Cruising USVI / BVI Next Month

[markbeebe]

Hello all. First post here. I'm planning a bareboating charter in the USVI / BVIs the first week of February. I have a tenative itinerary for the week,
but would really appreciate specific information regarding anchorages,
'can't miss' sights to see along the way, and any other cruising/sailing
info that might be shared. Here's our tenative itinerary for the week:

Day one: leave St. Thomas (Frenchtown), destination Caneel Bay
Day two: Caneel Bay to Nanny Cay Marina, via Sopers Hole (customs)
Day three: Nanny Cay to Trellis Bay
Day four: Trellis Bay to Manchioneel Bay, via The Baths
Day five: Manchioneel Bay to Leinster Bay via Norman island
Day six: Leinster Bay to Cruz Bay
Day seven: Cruz Bay to Frenchtown

Thanks!

[Hud3]

Hi, Mark, and welcome to the Forum!

There are lots of great destinations in the BVI and USVI. Where you go really depends on what you're looking for. Will you have kids aboard, or is it just adults. Looking for nightlife? Will you eat aboard, or do you plan to eat in restaurants a lot? Etc. Tell us some more about what you like in a charter cruise, and the experienced BVI cruisers can give you some good advice.

Off the bat, though, I'd skip Cruz Bay, Nanny Cay and Caneel Bay (unless you want to dinghy around to Cruz Bay from Caneel and walk the town or hire a taxi for a tour of St. John). I'd add North Sound on Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke (lunch at Sandy Cay and supper at Foxy's on Friday or Saturday night). And maybe Norman Island (the Caves, and the nearby Indians for snorkeling). Definitely do go to Waterlemon Cay in Leinster Bay (great snorkeling on the channel side of the Cay), the Baths, and Manchioneel Bay on Coopers.

[Tempest245]

I agree with Hud, need to know more of your style, and who your cruising with.

I'd also agree with the destinations Hud mentioned.

I've done the BVI twice, so I can't speak to the USVI stops. A typical itinery for us would include the baths as a day stop, after exploring the rock caverns take a hike to the top of the hill, great views, a pool and cocktails await you. This is often a swim ashore from a dinghy mooring . Bring those waterproof plastic money/credit card holders to keep your cash dry.....day stop

Next, North Sound and the Bitter End. We Hike to the top of the mountain and around the island then stop at the English Pub there...Spend the night

I'll mention Anagada as a possibility, the lobster dinner shoreside is a treat. You can also catch a ride in an open pickup truck to one of the beaches for the day.
Pick your weather for this one.

One of my favorite beaches is Cane Garden Bay, great swimming and sunbathing.
Dinner at Myette's ( on the beach ) is very good. They had live music. Myettes also makes a great pain killer. Tie up your dinghy good here it can be bouncy.

Jost Van Dyke is not to be missed...Foxy's bar is a legend. There are hiking trails to the top of the mountain.

Sopher's hole is good for re-provisioning ( fuel, water, Ice, and lot's of shopping)
We don't stay here.

Cooper Island was a good stop for us.

Norman Island, the Indian and/or the Caves for snorkeling should not be missed. The Willie T is a floating bar, danciing in the evenings if you want. Also a good hiking trail to the top. you can see St Croix from there.

We usually have breakfast and lunch on board and maybe one dinner..the rest of the dinners we have ashore. We make reservations in the afternoon then take a hike.

Others might mention the Full Moon Party if you're there on a full moon.

I've never felt the need to provision for the whole week, I fill a bag at home with dry goods such as coffee, sugar, mustard, mayo, canned tuna, chunk chicken, pasta etc. etc. and then fill in with fresh fruit, dairy and produce as we go.

If you need a bartender for the week, I'm available!..

