News and Events ! 

We're pleased and honored to host members of the sailing and travel press. Here's recent news about Caribbean yacht Three Moons.

WeekendTravel: Come Sail Away With Them By Vicki Stout - Staff Correspondent for the Tennessean, Sunday August 26th, 2001

Crewed Chartering - Amy Ullrich, Managing Editor of Sail Magazine, chose Three Moons to research her article on the delights of chartering a crewed boat.
She was obviously pleased with Shelley and Randy's excellent service.

In her Where-To-Guide, Beverly tells all on where to go for restaurants, shopping, services and why!  Here's her tell-all on her Three Moons vacation.

WeekendTravel: Come Sail Away With Them
By Vicki Stout-Staff Correspondent for the Tennessean, Sunday August 26th, 2001

It sparkles like a jewel. A vivid turquoise that shimmers in the sunlight and dances with stars by night. Its gentle waves lap the ship's sides. Breezes rustle the sails. Birds squawk, dip and dive.
Land is in sight, but there's no hurry to get there. The moment is paradise, a day you'd like to capture in a box and take home. It's an escape like no other, the water, sun and sails.

The water is the Caribbean. The place, the Virgin Islands. The yacht a pristine 72-foot Irwin Ketch. She's a beauty from stem to stern. Posh. Immaculate. Appointed with style. And Captained and crewed by Randy and Shelly Tucker of Franklin, Tennessee.

This 30-something couple did something many of us dream of; chucked it here, sold successful businesses, and headed to the Caribbean to sail full time. The Tuckers had their first taste of salt and sea on a vacation to St. Thomas where they sailed some 11 years ago.

It was a day that ultimately changed their lives. A few charter yacht Caribbean vacations and a sailboat on Percy Priest Lake later, the opted to dramatically alter their lives and move to the water and islands they had come to love.

Three Moons Yacht Charters is the result. This magnificent sailing vessel is yours for a week. Her large, equal-sized cabins accommodate up to eight guests. It's a family trip or a couple's trip or just a week for two.

"Usually, we collect our guests in St. Thomas, USVI. It's only a 3 hour, 45-minute flight from Nashville to the islands (not including layover time in Miami). Then its eight days and seven nights of sheer luxury, fine food, and an open agenda. We cater each trip to our guests," Shelly says.

The Franklin couple spends the summer months with family in Franklin before their guest season begins Nov. 1. This will be their fourth season as full-time sailors and charter operators. The Tuckers offer Three Moons for charter through July 1, all holidays included.

Randy had been a custom builder and historic home renovator. Shelly owned the award-winning New Beginnings Salon in Franklin.

"We have the destinations planned for our guests, as to where we will anchor each evening, but the actual schedule and agenda is determined by our guest's preferences. If they want to shop, we accommodate that with longer stays on the islands that offer such. If they want to snorkel every day, we make that happen. For divers, we offer rendezvous diving so our guests can be picked up on board, taken to diving spots, then returned to the yacht," Randy says.

The Tuckers send guests preference sheets before their sail asking about what foods, drinks, activities-or lack thereof-they wish to pursues. Special needs and diets are accommodated.
Among the locals who have sailed with the Tuckers are Gary Chapman who twice has traipsed the British Virgin Islands aboard Three Moons.

Guest cabins offer private bathrooms with showers, air conditioning, stereo systems and plenty of storage. Water onboard is plentiful. The day begins with breakfast topside, served amidst the breezed and brilliant blue of sky and shimmer of turquoise.

Coffee is hot and steaming. Or perhaps it's a spot of tea. Starched linens lie beneath china topped with pina colada pancakes, or perhaps a hearty frittata or coconut rum French toast.
The breezes ruffle the hair and calm the spirit. Bare feet stretch the legs behind them out to the sun. It's a morning swim for some, for others a quiet bask in the sun.

The sails flap. Three Moons moves gingerly forward to its first destination. All sailing is done by day; the ship is anchored each evening at a different island. Land is never out of sight a comfort to some first-time sailors.

