Monohull supply in BVI?

[KeepInTune]

Is it me or does it seem like there is a huge amount of supply of used monohulls in the BVI? I recall looking a few years back and it didn't seem like there were so many.
Could the reason be that charter companies phasing out the monohulls and replacing with cats, leaving the monohulls to flood the market? I'm also wondering if the 44'-55' monohull range has almost been completely replaced by a 40'-45' cat demand?
Thoughts?

[Privleoplag]

So what are you going to buy? A monohull that may be cheaper now and difficult to sell later or a catamaran that may be more expensive now but possibly an easier sell later. Or doesn't it matter? Just going to use it, be happy, and what ever happens concerning resale, just accept it?

[KeepInTune]

Originally Posted by Privleoplag

So what are you going to buy? A monohull that may be cheaper now and difficult to sell later or a catamaran that may be more expensive now but possibly an easier sell later. Or doesn't it matter? Just going to use it, be happy, and what ever happens concerning resale, just accept it?

I appreciate your comments, though not sure how that applies to the post or question.

[Privleoplag]

I was just thinking.. Your thoughts sound just like mine did back when I was shopping.. So, I was just taking a guess you are shopping, and contemplating. Maybe my guess was wrong, hence you didn't understand my comment.
Ahh well, just thinkin'.

[Harkaway]

Funny. Just sitting here listing my 1986 Bristol 54.4 for sale. It's in Roadtown, at Village Cay. Green hull, great boat. My 4th Bristol.
Good luck in your search.

[seasick]

The BVI is where many cruising dreams go to die. They are stacked gunwale to gunwale for hundreds of yards in Nanny Cay. I got my last boat there and sailed it to Oregon where I am now with the fire blazing. It is a great place to find a great deal on monohulls. Everything needed to repair a vessel can be found there. It can get very hot there and we both contracted Dengue Fever there.

[Gamechanger]

I think that your speculation about why there are so many mnohulls available in the BVIs is exactly correct. Cats make better party boats than monohulls for large groups so theyre in demand in the BVIs. Real sailors are becoming a scarce commodity in the BVIs these days... as is real sailing. When you have to be at anchorage or mooring by noon to ensure you get a spot, that's a clue that the partyers have taken over from the sailors. Too bad really.
All that said, whether you buy a monohull or a cat will be driven by what type of sailor you are.... If you prefer monohull sailing to motorhome... sorry catamaran sailing.. then you should buy one. If you buy a cat you may find if you try to keep it anywhere it will cost u too much and restrict your being able to get into or stay at many marinas. It is a great party boat if that's what you want. For the Bahamas and other places where low draft requirements prevail, Cats are perfect. Elsewhere a good seaworthy blue water monohull will be a good choice for the real sailors in the market.

[Pete O Static]

Originally Posted by Gamechanger

I think that your speculation about why there are so many mnohulls available in the BVIs is exactly correct. Cats make better party boats than monohulls for large groups so theyre in demand in the BVIs. Real sailors are becoming a scarce commodity in the BVIs these days... as is real sailing. When you have to be at anchorage or mooring by noon to ensure you get a spot, that's a clue that the partyers have taken over from the sailors. Too bad really.
All that said, whether you buy a monohull or a cat will be driven by what type of sailor you are.... If you prefer monohull sailing to motorhome... sorry catamaran sailing.. then you should buy one. If you buy a cat you may find if you try to keep it anywhere it will cost u too much and restrict your being able to get into or stay at many marinas. It is a great party boat if that's what you want. For the Bahamas and other places where low draft requirements prevail, Cats are perfect. Elsewhere a good seaworthy blue water monohull will be a good choice for the real sailors in the market.

LOL...Gamechanger, you my friend have hit the nail squarely on the head. I lived in the BVI in the 70's. Back then, cruisers out numbered charterers. Then in the 80's and 90's, charterers out numbered cruisers. Now Cats out number monohulls and most cruisers just sail right on past. You can clearly see the theme here. Now when I am in the BVI, sitting at anchor, it is reminiscent of being at a tailgate party in a Walmart parking lot.

Cats are by far, more popular in the BVI charter market than monohulls. Mainly because people seem to stack 12 of their closest friends on board. This combined with fewer cruisers willing to put up with all the BS may be contributing to the lack of monohull product on the market.

