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Old 01-10-2010, 11:24   #16
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Carib Beach or Emerald Beach Pickup

So I'm liking the idea of anchoring in Lindburgh Bay and picking them up at one of the Best Westerns (BW) in the dinghy.

And if I'm looking at Google Maps properly, I can choose between either BW Carib (west side of bay, across the airport parking lot) or BW Emerald (East side of bay.. a short taxi ride).

So the next questions would be:

1) Do both have dinghy access?
2) Which would be the better place to enjoy a late dinner (so I don't feel guilty about using their facilities as taxi-stand)?

Of course, this is all contingent on weather-- a crummy, stormy night would make this quite the adventure!
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Old 01-10-2010, 11:56   #17
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sunsets!!!!!!dont worry so much--read back a bit to earlier posts for the landing tecniques they mentioned and dont worry about weather--you will have an absolute ball-- i am envious!!!!! i liked the look of that lil cove there--lindbergh-makes sense as is next to airport--thought it was a goo d holding ground.... looking forward to bein gable to use it myself in future...
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Old 01-10-2010, 12:53   #18
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TAxis are not hat scary in St. Thomas..... And they are pretty cheap too... I'd have no worries loading them in a taxi and sending them to meet the boat!
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Old 01-10-2010, 13:52   #19
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the posted rates a the airport are steep--50 dollars to get from airport to anywhere in st thomas, in 2008 dec-- just curious--are they still that high? that is PLUS bags.i preferred to walk the distance to th e dollar bus and take that for 2 dollars. the dollar bus is not allowed to go to the airport unless that was changed. they have to stop 1/2 mile away. as i recall, the cove wherein the schooner was anchored (lindbergh?)was on the way between that stop for the dollar bus and the airport.
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Old 01-10-2010, 14:12   #20
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the posted rates a the airport are steep--50 dollars to get from airport to anywhere in st thomas, in 2008 dec-- just curious--are they still that high? that is PLUS bags.i preferred to walk the distance to th e dollar bus and take that for 2 dollars. the dollar bus is not allowed to go to the airport unless that was changed. they have to stop 1/2 mile away. as i recall, the cove wherein the schooner was anchored (lindbergh?)was on the way between that stop for the dollar bus and the airport.
We did this last Feb (2010) and were able to negotiate a minivan for $30 incl bags. 6 people. Just have a sense of humour and have fun. Amazing what you can get if you can get the other party laughing.
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Old 01-10-2010, 14:53   #21
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Nah the rates are reasonable... It cost me 28.oo to get from the airport to Red Hook. And 18 to get to the Cruise ship terminal...... I think thats pretty inline.
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Old 01-10-2010, 14:57   #22
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Nah the rates are reasonable... It cost me 28.oo to get from the airport to Red Hook. And 18 to get to the Cruise ship terminal...... I think thats pretty inline.
Agree. The last time I caught a van from the ferry to the airport was about $15.
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Old 11-04-2011, 08:36   #23
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Re: Anchorages Near St. Thomas Airport

A week ago we anchored in Lindbergh Bay to pick up our guests coming in at mid day. We got there the afternoon before their flight arrived and observed several other boats drop off or pick up people in the northwest corner of the bay at a jet ski rental base. That evening while going ashore for dinner we hauled our dinghy out and locked it to the lifeguard tower at the center of the northern beach next to a single story white building that we found out later is a catering shop. The next day we had no problem picking up our guests at the jet ski beach other than a few splashes of water and some sand in the dinghy. I walked to the airport to meet them while the wife took the dinghy back to the boat and waited for me to call on our walkie-talkies.

You do NOT want to stay in that bay very long, however. The island's power plant is located just over the ridge upwind from there so I spent several hours washing the soot off topside the day after we left. We had some rolls from the southeastern swell that was running during our stay as well.

This morning we took our guests to the airport from our anchorage in Long Bay where we have been for the past two days for shopping expeditions for the girls. Immediately after we reached the dinghy dock near the Coast Guard Station a Safari bus that was going to the airport stopped so we caught it, expecting to pay the normal $1 fare. We were a bit surprised when we reached the airport and had to pay $8/person. Apparently the Safari Bus turned into a Taxi somewhere at the airport and thus became subject to the government regulated fare. Luckily our driver was slow in departing so after we said good bye to our friends and asked him what the fare would be, we got back on the same bus. The driver said he wouldn't charge us again to go back to the dinghy dock but we gave him $2 for the two of us anyway.

Conclusion: either method of handling guests is viable. Anchoring in Lindbergh Bay is slightly cheaper but a little less convenient.
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Old 28-01-2013, 12:32   #24
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Exclamation Re: Anchorages Near St. Thomas Airport

I know this is an old thread but since the question might come up for others i thought to provide an update. There have been some changes you might want to know about.

I am anchored in Lindburg bay right now on St. Thomas. I have been down here since before Christmas and have had a couple of people coming and going from the airport. Everyone coming in has used St. Thomas airport rather then Tortola even though it is nearby to avoid the hassle of transferring from one airport to another, there are few direct flights into the BVI's. that is a shame because Tortola ( the beef island airport) has a great anchorage at Trellis Bay that is very convenient for the cruising Sailor to use.

