Where to Charter Post-Storm Caribbean

[Smart555]

Originally Posted by LasrSlr

Hello,

Just talked to a friend who chartered the BVIs in June. News was still not real good. Still lots of devastation, cars missing windows, houses missing roofs, attractions still not back in feet. It’s REAL hard to get current info and I’m at the boat show">Annapolis boat show wanting to talk about a charter in March. Little leery of a whitewash by salesmen at the show. That said, June was four months ago and March is five more, so that’s a nine-month delta. Does that move the needle? There were a couple of tropical storms that rolled through too, so not sure how that affects things. BVI would be an ideal destination since one of our foursome is a first- time charterer, but if it’s the wrong destination, she won’t like it anyway. We’ve done all the destinations (PR, Belize, SXM, BVI, Grenadines, Windwards), so it’s about where to take these two couples with a first-timer? BVI & SXM slammed by storms? Windwards & Grenadines maybe a little Spicey for a first timer who’s not really a sailor? Belize, kinda remote? Thoughts?

We’re sailing Caribbean since June 2018 till now. Some of the islands look good or restored. Some of them have a lot of damages.
For example, BVI:
Tortola is badly destroyed including almost all of historical sites;
Virgin Gorda is also have stroked but still a good place for snorkeling and exploring the Bath;
Jost Van Dyke - in Great Harbour the most business is open;
USVI - St.John, St.Thomas and St.Croix - is fine;
St.Kitts&Nevis is OK;
St.Martin is very destroyed;
St.Barths is fully restored now;
Antigua is no damage;
Barbuda is destroyed;
Grenada don’t have any hurricane damages.

We’ve just finished a video episode of post hurricane Irma St.Martin.
it’s available on
https://youtu.be/rJAQU1Yeq5A

[dgoanne]

Just returned from VIs and had a great time for 3 weeks. Different guests aboard wanted to see / do different things, so we wandered around quite a bit. BIG BIG difference from May 2018, when we were last there - a lot more open, a lot better provisions. Definitely provision at St Johns, if you can (Starfish), plus odds and ends at Nanny Caye, Leverick (less there, but some stuff), Trellis. Very limited stuff at Great Harbor (Jost). Spanish Town was tough shopping in May and we didn't try this time. Great meals to be had in a variety of spots - Coopers, Willy T's (ok, not great food, but a good bar), Top of the Baths, Leverick, Great Harbor, Nanny Caye, Trellis Bay.

It's a good time to go - getting busier weekly, but not totally nuts.

[contrail]

Those of us who live in the BVI would tell you that the 30,000 of us who do so have no problem eating!!! All the small shops listed in the previous posts are good and useful, but most of us simply go to the major supermarkets that have always been available, and that have, for the most part, run almost since the hurricane; we never had a food shortage and the usual wide assortment of goods have been available, at least since Christmas. Charter Guests are not the only folks who need food!! In Road Town, the main stores are RiteWay, One Mart, and Bobby's. All have extensive websites from which you can order, and all deliver food to your boat. How easy is that? In VG, Buck's moved from its previous location at the Yacht Harbour, prior to Irma. It's about a ten minute walk from the harbour, and not as big as the stores in Road Town, but big enough. Plus, the VG Riteway is only fifty yards further up the road and is well stocked. Honestly, it's as easy as ever.


Much rebuilding is going on, all over the place, as insurance claims are being settled and the work force tackles project after project. There is still plenty of damage, but nothing like before. Cruise ships have started to visit again, if that is any indication. The biggest negative would probably be the roads, but if you are sailing......



Nanny Cay, Village Cay and Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour are hard at work re-building, and that will change the slip availabilities. The breeze still blows, the water is still blue, and it's less crowded than normal.



The biggest hole is probably North Sound, where only Leverick is operating, although the mooring fields at Saba Rock, Biras Creek and the Sand Box are also functional. No Bitter End for awhile. Peter Island is also down for quite awhile, but the mooring field at Great Harbour is fine, although more crowded than before, due to the Willie T, but, sadly, they are about to get booted out of there. West End is feverishly rebuilding, but has a ways to go. The moorings there are fine. The Bight, Cooper Island and Anegada are all fine. Cane Garden Bay is coming back and JVD is a bit of a mixed bag, but parts of it are fully functional.

