Quote:
Originally Posted by lreslock
Thanks for the post...What are your suggestions on Moorings charters.
Thanks Lisa
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Auspicious makes a good point about Bobby's though I never pre ordered myself. I'm more of a hands on person when it comes to groceries.
It's hard to make any recommendations without knowing your preferences. I prefer the more quiet settings to the party atmosphere, so my typical stops reflect that.
A few things which probably won't come across in the charter briefing that I enjoy:
For some isolation, I love staying at at the Sandy Spit for the night. Many think of it as a day stop, but I find it nice at night. The bay north of Lee Bay on Great Camanoe is a place I rarely see other boats. It's
coral in the middle but has plenty of sand down in the SE corner. Pelicans
diving for
fish, schools of minnows, huge predatory
fish, and wild goats roaming the hill sides make it an amazing place for wildlife. The cave on the the point between it and Lee Bay blows away the caves at "the caves".
Savannah Bay is much easier in my opinion than the guide book makes it sound and has some good snorkeling. I like to stay there and hit the baths the next morning before the crowds hit. If you prefer a town,
anchoring off Spanish Town offers an even closer staging anchorage. You could even
dinghy from there to the Baths. You do get boat wake near Spanish Town during the daylight hours, so I like to not spend much time there, favoring time in town or the nearby
Dogs.
As far as more common stops, I do like The baths, the caves, snorkeling at the Indians, the caves, the Willie T, Cane Garden Bay and Jost Van Dyke. In Cane Garden Bay, it's easy to
anchor between the moorings and the reef or closer to the swimming area to the west. If you can and enjoy snorkeling to 25 feet or so, stop at the wreck of the Rhone.
Personally, I am not fond of
Anegada. I think the appeal is for those who have never sailed to a
destination they couldn't see. Others however, say it's the highlight of their charter.
The
BVI is their home base. It's much larger than St. Martin. For better of for worse, things are a bit more structured and the facilities bigger and more organized. The
shower facilities are about as different as you can possibly get. The problem in at the BVI base is that the private showers are so nice, people can stay in them forever... I felt the the BVI base offers more structure, but you are also a bit more of a number. That said, go to the desk and just ask if you feel you are being neglected in any way.
You can get
Wifi for free in the
reception area and at the coffee shop. (same area, but air conditioned). There is no
laundry on site, but if you need
laundry done at the end of your
cruise, the marina/restaurant across the bay has laundry. Hang onto your
dinghy the last night - go there for dinner and laundry if you need laundry done. You probably don't want to walk. At Jost Van Dyke, West End and the Indians, you can probably get a U.S. cell pone signal from the U.S. VIs.