Tempest

[fastfilm]

As you may have gathered, what you want to do determines where you go. We love to snorkle so it is hard to ignore the south shore of St. John. There are national park moorings in the Lameshurs and Salt Pond and great snorkeling. Leinster is a favorite on the north shore, snorkeling around Waterlemon Cay, sunsets where your entire field of view is filled with islands layered on each other, magic. The BVI's are another whole list of great places. One week is not enough to even start enjoying the area. Two comments: remember you have to check back in to the US and they are getting stricter on the timing; you don't want to and your charter company will forbid you to take the boat into Cruz Bay. If you are Chartering from CYOA, they are great. Say Hi to Nancy who maintains the boats. She is crusty at first but extremely competent and a very nice lady. This summer will be our fourth charter with them.

[Keegan]

If I were you I would break it up into two trips. The first trip I would do the USVI and the 2nd I would do only the BVI. You are trying to cover alot of ground in just one week. Sometimes, less equals more.

[Rubikoop]

I would go with Hud's suggestions as well. Fastfilm's point about the flaw in your day #5 itinerary is correct in that you are legally required clear out of the BVI and check into US C&I before going to Leinster, or any place else in the USVI. The nearest US Customs and Immigration office would be the Cruz Bay office for you.

Another option for you might be to visit all the USVI spots you wish to see before entering the BVI waters. Then, nearer the end of your trip, you could visit any of the three BVI Customs Offices and request to clear out later, I think up to 72 hrs but please confirm. Doing this gives you the option of taking a longer sail from anywhere in the BVI directly back to Frenchtown, which is very close to the Customs Office on the waterfront in downtown Charlotte Amalie. That generally gives you a very nice downwind sail all the way.

We frequently make Jost the last day of our longer trips and clear out there for the sail back home, skipping the hassle of the customs office in Cruz Bay for downtown (that was before acquiring the Local Boater Option Card).

Have fun.

[gbanker]

All the above is good advice.

My .02

I don't like to overnight at Caneel Bay as the ferry wakes are annoying. However, when you check back into the USVI pick up one of the park moorings at the south end of Caneel and dinghy around to Cruz Bay for customs and immigration. Cruz Bay is almost completely filled with moorings that make anchoring there difficult. It would take a braver man than me to attempt to overnight in Cruz Bay (fending off boats in the night as the wind shifts).

If you do the south shore of St John you might want to have the wind north of east, a stout boat and crew, go downwind or all of the foregoing.

First night (or last night) could be at Christmas Cove on Great St. James Island. There is snorkeling at Fish Cay and if you can anchor south of it it will block most of the ferry wakes from the ferries going through Current Cut.

Lienster Bay is wonderful as is Francis Bay.

Manchioneel Bay can be rolly if the north swell is up. Play that one by ear. The bight at Norman can hold lots of boats. For more secluded spots in that area look at the bays on the north side of Normans or the south side of Peter. Little Harbor on Peter is one of our favorites also.

I would skip Nanny Cay unless you want a secure place to leave the boat while you do a land tour. If that is your reason for going there you might want to go in to Roadtown where there is more walking around stuff than at Nanny Cay.

For the best experience at the Baths, go real early or late in the day.

We perfer the show at Marina Cay as apposed to the one at Trellis. Also, its nice to be a bit further from the airport on Beef, we feel its a prettier spot and there is better snorkeling than at Trellis.

Lastly, if you happen to arrive when the Christmas winds are down consider getting as far east as you can, as soon as you can.

Enjoy, dont get too caught up in following an itinerary.

We leave tomorrow for three weeks in the islands.

[Tempest245]

7 days is a fair amount of time to cover ground...if you use all the daylight. I'm usually slipping the mooring or weighing anchor no later than 7 am..with coffee brewing... (If I recall you have about 12 hours of daylight that time of year...7 to 7.)....some of the crew..may sleep in..but that's fine..an early departure let's us get a morning stop in....and then move along to the next overnight stop. I've found that getting to the evening stop by 2 or 3 pm gets a good spot, ( shorter Dinghy ride ) and leaves plenty of daylight to explore ashore.

