I’ve chartered boats in the Virgin Islands almost every year for the past 12 years and enjoyed a variety of experiences on each trip. I’ve cruised with small groups, large groups, with kids, without kids, you name it, I’ve signed up for it.

Even after all of these outings, I’ve yet to tire of the experience. Each year I enjoy returning to favorite spots and discovering new destinations that eclipse previous preferences. I metamorphose when I arrive on these Caribbean gems, soaking in the rhythmic hypnotic beat of steel drums pulsing through the warm island breeze. The clear turquoise water and pure white sand beaches provide the visual background to this soothing assault on the senses. I almost instantly relax and shed the stiffly starched shirts for a worn T-shirt, and cast off loafers for the required flip-flops, to commence the transformation into island time.

However, dress code and beauty alone are not sufficient to instantly transport me to full relaxation mode. Let’s face it, preparing a boat for a week’s cruise is a lot of work, especially if you’re in unfamiliar surroundings and traveling with a large group. Moreover, if the boat does not meet your expectations, the stress is heightened. Even trying to build a consensus on breakfast cereal can bring the most seasoned diplomat to their knees while straining lifelong friendships. Add a bunch of kids who are tired and hot after a long flight with no place to go except a saloon crammed with activity and you can basically chock up this first day.

It seems as if The Moorings and Moorings Power—formerly known as Nautic Blue—have broken the code and ensure a vacation on one of its charter yachts is a hassle-free, enjoyable experience from start to finish. This outcome is almost guaranteed when chartering its newest addition to the fleet, the Moorings 474 PC Powercat. The Moorings was founded in 1969 and rose to the top of the crowded sailboat charter world, placing service and quality product at the forefront of their company ethos. During the decades that followed, the company expanded to 30 bases in the world’s best cruising grounds, from the Caribbean and Mexico, to the Mediterranean and even the exotic South Pacific. The company added powerboats in 2001.

My mother, stepfather Gordon Bjorkman, and stepsister, Lores, agreed to make the trip with me in August—considered the low season in the Caribbean due to hurricanes. In the past, I never encountered a storm during the off-season. However, on this occasion we were taunted by Hurricane Dean in the week leading up to our charter. Eventually the category 5 hurricane turned south, sparing the Virgin Islands, choosing instead to wreak havoc on Jamaica. We experienced blustery conditions and a few spells of heavy rain when we arrived, but that was the extent of our inconvenience.

The minute we stepped off the plane in Tortola we experienced first-class treatment from The Moorings, starting with the greeting at the airport, to the welcome tropical punch in the office. The Moorings base in Tortola is at the company-owned Mariners Inn. There’s a refreshing pool and a decent bar and restaurant available for charterers and hotel guests. Being able to jump in for a dip after a long day of travel definitely helped to propel me into chill-out mode. If you have kids, this is a great spot for them to have some fun while you get the boat organized.

What was most impressive about the massive 474 cat, besides the accommodations, was the fact that she made the 40-day journey from South Africa to the Virgin Islands on her own bottom, a testament to her build quality and design. I enjoyed seeing an excerpt from the delivery captain’s log, demonstrating what a tough ship the 474 is. It read: “In a nutshell the powercat performed superbly, the three biggest factors are the stability, the boat is amazingly dry, and no pounding or bridge-deck slapping. The average condition during the testing period was 2-3 meter ground swell and 10-20 knots wind speed. We did take the boat out after a front, encountering 4-5 occasionally 6 meter swells (19.8 feet). With breaking waves on top, we managed to motor into this doing 6-8 knots. The buoyancy in the bows was unbelievable as we never took one wave over the bow. Running with the same seas required some helm to keep straight down the swell, when the bows dug into the front swell she kept going straight and did not pull left or right.” In my opinion, any boat that can handle these tough conditions is ready for the demands of island charter.