Anyway, here is the deal. I have had two arrivals of folks to join me, and 2 departures. All have come into Brewers Bay, and departed there of from Magen's bay via taxi. My dad is flying in tomorrow, so I just went ashore to the Best Western close to the airport to check things out.

I went in to the remains of the dock that appears on the google earth image. The concrete walk leading to it is still there, but there I no way to walk up to the hotel without jumping over a guard rail and climbing up a steep bank.

As was suggested earlier in the thread, my intention was to go to the bar and buy a drink then walk over to the airport. Additionally I thought I might look into a room for my dad for his last night here since he has to be at the airport very early to fly out.

I went up to the desk, but they had several checking so I went down to the bar to wait. I asked "Dominica" the bar tender about landing people ashore. Not only did she say no, but there was a discussion of the authorities being involved if i tried. She immediately called the manager, and was very agitated. I told her I would be glad to talk to the manager, and left the bar to go back up to the front desk. She did become more relaxed when I reminded her I had not sought confrontation, but had come asking how to get a guest ashore. Apparently it has been quite a sore subject.

I went to the desk and the manager made it very clear that under no circumstances could anyone be brought ashore, and that it did not matter if they were guests of the hotel or not. I asked about the other Best Western (there are two of them in the bay) and she said she did not know about them, but that they were more expensive. I asked her where I could put guests ashore and she said Crown bay was the nearest place. She also said the port authority had some objection to their landing guests ashore.

So I jumped the guard rail, climbed down to my dingy and explored the area. Lindbergh Bay Park is in the corner of the bay nearest the airport. I tied up to the rocks there and timed the walk to the terminal. It is an easy 6.5minute walk, going slowly as one might carrying bags. The one draw back I that the sand beach does not extend to the park, but has a water sports business behind it. There is room to get folks into the dink, but not ideal.

So Lindbergh bay park is the ticket to avoid a cab ride.

I have anchored at Brewers Bay for two arrivals, both took cabs and paid $12-15 per person for a cab ride of less then 3 miles. The beach it's self is nice, and you can cable your dingy ashore if you want to take the bus from the university into town for shopping. I spoke with a man at the university who told me their dock was not open to the public, but that it might be an option after hours.

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to update this for the sake of anyone searching out this thread in the future.

BTW, if you want to verify the status of this in the future the Best Western next to the airport is known as the "Carib Beach Resort" they are at 70c Lindbergh Bay and their number is (340) 774-2525.

Here is their web site, where I saw what looks like a dock;

http://bestwesterncaribbean.com/saint-thomas-hotels
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Old 28-01-2013, 12:40   #25
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Re: Anchorages Near St. Thomas Airport

Another thing. The taxi fare from the St. Thomas airport (STT) to Charlotte Amalie is $15 per person, plus $ 1-2 per bag. The rates are published here;
http://http://www.vinow.com/stthomas/getting_around_stt/taxi_stt/

BUT! Make sure you set the rate before you get in, they will try to charge more.

My last group of guests (4 people) paid $20 each for a 3 minute ride to Brewers Bay....
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Old 28-01-2013, 15:08   #26
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Another thing. The taxi fare from the St. Thomas airport (STT) to Charlotte Amalie is $15 per person, plus $ 1-2 per bag. The rates are published here;
http://http://www.vinow.com/stthomas/getting_around_stt/taxi_stt/

BUT! Make sure you set the rate before you get in, they will try to charge more.

My last group of guests (4 people) paid $20 each for a 3 minute ride to Brewers Bay....
Are you on your Pearson now or something else?
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Old 28-01-2013, 15:11   #27
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Re: Anchorages Near St. Thomas Airport

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Are you on your Pearson now or something else?
A Pearson, but not my Ariel. The 424 works out much better with a larger group.
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Old 28-01-2013, 17:05   #28
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Re: Anchorages Near St. Thomas Airport

Perhaps you've never heard of the phrase "it's better to ask forgiveness than permission".
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Old 28-01-2013, 17:11   #29
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Re: Anchorages Near St. Thomas Airport

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Perhaps you've never heard of the phrase "it's better to ask forgiveness than permission".
Yea, that is my normal MO, but I thought I would look into the room thing.
... Guess that is what I get for thinking.
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Old 28-01-2013, 17:39   #30
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We flew in to St.Thomas about 2 weeks ago, and the beach pickup worked really good I thought. It was about a 5 minute walk from the terminal. Just follow the sidewalk until you get to the part where the beach starts. That was with each of us hauling a backpack, a 3 and 5 yr old kid, and after traveling for 18hrs straight, including a red-eye and 6hr layover.

As Sv Faith mentioned, there's really no way to do it any closer, but if there was a concern with hauling luggage, or someone uncomfortable with the walk, I don't see any reason why one couldn't lock the dinghy on the beach after seeing the plane land, snag some free cruzan rum samples while waiting for them to get off the plane and walk back with them.

As a side note, the distance is probably only a third of what it was to hike to the end of the runway (to the main road) , where you can jump on a safari bus (open air taxi/seats in the back of a pickup truck). Those cost $2 pr person no matter where you go. We took one all the way from Red Hook to the Airport, and although that hike was a bit far with heavy packs, it saved us at least $50-$70, maybe more.
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