of the captain to
file, computer file, paper file, electronic file....lots of work for me, but
not much different for the guests...so, thanks to Allison and her computer
wiz...I'm still going. As you know, it's a fun trip!
By all means, PLEASE set the record straight.
I appreciate you letting me know what's happening on the travel forums...I
don't have time to keep up with it!

Capt. Phil's trip to Jost is really a lot of fun. We met Foxy and Phil took our picture with him. The sail back to STJ was relaxing and gave us an opportunity to chat with Tarn and Phil.

Thanks for posting this. I did not know other charters do not make the trip to Jost.

We sailed with Capt Phil last May (not to Jost) and had such a wonderful experience. He is a lot of fun. He did a real simple tour for us, as not one of us were very experienced in snorkeling. The lunch Tarn made was delicious.

Captain Phil is a fabulous teacher. If you (or anyone in your group) is new to and/or afraid of snorkeling or the water, he is your man. He is great with children and newbies and with people who have the basics down and feel like they might be missing things and are ready to move to the next level.

He is quirky and funny. He takes water sports and boating very seriously, because he knows the risks. You are very safe with him. In the past, I have been pained to see people poke fun at his rules and his quirkiness, but let me tell you this: When we were first living on a boat and we knew nothing, I was scared to death. Phil was the person who taught us how to respect the water without being scared to death of it. He taught us to set rules and guidelines and obey them for our own safety, the safety of others and the preservation of our environment.

Everything he does has a purpose and a reason.
Once the business is out of the way, NO ONE has funnier stories to tell than Captain Phil. He has strong opinions and ideas and a wealth of experiences to share.

Do yourself a favor and take advantage of this fabulous resource before he retires.
-Ruth

One more thing:
Just in case you might think Captain Phil is paying me to say these things (I surely hope you don't) he is not. I think one time a few years ago he took my Mom and my Aunt Mildred sailing for free. They both developed huge crushes on him and I've never heard the end of it.
-Ruth

I agree with ya Ruth, there is not enough good to say about Capt Phil.
He is a teacher and has so much respect for the sea and is a wealth of knowledge.

I agree with ya, Rosie.

I agree with Ruth and Roe.

We sailed with him in 2006 and he did an excellent job with the 2 newbies, one that was very uncomfortable in the water. Within minutes, he had her swimming around, enjoying herself completely - much to everyone's surprise. I hope he is still on the water when my son is ready to snorkel.

We took our 5 month old on that day sail. While we were still on land, Phil went over how he/we were going to handle the baby as it related to getting in and out of the dingy, the ladders, etc. He then asked us (hubs and I) "are you comfortable with everything I just told you?" I was impressed by his commitment to safety and our comfort level. (My grandparents had kept a sailboat so I already was ok with taking our son.)

I think my mom might have been a bit smitten with him

I think most ladies are smitten with him.......

We had a great sail with Captain Phil last trip. I did not mind his safety talk at all. I figured it was his boat and so his rules.

We had a great discussion about ways to find an octopus, and thanks to his hints I found my first one at Caneel later in the trip.

He was really good about making sure everyone was comfortable in the water. He evaluated everyone's ability on the first snorkel stop and stayed with the couple that were not as strong swimmers as the other four folks on the boat, but he also took time to hang out with us too.

I would definitely recommend him.

We've gone out with Phil and had a great experience. He's an interesting, knowledgeable guy with a deep love of the Caribbean. He's not a good fit for everyone, though. I think he's ideal for someone who primarily wants to snorkel and deepen their understanding of the Caribbean ecosystem. He's also definitely "The Captain" when he's on his boat.

I'd like to go out on Breath with Peter Muilenberg some time. He's been on STJ for years and built his boat on the island. I think that also would make for a real interesting day.