Travelling through Virgin Islands - suggestions?

[Anjulis]

Getting a catamaran in St. Martin, planning to beeline to Virgin Gorda, go to all BVI, then USVI, the SVI, ending in Puerto Rico on day 17. Then straight back to St. Martin to return the boat on day 21.


I would appreciate any tips, especially interesting places, anything you can think of.



I plan to check-in in St. Thomas. Since I will be already in the USA, I don't need to check-in again in Puerto Rico, correct?

Do I need to stop in St. Thomas on the way back to check out? I have heard that it is possible to check out online in some app (CBP Roam?)

[Zanshin]

The BVI and USVI have many great anchorages and locations to explore, I've kept my boats there for over 15 years. I won't go into detail yet, but give you some other things to think about and plan for

- You'll need to clear into the BVI. This can be done in Spanish Town but I have never had a good experience there, it might be better to clear in at Jost van Dyke. If you arrive in a charter boat they will charge you a LOT of money for entering and daily fees per person while you are there. Check up on the those costs beforehand; a private vessel does not incur those fees
- You'll have to clear out of the BVI and into the USVI. If everyone aboard is a US citizen or LPR then you've got the CBP Roam, otherwise you need to head to C&I on St. John. Foreigners who otherwise can fly into the USA without a visa or use ESTA must have a tourist visa when entering by boat.
- Noonsite is a good resources for formalities
- I believe you will need to clear into and out of Puerto Rico when transiting from the USVI.
- Returning from the USVI to St. Martin you will need an exit Zarpe (clearance) if you intend on going to the Dutch side. If you return to the French side then you can do so without that outbound clearance.

- Now for some bad news. The passages from Puerto Rico to St. Martin will pit you against Atlantic waves and dead into the prevailing tradewinds. You haven't mentioned what time of year you plan on doing this, but in December the return will be excruciatingly bad while in summer it can be merely miserable.
I've done the BVI-St. Martin over 30 times and those 100 miles are, without exception, no fun. And I'm on a monohull and motorsail. Typically cruisers will wait in the North Sound on Virgin Gorda and wait for a "weather window" to minimize discomfort. Since you are on a schedule, you don't have that luxury.
You will need to plan extra "buffer" time for the uphill return trip and your catamaran will be running under both engines and pounding like crazy (unless you get lucky with the weather). Inexperienced mariners will probably need medication.
So it might make sense to pan for a couple of days to explore St. Martin at the tail end of the trip - Grand Case, Friar's Bay, Tintamarre, Anse Marcel and perhaps even Ile Fourchue. That way, if weather prevents a timely return, you'll still be able to return on time.

[Anjulis]

Zanshin, thanks a lot for your help

Originally Posted by Zanshin

The BVI and USVI have many great anchorages and locations to explore, I've kept my boats there for over 15 years. I won't go into detail yet

I would greatly appreciate any details

Originally Posted by Zanshin

- You'll need to clear into the BVI. This can be done in Spanish Town but I have never had a good experience there, it might be better to clear in at Jost van Dyke.

Since I am coming from St. Martin, Virgin Gorda is the closest island so I though to start with it. I thought to end at Jost van Dyke and clear out there.

I will be on a private boat. It is nice to know I would save money this way . As for "per-person" does it apply for time of check-in? There will be 2 people onboard during check-in but I will pick people later on Tortola.


Everyone aboard is a US citizen, so will use the app.

Returing the boat to Fort Louis marina, I believe that is French side, so no need to visit customs on Puerto Rico, good.


Sorry for not mentioning the time. The time is now. Picking the boat on Monday. I will be departing PR on 4/7 and need to return the boat on 4/11 so will have 4 days for that segment. Those days are not changeable as people have flights. I guess I could stay in North Sound for a day if it is really bad but it seems to be out of the way and won't I have to clear into BVI then?



Again, thanks a lot!

[Zanshin]

I am in Simpson Bay right now and was in the Marina Fort Louis two weeks ago (not a good experience, I went there to fuel up about 1000l of diesel and after a long wait was told that they don't have any! They only fuel up megayachts with tankers...

