Catania Yacht Charters

If you get the chance to sail with Captain Ocean on Catania, take it! We had the most memorable and fantastic day! The Captain, Ocean, is so personable and knowledgeable. He is willing to share as much as you’re interested in about the islands, sailing, his incredibly interesting family and more - or he’s happy to leave you be to sit in the various beautiful areas of his ship, Catania, and enjoy the views, drinks, and your company. The boat is a true classic, a relic that’s sailed the entire world on multiple occasions. Captain Ocean knows what he’s doing, he grew up on the boat and it was passed down through his family. I loved that he was able to adapt the day based on what we had already explored, taking us to secluded beaches (bonus that he gets us all the way to the beach on his dinghy with gear & drinks!) then we were able to enjoy the beach or snorkel as we wished. He was really great at offering to take photos of us at prime times through the day, and he accommodated our 3 year old beautifully! (And interacted with him so well!) Lunch was fantastic - it was even hot as he cooked it on the grill, and he was able to accommodate my vegetarian diet while cooking plenty meat for the rest of our family. Today was perfect, and we are so grateful that we stumbled upon Captain Ocean & Catania!

I can not express enough how magical Catania is. Captain Ocean was beyond amazing and helpful with orchestrating my engagement with my now fiancé! Not only did he make us feel welcome from the second we arrived on the dock, he also acted as our stand in photographer for our special moment. He gave us such wonderful insight on the islands history and the surrounding islands. The boat was intimate and perfect for our sunset cruise. Our glasses were never empty and the views were absolutely incredible. I recommend anyone to book a cruise with Ocean if you are looking for a unique experience with a personal touch!

A few days ago I sailed with Catania Yacht Charters together with family and friends. The sailing was a dream come true. Captain and crew were attentive to our needs, gave us very interesting history of the beaches and coves we visited. My favorite was Subset beach in Caneel Bay where the swimming was fabulous!!!!

Ocean’s Sailboat offered so much history, good conversation, perfect snorkeling, and excellent food! We booked with Ocean on the last day of our vacation in St. Thomas and it was the best decision we made, because it would be impossible to beat! If you visit St. Thomas book with Catania Charters, a personal experience that’ll make you fall in love with the island and it’s beauty, but also leave you with a full history lesson. The best excursion I’ve ever been on!

The sunset sail on the Catania with Captain Ocean was amazing! Our entire family enjoyed learning the history of the sailboat and the Caribbean Islands. He was very professional and extremely entertaining. The refreshments were certainly appreciated! It was the highlight of our travels to USVI, a much better experience than the large commercial group tours. He even provided tips of things to do when visiting St. John the next day. Thank you so much Ocean!

They were able to fit us in last minute when our original booking cancelled. Really fun half day sailing and snorkling. Captain Ocean made the trip really memorable! He was great with our kids teaching them different things about the sea and sailing (even our fussy 3 year old) and my parents loved hearing his stories about growing up on the water and living in St. Thomas. He had snacks for us and even had a taxi waiting to take us back to the cruise ship when we got back to the marina. We would definitely book again and highly recommend the company to any others in the area.

I had the privilege of spending my birthday on the Catania with Captain Ocean. It was a truly special day from the hospitality to the locations we visited. The Catania is beautiful, period. It is a stunning piece of craftsmanship. The Food and Drinks were tasty and plentiful. Furthermore, you will probably never meet another person as fascinating and genuinely kind as Capt. Ocean. By the time we got back to Red Hook, we just wanted to listen to more of his stories. With the islands of St. John and St. Thomas and the Caribbean as our backdrop for the day, the experience was easily the the best part of our trip to the USVI. We hope to see Capt. Ocean and the Catania again very soon!

I'm a classic boat owner and Broker (sales not charter) and I've had the chance to be on Catania twice, she is a wonderfully kept and masterfully handled boat. Ocean's knowledge of the waters, the boat , the history of all this wonderful experience, really makes it just wonderful even tho I have boats of my own to use elsewhere. If you like beautiful boats, interesting polite people and sailing in the best places, you have to take this trip. Bonus it's well underpriced too!

This was my first sailing excursion! Ocean made our trip so fun. His knowledge of the Virgin Islands was so interesting! Would highly recommend him!!!

