The word "scenic" takes on a whole new meaning aboard a Limnos Charters tour. Gliding accross the seas aboard a custom-built 53-foot twin-deck power catamaran, the popular British Virgin Islands day trip swings a wide circle through these historically romantic islands with sightseeing stops at some of the most picturesque anchorages in the Caribbean.

"Our BVI trip is the most popular," says operations manager Clement Maduro. Casting off the dock at the Compass Point Marina in St. Thomas at 8 a.m., Limnos makes a stop in St. John to pick up passengers at 8.30 a.m. On board at this early hour, breakfast beckons. There's fresh banana-nut bread and other pastries, as well as beverages that flow from the always-open bar. The trip East to Virgin Gorda's famous "Baths", a glorious outcropping of rocks with pool filled grottos, is about a 1 1/2 hour long and uniquely transversesthe North shore of Tortolla. Enjoy the trip atop Limnos's openair sundeck or in the shady first floor saloon.

At the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor, a taxi awaits you for the 10 mnute ride to the "Baths". This is an excellent spot to enjoy the beach and explore," Maduro says.

After nearly a two hour visit, it's back aboard the to find a deli-style picnic lunch waiting.

Then it's off to to a second stop, snorkeling at Norman Island. "This is the island that Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote about in his book,"Treasue Island,"' Maduro explains. Limnos provides the snorkel gear, but guests are on their own to find the pirates' ill-gotton booty of treasure.

The day winds up with passengers and crew gliding back to the US Virgin with a cold drink in hand and a grand vision of the island's green hills bathed in the soft glow of the afternoon sun.

In addition to the BVI trip, Limnos Charters offers two other itineraries. There's a Jost Van Dyke trip that includes a visit to acclaimed calypsonian Foxy Callwood's Foxy's Tamarind Bar, a snorkel at White Bay and a swim at the Robinson Crusoe-like Green Cay. But if you didn't remember to pack your proof of citizenship, take Limnos' St. John trip. It's a glorious circumnavigation of t his beautiful island complete with snorkel stops.

"We have the boats, a comfortable ride and complimentary lunch on board," Maduro says. "That's why so many families like to spend the day touring with us by sea."