One of the stops is Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands. ItÕs referred to as "Treasure Island" by the locals. Legends are resplendent with tales of pirate treasure. Caves on the island offer excellent snorkeling.
Then there's Peter Island, a privately owned piece of paradise on which rests a world-class five-star resort. A botanical rail is perfect for re-establishing land legs, though the call to wear shoes of any kind is unwelcome.

Salt Island offers divers the legendary Wreck of the Rhone, a mail steamer whose demise has provided legions of divers delightful days.

Ahh, and then there's lunch at Cooper Island, followed by a dip in the sea and a short sail to Marina Cay. Marina Cay is a tiny nine-acre piece of perfection. Next, is the Baths in Virgin Gorda. These famous granite boulders have crossed the lens of thousands of cameras.

A quick hop to Little Dix Bay is next. This Rockefeller resort is world famous for its posh beauty and celebrity guests. And don't forget a trip to the Bitter End Yacht Club, also tucked away from the maddening crowds.

The days slip by like the ship from its moorings.
It's a week where visibility is computed downward; 30 feet, 40. Where what you see below equals about and above. A week to swim with dolphins. You may be one of the lucky ones to swim with Splash, the resident tame dolphin of the islands.

Spa services are available onboard. Facials, manicures, pedicures, mini massages. As if anything extra is needed here.
Sailing — arguably the most genteel sport in the world in one of the world's most beautiful regions, the British Virgin Islands.
What's not to like?

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Crewed Chartering
By Amy Ullrich - Managing Editor, SAIL Magazine - August 2000 issue

Caneel Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands: the end of the first perfect day. 
Can that diamond in the sky be the Southern Cross? It sits right on the southern horizon, which seems promising. We're conferring with a collection of know-the-constellations books, including one that glows in the dark, hut we can't identify the surrounding celestial real estate and are confused by masthead lights swinging into the field. The answer: Yes, you can see the Southern Cross in the Virgin Islands in the spring.

Mongoose Junction, Cruz Bay, St. John: the beginning of the first perfect day.
Shopping trips are times that try (most) men's souls. but not many women's. And not, apparently, the soul of Randy Tucker, captain and owner, with his wife, Shellv, and partner, Mike, of the Irwin 65 Three Moons; he is demonstrating his second-most-important qualification as a charter boat host by being relaxed, content to read the paper and people-watch (Mongoose Junction is a prime place for it) for as long as it takes.

We are newly arrived on Three Moons, having just a few hours before boarded the boat at Red Hook, on the east end of St. Thomas, confirmed Shelly's first-most-important qualification as a charter boat chef by tucking into lunch in the cockpit, thrown our bags in our cabins—photos first, Shelly warned; the cabins will never again look this good—and made haste to Caneel Bay, our first anchorage. All this has given Randy a chance to demonstrate his first-most-important qualification as host, which is the flexibility to scrap his thoughts on our route for the week to accommodate our wishes—in this case an exploratory mission in Cruz Bay before we clear in to the British Virgin Islands.

For Beverly, a college friend who lives in San Francisco, Mary Ann, a friend from home, and me, this is research: What is life like in the third "metropolis" of the Virgin Islands? With Shellv to offer guidance, we poke around the funky little town, which yields evidence of a devotion to Sport (clay trips, dive trips, kayak trips, you name it) and to hand-made products. It seems that a good many of the locals must be goldsmiths. potters, painters of watercolors and painters on wood and fabrics, photographers, sewers of canvas and cloth, as well as those who come clown for the winter (creative eavesdropping) to sell these wares or work in the restaurants. It's tropical without being West Indian, more expat than local; there's no colorful open market with oddly shaped fruits and vegetables. Charlotte Amalie, whose well-known shopping area is St. Thomas's mecca for the mass-produced. it's not; nor does it have the bewildering combination of offshore banks, heavy traffic and chickens that greet you in Road Town Tortola.

