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Trip Report-LONG #180990
01/17/2019 12:53 PM
01/17/2019 12:53 PM
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
JlarsBVI Offline OP
Traveler
JlarsBVI  Offline OP
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
We chartered a brand new lagoon 52 Amanda through Navigare January 6-13. There were 14 of us and never once did it feel crowded or uncomfortable on the boat because I was worried it would happen but I was pleasantly surprised with all the space on the boat. This was only the second time she has been chartered. One flaw is that all the cuppboards and drawers everyone on the boat had the push buttons kept falling off. I’m not sure if it is a design flaw but constantly popping off and we were worried they would get lost. We all figured the screw wasn’t long enough. Everyone’s favorite spot was the big covered lounge area on the raised helm station. Once on a mooring ball we would raise the table up there and it was awesome. So much room to spread out.

Everyone had to be in Tortola at the base by noon on that Sunday. Six of us spent two days in Puerto Rico prior and loved it! Four stayed in St Thomas before and four stayed on Tortola. I’m the planner of the trip so we had all meals planned out and brought a polar bear cooler full of steaks, taco meat, meat sauce, ground sausage, and shredded chicken down. Our cook loved all the prep and it made meals really easy. I also made a chart showing who was on dish duty, as with 14 people I like everyone to do their part. 

I was a little disappointed that the boat walk through took so long and that our water tanks were being filled at 3:00pm. Our captain wasn’t comfortable leaving so late so we spent the night on the dock. No one complained and it was a great time regardless, we were in the BVI!

Three of us went shopping and went to One Mart since we had a rental car for 24 hours. We got 90% of the things we needed there and then stopped at Riteway. One Mart had the best prices for what we needed with the exception to the extra rum we needed to get. Riteway had better prices for that. Our cook also walked to Bobby’s from our boat dock and she said One Mart as the whole still had better prices. We all pack a few things in our bags to bring down as well. It helps on costs. A few of us save all year to be able to come down so to make things a little more cost effective is a good thing for us.

We got an early start because we had a car rental waiting for us at Leverick Bay. Had a nice sail and got to Leverick around 12:45pm. Last year I worked through Leverick Bay for the car rental and I will do that again next time. This year I worked directly through Speedys. There were no cars to be found and Speedy’s would not answer any of the phone numbers. The nice women at Leverick tried calling and email them as well. Finally, after Speedy’s being over and hour and a half late, we were going to take some taxis. It was more money than the rental cars but we did not want to waste our day. As we got in the taxis, Speedys came by. It made for a very uncomfortable exchange with everyone, but we got the rental cars and headed off to The Baths. Since it was late afternoon there was no one around. We had fun exploring both bays then climbing and exploring through the trails. The beach bar was closed but we enjoyed a little snorkeling before heading up to join the rest of our group at The Top of The Baths. Love the drinks and the views from up there!

We then decided to drive to Hog Heaven and eat dinner. That was a big mistake! We will just to Hog Heaven for drinks next time. We waited over two hours for our meal and we needed to sit in the new covered room to accommodate our group, and how cold it was. Lots of large and loud groups in there where the sound echoed. There was only one waitress and they kept running out of things including ice to make drinks. She did the best she could under the situation but we will just stop by for drinks next time.

Next day we sailed to Anegada and believe it or not we lost our prop again this year! This happened last year as well. I hope it doesn’t become a regular occurance. The company wouldn’t come out to Anegada so we had to wait until the next day when we got back around Tortola. Dean was there ready for our two cars I had reserved in advance and we had a great day visiting the island and exploring the three beautiful beaches. We ate dinner at Wonky Dog and it did not disappoint. They always take such great care of us and their food is fabulous. They said the rooftop area should be ready to go by February and will be neat to eat up there next time.

The next day we got some of our group in the dingy to help steer us out of the anchorage. We went around and told a couple boats we were near as well just to be safe. I love how friendly and helpful everyone is down there. Lots of offers to help and ideas. We made it safely out and started sailing to Guana Island. Once we got to Guana the company was there to get us a new propeller. We had a lot of fun here on paddleboards, exploring the beautiful beach, jumping off the top of the catamaran, and snorkeling. We were a little late to the snorkeling at Monkey point so didn’t get much light but still enjoyable.

