marianneg said:
So just to clarify - we've always used the ferry and really haven't had any problems, per se. But for a Sat - Sat charter, we assume we need to fly out of Phila on Friday, and after arriving in ST, ferry over to Tortola, then either spend the night on the boat (usually not possible) or in a hotel. We arrange for provisions on Friday, hope for a Sat a.m. briefing, and try to be on our way before noon. We return to the dock on Friday night in order to be sure we can check out, ferry to ST, and arrive at the airport at least 2-3 hours before our flight (always a nuthouse at that airport). By chartering directly out of ST, we hoped we might be able to arrive in ST and leave the dock on the same day and reverse the process going home - eliminating a "travel day" on the way in and making it an easier day going home.
It is possible to leave the dock at CYOA the same day you arrive but it depends on your arrival time of course. If you plan to provision the boat yourself I would drop somebody at the store right up the road from CYOA and have them get provisions while the other half of the party starts the check out process. The check out process takes some time - I don't think you will have the boat under your control for probably two hours. It's an hour ride to Christmas Cove - the first stop you might consider. And you're supposed to be at anchor an hour before sun set. So you can do the math on when you would have to arrive. The last charter we had in October I went a day early to provision and get everything checked out. I had the engine running for when the rest of my crew arrived the next day at 3:00 at STT. We were underway at 3:30 - the only reason it took that long is 'cause everyone had to find flippers at the dock.
CA by the way is "Charlotte Amalie", the main town on St. Thomas.
Coming back there is no problem getting in the morning of departure assuming your flight out is sometime after noon.
There can be a bit of swell for about a 40 minute stretch once you leave the harbor and up until you get to Christmas Cove. Tends to be long period. When we were there in October we had two women who were prone to motion sickness. The one gets motion sick driving her own car! Both did fine. Your mileage will vary of course but I highly recommend anyone new to sailing or prone to motion sickness get a prescription for a patch.
