"I just wanted to take a moment to follow up regarding our fabulous charter experience in March/April this year. The week was tremendously rewarding for the our family, as we had a great experience with Jim and his girlfriend Renate. They were excellent hosts and teachers for our family. We continue to sail in the Chesapeake Bay since then (not the same conditions or experience of course), but our family is already trying to figure out ways to get back to the BVI and charter again. Now that we have the experience and confidence that Jim's patient training gave us, we can give bareboat sailing a good try, and who knows - maybe we will give boat ownership on the Bay a chance too once we have a little more time as a family on the water.
Jim and Renate, thanks again for such a positive experience. I never thought that our trip would go so smoothly, particularly with the Drake Passage crossing and Wendy's challenges for that one day. Your kindness and flexibility made that trip a fantastic family experience and life-memory. I would be a happy recommender of Jim, the experience and of the Affordable Sailing School experience."
The S family, MD USA, late March - early April 2010
"The entire experience was absolutely magnificent. It was a privilege to have Jim as our instructor. He is a wonderful person and brought a lifetime of sailing experience to the classes providing insight well beyond the course material. We visited five different islands and were able to get in some great swimming/snorkeling each morning and evening. We ate at some nice local places - the best of which was on the good ship Golden Crown with Chef Palmer at our service. Loved everything and look forward to taking a few advanced classes with Jim next year."
Frank, USA, March 2010
"We had a great time with Jim on "Golden Crown". Jim was a great instructor and an awesome companion to explore some of the best the BVI has to offer. We loved the entire experience from serendipity to sailing. The only bad part was leaving paradise and waiting until our next visit. We owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who helped make this a dream vacation. Thanks for all your help and guidance over the months prior to our charter. We are looking forward to bareboating next winter, if not earlier! Best Wishes."
Mark, USA, Feb. 2010
"We had a wonderful time. The BVIs are beautiful and we had great weather. Jim was a very capable instructor and Tom and I were able to get our ASA 104 certification."
Lynette, Feb. 2010
"Mike and I wanted to thank you for such an amazing experience. We had such a great time and received our sailing certifications in the mail this week. The whole adventure was much more than we expected, especially me! Thanks for being part of the engagement story. Your marriage proposal in the bottle idea was truly romantic. Although it gets passed off as Mike’s, I’m quick to correct people :) So if you have a flux of Canadian women signing up for sailing lessons you'll know why!
Affordable Sailing School, thank you for being so helpful with all the accommodations and info. Your “Secret Hotel” was awesome! What a great little spot. And thanks for recommending Jim."
Nicole and Mike, Canada - February 2010
"The charter was great. Jim is a great captain, teacher, and cook. He knew all the best spots to anchor and snorkel and was good company to have. We really enjoyed it and are already thinking about the next time we're going to make it down to the BVI. The whole trip was incredible, thanks for your help on getting it together."
Lucas R. - August 2009
"Jim was great, we really enjoyed ourselves. He is definitely in the cards if we decide to head back to the BVI in the coming years. It was everything we could have hoped for."
Roger, Maryland, USA - April 2009
"The charter was excellent, thank you. We greatly appreciate you suggesting Jim. We had a wonderful week with him and he is an excellent teacher and a great person."
Anne, Calgary, Alberta, Canada - March 2009
"We loved our recent sailing charter and ASA courses my mates and I took with CAPT Jim on his 43' Beneteau sailing vessel Golden Crown.
There is nothing I can say that would adequately praise CAPT Jim for his teaching abilities, sailing abilities, or his hospitality. I was a little worried that I had bitten off more than I could chew when I signed on fro the ASA 104, 105 and 106 courses. I spent quite a bit of time reading, studying, and worrying over whether or not I would be able to complete, much less pass, all the materials during the allotted time. CAPT Jim made sure that I was able to do so and put me at ease from the moment we arrived aboard. I have had some great instructors in my life but I would honestly have to rate him as the BEST! His calm demeanor is backed up completely by his ability to handle boat and crew in all conditions while able to insure that everyone has a tremendous amount of fun. We were fortunate enough to be able to sail our butts off in great winds and seas. We were rewarded for our efforts with further instructions, challenges, and absolutely awesome meals. I believe that CAPT Jim, should he want to quit sailing, would make an excellent chef.
The Golden Crown is also a wonderful boat. She is fast and responds well and is great, no matter what level of experience the sailor might have. CAPT Jim takes great care of this lady and she shows it in the way she runs before the wind. I would love to have a boat like her someday!
I can not thank you enough for recommending CAPT Jim and his boat as well as making all the arrangements for us. Please feel free to share this message with anyone that may be looking for a great charter, great sailing instructor, or both!
I wish you the best, to include fair winds and following seas!"
Sincerely,
Sean S. - MD USA, December 2008
"Brenda and I want to let you both know what a wonderful experience we had while sailing and learning with Jim in the BVI. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and feel much more confident in our sailing ability. Jim could not have been more relaxed in his approach to teaching the ASA material, which put us at ease. He is an outstanding instructor as well as a great cook. We learned to sail in diversified conditions and were able to relax and enjoy his company the entire time we were together. We highly recommend Jim and his yacht to all those wishing to learn to sail."