[dgoanne]

Hi Contrail - thanks for your excellent comments. I didn't mean to imply food wasn't available at all (lol), but that the smaller quantities charter cruisers want are more available at more locations now.

I had to bypass Road Town as there were no moorings / dock space for day use. If needed, I could have taxied over from Nanny Cay, but we didn't need that big a shop.

HUGE improvements for all since May - great to see everyone beginning to re-build....

[Saleen411]

Contrail,

The Willy -T is going to get booted from Peter Island?

Seriously?

Any idea where they may go?

[contrail]

Originally Posted by dgoanne

Hi Contrail - thanks for your excellent comments. I didn't mean to imply food wasn't available at all (lol), but that the smaller quantities charter cruisers want are more available at more locations now.

I had to bypass Road Town as there were no moorings / dock space for day use. If needed, I could have taxied over from Nanny Cay, but we didn't need that big a shop.

HUGE improvements for all since May - great to see everyone beginning to re-build....

There actually are moorings, right outside the inner harbour entrance, in what we cheerfully call Sea Sick Bay. I think they do charge for day use, though. If they have room, Village Cay can give you an hourly rate. But, that's why I pointed out that the supermarkets will deliver. That's what most charter chef's do, and it works pretty well. I have never hear of their being a minimum order, as they are probably delivering to someone else, as well, but I can't say for sure. So, no need to taxi from Nanny Cay!

[contrail]

Originally Posted by Saleen411

Contrail,

The Willy -T is going to get booted from Peter Island?

Seriously?

Any idea where they may go?

Yes, seriously! The owner of Norman Island is finally starting his development plan and he didn't want them there. I understand that the powers that be at Great Harbour now feel the same way. Not sure if it's the beach bar at the West End, or Peter Island Resort, itself, or someone else.



No one seems to take into account what a famous tourist attraction it is, both for visitors and locals, as well. It's a little early in the season to make an accurate comparison, but the Bight seems less crowded without the Willy T, and a waitress at Pirates, who is a friend, says that she always thought the two establishments complemented one another and were good for business.



Great Harbour is definitely more crowded with the Willy T there, but my understanding is that they will get the boot quite soon....we will wait to see if it happens, but if it does, it's hard to think of where it might go. Some have said JVD, others VG. Others think the USVI!!! The only thing that makes sense to me, in light of the lack of anywhere other to eat than Leverick Bay, would be North Sound, on VG, but I am sure that would cause a ruckus amongst the long standing businesses there, as they recover.


So, I don't know.



What's clear is that someone has it in for them. It was well known that a replacement Willy T was being outfitted in the US. They DID have their seabed license. The new boat arrived to considerable fanfare, and only THEN, a couple of days before the grand re-opening, were they told they were out of the Bight.


Sad for such an institution.

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by contrail

Yes, seriously! The owner of Norman Island is finally starting his development plan and he didn't want them there. I understand that the powers that be at Great Harbour now feel the same way. Not sure if it's the beach bar at the West End, or Peter Island Resort, itself, or someone else.



No one seems to take into account what a famous tourist attraction it is, both for visitors and locals, as well. It's a little early in the season to make an accurate comparison, but the Bight seems less crowded without the Willy T, and a waitress at Pirates, who is a friend, says that she always thought the two establishments complemented one another and were good for business.



Great Harbour is definitely more crowded with the Willy T there, but my understanding is that they will get the boot quite soon....we will wait to see if it happens, but if it does, it's hard to think of where it might go. Some have said JVD, others VG. Others think the USVI!!! The only thing that makes sense to me, in light of the lack of anywhere other to eat than Leverick Bay, would be North Sound, on VG, but I am sure that would cause a ruckus amongst the long standing businesses there, as they recover.


So, I don't know.



What's clear is that someone has it in for them. It was well known that a replacement Willy T was being outfitted in the US. They DID have their seabed license. The new boat arrived to considerable fanfare, and only THEN, a couple of days before the grand re-opening, were they told they were out of the Bight.


Sad for such an institution.

Thank you for the informative response....really a shame for the good folks of the Willy T.