April 2026

The Permabear crew was amazing. They tailored our experience to our requests, and we welcomed their suggestions for some unforgettable experiences. They were extremely professional, competent, and accommodating…not to mention fun! They went above and beyond to be sure we were happy and having the best time possible, while keeping us safe.

The yacht was very clean and well maintained. It had plenty of room to lounge in various places, and we could access those areas whenever we wanted to. Very comfortable

Chef Erin did an incredible job! She prepared and presented all snacks and meals beautifully and to our preferences. All ingredients were fresh and meals were delicious.

We all enjoyed the areas we visited, and the planning of said itinerary was accommodating to our requests. The zoom meeting with the crew prior to our charter was particularly helpful to not only meet the crew, but to flesh out our plans ahead of time and be sure all were on the same page.
~Kory

April 2026

We had a wonderful 6-night charter in the US and British Virgin Islands on Permabear. Captain Ed and Chef Erin made us feel welcome and safe from the first moment we arrived.

We were able to see so many sites, and they were able to easily pivot and provide us options when the weather impacted our plans. They had great connections on shore to facilitate our visit to Virgin Gorda and dinner on Saba Rock. They made the entire experience memorable.

The food was amazing—we ate so much! Each dish was prepared with care and had a special touch. A special part of the trip was when the youngest members of our group helped Chef Erin make pasta for dinner from scratch.

Our group included 5 children ranging in age from 7 to 14. Captain Ed did a great job facilitating fun in the water with snorkeling, rafts, and other toys. The boat was the perfect size for our party of 9. And we all loved first mate, Gus!

Our kids think this is the best vacation we have ever had! We can’t wait to go back.
~Nina

March 2026

Ed, Erin & Gus,

Thank you so much for giving us the trip and experience of a lifetime!

From the delicious food, the perfect itinerary (with adjustments as needed due to weather), and your warmth and top-tier hospitality, we will never forget this truly unique and unparalleled visit to the Virgin Islands! You were all amazing and made us feel comfortable and at home from the moment we got on the boat.

This trip will be talked about for years to come, and we hope we can come again! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Love,
The Tyre & Rogers Family

December 2025

We had an incredible experience with the Permabear crew and can’t say enough good things about our trip. From start to finish, everything exceeded our expectations. The food was amazing—thoughtfully prepared and absolutely delicious—and the sailing itself was such a highlight. Every day felt like a true adventure.

We especially appreciated the flexibility of the crew and their willingness to adjust plans when needed, which made the experience feel relaxed and personal rather than rigid. And having a dog on board was such a fun and unexpected bonus—we loved it!

Between the beautiful sailing, great food, sense of adventure, and the overall atmosphere the crew created, this was a trip we’ll remember for a long time. We would absolutely recommending sailing with Permabear again and highly recommend them to anyone looking for an unforgettable experience.
~ Amanda

May 2025

We just returned from a week on the Permabear and wanted to let you know how great of a trip it was.  Our family of 7 had an absolute blast and cannot wait to get another one on the books.  We have been on the Heavenly and the Permabear and thoroughly enjoyed both of them.  Erin might just be the best cook we’ve ever eaten from!
Thank you,
Brian Edwards

March 2025

Our family vacation on the Permabear couldn’t have been any better.  When we were searching for the perfect boat and crew for our trip, we looked at a lot of different options. Choosing the perfect crew was much more important than choosing a boat and we chose the best crew ever!!!!

Ed and Erin were so attentive to our every need.  We had a 3 yr old and 6 yr old along with 8 adults. I was a bit nervous since neither kid was swim safe.  But there were basic safety rules for the little ones which were easy to follow and life vests for each one for on the boat and in the water.  The kids got to “drive” the boat and dinghy, help make banana bread, play with the variety of kid toys on board, play on the floaties and in the pool, catch and kiss a fish, and adored the dog, Gus.

All of the drinks and food items that we requested prior to the trip were on board and Ed even picked up some extras mid trip.  The food was amazing — from grilled filet mignon to homemade English muffins for our eggs benedict to homemade pasta, we were constantly amazed.

Ed and Erin know all the great places to go and tailored the trip to our family after getting to know us.  Instead of a fancy dinner on Sabo Rock, Erin got reservations for the Pirate Show on a beach which was perfect for our group.  Knowing to make reservations for a “lily pad” for the Pizza Pi boat was something we didn’t even think to do but was one of our favorite memories. They made sure the young adults were able to go to the dive bar for St Patrick’s Day fun, took us to beach clubs, shopping at Bitter’s End yacht club, happy hour at a rum bar, made dive reservations, and dropped us at Sandy Spit Island, the bubbly pool, and of course Soggy Dollar.

Permabear is stocked with everything needed for a great vacation.  Snorkel gear in all sizes, pool toys, SUP, floaties, wakeboards, beach towels, dry bags, games, and sunscreen . Although there were 10 of us on board, there were plenty of different spots to relax.

Knowing Erin was a former nurse gave me confidence that if we needed some medical aide we would have a qualified person on board. She knew the perfect solution to put on the jellyfish sting that our 6 yr old got while snorkeling.

The slide show of all our (and their) photos that they projected on the TV on the last day was a perfect way to end our trip.  It was everything we dreamed it would be and Ed and Erin were a big part of making that happen.

If anyone is considering a trip to the BVI, they can’t go wrong by choosing the Permabear with Ed, Erin, and Gus.

Carol

April 2025

Our trip was great! From the moment boarded the boat and met Captain Ed, First Mate Erin, the cute little boat pup Gus we knew it was going to be a fun trip.

The boat is beautiful! Very well stocked, comfortable and had everything we needed to relax and have fun adventures.