Sincerely,
Bill & Brenda S. Virginia, January 2006
"We had a wonderful time! Jim was the perfect guy for us. He is a great teacher and a nice person, and we really enjoyed him. We liked the layout of his boat very much, particularly the aft cabin with good headroom and maneuverability, the saloon, and the spacious cockpit w/ Bimini cover. It was great not to have to cook! Jim's itinerary was superb (he seems to adjust it according to conditions to some extent) . . . and we saw a lot of the
BVI's. We had 18-25 knots of wind most of week, so it was wonderful sailing experience for us. We all learned a lot, and for my husband (who has actually sailed quite a bit but not recently) it was the perfect review. Jim was extremely helpful in going over the
ASA stuff with us, and we got really good grades! I would recommend him to anyone, and feel free to use us as a reference. Thanks again for a totally awesome week. Your website is very "user friendly" and I was able to make all of our plans using your links and info. We took the
Fast Ferry from St. Thomas, and spent two nights at Long Bay Beach Resort prior to meeting Jim. That worked out very well, as we were "chilled" and ready to go!"
Nancy B. and family, Boston MA, Dec. 2005
"We had a wonderful time the 10 days were there. Jim is a great teacher and very patient while we were bumbling around learning. He never raised his voice once, not even when I was nearly making huge blunders while attempting to dock. He also has a great dry, but very subtle, sense of humor and made it all a lot of fun as well. Jim made certain we were comfortable with everything we needed to know before test taking time, and gave us in depth answers to any questions we had or things we weren't clear on. My husband and I have so much more confidence now. He kept us very busy either sailing, learning or sightseeing and made certain we were able to see everything we wanted to see, aside from those that Hurricane Emily messed up. Now we have an excuse to go back again next year and get those things done. You guys at Affordable Sailing School did a wonderful job answering all of my questions and making it all terribly painless to know what to expect and what to do when. While trying to find house sitters and flights gave us some worries, the one thing we never had to spend a second stressing over was your end of things. It all came off flawlessly."
K. San Francisco CA., July 2005
"What a great adventure we had. Jim showed us a great time. He is a thoughtful and patient teacher, an excellent host, and a living treasury of information regarding the BVI. Thanks for connecting us."
Sincerely,
Sean, Daphne and Kevin from Colorado, June 2005
"The vacation was awesome. Jim has a wealth of sailing knowledge and experience, and is an all around great person! Reserved and non-intrusive, yet very sociable, easygoing and really not fussy at all. We came to the BVI for ASA instruction and sailing experience under the supervision of a skilled and competent instructor - of all our instructors, Jim was by far the most knowledgeable and the best at sharing his vast experience. But another equally (if not more) important purpose of the trip was to savor special moments with our young sons. The entire family very quickly adopted him - out of the blue the kids started calling him "Uncle Jim" and they have never, ever done this before with anyone! We've been home for weeks and the entire family is still talking about the wonderful time that we all had with Jim. His role went far beyond sailing and instruction to creating many treasured memories we will enjoy for years to come. Whether sailing, fishing for conch, cleaning lobsters for dinner, or finding Polaris, Jim endeared himself to our entire family. We thank you dearly."
Family from Montreal, Canada, 2005
"Our experience with your company has been overwhelmingly positive. Right from the start, I knew I had stumbled upon something unique when, calling at night, I actually got to talk with a real person! And you truly listened to our formative plans, answered our questions, and then did a great job of matching our needs with an outstanding captain. Jim is a superb sailing instructor and very personable host, who knew just the right blend of challenging and intuitively, gently supporting my two adult children and me through the week of classes. He balanced work with fun, and went out of his way to ensure we had the best week ever. I'd like to share one story that gives insight into the kind of person Jim is. As we left the marina on the first day, a dove was flying next to us for a short way, and Jim remarked that this was odd, as she is a land bird. As we began to raise the sail, we discovered the reason: there were two babies in a nest on the boat. We were on our way, and some people would say, well, that's too bad, but keep on with the agenda. Instead, Jim helped Ethan and Laura get the dovelings into a makeshift nest/basket, helped them catch insects and use an eyedropper through the rest of the day and overnight. The little ones refused to eat or drink, and again Jim continued on the rescue mission! He called a friend and the Humane Society, and we returned to the marina to deliver the doves to them. A small wonder happened at this point: the mother AND father dove appeared looking for their babies! So Jim moved them to another location, hoping the parents would find them, and we sailed out again for an incredible week of snorkeling, learning, fishing, hiking, visiting islands, eating, laughing, talking, and, and, and! At the end of the week, the baby birds were thriving, and the father bird followed us to the pier and just sat there, eyeing us, as if to say thanks! AND WE ECHO THE THANKS TO JIM, A PATIENT, GENTLE, FUN-LOVING, CHALLENGING SAILING INSTRUCTOR AND CAPTAIN AND NEW FRIEND, who made our small wonders into great adventures!"
Sincerely,
Cheryl Ethan and Laura, 2005
