Here are a few more details if you clear through Jost... When you walk in, you need to see the officer on the right first. If its the normal guy, he gets angry when people proceed past his office to the window in front of you. The guy at the window in front of you (2nd step) is usually Mark - he's a great guy. There are two more windows after Mark. Take your paperwork from entering the BVI with you so they know you have already paid the national park fees (and maybe the departure fee/tax - I can't remember).
When you get over to the USVI, you report your arrival using the CBP Roam app (there is a user decal fee listed in the app, and you enter a number to avoid this, but I can't remember what it is - search on this forum - we've figured this out in a prior thread). We have used the Roam app to report our arrival twice, and the first time, they didn't clear us until I called the office. They said they had up to 24 hours to clear us, but we were approved within a few minutes of the call. Last year, they didn't approve us for hours, so I just went to the office in St. John since we were going to town anyway. They said that their system was giving them trouble. They then asked me about food on the boat (mainly meat and produce). I did not lie, and they said that we needed to make sure we didn't take the food off the boat. I have heard that in at least once instance the officers made a captain bring the boat in, and they went through it. My guess is that there was something suspicious or the captain did something to piss them off.
We really enjoy popping over to St. John, but it does take some commitment. We typically leave Cruz Bay by 6:00 pm and cruise up the north short of St. John (with the sun setting behind us) to Maho to spend the night (we moor at Honeymoon while in town). Early the next morning, there are often deer on the beach and other wildlife before the mob hits this beach. Anyway, I hope all of this helps in some way. Enjoy your trip! We are headed down mid-June and the preparation has begun!
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