USVI

[Jughead135]

Originally Posted by Tmacmi

Everyone else has covered the cruising details so I'll simply give you my recommendation.

We used IYC last November. This was our first bareboat charter and they were very patient with a newcomer. The boat was fantastic and well kept.

Bareboat Charters | Island Yachts Charters U.S. Virgin Islands

Thanks! We're already locked in w/ DYC, but I'll keep IYC in mind for future bookings.


Any additional advice for a first-timer in the area, keep it comin'...!!

[Tmacmi]

Originally Posted by Jughead135

Any additional advice for a first-timer in the area, keep it comin'...!!

The information in this thread is great and the cruising guide is very good.

When we went COVID protections where still in force and we couldn't go to the BVI.

One thing I was caught off guard by was how close everything was, particularly along the north shore. I mean the north shore beaches are 15 minutes under power away from each other.

We found that we had to work at going out sailing because everything was more convenient under power. Finally, we ditched the north shore and went to the south side. We loved it there. The beaches were less crowded, the water was clearer and the snorkeling better. There were some good hikes. And we had great margaritas at Skinny Legs in Coral Bay.

Best of all we had open waters to spread our sails and enjoy a couple of nice long open water day sails.

[Joli]

One other note I just remembered. If you have a senior national park pass, bring it. Moorings with your national pass are half price. $13 instead of $26/night.

[Jughead135]

Originally Posted by Tmacmi

The information in this thread is great and the cruising guide is very good.

No doubt on both sources!!


Interesting point about the north vs south shores. Our intent is to circumnavigate St John. The narrow passage (the geography made even narrower by the international border, if BVI is still closed) and the proximity between beaches is obvious enough looking at the chart, but I hadn't considered "maybe it's easier to just motor over...." Hmm. We'll see how that plays out. Great pointer, thanks!

[Jughead135]

Originally Posted by Joli

One other note I just remembered. If you have a senior national park pass, bring it. Moorings with your national pass are half price. $13 instead of $26/night.

Good pointer--but, no one in our party is eligible for the senior pass. We have the military pass, but it appears that the user fees for Trunk Bay are the only ones covered by that....

[dan104]

We did a DYC out of compass point (they are run by Virgin Island sailing). The Dream people are rather useless and most of the time they boats are not ready @ 5. Plan on not getting out till the next day (but you can overnight on the boat if it is clean).


Everything is close and nice. The Food Town is ok but not the best provision place (That is MOE's in Redhook). Taxi's are rather cheap, I take the Safira up to Redhook ($1) shop then taxi back.
Don't skip St Thomas's beaches Megans alone is worth the couple of hours to sail to, or a quick stop at Main Harbor is good for smaller Moe's and shopping. If you have a car a quick trip to Cost-U-Less helps fill a boat fast.

[Jughead135]

Originally Posted by dan104

We did a DYC out of compass point (they are run by Virgin Island sailing). The Dream people are rather useless and most of the time they boats are not ready @ 5. Plan on not getting out till the next day (but you can overnight on the boat if it is clean).

Thanks for the pointers. That "not ready" bit doesn't sound very good--we're paying for it, it damned well better be ready for us to overnight.... Thanks for the heads-up!

[jspoone]

We used Navigare out of Benner Bay which is where Compass Point Marina is located, back in May. The base is fairly new and small, but it is easy in and out. There is a fuel dock just to the right of Navigare's dock that is very easy to get to. I'm not sure about DYC, but if you told them you chartered through Navigare, they gave you a 5% discount. We provisioned at the Food Center, which is about 1/4 mile from Navigare's base. We then restocked in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay on St. John. In Coral Bay, you can tie up to the dinghy dock and then walk to the left and you will find a path that will take you to the road. It is about a 15 minute walk to the store, but given the remote location, it was pretty well stocked. Also, you need to eat at Skinny Legs while you are there. Be sure to take bug spray.