[Joyful Noise]

I have lived in St Croix since 1984 and bought my first boat (since arriving here from the Chesapeake bay area) a 10 meter 1980 Camper Nicholson at Nanny Cay for less than $20k and sailed it between my home island into the BVIs regularly dropping a hook in barely populated coves and bays and enjoying the hell out of the place. Over the next several decades the sailing grounds became crowded. Mooring balls monopolized the areas where anchoring had been common.

By the early 2000s charter boats were everywhere and it was not infrequent to see them motoring from one party bar to another. I would bet that many sail boats completed their week or 10 day charters without ever unfurling their sails. Anchorages became progressively more crowded and watching charterers scamper around mooring balls was amusing unless you were frightened that they would crowd uo or pull up your anchor chain.
It got to the point where many of us stopped venturing into those waters during the height of the chartering season or what we called "scare boat charters"
Yes, there are many more multihulls than monohulls plying those waters for the reasons above but there are still hundreds of fine old (and some not so old former charter Beneteauxs, Hunters and Bavarias) boats that can be had for decent prices and a cadre of skilled craftsman to help make them shipshape.

I chased my dream to Long Island NY to find the boat of my dreams and learned a lot about her bringing her home through the North Atlantic to Bermuda and south to St Croix. I would hate to have missed that voyage but I might have if this boat had been available in the BVI for the price I paid for her.

IN short, It is still a good place to find a good old boat and get help if yo need it from a plethora of good craftsman

[geoleo]

I floated into Maya Cove in BVI in Feb 1971 in Easy Rider, my Newport 41 sloop! Was supposed to be a charter deal but the inept charterers soon trashed the boat as I inebriated myself in Roadtown. Finally drank myself away. Anyone here remember this? What happened to Maya Cove and the Pub?

[Joyful Noise]

Maya Cove appears on the charts as Hodges Creek. There are still a number of Pubs in Tortola, including Pusser's, but I don't know which one you are referring to.

[geoleo]

It was called 'The Pub" was on water at harbor of Road Town -

[Twidget]

I was in "The Pub" a year ago. Good food, good booze, good time

[STXCUTTER]

Originally Posted by Joyful Noise

I have lived in St Croix since 1984 and bought my first boat (since arriving here from the Chesapeake bay area) a 10 meter 1980 Camper Nicholson at Nanny Cay for less than $20k and sailed it between my home island into the BVIs regularly dropping a hook in barely populated coves and bays and enjoying the hell out of the place. Over the next several decades the sailing grounds became crowded. Mooring balls monopolized the areas where anchoring had been common.

By the early 2000s charter boats were everywhere and it was not infrequent to see them motoring from one party bar to another. I would bet that many sail boats completed their week or 10 day charters without ever unfurling their sails. Anchorages became progressively more crowded and watching charterers scamper around mooring balls was amusing unless you were frightened that they would crowd uo or pull up your anchor chain.
It got to the point where many of us stopped venturing into those waters during the height of the chartering season or what we called "scare boat charters"
Yes, there are many more multihulls than monohulls plying those waters for the reasons above but there are still hundreds of fine old (and some not so old former charter Beneteauxs, Hunters and Bavarias) boats that can be had for decent prices and a cadre of skilled craftsman to help make them shipshape.

I chased my dream to Long Island NY to find the boat of my dreams and learned a lot about her bringing her home through the North Atlantic to Bermuda and south to St Croix. I would hate to have missed that voyage but I might have if this boat had been available in the BVI for the price I paid for her.

IN short, It is still a good place to find a good old boat and get help if yo need it from a plethora of good craftsman

Hi there Joyful Noise.
Not sure how to PM on here so I apologize for the open post.
I'm on STX (Christiansted Harbor) as well and was wondering what your thoughts were on the SW seaguard antifouling paint ? I spoke to the guy at SW by Napa and they now seem to want $200 per gallon. Still cheaper than anything at STX marine.
Cheers

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by geoleo

I floated into Maya Cove in BVI in Feb 1971 in Easy Rider, my Newport 41 sloop! Was supposed to be a charter deal but the inept charterers soon trashed the boat as I inebriated myself in Roadtown. Finally drank myself away. Anyone here remember this? What happened to Maya Cove and the Pub?

Old historic pictures of Maya Cove, British Virgin Islands

What Maya Cove looked like in 1970.