If you like to sleep in and get underway later..you might shorten your itinery.
So much depends on your interests and style.

We like the sailings as much as the land based activities. We charter a big cat so everyone is comfortable ( not heeled over) all the time. So, the late sleepers barely notice our being underway. Last ones up makes breakfast though!...

A pair of Portable 2 way radios come in handy...

[markbeebe]

Thank you all for your very helpful replies. The point has been very well made that more information required for a proper response. I will attempt to outline in more detail our cruising style, our intended list of 'must-sees'
and some general back-up info on the proposed itinerary. Here goes:

DAY ONE: Frenchtown to Hawksnest Bay.
We are chartering with CYOA (thanks for the info FASTFILM. I'd love to get more info on their check-out procedure, how long to anticipate, what time of day could we expect to actually be on our way, etc. Also, if you might have info on our specific boat - Hunter 430 - would be great.) Our
first night at Hawksnest Bay will be Superbowl Sunday. Any thoughts on
where we might watch the game, should we be in the mood? Caneel Resort or Cruz Bay? Any thoughts on overnighting in Hawksnest Bay? I
understand it can be a little rolly if the north sea ground is running... There doesn't seem to be a lot of options for getting out of this though
on the north shore of St. John as a day sail from Frenchtown.

DAY TWO: Hawksnest Bay to Leinster Bay.
Short day here, lots of time for snorkeling--one of our primary intents
for the trip. Hope to make lots of stops along the way, and maybe do
hiking ashore near Annaberg.

DAY THREE: Leinster Bay to Nanny Cay, via Sopers Hole.
The intent here is to clear customs early at Sopers, and then head
straight to Nanny Cay to leave the boat for the day while doing lots
of touring ashore. Any other thoughts on where we might anchor/moor
for the day where we would feel comfortable leaving it? We'd like to see Callwood Distillery (anyone have any
info? When do they open?), Cane Garden Bay, Road Town for
shopping, etc. We're considering renting a car for a day from Nanny Cay
or Sopers Hole. Any thoughts on this? Lessons learned?

DAY FOUR: Nanny Cay to Trellis Bay or Marina Cay
The intent here is to get as close as we can for an early morning sail
to the Baths. The other option here would be to sail to Spanish Town,
and possibly make use of the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour. If we were to
overnight in the marina, we would likely not overnight at Nanny Cay, as
we're trying to minimize the cost of marina fees. The decision on Trellis/Marina Cay versus VGYH might depend on weather as well, as we
would likely choose not to beat into the wind if had strong winds that
day.

DAY FIVE: early morning sail to the Baths, then to Manchioneel
Hope to be at the Baths by 0900, then head for Cooper / Manchioneel Bay
after lunch. I understand Mancioneel Bay can be a little rough
for overnighting, depending on conditions. Might have to carry on
for anchorages on Peter Is.

DAY SIX: Cooper Is. to Norman
The draw here of course is the snorkeling: caves/Indians, etc.
I've heard there are also good hiking trails here?

DAY SEVEN: Norman to Frenchtown
I'm thinking we would slide by the south shore of St. John, possibly
taking in a beach or two for lunch. We would be coming back from
the BVI, and wouldn't have cleared customs yet...any issues with this?
Any suggestions on beaches / anchorages to take in along
the way to Frenchtown? Maybe Christmas Cove? We would be heading
back for the marina at CYOA, so we have a 'reserved slip' from
that standpoint--as long as we arrive before sundown we're ok.
Any suggestions on things to see back in Charlotte Amalie?

As a general note, our group will be looking for quiet beaches and snorkeling, some shopping, out-of-the-way local eateries, lots of fresh produce and fish, hiking, and rum tastings.

Thanks for all the informative replies!