[dan104]

My new boat winters in the same bay as Compass point, it is an easy in/out just narrow (look out for the sunken boats just outside the channel. Just last week had the best fish ever at the Kinky Mermaid in Redhook, they called it Snapper Creole @ $20 I could not finish the dish (and I eat).


My exp with DYC was that after I got back and complained about the boat and lack of basics (not even a real flashlight) they offered a comp of 2 days on my next charter (I said I would not charter with them again so they refunded 1 day charge.)

[Jughead135]

Originally Posted by jspoone

We used Navigare out of Benner Bay which is where Compass Point Marina is located, back in May. The base is fairly new and small, but it is easy in and out. […]

Great info, thanks!

[Jughead135]

Originally Posted by dan104

My exp with DYC was that after I got back and complained about the boat and lack of basics (not even a real flashlight) they offered a comp of 2 days on my next charter (I said I would not charter with them again so they refunded 1 day charge.)

We’ll, that’s not particularly encouraging…! 😳

I hope not to repeat your experience…. Thanks for the info!

[Calphor]

Originally Posted by Jughead135

Thanks for the pointers. That "not ready" bit doesn't sound very good--we're paying for it, it damned well better be ready for us to overnight.... Thanks for the heads-up!

Our experiences were similar. They were always able to accommodate us for the overnight, but it has been nearly sunset before we got settled on the boats. On one of the charters, we overnighted on the boat and they brought the “basics” in the morning.

The first charter was a “stripper” and there was no shore power available. Apparently they had had an issue with one of the shore power installations which caused a short and a fire on a boat resulting in a total loss. The hulk was still in the water off the main channel as we left harbor. The “stripper” had one LA battery for the house bank, two flexible solar panels (that didn’t work) and no generator. Needless to say, we ran the engine(s) several hours a day to supply power even when we were at the marina.

We made sure that we read through the descriptions and asked questions after that charter to make sure that we knew how the cat was equipped. Of course that first charter was a substitute (they said upgrade), when the our original choice was unavailable.

[Jughead135]

Following up on the earlier (& excellent!) pointers I’ve gathered on this thread regarding our upcoming bareboat out of Compass Point, St Thomas….

The Admiral has appointed herself as Chief Provisioning Officer—and I’m delighted by that turn of events. She’s more-or-less narrowed it down to two options, and asked me a question I couldn’t answer… so, back to the brain trust come I!

Moe’s provisioning service? Or Food Center (self-serve)?

Moe’s has a great website, are responsive to inquiries, and apparently a $30 delivery fee is the only direct fee involved.

Food Center has a marginal website and are less responsive, but all indications are that they are a lot cheaper and have a much better selection than Moe’s. No delivery option. Self-service implies time spent shopping, but also the ability to directly choose our purchases. Clear winner on geography / proximity to the marina—if we are shopping ourselves, we’d have little incentive to go to anywhere else, hence the apples-to-oranges comparing Moe’s delivery (the only delivery option we’ve found) vs Food Center self-service.

Can anyone who’s used one (or, ideally, both) of these options comment on these assumptions? The final question boils down to: How much are we really paying for the convenience of order-ahead / dockside delivery provisioning?

Thanks for any further help! I’m going to owe lots of beers by the time I get to St Thomas!!

[jspoone]

I would recommend just going to the food center. You can take the dollar bus there and then get a taxi back. You could actually walk there but the road is narrow and curvy, plus everyone is driving on the opposite side of the road. They have a pretty good selection and you can items specific for your needs.

[Nekton73]

I second the Food Centre and a cab back. Take your time, buy what you feel is the best option and enjoy the experience. It's all a big adventure.



A word of caution though, well 2, and more phrases than words but anyway:


Wash all produce well before bringing aboard your boat.


Do not bring any cardboard or paper packaging aboard.



Roaches and other insects are a fact of life in warmer climates. They lay eggs on produce and inside corrugations of cardboard, between flaps, book spines, etc. This is not a comment on the cleanliness of the island or the places you are buying from, it's just some advice I received from some experienced cruisers and I think it is good.