We recently returned from our second trip to the BVI. This time we spent a week aboard the 72' ketch sailing and diving. The boat is serviced by 3 crew: captain, mate/divemaster, and cook. Accomodations are outstanding with spacious ensuite cabins. Check out the IRIE website at www.yachtirie.com.

Boat is equipped with a compressor and several sets of brand new Scubapro gear (BCs and regulators). Crew loads equipment into the tender at the beginning of the trip and you don't have to lift or move it again until it is time to pack up and go home. Typically all diving is done from the tender. Divers must be already certified as there is no instructor on board. If instruction is needed they will contact a local shop.

Diving is included in the charter fee. Dive sites vary from reef and rock formations to great wrecks like the Rhone. We did several dives on the Rhone including a night dive. Its a faboulous wreck with lots of life.

Topside the BVI offers plenty of nightlife for those looking for it. For quieter nights, enjoy a gourmet meal aboard IRIE and a soak in the ondeck hot tub! Food on IRIE is freshly prepared and beautifully presented. Katia is a fabulous cook and Captain Robert a wonderful host. Weekly fee includes all meals and beverages, including alcohol.

Sailing on IRIE is a relaxing and very enjoyable experience. Help hoist the sails or just layback and relax and let someone else do all of the work. IRIE also offers other watersports, such as wakeboarding and tubing.

The boat isn't designed for those who want to dive their brains out, but it is a great choice for a small group (4 double cabins) who want a mix of diving, sailing, watersports, and just relaxing. We did 2 dives a day and really could have done 3 if we hurried our selves a bit more or got going earlier in the morning.

I highly recommend the boat and location, especially for those who would like to combine a sailing and diving vacation.