We set sail for Great Harbor on Jost to fill up on water and diesel. We were told we would need to fill up every other day with our group size but I am happy to report we only needed to fill up on water once! A good group who is cautious of water! We filled up with diesel and it was a lot compared to what we were used to. It was because the generators were running all the time. I put a stop to that immediately and only ran them in the evening. This day was everyone’s favorite day of the trip! We took taxis over to White Bay for $10.00 a person round trip. Only four of our group had been there before and it was a blast!!! Such a fun environment. We loved the bars, the people, the painkillers, and the beautiful beach. We lived it up playing volleyball and corn hole. Everyone was overserved and it was quite the experience getting back in the taxi to Great Harbor. Ten of our group decided to bar hop and then go to Foxy’s for dinner. The other four came back and had a nice meal on board.

We had a fisherman with us and he had great success throughout the trip. We had some great fish tacos and some shark as well. I’m glad he had such a great time fishing as well.

Next day we went over to Cane Garden Bay and enjoyed a couple hours of beach time and then headed over to Norman Island. A few of us took the dinghy over to the caves and I forgot how neat they really are. I haven’t been for a long time. Next time we will bring an underwater flashlight. It was a little creepy trying to swim through one of them not being able to see and with the sea weed in there.

Last day we decided to sail up and down through the channel for a few hours and then head into Great Harbor on Peter Island. We swam a bit, went over to what we call shell beach and looked at different coral and shells that have been washed up, and then headed over to the new Willy T. We had a GREAT time! It was late afternoon/early evening and there was a great crowd there and a fun environment. Lots of jumping and diving off the top. We talked to the owner and a cook and they both said as of now they will be staying where they are. We are going to come here the first night of the trip next time.

Overall, we had a great time. We lucked out and had the perfect group of 14 people. This was my 8th trip down and there has always been a person or two that we wouldn’t go down with again, but this time was just perfect personality wise. It rained a bit more than we were used to, but never for long periods of time. Every place we went was recovering quite well from the hurricane. Spanish Town looks completely different from when we were there last year. Still lots to do but not hundreds of boats piled on top of each other. I walked down to Trellis when waiting for my flight from the airport and it looks the most damaged still. Boats on shore and docks not fixed. We can’t wait to go back next year!

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Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181009
01/17/2019 02:29 PM
01/17/2019 02:29 PM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 63
Rhode Island
Marsh Offline
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Marsh  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 63
Rhode Island
Thanks for writing ! I LOVE reading reading Trip Reports, especially when I am heading down soon (35 days to be exact) . Glad you had such a great trip!!

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181015
01/17/2019 03:02 PM
01/17/2019 03:02 PM
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 850
Manhattan Beach, CA
calsail Offline
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calsail  Offline
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Posts: 850
Manhattan Beach, CA
Great trip!! I have chartered in the BVI going on 40 trips. My question is would you charter from the same group again with the knowledge they would not service you in Anegada for a problem that they probably could have prevented with proper upkeep

Cheers

Gary

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: calsail] #181022
01/17/2019 04:45 PM
01/17/2019 04:45 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,003
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sail445 Offline
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Originally Posted by calsail
Great trip!! I have chartered in the BVI going on 40 trips. My question is would you charter from the same group again with the knowledge they would not service you in Anegada for a problem that they probably could have prevented with proper upkeep

Cheers

Gary

Most small companies tell their charterers that they don’t have services in Anegada.
If you have used a company year after year and they have taken care of you then I don’t see any reason to change. On boats no matter how well maintained there will always be a time when a piece of equipment fails.
Best thing to do is start your sundowner an hour early.

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181041
01/17/2019 07:20 PM
01/17/2019 07:20 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Offline
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GeorgeC1  Offline
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It’s not difficult to only have one prop on a cat. I would not expect the company to come out and change it. Easy for them to meet the boat wherever they arrive the next day.
G

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181115
01/18/2019 11:28 AM
01/18/2019 11:28 AM
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,113
Petoskey, MI
CottageGirl Offline
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Petoskey, MI
Great trip report. As others have said most charter companies won’t come to Anegada for a repair. We had a broken impeller on our generator last trip - we were able to find a mechanic on our own to fix it.

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181124
01/18/2019 12:00 PM
01/18/2019 12:00 PM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 5,675
An island state of mind
tradewinds Offline
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tradewinds  Offline
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Posts: 5,675
An island state of mind
It always seems like if something's gonna break, it's gonna happen at Anegada!

