We’re planning on heading down in May and would like to spend a few days in St John, I know BVI customs is open at Great Harbor. Any word when they are going to reopen customs in St John. Didn’t really want to sail over to St Thomas unless we have to

No word on St. John. They're supposed to be opening a customs office at Red Hook, but who knows when that will happen.

I have a buddy who is a day captain on St. John and grew up on the island. He assured me yesterday that the Cruz Bay office will be back up by June when we visit. The next time I talk to him, I will ask about May.

I just called the St. Thomas vessel and clearance line and the gentleman said that Cruz Bay should be back up by May. We love St. John, so we always spend a few days in the USVI. One thing that we have found helpful is asking a friend to grab us some forms (BVI and USVI) on a prior trip and filling them out in advance. There is always a chance that the forms will change, but if a friend grabs them in the months prior to your trip, there is less likelihood of this. Once the forms are complete and have been checked by the officers, I take a picture with my phone to help ensure that it is filled out correctly on the next trip. Unfortunately, we only travel down annually, so having the picture helps.

Steve