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by markbeebe

...DAY THREE: Leinster Bay to Nanny Cay, via Sopers Hole.
The intent here is to clear customs early at Sopers, and then head
straight to Nanny Cay to leave the boat for the day while doing lots
of touring ashore. Any other thoughts on where we might anchor/moor
for the day where we would feel comfortable leaving it? We'd like to see Callwood Distillery (anyone have any
info? When do they open?), Cane Garden Bay, Road Town for
shopping, etc. We're considering renting a car for a day from Nanny Cay
or Sopers Hole. Any thoughts on this? Lessons learned?...

Hi, Mark.

I'll just comment on one of your days, since I'm sure you'll get a lot of good advice from others.

One of the times we passed through the BVI, we left our boat on a mooring in Trellis Bay and rented a car at the airport (you could start anywhere on the island). We drove in to Road Town on the south coast road, poked around there (shops and botanical gardens), and then drove up the "hill" to a spot a the top of one of the peaks that had a little restaurant, and great views (two examples below). I've forgotten the name of the place. Go there for the view, not the food.

From there you can drive down the "hill" to Callwood, and on to Cane Garden Bay for lunch and a swim. We drove from there to Sopers Hole, and then took the road along the spine of the island all the way back to the airport and were rewarded with a lot of nice scenery. Note of caution: if you haven't experienced driving on a Caribbean island, you may find it more comfortable to hire a taxi. The roads are steep, narrow, and full of potholes. The locals drive like, well, locals. (Heh, I'm a local now here on Nevis--watch out! )

Here's a link to a map of Tortola: Tortola Map - Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Sounds like you're getting a pretty good handle on how to lay out your week in Paradise.

Jost van Dyke and Sandy Cay from Tortola



Looking east along Tortola's north shore

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by markbeebe

Thank you all for your very helpful replies. The point has been very well made that more information required for a proper response. I will attempt to outline in more detail our cruising style, our intended list of 'must-sees'
and some general back-up info on the proposed itinerary. Here goes:

DAY ONE: Frenchtown to Hawksnest Bay.
We are chartering with CYOA (thanks for the info FASTFILM. I'd love to get more info on their check-out procedure, how long to anticipate, what time of day could we expect to actually be on our way, etc. Also, if you might have info on our specific boat - Hunter 430 - would be great.) Our
first night at Hawksnest Bay will be Superbowl Sunday. Any thoughts on
where we might watch the game, should we be in the mood? Caneel Resort or Cruz Bay? Cruz Bay will have many places to watch the game. Caneel can sometimes be less than welcoming to cruisers. If you are going ashore to have dinner at the resort they would probably accept you into the bar to watch the game. Any thoughts on overnighting in Hawksnest Bay? If you are determined to spend the night there it is usually best to get as far to the east as possible in the bay. There are many turtles to see and the snorkeling along the eastern rocky shore can be OK. Rather than spending the night in Hawksnest, a stop for a snorkle would be great if time permits, I would suggest going another 30 minutes further east into Francis or Maho Bays. That area is very well protected for overnight sleeping, and very quiet. You would have to take a cab to Cruz Bay to watch the game from there. I understand it can be a little rolly if the north sea ground is running... There doesn't seem to be a lot of options for getting out of this though
on the north shore of St. John as a day sail from Frenchtown. You will probably end up motoring or motor-sailing up the south side of St Thomas from the harbor to Current Cut by Crhistmas Cove. Generally you will be sailing into the wind and a 1-2 knot current making for a lot of tacking. You might consider sailing out of the harbor to Buck Is. for a quick snorkle. There are tons of fish and turtles to see. That also can give you a good angle to sail close hauled towards St John.

DAY TWO: Hawksnest Bay to Leinster Bay.
Short day here, lots of time for snorkeling--one of our primary intents
for the trip. Hope to make lots of stops along the way, and maybe do
hiking ashore near Annaberg.