Cannel Bay: fish shopping.
Since we've agreed to clear in at just Van Dyke, a short sail away, we have time to dinghy over to Cannel Bay's reef— fortunately, it's out of the considerable current that sweeps past the boat—to check out the local talent pool and Randy's fish-finding abilities.  There we snorkel with a herd of reef squid, whose remarkable characteristics include wearing iridescent blue clots, changing color from brown to almost clear as they move over rocks and sand, and, unlike any other reef inhabitants we encounter, exhibiting what seems to be equal curiosity about us.

Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke: bar hopping.
I should have known. when the diet, fitness, and sports magazines appeared in the cockpit, that I was sailing with health mavens. Beverly exercises on the aft deck every morning, our breakfast frittata was made with Egg Beaters and Mrs. Dash's non-salt seasoning. and we are careful to have at least five daily units of fruit and vegetables and to keep our physical activity units at a high level. Do we have to deduct some when Randy hands us carefully (Beverly has recently had knee surgery; Mary Ann was just in a car accident; I appreciate the chivalry) in and out of the dinghy? 

This is the perfect time to rev up the kayaks (Three Moons carries two two-person sit-upons) and acquire some activity units by paddling over to White Bay for some fruit units (and rum)— Painkillers at the Soggy Dollar Bar. The breeze is down, the sun is shining, the current isn't bad, and the view of the 1,000-foot-high hills dotted with blooming century plants is more loomingly impressive from sea level than from the Sailboat's elevated deck. Shelly and I each take a neophyte kayaker, who are both pleased to find that the learning curve is short and not steep.

Randy follows us with the dinghy for a tow back to Great Harbour and dinner out—rotis and ribs at Ali Baba's. We can't help responding to the rhythmic call of the Friday-night band at Foxy's, where we dance and join a full house of people-like-us looking, in some amazement, at a crowd of I-wouldn't-wear-this-at-home sailors engaged in I-probably-wouldn't-do-this-at-home activities. Beach-bar nirvana. Since the customs and immigration office closed unaccountably early on Friday and seems inclined to a late opening on Saturday. we have time for nirvana of a different sort—spa at sea. Spameister Shelly owned a salon in Tennessee before she and Randy came to the Caribbean, and she offers a variety of luxurious treatments for hair, nails, and skin, as well as massages. We each have an aromatherapy pedicure. which includes a whirlpool foot bath, foot massage with various creams that smell heavenly. and nail polish. Foot nirvana.

En route, Jost to Norman Island.
Irwins were long the mainstay of Virgin Islands chartering, justifiably celebrated for their creature comforts. Three Moons, 65 feet on deck (72 feet overall), has three equal cabins aft, each with a sizable head and shower, plus an upper-and-lower guest cabin forward; a spacious salon and large dining table; a foredeck just made for a hammock, sunbathing, stargazing mats; room on the aft deck to get away from your friends; and a comfortable bimini-covered cockpit. Contributing to these obvious comforts are the huge refrigerator and freezer, from which many good things flow, stowage for more things (all that spa equipment, for one) than she actually carries, tankage for 1000 gallons of water (showers are no problem). and a generator that provides air conditioning and power for hair dryers, should anyone feel the need. In fact, despite the lateness of the season, it's comfortable sleeping with just the portholes open and the large hatches closed against the every-night rain showers.

No Irwin has ever been described as a swift-sailing sylph; this particular version displaces a hefty 47 tons and measures over 17 feet at the waist, and some Irwins have tubs or whirlpools. So does she sail? Early May supplied us with winds still north of east (the wind moves south and lightens in the summer) at the anticipated 18 to 22 knots every clay, and Three Moons picked up her skirts and fairly bustled along, supplying us with good sailing every day with a turn at the wheel any time we wanted. Most one-week charters end up being an elaborated circumnavigation of Tortola, though my at-every-opportunity snorkeling requirements put us on a somewhat different route. Still, we got to wherever we wanted to go, under sail and without rushing. I was alert enough to check the wind speed and direction every day, but my watch got put away when we boarded and I never thought about boat speed more than to note that it felt as if we were moving right along. 

