It was fun spending the day on this old schooner. Captain and crew were very friendly and helpful. Our first stop was Virgin Gorda where we spent an hour or so, then back to the boat for lunch. After lunch we sailed to another location for snorkeling.

On Th 01 May 08 my husband and I went out on the White Squall II for a day trip - and what a fantastic day we had!

There were only 5 passengers onboard that day (counting ourselves) which only required 2 crew members - Pierce (Captain) and Kate (Mate) - it was like having a private tour.

We went to Norman Island where we achored and were dinghy-ed to shore, from there we snorkeled back to the ship (Pierce picked up our belongings and returned them to the ship) and saw tons of interesting fish. We were then taken to a floating restaurant for a meal (one drink + meal included in cost of day trip) - the grilled tuna was delicious! The brilliant sunshine, the blue skies reflecting off the turquoise water made for such an incredibly beautiful day, made all the better by an attentive and fun crew.

We then sailed to another spot for more snorkelling, led by Kate the Mate. While we didn't see any sea turtles or sharks (not seeing the latter was OK! by me!) we saw lots more beautiful fish, before returning to Tortola.

Beverages were plentiful and included (beer, soft drinks, rum punches), there was plenty of shade, the staff were extremely attentive but not the least bit obsequious - the atmosphere is relaxed and fun but not rowdy - we always felt safe & secure, an important factor for land-lubber me.

All-in-all, we felt the cost of the trip was more than fair and offered excellent value, the crew & boat were awesome and a day trip on the White Squall II is not to be missed!

We have been aboard the White Squall 5 times, beginning in 2002. We wouldn't miss this wonderful trip, as it has become an integral part of our Tortola vacation each and every year. The deck is roomy and offers plenty of shade, the food is fabulous and plentiful, and the excellent crew is always offering and serving juice, rum punch, soft drinks or beer. They take pride in making sure all their guests are happy! The best part of the trip for me is the snorkeling. Crew member Debs is happy to give a "guided" reef tour, and she points out sea life that I would ordinarily miss if I were snorkeling without her. Don't miss this spectacular day sail - your BVI experience would not be complete without it!

In January 2008 we were in Tortola on holiday and someone suggested a snorkelling trip on White Squall. We made enquiries and discovered that trips could be taken most days on a lovely schooner, out to places where good marine life could be seen while snorkelling. We phoned the number which we found on several advertisements for the trip, and spoke to Maggie, who was very informative about the trips, what we should take, and what we could expect.

We duly turned up at 9 a.m. one morning at the quayside in Roadtown, where we joined Captain Chris, a very friendly and knowledgeable Canadian in charge of the ship. His assistant that day was Kate, a lovely Welsh girl, a very competent swimmer and diver, and the two of them were very attentive to our needs. We were given drinks on board, and set off to Norman Island, where we anchored and those who wished to, went in to snorkel and view the wonderful under-sea life there. Kate joined us in the water and pointed out several interesting fish swimming beneath us. When we returned to the ship, we went near to the shore, and those who wished went on the dinghy to the restuarant there. My husband preferred to walk up a hill nearby and I lounged on a sunbed on the seashore.

While we had been away from the ship, Captain Chris and Kate had rustled up the most delicious barbecue, with chicken, sausages, etc., and lovely rice and salad dishes, beautifully set out. With swimming, we had all worked up quite an appetite and really enjoyed the food and drinks.

We then moved to another site, and again, those who wished, could go in the sea to view the underwater life. We sailed back to Roadtown with the sails up on this lovely old, but safe, ship, a magnificent sight, and reached the quayside at exactly 4 p.m., as forecast. We had a truly enjoyable day, thanks to the crew, and can thoroughly recommend the trip to anyone going out to Tortola.

Jo, Scotland, U.K.