DAY THREE: Leinster Bay to Nanny Cay, via Sopers Hole.
The intent here is to clear customs early at Sopers, and then head
straight to Nanny Cay to leave the boat for the day while doing lots
of touring ashore. Any other thoughts on where we might anchor/moor
for the day where we would feel comfortable leaving it? Cane Garden Bay would work and you wouldn't have to pay for dockage. You could spend the night or sail a nice quick beam reach to Jost stopping at Sandy or Green Cays. We'd like to see Callwood Distillery (anyone have any
info? When do they open?), Cane Garden Bay, Road Town for
shopping, etc. We're considering renting a car for a day from Nanny Cay
or Sopers Hole. Any thoughts on this? If you are experienced in driving on the left or have been to Tortola before than a car might be a good idea. You might see what you could negotiate for a taxi for the day, if business is slow the drivers can be a very good value. Lessons learned?

DAY FOUR: Nanny Cay to Trellis Bay or Marina Cay
The intent here is to get as close as we can for an early morning sail
to the Baths. The other option here would be to sail to Spanish Town,
and possibly make use of the Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour. If we were to
overnight in the marina, we would likely not overnight at Nanny Cay, as
we're trying to minimize the cost of marina fees. The decision on Trellis/Marina Cay versus VGYH might depend on weather as well, as we
would likely choose not to beat into the wind if had strong winds that
day.

DAY FIVE: early morning sail to the Baths, then to Manchioneel
Hope to be at the Baths by 0900, then head for Cooper / Manchioneel Bay
after lunch. I understand Mancioneel Bay can be a little rough
for overnighting, depending on conditions. Might have to carry on
for anchorages on Peter Is.

DAY SIX: Cooper Is. to Norman
The draw here of course is the snorkeling: caves/Indians, etc.
I've heard there are also good hiking trails here?

DAY SEVEN: Norman to Frenchtown
I'm thinking we would slide by the south shore of St. John, possibly
taking in a beach or two for lunch. We would be coming back from
the BVI, and wouldn't have cleared customs yet...any issues with this? Yes, especially if you get caught!!!!! Highly suggest you find a way to properly check out of BVI Customs. I am quite sure the extra hour of your time and a few dollars would seem very insignificant to the fines and or prison time that you, as captain, could face for techinically smuggling people out of the BVI.
Any suggestions on beaches / anchorages to take in along
the way to Frenchtown? Lamshur and Coral Bays are very nice. Maybe Christmas Cove? Where are you checking back into the USVI???? We would be heading
back for the marina at CYOA, so we have a 'reserved slip' from
that standpoint--as long as we arrive before sundown we're ok. It seems that you are suggesting breaking both BVI and US laws by not following proper C&I procedures. Is everyone else on your charter comfortable with that? If you do not understand what is wrong with your current intinerary...I apologize for being so direct.
Any suggestions on things to see back in Charlotte Amalie? Beaches, Magans and Lindbergh. Snorkeling, Coki. If it is very clear, Mountain Top has some spectacular views of the BVIs.

As a general note, our group will be looking for quiet beaches and snorkeling, some shopping, out-of-the-way local eateries, lots of fresh produce and fish, hiking, and rum tastings.

Thanks for all the informative replies!

I am sending you a PM for other places you can research on your own to get further suggestions and opinions.

[Hud3]

BTW, don't even think of anchoring/mooring in Cane Garden Bay or The Baths if the northerly swells are running. Here's a good source for seven-day forecasts: Windfinder - Wind & weather forecast Beef Isl./Tortola

[fastfilm]

