Going to St Thomas airport, AVI's,Caribbean

[Wanderlust141]

Hello, I will be picking up family from St Thomas airport, AVI's in December. Can anyone tell be the best location to go to with the boat so I can easily pick up and return to the boat?

Geoff

[donradcliffe]

I've done a dinghy ride in from the Water island anchorage to Lindbergh Bay, but the scramble up the rocks and sand would not be best if you are picking up your mother-in-law.

I've tried to drop family off at the Crown Bay Marina fuel dock. After I bought $150 worth of fuel, they told me it would be another $25 per person for my guests to walk down their dock. I told them to put it where the sun doesn't shine, and took the big boat though haulover cut to downtown Charlotte Amalie, where I pulled up alongside the town quay for a minute while the guests hopped off and grabbed a taxi 2 miles to the airport on Veterans Drive. If you have cell phones, it would be easy to come in and pick them up there.

OTOH, if its after dark and you don't want the family mugged, you'd best use the marina.

[lampeach]

We have often used the harbour at Charlotte Amalie for that purpose. We anchor in the harbour and dinghy to the sea wall in behind the US Coast Guard station for the rendezvous. Guests can taxi to that location and be met. The sea wall is often influenced by chop from the prevailing winds and thus very rough for even short-term mooring plus much of its length is reserved for commercial craft.

[CSY Man]

Anchor in Lindbergh Bay, then dink to the beach.
Bad holding however, always keep anchor watch there.

[edmundsteele]

Go into Charlotte Amelie and anchor in Long Bay. Free and good holding. Dink to Yacht Haven Marina (next to the Cruise ships and super yachts) and leave your dink at their dinghy dock. Free and good security. Easy to get a taxi from there to the airport because this is where they pick up and drop off the cruise ship passengers. After you collect your guests, there are multiple restaurants next to the dinghy dock and a supermarket across the street. You can drop off trash at the marina for $1 per bag.