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181145
01/18/2019 02:19 PM
01/18/2019 02:19 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,266
Vero Beach, Fl and South Sound...
tpcook Offline
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tpcook  Offline
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Posts: 4,266
Vero Beach, Fl and South Sound...
Why would the captain be concerned about leaving at 3 PM. I have sailed many times through the BVI at midnight No problem. That's what GPS is for.


tpcook
Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: tpcook] #181177
01/18/2019 06:06 PM
01/18/2019 06:06 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,003
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sail445 Offline
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Originally Posted by tpcook
Why would the captain be concerned about leaving at 3 PM. I have sailed many times through the BVI at midnight No problem. That's what GPS is for.


He said the water tanks were being filled at 3pm which would mean they probably couldn’t leave them the dock till about 3:45 to 4 PM.
Without decent lighting pulling into a crowded anchorage even with the help of GPS could be a hassle especially if its blowing.

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181181
01/18/2019 06:59 PM
01/18/2019 06:59 PM
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,493
VIRGINIA
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BEERMAN Offline
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BEERMAN  Offline
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VIRGINIA
Sounds like a great trip, thanks for writing!

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181184
01/18/2019 07:22 PM
01/18/2019 07:22 PM
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 216
Dana Point
C
captdennyj Offline
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Dana Point
Cook,

To answer your question about that professional skipper , staying put, and not leaving late. He was correct in his decision.

I am a U.S.C.G Lic, captain ( 500 tons ), 36 yrs, and also a commercial pilot, corporate pilot and fighter pilot, and we follow procedures .Hence, we are still alive, fit , and upright. We feel that a skippers responsibility is to the vessel, the crew, the passengers and the safety of others, as well. This is our thinking, but , I also hope the other bare boaters, reading this thread will follow the procedures of the charter companies . Sailing at night is prohibited. Stay smart, and stay safe.

It is procedure that us bare boaters are in the anchorage , i think by 4 pm. We have been sailing the BVI for 35 years and our personal rule is on the mooring by 3 pm. or sooner. Also, there is NO NIGHT SAILING in the BVI for charter boats.

We post a bow watch entering passes and harbors, and we get in early before the sun gets low, and reflects off the water and wipes out our human visibility, so we will keep on following the procedures set down by the charter company
that we bare boat with. That has been, the Moorings, Sunsail, and Conch. We have also skippered vessels in Australia , Tahiti, Tonga, Mexico, much of the Caribbean, and Ireland, and Coastal Cruising California and the Channel Islands.
most all of that without GPS.

Although , we now back up our Coastal Navigation and Piloting with GPS. We also bring along our own hand held GPS, in case of a problem with the vessels GPS. We also bring a personal had bearing compass . and paper charts. . .

Another problem is that LATE in the day, the moorings pretty much fill up, and that means anchoring, which for us, means standing anchor watches. Late , or night arrivals , drop anchor, go below, have a nightcap or two, and out cold. Their vessel
could drag or swing into other vessels.

Do they stand anchor watch ? . It is important to do so.

Are they aware that they can be dragging down on to another vessel , that is safely on a mooring with double bridles ?, Rocks or reefs or shoals could also be a problem for a dragging boat as well. .

To answer why the catamaran skipper chose to not leave late,. the above, seem to be pretty good reasons to follow procedures. Not to mention, for the bare boaters, their insurance is void by violating the conditions of their written contracts
with the charter company, that they signed. An yep, those procedures are in the contract. Read that puppy.

However, everyone has the choice to sail their own vessel as they wish. For us bare boaters, we should be following the procedures of the charter company .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the OP.

You all had a great BVI trip. And Thank You for the news that the Willy T is staying put. BLOODY OUTSTANDING , We were hoping for good news on her, and you have made our day. We will be back sailing the BVI in May.


\Also, I would think that steering the cat with one engine , would be manageable. Except , maybe docking , with a strong off the dock cross wind. Looks like you all did just fine, and made new friends in the process.

Your skipper took good care of you , and the boat.