The trip to the BVI will be a great "milk run" and with a private boat you can take a mooring or anchor at Spanish Town and dinghy in to the C&I offices in the ferry terminal. The fees are different every time I enter the BVI. Sometimes I'd pay US$0.35 (for the form) when I had my temporary import, other times it could be $20-$50 and they've started tacking spurious fees ("Environmental Fee" - which probably goes straight into some official's wallet) but it will be under $100 and most likely a lot less.
Clearing out for the USVI is best done at the West End (if they've fixed the dinghy dock) or, even better, Great Harbour on Jost van Dyke. I'm a foreigner, so have to present myself at Cruz Bay for C&I but with the ROAM app it sounds like you don't need to actually go into any offices.

The BVI will check your paperwork upon exit and every crewmember you cleared in with must also be clearing out on the boat. Adding people is not a problem, just subtracting. If not, you need to take care of that ahead of time as they'll want to see proof of further travel (airline ticket or ferry ticket). They can be quite finicky about that in the BVI.

After 2 weeks of exceptionally odd weather, the normal trades are now back in force. I use several weather apps, but when not actively sailing I use WindGuru.

The return trip from Fajardo to Marigot is going to be 160 miles straight against the weather. Add another 25% if you need to crack off and motorsail (I'm not sure if that makes a difference on a catamaran, it does make a big comfort and speed difference on a monohul). So call it 200nm doing 6 knots (pessimistic and worst-case for a big catamaran, but you might be pounding and that will slow you down) that is 30 hours or 40 hours @5kn. The boats can usually take it better than the humans aboard

I'm not saying this a bad or dangerous - just that it won't be fun and being on a schedule limits your options.

If you are on the Dutch side, we could meet and talk - I'm usually at the 5PM inbound bridge opening at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club Or drop me a PM or e-mail at the website in my signature.

[hpeer]

I agree with Zashin.

Depending on forecast consider ducking into either St Thomas or St Croix for a break.

Not terribly unusual for folks to abort or take a stop.

[Zanshin]

@Anjulis - any updates on your trip and how it was?

[Anjulis]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

@Anjulis - any updates on your trip and how it was?

We are in Tortola now. Wind 18-20 knots most of the time. Sailing part is fine.
Bureaucracy part is not. We checked in in Virgin Gorda, yesterday went to check out in JVD, where they said that immigration at Gorda did not put us in the system and did not stamp our passports. They took our passports and told us to get to the top manager in Tortola so we had no choice but to sail back there. Now we are waiting for him. He hasn’t come yet.

[Joli]

Most full time cruisers skip the BVIS because the agents seem to go out of their way to take advantage of them. We've been lumped into the"charter boat" genre even though we're private and don't charter. Plus we much prefer the USVI's.

[Zanshin]

I kept my boats in the BVI for over 15 years and decided to leave for reasons similar to your plight, @Anjulis. You are hopefully no longer dealing with the son of the former Premier minister Fahie - who is in jail in the USA. The son, responsible for immigration, was the principle reason I opted to leave and not return.

Did the JVD officials not recognize your stamped paperwork - that huge form in triplicate that you needed to fill out?

[Cuvee]

BVI finally implemented SailClear which has eliminated having to fill out their passenger manifest with 5 carbon copy pages.

Also, they appear to be out of the Immigration Form that had to be filled out for each crew member or passenger. So far this year, they have just scanned and stamped our passports.

They still have a 1-page Customs Declaration form that had to be filled out for each crew member (or family if living together). However, I've only been requested to complete this for 1 out of 4 entries to BVI this season.


Regarding both USVI and Puerto Rico, you have to submit your arrival via CBP ROAM (or in-person visit to CBP - Cruz Bay, St John and Culebra airport are probably easiest to get to). You do not need to clear out of USVI or PR. You do not need to clear into USVI when coming from PR.

To use ROAM, you need to be in US waters when submitting your arrival.