Here and there: reef shopping. 
There are a few things you don't get in Virgin Islands cruising—deserted anchorages (few and far between), long passages (though you can certainly make longer hops than the ones we took), and derring-do at sea (not necessary if you check the weather'). But the Virgin Islands are, in the best sense, a sort of nature's own Disney World for sailing vacationers, full of magic towers, hidden caves and passages under the sea, thrilling rides, wild animals (well, fish and birds), and no problems (definitely not, if you have a captain) except feeding yourself (no problem if you have a cook). 

We soon discovered ("Tell us how a nice couple from Tennessee ended up on a boat in the Virgin Islands" was our subtle approach) that Randy and Shelly and I shared a cruse instructor, Gwen Hamlin. Their charter with her was their first sailing experience and led to their purchase of a small boat, a larger boat, bare boating. and finally to Three Moons. So in Gwen's honor we decided to include some of her beginning-diver spots on our route.

Norman Island's caves—the real treasures of this "treasure island"—had enough visitor's that I had to wait in line to swim in, but despite the crowds the water was about as gin-clear as water gets and the rocks sported garish swatches of orange cup coral and red covering sponge. Thanks to the loan of lightweight wetsuits, we stayed warm enough to dinghy over to the four towers of the Indians, which we had to ourselves in the late afternoon. For the three of us divers the Indians had been our first experience (I still think of the swim-through tunnel with some trepidation), but snorkeling alongside the steep walls is as satisfying as exploring from the 50-foot bottom up. 

We gave Cooper Island a temporary pass when the wind lightened to about 14 knots and the seas flattened out enough for snorkeling on the Rhone, a popular dive site off Salt Island that is usually too rough for comfortable snorkeling. We had equally good luck at—and terrific sails to and from—Great Dog, midway between Marina Cay and the Bitter End, where there is often chop and current. This time we were able to snorkel both the coral canyon on the northwest side and swim-tour around the shallow reef on the south side. Wind and swells kept us on the inside of Eustatia Reef, beyond the Bitter End resort on Virgin Gorda, and cut short our snorkel, but left time to stop at Saba Rock, which has metamorphosed since last year from a frequently raucous bar-and-burgers stop into a manicured hotel.

Cooper Island: a spa moment.
As we enjoy a brisk tight reach clown the coast of Virgin Gorda, Shelly offers (immediately accepted) a shoulders-and-neck massage. I'm finding it hard to fit in a facial or a seaweed body mask, what with all the snorkeling, and my manicure will still be curing as we pull in to Soper's Hole the next day, but a massage, while sailing, in the Caribbean, has to be one of life's ultimate sybaritic moments.

It's so relaxing that I can barely muster the energy to strap on my fins for a look at Cistern Rock, at the south end of Manchioneel Bay; for its variety of fish, clarity of water, lack of competing snorkelers, and generally benign conditions it ends up being our favorite snorkel spot of the week. Randy and I return early the next morning on a turtle quest—the anchorage is full of turtle grass—and are greeted at the dinghy mooring by a quintet of sizable barracuda stacked neatly like 747s on a busy day at the airport.

We can't help but wonder if the formation means they have something gustatory in mind, this being breakfast time, but they stay in place guarding the buoy line as we swim off.  Then sure enough, a couple of small hawks-bills appear and allow us to follow them around the rocks until we at last get our fill of turtle watching.

Hawk's Nest Bay, St. John: the end of the perfect week. 
Here's a place to think of on a long winter night—a smallish bay with restricted anchoring and three little beaches. We kayak over to the smallest, a mere spot of white sand in a rocky alcove, and then to the larger, central beach, which has enough space for a (very short) walk. It's a lovely place for a quite lovely last dinner (clams casino, grilled lobster, Cuban rice and beans, and cheese-cake) on board and a last search for the elusive Southern Cross.

Boston, Massachusetts: afterglow.
The polished fingernails lasted two clays, one to show off and one to do some heavy duty gardening. The tan faded fast, victim of days of rain and unseasonable temperatures. Then I went for my annual physical. I've just come back from sailing in the Virgin Islands said my doctor.