One of the most pleasant aspects of chartering with Moorings Power is that everything works. The maintenance schedule is rigorous. I didn’t have to touch the tool kit once. Even the Northern Lights generator and twin 150 hp Cummins Diesels required nothing, not even a drop of oil, although I continued to check daily. On the last day, we had an issue with the saloon a/c. If we wanted to, however, we could have contacted the Moorings base and taken advantage of the company’s guaranteed 4-hour response to service calls.

The boat was fully equipped with a refrigerator; freezer; air- conditioning; stereo with speakers in the saloon, cockpit and bridge; a flat-screen TV with DVD; a wet bar; full galley and even snorkel gear. We did not take advantage of the provisioning service, which we will next time. They offer a variety of packages from basic, to full-blown menus. It averages about $25 per person per day. Ironically this is about what we spent without going through the service. I highly recommend you sign up for this. It’s just one less item you have to worry about and will bring you closer to the fun that waits beyond the marina.

After a complete systems review, we headed out in about 18 knots of wind. I basically left the itinerary to Gordon. I’ve cruised the area enough and easily fall back into old routines. A fresh perspective can present a more diverse itinerary. One thing we all agreed on was that each day we wouldn’t try to see a new harbor. Instead, we planned on staying at least 36 hours in one spot. I have to tell you, this made a huge difference. I felt as if I was on vacation at a beach house. We could relax on board, enjoy the comforts of the 474, or head off to the beach, snorkel, and relax. But the schedules were loose enough that nobody felt pressured to run around and try to artificially absorb the best of each destination.

One of the highlights was our first stop, White Bay, Jost Van Dyke. This idyllic anchorage is true to its namesake, flanked by pure white sand beaches and tall palms. It’s also home to the Soggy Dollar bar, the spot where the potent Painkiller cocktail originated. The bar received its name thanks to all the soggy dollars the patrons would pull from their bathing suits to pay for the delicious elixir.

We sat at tables perched in the sand, with dripping swimsuits, enjoying a scrumptious lunch of chicken roti while small gatherings of other cruisers did the same. This was followed by more swimming and snorkeling and morphed into one of those perfect island days.

The next day we decided against anchoring behind the Sand Spit off the eastern end of Jost Van Dyke due to high winds, and instead made our way to Deadman’s Bay, Peter Island for a lunch stop and swim. I can say without any hesitation to avoid this once idyllic spot. The resort has most of the beach quarantined against boaters, except for a small corner. The only spot remaining has the appeal of the town dump. We chuckled and wondered if the resort mucked up this corner in order to illicit responses like this one.

Afterwards, we headed up to Gorda Sound on Virgin Gorda. This is a great area to hang out for a few days. We’ve become a big fan of Saba Rock and The Bitter End, and during the high season we really don’t have a preference of where we stay and always patronize both. On this trip, however, The Bitter End was undergoing several maintenance projects and was closed for the month. We grabbed a mooring at Saba Rock, which entitles you to two free bags of ice and 250 gallons of fresh water. The service at this boutique resort is incredible, and the combination of the great view and excellent food will always make this a must on my charter.

On the other side of the Sound you’ll find Leverick Bay. This resort, with rooms, shopping, provisioning and water-sport rentals is another worthwhile stopover. It’s 20-minutes from Saba Rock. “That's it. Is that where we’re going,” asked Lores, pointing to Leverick Bay from Saba Rock. Yup, by day number five we had lost all ambition to maintain an aggressive schedule. It was great! Next year, however, we plan on heading off to Anegada from Gorda Sound and mix up the plan a bit.

We wrapped up the last night of the trip with a stop at the Cooper Island Beach Club on, you guessed it, Cooper Island. This is the second time I’ve made this stop. Thanks to the incredible, unencumbered western view, down the Sir Francis Drake Channel, and the atmosphere of the low-key resort, this spot has now graduated to the must-visit list.

The following day we pulled back into the Mariners Inn. Again, the check-in procedure was a breeze and the staff did an excellent job of prolonging our vacation as much as they could. I never thought it was possible to double the fun of previous charter vacations. But a great powercat, family, and the right itinerary created the winning combination. For more information contact Moorings Power, (800) 416-0224; www.mooringspower.com.