Last edited by captdennyj; 01/18/2019 07:30 PM.
Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181226
01/19/2019 10:50 AM
01/19/2019 10:50 AM
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 1,343
Washington DC
B
bailau Offline
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bailau  Offline
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Washington DC
as an FYI here is what the contract says that I sign about liability...Bareboaters are (and should IMHO) be more restricted. On my home turf in the states I go out at midnight all the time with my own boat. That must be awesome to sail the BVIs at midnight...I am jealous tpcook as it looks like BVI is your home turf

9.3

If you or your party cause damage or loss to the vessel, any ancillary equipment or to property
belonging to a third party and such damage or loss is caused as a result of your gross negligence
or such damage or loss is caused as a result of your gross negligence or
reckless conduct you will be liable for the full extent of the loss suffered and our right to claim
against you will not be limited or waived in any way by the payment of the security deposit or
purchase of Yacht Damage Waiver. Acts that will be considered as gross negligence or reckless
conduct will include, without limitation, sailing outside of defined sailing areas and/or hours,
sailing the vessel under the influence
of alcohol and/or drugs, not having sufficient crew in charge of the vessel at all times, not being
in control of the vessel by means within the control of the Skipper.


9.8
In the event that we determine that accidental damage or loss was caused to the yacht and/or its
contents during the period of your arrangements, you will be liable to us for all losses and
damages incurred by us as a result up to the value of the security deposit left at the base. In the event
that we determine that damage or loss was caused to the yacht and/or its contents during the period
of your arrangements as a result of your gross negligence or reckless conduct, you will be liable
to us for all losses and damages incurred by us as a result. In both instances we reserve the right
to retain, where applicable, part or all of the relevant security deposit paid by you. We may use
all or part of the damage deposit paid by you to repair any damage caused to the yacht or its
contents during the period of your
arrangements, including without limitation the costs involved in lifting the yacht for a full
inspection to assess the damage to the yacht.

Of interest is also the repair guarantee which I must say through the years they have upheld for the most part

9.13 THE 4 HOUR GUARANTEE. The Company guarantees that if a breakdown of essential equipment occurs during your charter, we will complete a repair within four working hours of notification or
you will be provided compensatory sailing time. To be covered under this guarantee, the yacht must be within a twenty mile radius of the Company’s base.






Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: captdennyj] #181229
01/19/2019 11:23 AM
01/19/2019 11:23 AM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,040
Charlotte, NC
N
NCSailor Offline
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NCSailor  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,040
Charlotte, NC
Originally Posted by captdennyj
Cook,

To answer your question about that professional skipper , staying put, and not leaving late. He was correct in his decision.

I am a U.S.C.G Lic, captain ( 500 tons ), 36 yrs, and also a commercial pilot, corporate pilot and fighter pilot, and we follow procedures .Hence, we are still alive, fit , and upright. We feel that a skippers responsibility is to the vessel, the crew, the passengers and the safety of others, as well. This is our thinking, but , I also hope the other bare boaters, reading this thread will follow the procedures of the charter companies . Sailing at night is prohibited. Stay smart, and stay safe.

It is procedure that us bare boaters are in the anchorage , i think by 4 pm. We have been sailing the BVI for 35 years and our personal rule is on the mooring by 3 pm. or sooner. Also, there is NO NIGHT SAILING in the BVI for charter boats.

We post a bow watch entering passes and harbors, and we get in early before the sun gets low, and reflects off the water and wipes out our human visibility, so we will keep on following the procedures set down by the charter company
that we bare boat with. That has been, the Moorings, Sunsail, and Conch. We have also skippered vessels in Australia , Tahiti, Tonga, Mexico, much of the Caribbean, and Ireland, and Coastal Cruising California and the Channel Islands.
most all of that without GPS.

Although , we now back up our Coastal Navigation and Piloting with GPS. We also bring along our own hand held GPS, in case of a problem with the vessels GPS. We also bring a personal had bearing compass . and paper charts. . .

Another problem is that LATE in the day, the moorings pretty much fill up, and that means anchoring, which for us, means standing anchor watches. Late , or night arrivals , drop anchor, go below, have a nightcap or two, and out cold. Their vessel
could drag or swing into other vessels.

Do they stand anchor watch ? . It is important to do so.

Are they aware that they can be dragging down on to another vessel , that is safely on a mooring with double bridles ?, Rocks or reefs or shoals could also be a problem for a dragging boat as well. .