Me too, I said. Jost Van Dyke, Marina Cay. Virgin Gorda, Cooper Island. All those. said my doctor, plus Loblolly Bay. (Top that tone.)

I saw schools of blue tang. squadrons of barracuda, reef squid and a couple of turtles, I offered. Me too, said my doctor, plus leaping spotted eagle rays and turtles everywhere.

I didn't mention the red, red wines, the grilled lobster, the salmon with pecan crust, the breakfast breads or the massages.  I knew he couldn't compete with the spa boat.

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Hot Hot Hot Travel
By Beverly Dubrin

As Northern California summer temperatures soar into the 100s, the idea of a vacation where it will be at least as hot may not sound appealing. However, when I think of past Hawaiian vacations, my best ones, with the best weather, were in July and August. In other places like Palm Springs, Phoenix, Florida and the Caribbean, summer is considered the off season and there are often good deals to be had on hotels, cruises, and tours. And, even if you are planning your "Hot, Hot, Hot" vacation at another time of the year, now is  a good time to firm up those plans before the high season rush. This has been our year for "Hot, Hot, Hot" travel. These are some highlights.

Pampered Sailing In The Caribbean

In May, I joined my friend Amy, who is managing editor of SAIL Magazine, and another of her longtime friends, Mary Ann, for eight days and seven nights of sailing in the Caribbean aboard the Three Moons, a well-appointed 72-foot Irwin ketch. Shelly and Randy Tucker, a delightful 30-something couple from Tennessee, are the Three Moon's crew. Amy was inspired to arrange this girls-only trip because one of the unique amenities of Three Moons is its spa services (previously, Shelly owned a beauty salon and spa in Tennessee).

Despite assurances from Amy that this would be a pampered sailing trip, I was a bit apprehensive about going. Both Amy and Mary Ann are accomplished sailors; my water talents come into play when I am in the water, rather than on it; I had no sailing experience. My more savvy friends laughed at the idea of me on a sailboat for a week; they sent me knot-tying diagrams and persisted in mentioning things like hoisting the sails and sea sickness. My primary care physician prescribed enough "emergency" pharmaceuticals for me to open a branch of Walgreen's on board the boat. I agonized over finding the perfect swim fins, tankini swim suit, and waterproof makeup... you'd think I was off to be a participant on the "Survivor" television show. Thankfully, my fears and apprehensions were for naught. My sail on the Three Moons was a "dream" vacation.

Three Moons can accommodate up to 8 passengers for cruising in the British and United States Virgin Islands. Shelly and Randy not only do the sailing, but also keep guests in drinks of all sorts; serve three outstanding meals, plus snacks, each day; and offer a variety of water sports and adventures both on land and the water. Shelly is an award-winning chef who in between preparing meals, providing shopping tips, and being the perfect hostess also offers a full range of spa services on onboard the boat. The menu of spa service includes manicures, pedicures, massage, facials, and hair restoration treatments. Captain Randy, who formerly built custom and historic homes, is equally gracious and skillful; he has a wealth of interesting information about the history and inhabitants of these islands and waters and even was able to help us identify constellations in the evening sky. It was he who would scurry around each morning while we were eating breakfast to straighten up our cabins and make sure the day's musical selections were to our liking. When we were snorkeling, Randy always found a reef squid or some other equally-interesting sea creature for us to observe.

As for creature comforts, each cabin has its own bathroom with shower, and there is air conditioning, plenty of water (we were encouraged to take "Navy" showers and not waste water, all the same), and a personal fan above each bed. A de-stressing kit of aromatherapy goodies greeted us on our beds and got us in the mood to live on "Island time" for a week.