Listen to Rubikoop, he knows whereof he speaks. I have only chartered in the summer, mid-june to mid-july, so can't speak for the winds in the winter. I suspect I won't find out about them until I get Immrama down there for myself. I'd be glad to PM about more suggestions, it feeds my expectation for next summer, three weeks on a boat already scheduled.
CYOA is a small outfit and their checkout is more thorough and time consuming than say the Moorings. We usually do a sleep aboard the night before so we can provision and familiarize ourselves with the boat. Even when we swear we are going to be first in line to check out, we inevitably slip into island time and are much later than expect getting out. The checkout includes going out into the harbor and raising and lowering the sails and doing some maneuvering to demonstrate the most basic knowledge. This is more helpful than it seems if, like me and my crew, you are unfamiliar with roller furling mainsails. Each boat's system is slightly different and likes to be furled in its own way. In my experience, they only jam in Charlotte Amalie Harbor with the CYOA person telling you how to do it. In the summer, you are looking at motoring along the south shore of St. Thomas, pretty much dead to wind, if you want to get to Christmas Cove or St. John in time to snorkel or whatever. Don't overlook Christmas Cove, by the way. So long as you sit on deck and have a drink for the hour or so the tour boats burp out the hordes of snorkelers from St. Thomas it is a great place to start or end your trip. Better snorkeling than you would imagine. Anchor closer in than you think and away from the channel between Great St. James and St. Thomas.
I do not know the 430, we have chartered a Beneteau 473 (no longer in their fleet), Hunter 46, and the Hunter 49. The Hunters are plush and comfortable for chartering, with cheap details like latches and hardware, and don't expect to keep up with the Farr 40 fantasy racing charters that run out of Charlotte Amalie, outfitted for comfort not for speed.
Island time is real and a big part of the therapeutic value of a VI charter. So give in, plan to do less, and enjoy it more. If you get into Coral Bay, have a Limin Coconut at Island Blues for me. And then have one for yourself.

[markbeebe]

Thanks to all for the excellent information.

Rubikoop: thanks for the words of caution. I have replied to your PM,
and I'll recap here. My understanding is we will be permitted to clear
in and out of the BVIs at the same time at the customs office in
Sopers Hole. My question is really this: having already cleared out
of the BVIs, we will be headed for Cruz Bay in the far western coast
of St. John from Norman. Are we allowed to drop anchor along the way from Norman? If not, no big deal. It's just a shame to have to sail
past all the gorgeous beaches on the way, as the ONLY customs office
on this island paradise resides on the opposite side from whence we'll be coming...

Thanks,

[Rubikoop]

If BVI customs always you to clear in and out that many days in advance on your departure I will be surprised. That has not been my typical experience.

Not a C&I guru but I believe you would be violating the US immigration laws by not proceeding directly to the C&I office and instead dropping anchor for lunch. Perhaps if you put up your yellow flag and did not go ashore??? Hud or somebody else probably knows if that would be satisfactory or not.

The winds in February and March can be strong and the sea can be rough.
This is the current forecast



Hazardous marine condition(s):
Small Craft Advisory
Hazardous Weather Outlook


AMZ725-131030- COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTHERN USVI VIEQUES AND EASTERN PUERTO RICO OUT 10 NM- 322 PM AST MON JAN 12 2009 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON TONIGHT EAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS. SEAS 5 TO 7 FEET IN NORTH SWELLS. SCATTERED SHOWERS. TUESDAY EAST WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS. SEAS 5 TO 8 FEET. SCATTERED SHOWERS. TUESDAY NIGHT EAST WINDS 13 TO 18 KNOTS. SEAS 5 TO 8 FEET. SCATTERED SHOWERS. WEDNESDAY EAST WINDS 13 TO 18 KNOTS. SEAS 5 TO 7 FEET. SCATTERED SHOWERS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT EAST NORTHEAST WINDS 14 TO 19 KNOTS. SEAS 5 TO 7 FEET. ISOLATED SHOWERS. THURSDAY EAST NORTHEAST WINDS 14 TO 19 KNOTS. SEAS 4 TO 8 FEET. SCATTERED SHOWERS. THURSDAY NIGHT EAST NORTHEAST WINDS 14 TO 19 KNOTS. SEAS 4 TO 8 FEET. SCATTERED SHOWERS. FRIDAY EAST WINDS 16 TO 21 KNOTS. SEAS 4 TO 8 FEET. SCATTERED SHOWERS. SATURDAY EAST WINDS 13 TO 18 KNOTS. SEAS 5 TO 7 FEET. SCATTERED SHOWERS.