To answer why the catamaran skipper chose to not leave late,. the above, seem to be pretty good reasons to follow procedures. Not to mention, for the bare boaters, their insurance is void by violating the conditions of their written contracts
with the charter company, that they signed. An yep, those procedures are in the contract. Read that puppy.

However, everyone has the choice to sail their own vessel as they wish. For us bare boaters, we should be following the procedures of the charter company .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the OP.

You all had a great BVI trip. And Thank You for the news that the Willy T is staying put. BLOODY OUTSTANDING , We were hoping for good news on her, and you have made our day. We will be back sailing the BVI in May.


\Also, I would think that steering the cat with one engine , would be manageable. Except , maybe docking , with a strong off the dock cross wind. Looks like you all did just fine, and made new friends in the process.

Your skipper took good care of you , and the boat.



I disagree. A paid captain provided by the charter company is not prohibited from sailing at night. Even leaving at 4 pm Norman, Peter or Cooper were within reach before sundown. I would have been pissed if I had to spend the first night of my very expensive charter on the dock because the charter company couldn't get it's act together. Starting to fill water tanks at 3 pm is ridiculous. They should have been filled when the charter started at 12 pm.

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181251
01/19/2019 04:25 PM
01/19/2019 04:25 PM
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
JlarsBVI Offline OP
Traveler
JlarsBVI  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
Sorry for the confusion and not being clear! I didn't know my report would bring up so much. Our captain was not a paid captain, he was part of our group. He has been an avid sailor all of his life. I think he said that this trip was his 22nd trip down!

A few of us didn't want to spend the night at the dock so someone in our party called/contacted Cooper island and they said it appeared there were no balls left, he then got ahold of someone at the Willy T and they said from the looks of things there were two balls left to their knowledge. Our captain didn't want to take that risk.

Now knowing what we do, we think it would be the safest bet to go to Norman Island if this were ever to happen again as there were many open balls when we were there.

The replies on this thread reminded me of another situation that happened when we were in Great Harbor on Jost. Ten of our group were living it up on shore and the other four of us were having a nice dinner on board and it was just after sunset. A power cat came in and was circling and there were no mooring balls at all. After a while they just dropped their anchor in the middle of a bunch of boats on moorings. The boat started screaming at them and saying "is this your first f&$%ing time on a boat?!?!?" "Go to Sopher's Hole!" "You can't f*#&#ing drop anchor this close to all these boats". It was quite the scene. The power catamaran didn't know what to do so after a little while they went and tied onto the fuel dock for the rest of the night.

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: bailau] #181253
01/19/2019 04:56 PM
01/19/2019 04:56 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,003
S
sail445 Offline
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sail445  Offline
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Posts: 3,003
Originally Posted by bailau
as an FYI here is what the contract says that I sign about liability...Bareboaters are (and should IMHO) be more restricted. On my home turf in the states I go out at midnight all the time with my own boat. That must be awesome to sail the BVIs at midnight...I am jealous tpcook as it looks like BVI is your home turf

9.3

If you or your party cause damage or loss to the vessel, any ancillary equipment or to property
belonging to a third party and such damage or loss is caused as a result of your gross negligence
or such damage or loss is caused as a result of your gross negligence or
reckless conduct you will be liable for the full extent of the loss suffered and our right to claim
against you will not be limited or waived in any way by the payment of the security deposit or
purchase of Yacht Damage Waiver. Acts that will be considered as gross negligence or reckless
conduct will include, without limitation, sailing outside of defined sailing areas and/or hours,
sailing the vessel under the influence
of alcohol and/or drugs, not having sufficient crew in charge of the vessel at all times, not being
in control of the vessel by means within the control of the Skipper.


9.8
In the event that we determine that accidental damage or loss was caused to the yacht and/or its
contents during the period of your arrangements, you will be liable to us for all losses and
damages incurred by us as a result up to the value of the security deposit left at the base. In the event
that we determine that damage or loss was caused to the yacht and/or its contents during the period
of your arrangements as a result of your gross negligence or reckless conduct, you will be liable
to us for all losses and damages incurred by us as a result. In both instances we reserve the right
to retain, where applicable, part or all of the relevant security deposit paid by you. We may use
all or part of the damage deposit paid by you to repair any damage caused to the yacht or its
contents during the period of your
arrangements, including without limitation the costs involved in lifting the yacht for a full
inspection to assess the damage to the yacht.

