"Stop!" my wife and I shout in unison.

We've been on the lookout for a deserted beach on which to romp and there it appears, fronted by turquoise Caribbean waters, topped with glistening white sand. This scene unfolds as we glide into Francis Bay on St. John, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands, on a 48-foot-long catamaran called Smooth Operator captained by Dunbar St. Cyr. St. Cyr obliges. The sails come down and the catamaran comes to a halt. My wife and I grab the standup paddle boards and cover the 50 metres to shore in no time. This unnamed beach is our own private crescent of bliss for the next hour.