In 2005,Jerry Manock sailed his Colgate 26 on Lake Champlain in Vermont for Summer Sailstice and became a winner of the one week charter with the Moorings. He put together a crew and joined a Moorings flotilla to celebrate sailing tropical style earlier this year.
Dear John:
Thanks again for all your efforts in making our Moorings Charter possible as a prize in your 2005 Summer Sailstice promotion. Here are some of our photos and a narrative. Photo credit should be given to Bob and Mary Dill and Doug and Colleen 
Montgomery. Feel free to use the .jpgs that you want and edit the text as necessary.
My wife, Mary Ellen, and I sailed out of Tortola, BVI early in June on a Moorings 403 along with two other couples from Burlington, Vermont. Never having chartered before in this area, we had signed up for a Flotilla. To be efficient we also chose the early boarding option to stay on the boat the night of our day of travel. We highly recommend this as it gave us a chance to pack away all our provisions (which were all on the boat when we arrived) and to get used to the controls and systems. The next day, after an enjoyable and informative morning briefing, we were away with our Flotilla with minimal stress. I would like to point out to your readers how easy the Moorings organization makes this process, from superb informational handouts to a personal explanation of the workings of the boat, to getting a pair of swim fins that actually fit!
Our typical day would start with a comprehensive briefing onboard the Flotilla Catamaran, which was crewed by a captain, a concierge, and a most appreciated fix-it expert, used by us several for minor repairs and system explanations (how were we supposed to know that the engine should be turning over above 2,000 RPM for the electric anchor winch to operate?). This briefing covered a weather report, where we were going (including bearings), what we could do on the way, and approximately how long it should take to get there. The concierge would then give us a preview of what was available on shore that evening. Then we were on our own for a fantastic day of sailing. Again, it was clear that this program's emphasis was on enjoyment and stress reduction.
The pace of the days seemed just right. There was ample time for great snorkeling, beach walking, and other non-sailing activities. The planned Flotilla events were just plain fun... including the "fleet race" from the North side of Tortola to Jost Van Dyke, the beach treasure hunt, and the very dingy "dingy race." For these events, participation was encouraged but not insisted upon by the staff.
Our week's weather was excellent... not too hot, and the wind was consistently 10-15 knots. One day we had a dusty overcast from a volcano on Monsarat which made for a fantastic sunset. We had a few rain squalls, but mostly sun and that amazing blue Caribbean water.
The easy check-in at the end of the trip was done with courtesy and humor.
In summary, we had a great introduction to what a delight a Moorings bare boat cruising vacation in the BVI could be. The Flotilla gave us the opportunity to meet like-minded folks from all over the US and, in fact, from all over the world. Next time we will go it will be for two weeks, and we will reserve a bigger boat (our Flotilla captain says the 494's are FAST!).
Thanks again!
Jerry Manock
Definitely Sailing Koru, our Colgate 26 on Lake Champlain out of Burlington, Vermont, on June 21, 2007.