Before flying to the Virgin Islands a close friend sent me contact information for Ocean Peterson of Catania Yacht Charters saying "I promise you won't be disappointed". She'd been on a charter with Ocean, the owner/captain, and had enjoyed not just the outing, but Ocean's stories as well. After checking his web site I reached out via email and got a prompt and articulate response. Follow-up questions received similar attention. Do you know how many other businesses on St. Thomas I reached out to and got no response from? More than one. Guess who got my business? A day spent exploring - from the water - St. John's National Park and surrounding cays runs from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. On this day we hit up Honeymoon Beach and Caneel Bay and while snorkeling, I saw sea turtles. A simple lunch of BBQ chicken and salads (from Moe's in Red Hook), an all-day open bar, and included snorkeling equipment were icing on the cake. The experience runs $150 (cash only) per person pre-tip. With only 6 guests on board the sail is far more intimate than the larger charters offered by others. Ocean's was the only small charter I found which allowed me to reserve space for 2 without having to pay for space for 6; good to know if you desire a small group but have an even smaller party size. Ocean has spent a lifetime on this sailboat and in these islands and has the tales, knowledge, and experience to allow guests to feel comfortable, welcome, and safe. I'd not hesitate to join him again on a return visit but until I can, I recommend you do. All-day parking (currently $15) is available at the American Harbor Marina in Red Hook (St. Thomas) which, conveniently, is right where this charter - and your perfect day - begins and ends.

Great company, great stories, great boat, great snorkeling, great food, great drinks....just great. Don't wait just set it up your sail now. My wife and three sons and I had a wonderful time with Ocean on S/V Catania. Amazing stories and experiences with a laid back no rush cruise across the bay to ideal snorkeling at St John. A wonderful grilled lunch, fresh drinks and off to more snorkeling. Best day we had in our week stay at St. Thomas.

My time on the Catania had to be one of the best excursions that me and my family took part in while in st Thomas. Apart from it being super fun, our guide captain ocean, was the highlight of the trip. Full of interesting history of the islands and not to mention his own wildly interesting back story, ocean never allowed a dull moment. Trying to manage and keep my family of 6 focused and all equally entertained is a large task but he did it with ease all while navigating the gorgeous sail boat. Helpful does not well enough describe his services weather it meant keeping us all on schedule without rushing, feeding us, and making sure each passengers needs were individually met. I cannot say enough good things about our ride on the Catania, picking any other charter would be a mistake.

Ocean was a terrific guide/captain on the beautiful 40 foot Catania. He had a wealth of great stories, took us to some beautiful spots, and provided a terrific lunch. Would absolutely recommend Catania to anyone.

If you're looking for a personalized, once in lifetime tour then Ocean is the guy. He is professional but warm. An expert historian on the local area, great cook, and it's a more intimate setting than being on a bigger vessel with tons of people. Would do it again and will look him up if we make it back to US VI in future. Hope to!

My wife and I went out for a day sail with Captain Ocean the day after our wedding. We stopped and did some snorkeling at St John and did a little shell hunting as well. We had an absolutely amazing time with him. The Catania was an amazing boat... clean, well kept, and obviously loved by Ocean and his family, and you can absolutely tell he loves what he does. We loved hearing his stories of local history, of his family and the boat. We were treated not as tourists but as an extension of his family, and for that we are deeply thankful. The food Ocean cooked us for lunch was delicious. The drinks we had throughout the day were very tasty and never stopped coming. Ocean was easy to strike up conversation with and made us feel at home. When we come back to St Thomas we will definitely plan on having another day with Ocean on the Catania!

Awesome boat, Captain and day on the water. Captain Ocean Peterson took my family out for a day sail. On a boat my first concern is always safety, and I was immediately confident in his ability and knowledge of the local waters. Beyond that captain Peterson was interesting, telling us about the history of the VI and tales of his life being born and raised on his boat and his two trips around the world on it. It started to rain and we could care less. Being amateur sailors we are accustomed to changes in weather. He was so accommodating that he skippered the boat with one hand and held a tarp over my wife with the other. This is the way to see the VI and Catania is the boat to do it on!

This is a great boat with a lot of history. For an awesome way to spend the day on the water. Sailing in the Virgin Islands is a must do when On vacation.

6 of us ranging from age 4-44 took a full day sail with Capt. Ocean (his real name) and first mate Ray. These guys are amazing and made this an unforgettable day. Their knowledge of sailing, the local islands and, pirate tales and the environment is immense. Capt. Ocean even climbed a coconut tree to get us fresh coconuts to drink from. Lunch was very good and plentiful, cooked right on the boat. BBQ chicken, potato salad, rice, side salad, bread and drinks, drinks, drinks, alcoholic and not. Well worth the cost.

Captain Ocean Peterson was an incredible captain. He knowledgeable and friendly and will give you lots of information about the area. He cooked us a delicious lunch and was generous with the drinks! I'd highly recommend sailing with him.