Ed and Erin shared stories of their travels in so many exciting places. We had a few mechanical issues with the boat which Ed fixed immediately, while we were underway. He’s a very capable captain in so many ways. Erin was a fantastic chef! All her meals were so delicious and served beautifully! Honestly the best food I’ve ever had on vacation. Erin even gave us a few cooking lessons. We all learned how to make sourdough bread and she even sent us home with Sourdough starter, and her entire cook book on line. We were surprised to find out that Erin is also a licensed captain as well.

Ed surprised our guys with a little fishing along the way. The fishing excitement made our guys trip! They caught a couple tuna which Erin immediately turned into ceviche for a delicious snack. They are quite a team together.

We did have to deal with high wind warnings our entire trip but that didn’t stop our fun. The islands were so beautiful. We stopped at all the cute and famous beach bars, visited The Baths in Virgin Gorda (a must-see) and beautiful snorkeling spots. Erin guided us planned a perfect charter route for what we wanted to see and do.

We had a fun dance party on board one night where everyone showed off their dancing and singing skills with Erin as our DJ! The guys even helped crew the boat and learned a little more about sailing.

All in all it was the best trip!! We would all love to do it again and would definitely recommend Captain Ed and Erin (and cute little Gus! It was so fun to return to the boat from an excursion to find Gus happily greeting us)!

Vicky

January 2025

Our experience on the Permabear the moment we stepped foot on board was first class.  Erin instantly welcomed us with the most delicious welcome drink and Captain Ed got us off the dock and and heading towards our first destination…  Maho Bay.  As soon as we got to the Bay and anchored, Captain Ed “opened the pool” with all the toys and paddle boards.  We saw turtles, fish and Berry the Barracuda.  Each day got progressively better and the attention to detail from both Captain Ed and Erin did not go unnoticed.  Erin cooked us the most amazing food and four course dinners had us coming home with a few extra pounds.  haha.

We had so many options….  we could just sit upstairs, relax and take in the scenery or we could snorkel, paddle board, go wake boarding, and even fish!

Thank you so much Captain Ed and Erin for giving us and our family the trip of a lifetime that we will always and forever remember.

It’s not goodbye….  but till we see you again!

Best,
John & Sandra

December 2024

Permabear is a large sailing catamaran and there was plenty of room for my myself and my five guests along with the two crew. The yacht was spotless and always kept very clean. The crew is amazing. This is the second time we sailed with them in two years and we already knew they were family. It was like a family reunion with the crew, we all love them, and they took great care of us. All the food tasted great and was presented very well. We had a couple of special requests that were accommodated without question and we were all extremely pleased, satisfied and stuffed.

The yacht and crew are first class all the way. If you want to be pampered well, on a comfortable, almost new yacht, Permabear and the Irwins are for you. he areas we cruised in were great and the special places that Captain Ed took us to were amazing.
Every day the destinations were beautiful. The snorkeling was always amazing and we had an opportunity to snorkel at least once every day. I had quite a bit of input in choosing our destinations every day, and it was not a scripted destination vacation.

Every minute of every day was a highlight. It’s difficult to say which one was better than the other, but we visited some amazing places. We sailed every day and most days did not wind up getting off on an island and that was my choice. We stayed on the boat and sailed every day. That was incredible and breathtaking! I expressed an interest throughout the trip in sailing. I probably asked hundreds of questions and I’m sure that would have driven many crews nuts! At one of our destinations, Chef Erin And Captain Ed presented me with a very special gift, the opportunity to sail in a small Hobie Cat and give me my first sailing lesson. Chef Erin was my teacher, she is a very skilled, accomplished sailor who grew up sailing, and it was an absolutely amazing and wonderful experience. I’m truly grateful for the interest they took in my endless questions about sailing throughout the week. Thank you!!! My wife and our 4 guests absolutely loved every day and every destination of our vacation.
Shawn

July 2024

The week aboard the Permabear visiting the Eastern Caribbean islands was more than a vacation. It was a unique life experience. It was the time off I did not know I needed. Being able to rest, recharge, and reflect was priceless. I believe it should be in everybody’s bucket list.

The charter started with a friendly welcome at noon on a Sunday at the Marina Yacht Heaven Grande in Saint Thomas, and it just got better with every passing day. Our initial idea to visit some of the best places in the Caribbean while living in a boat was elevated to an unforgettable vacation by a great boat captain (Ed) and superb chef (Erin), who treated us as like family.

While on board, were enjoyed fresh and delicious multi-course meals prepared daily by the chef, who would narrate how she prepared them. I believe was better than a restaurant.

Boat life was exceptional abord the Permabear, with every need cared for 24/7 by the experienced captain and his wife (the chef) in this friendly and relaxed environment, where we lived at own pace. Daily activities started or ended whenever we felt hungry or tired. We never felt hurried.

We spent the nights on board safely and comfortably in air-conditioned cabins at carefully selected bays by the captain to be protected from ocean winds and with minimal boat rocking from sea waves.

The breath of marine life in the reefs was spectacular, snorkeling at wrekeage of the RMS Rhone was almost unbelievable, visiting the beautiful natural salt water tidal pools at The Baths was awsome, dinner at the world famous (and newly renovated after hurricane Irma) Saba Rock restaurant was a worferful treat, and visiting the iconic Soggy Dollar bar and store at White bay beach in Jost van Dyke was picture-perfect.
By the end of the week you may want this to become your new home and life.

Thanks to Ed and Erin for a wonderful week aboard the Permabear. You took time to share bits of your life with us and taught us a lot about this part of the world.
We return home with great memories from this vacation wishing to return and have this much fun again.
Federico