One could almost board the Three Moons with just a few changes of clothes. The Tuckers have outfitted the boat with high-quality snorkeling gear, beach towels, sun screen, pressure bands to ward off seasickness, waterproof cameras, books and magazines, dozens of video movies (they have a big-screen TV), music CDs for every musical taste, wet suits and more. While there is no need to participate in the actual sailing, we all were invited to try our hand at steering, and I did spy Amy and Mary Ann occasionally doing things with ropes, usually while I was contemplating whether to do my reading under the Bimini Shade Top, in the on-deck hammock, or on one of the anchored sun mats. In between water and land adventures, we indulged ourselves with manicures, pedicures, and massages.

Once aboard, we sipped iced tea and a tasty rum drink called a Painkiller and planned the week's itinerary. Since Amy sails these waters frequently, she had some specific islands and snorkel spots that she wanted to visit. The Tuckers also have their favorites. Between them our tentative itinerary evolved.

Our sailing took us from St. Thomas to Caneel and Cruz Bays in St. John, and then into the British Virgin Islands where our stops included Yost Van Dyke, Norman Island, Cooper Island, Marina Cay, the North Sound on Virgin Gorda, and Soper's Hole on Tortola. Some of our special snorkeling stops included The Caves and The Indians near Norman Island, Great Dog west of Virgin Gorda, and the Wreck of the Rhone, the remains of a mail ship that sank near Salt Island in a hurricane in 1867. Catering to our every water wish, our crew joined us as we kayaked along beaches and went on early morning snorkeling expeditions to scout sea turtles at Cistern Rock in Manchioneel Bay.

Prior to our trip, we completed a preference questionnaire which asked about our food and drink preferences as well as such crucial questions as to how active we wished to be and whether we wanted to go shopping. We asked for lighter cuisine with a minimum or red meat, said we wanted a mix of activity and relaxation, and gave a big "Yes" to the shopping question.

Every meal was delicious. Breakfasts ranged from Potato O'Brien Frittata one day to yogurt, fresh fruit and just-baked muffins another. Lunches were often picnic-style while we were under sail and included Caribbean Chicken Salad in a pineapple half and Lobster Pizza. Dinners were more formal affairs in the salon with different table settings and flowers each night. We enjoyed Jerk Chicken, Pecan-Crusted Salmon, Pork Tenderloin, and Grilled Caribbean Lobster. Dinners were accompanied by good wines and conversation. Each evening brought pre-dinner cocktails and creative hors d'oeuvres. Trail mix, fresh  fruit, and freshly-baked cookies had their way of appearing throughout the day. One evening after dinner Shelly even transformed herself into a Gypsy fortune teller for our illumination and entertainment.

The Tuckers were flexible about where we sailed and amenable to going ashore occasionally for meals. After a heated discussion between Randy and Amy on where to get the best Roti (a West Indian flatbread wrapped around a curried filling), we decided to go ashore in Jost Van Dyke to sample Randy's favorites at Ali Baba's. It just so happened that this was Friday night when nearby Foxy's is alive with music, dance, and drink. On this island, where there are no paved streets and most walk barefoot, we wandered over to Foxy's to take in the local night life. On another day, we stopped for lunch at Soper's Hole in Tortola.

We spent little time ashore, our preference, but not a day went by without a shopping opportunity. Shelly is a shrewd shopper who guided us to the more interesting shops when we went ashore (I came home with earrings of Larimar, a light blue gemstone that is mined in the nearby Dominican Republic, and handpainted clothes by local artist Sloop Jones). On days that we didn't go ashore, Shelly invited local artisans via dinghy; we bought colorful fiberglass jewelry from Anouk, and screened tee shirts from Aragorn. In addition to snorkeling, our water activities included kayak excursions; no problem if we didn't know how, they showed us.

The Tuckers sent us each off with a computer slide show made from digital photos that Shelly had taken during the week and a chart detailing each stop that we made on our sail.

It wasn't until I was back home that I realized how much I had seen, done, and learned on this dream vacation. Only by being on a boat could I have visited so many islands and snorkeled in so many different locations. Shelly and Randy's in-depth knowledge and love of this area provided me with an experience that I will cherish forever.

Read more about and see photographs of our Three Moons adventure in Amy's article in the August 2000 issue of SAIL Magazine.

Beverly Dubrin

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