I'm Thinking of Living in St Thomas or St John

[Irie]

St Thomas needs a few more Saltwannabes.

[Hannah on 'Rita T']

Don't encourage him/them.

[Joli]

Food is cheaper when shopping at Kmart. So is the rum.

[Saltwannabee]

Originally Posted by Hannah on 'Rita T'

A conversation that should be over at Sailing Anarchy.

Sorry, didnt mean to Ofend the forum police...

should i delete it then ?

[Hannah on 'Rita T']

I'm just a guest at this party too. Check with the host. O
I liked your initial question about the cost of living on the Virgins. I found it cheaper but that's just because I don't like St Thomas and tend to eat on the boat there. St. Barth's is a different story.

[capngeo]

St Thomas (IMHO), is a stinking, festering, sore to be avoided. The other islands were much more to my liking. I have visited many islands in the Carrib, and I was never more of a pariah than on that rock!

[roverhi]

How's the crime problem there now?? We had a couple of people move here in the '80s because they feared for their lives. They slept with a shotgun because of the home break ins and murders. Didn't seem to be just paranoia as they had close friends killed which prompted their bailing out. One was a hauole who grew up and went to public school their so wasn't just some mainland transplant who blundered into the society.

This was for dry land living. Know that yachties had relatively few problems other than stolen dinghies and motors at the time.

[capt_douglas]

Cruzan dark rum = $2.00L
Coke 2L = $3.00 (on sale)

As for St. Thomas being a "stinking, festering, sore to be avoided", I disagree. There are areas that should be avoided (anyplace further back than Back Street unless you're in a car) but there are some great hotels and restaurants there. The "cool, North Side" can be a great place for dining, entertainment, and great vistas. In most any harbor town/city there are places where you simply don't want to be.

A big problem is that the main road runs along the waterfront and the smell of ozone, exhaust, dripping antifreeze, horns, radios, and other intrusions can make anchoring in Charlotte Amalie Harbor less than pristine. Add in the cruise ships, ferries, and other marine traffic and the deep harbor can be less than tranquil.

However, anchoring on the west side of Hassel or Water Islands can be quite nice. It's a longer tender ride to shore and the Frenchtown/Crown Bay area can be intimidating.

You can head over to Red Hook and anchor there but the wave action is more than Charlotte Amalie. Red Hook has a number of stores and being away from Charlotte Amalie a bit safer.

Some folks like anchoring off Buck Island or Christmas Cove.

I liked Cruz Bay more but anchoring is very tough due to a small anchorage, a lot of boats, and the ferries that run early to late. Most of the time we took the ferry over to Red Hook to shop or occasionally CA for the big items.

A very nice alternative is Coral Bay, at the eastern end of the island. Getting anywhere is expensive as the taxis have a stranglehold on transportation (and therefore very high prices for a short ride). You can get a group together to go shopping, take the boat over to Red Hook for provisioning, or buy locally. OTOH, Norman Island's a few miles upwind and a great quickie sail to the much subdued waters of the BVI.

Are there better places? Depends on what you're looking for. St. Thomas/John in season is bursting with boats, but not as much as the BVIs, IMO. During hurricane season, it is not the place to be. Need duty free items shipped in? USVI is hard to beat. Need provisions and want stateside brands? USVI is hard to beat. Want to make cheaper phone calls? USVI is hard to beat. Want to get work done? Want to have your mail sent somewhere or send mail out? USVI's USPS or DHL/FedEx all have regular flights.

Want a quiet, calm anchorage? Go somewhere else (generally south of Martinique, IMO), although many of those anchorages have been "discovered" by cruisers, charter boats, folks looking for work or needing work.

[capngeo]

I will begrudgingly admit if you MUST go there, Red Hook is the only place I would visit

[GordMay]

Thanks for a responsive opinion, Capt. Douglas.

[capt_douglas]

NP Gord.

While I'll admit that the USVI has dropped the ball (or maybe lost it) regarding cruisers or small boat owners, it does have some nice features. It requires a bit of looking and might not be as convenient as what would be ideal to you but there are compensations. The idea is to not let the negatives overwhelm the good.

Yes, heading into Charlotte Amalie from Buck Island is a long wet ride, but so is the ride from Hassle Island to Frenchtown, or Christmas Cove to Red Hook. There are plusses (quiet anchorage after the snorkel boats leave, spectacular vistas, quiet waters) and minuses pretty much any place.

[Saltwannabee]

Very good.
Thanks folksies

It/they are definitely worth investigating as a Base of operations, so to speak...
I take it a Nice marina with cable tv and a good Sushi bar, isnt on the list of amenities ?

LOL... Mostly i'll need just an address and an ATM to get my Government Dole out Eagle poop deposits
From there I can go where I like , when I like.
Like to visit Venezuela and Central Amereeka. Costa Rica is very nice , had friends from there and it is Very stable as to their Government.
SO, you all have helped in this regard, Thanks heaps for all the info..

Sorry again for posting this in the wrong forum. Hope nobody was Injured..

soon to be Recovering Land lubber..
Paul ......

hehehe i live the popcorn smiley

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by capt_douglas

Cruzan dark rum = $2.00L
Coke 2L = $3.00 (on sale)

Could you tell me where on St Thomas one can purchase Cruzan for $2 per liter? Generally it's 3-4 times that.

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by Saltwannabee

Very good.
Thanks folksies

It/they are definitely worth investigating as a Base of operations, so to speak...
I take it a Nice marina with cable tv and a good Sushi bar, isnt on the list of amenities ?

LOL... Mostly i'll need just an address and an ATM to get my Government Dole out Eagle poop deposits

SO, you all have helped in this regard, Thanks heaps for all the info..

Paul ......

hehehe i live the popcorn smiley

Acutually Yacht Haven Grande is a very nice new marina and Benny Iguanas (sushi joint) is about 75 yds away. I'm sure they do have cable TV even though most of the mega yachts that spend time there appear to have their own Sat TV systems. Keep in mind they only accept yachts to 450'. Larry Ellison's yacht, The Rising Sun, barely fits. For further info Yacht Haven Grande - St Thomas USVI An Island Global Yachting Marina

For a little less prestige, and I assume a lower fee, you could try Crown Bay Marina Crown Bay Marina which will have the ammenities you requested and better sushi (so I'm told since I'm not a fan) a 3 minute dinghy ride away at Enkai.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by capngeo

St Thomas (IMHO), is a stinking, festering, sore to be avoided. The other islands were much more to my liking. I have visited many islands in the Carrib, and I was never more of a pariah than on that rock!

i loved that nasty partying friendly bunch of folks, and i found it to be cleaner than many cities in this country. i didnt lose a dink nor did i have any problems. we were at water island and landed dink in crown bay. the natives were friendly and the yachties were slightly less so. i loved it.