Of interest is also the repair guarantee which I must say through the years they have upheld for the most part

9.13 THE 4 HOUR GUARANTEE. The Company guarantees that if a breakdown of essential equipment occurs during your charter, we will complete a repair within four working hours of notification or
you will be provided compensatory sailing time. To be covered under this guarantee, the yacht must be within a twenty mile radius of the Company’s base.






I laugh LOL at the clause 9.8 where it says “We determine”.
I have sailed many times at night in both VI’s but only when there is a partial to full moon and definitely never when its pouring rain and cloud covered and when I do it’s between well marked harbors.
Remember you lose depth of field in darkness so it pays to wait for daylight unless you’re doing an overnight passage.
When it comes to charters they’re there for only a week and i can understand their frustrations

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181259
01/19/2019 07:00 PM
01/19/2019 07:00 PM
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 1,343
Washington DC
B
bailau Offline
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Washington DC
I was just trying to make the point if you go outside the terms of your charter company than you assume a higher liability for property...

"Acts that will be considered as gross negligence or reckless conduct will include, without limitation, sailing outside of defined sailing areas and/or hours,
sailing the vessel under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, not having sufficient crew in charge of the vessel at all times, not being
in control of the vessel by means within the control of the Skipper."

Additionally we moored at the Willy T 3 in October and the mooring balls at that time were not far enough apart as fyi...

This is still my favorite BVI "landing"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxg30c6z00E

I appreciate all of you for helping me be a better captain...wish I had found this site earlier

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181263
01/19/2019 08:37 PM
01/19/2019 08:37 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 2,040
Charlotte, NC
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NCSailor Offline
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Charlotte, NC
Thanks for letting us know you did not have a paid skipper. I would still have motored down to Norman even at 4:30 off the dock. At full steam it would have been less than an hour. But sounds like you had a great trip anyway so that’s what matters. We leave in 6 days for a week on a Moorings 4500. Getting excited!

Re: Trip Report-LONG [Re: JlarsBVI] #181298
01/20/2019 01:42 PM
01/20/2019 01:42 PM
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 216
Dana Point
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captdennyj Offline
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Dana Point
In 35 years of sailing the BVI, we have never had a problem getting out of Road Harbor late. NEVER !

Possibly that may be due to our procedures that might be different from others.
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Here is our procedure that might our early departures possible.

1. We just have two of us. Not having to round up a wandering crowd of 12 to 14 people, and all of those people should be briefed on the vessels systems .

2. Erica and I have both , studied the Cruising Guide, and have many years of experience SAILING, not motoring the BVI. I also create my own Cruising guide, that is full color with important BVI information OUTLINED FOR QUICK REFERENCE

3. We board the vessel at 4:30 pm for an early boarding and sleep aboard the night before our actual departure day. We are not sitting on our Okoloes, With the early boarding, at 4:30 pm, we load all of our provisions on board ,
and stow all of those provisions and personal gear, and make up our rack in the V-Berth,
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4. We also check off and locate, the vessel inventory at that time and do the checks of our safety equipment, fire extinguishers, life jackets, emergency tiller, flare gun kit, first aid kit , etc. All of the vessels gear is stowed as well. VHF Radio checks.
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5. We have our own several page Personal VESSEL SYSTEMS CHECK LIST that we begin that evening and finish first thing in the morning very early. when the sun is up.

* main sail condition , reefing system, all running rigging, and location, jib sail condition, and roller furling lines, all sheets. * halyyards, etc. Standing rigging, stay, back stays. shrouds, All life lines, stanchions, and pultpits.
* Anchor, flake out on deck, check the anchor clevis pin is moused ( Chain to Anchor ). Check the length of chain, and line rode. Check the line rode for Chafe. Location of all anchors and rodes.
* Fill all water tanks , myself, in the early a.m. and check total water supply in Gals. * Know the amt of fuel in all tanks, and check full. * Go over all tank filler pipe locations * Check all valve systems, water, and fuel,
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* Check fresh water electric pump and tank gage full. * Check ice box / Refer procedures . Shower sump. All marine head thru hulls, and valves and marine head operation, pump out procedures.
* Galley sink drain, and fresh water foot pump, * Bilge and bilge pump operation, float and manual pumps, and locationof pump handle. Under way ( check marine head and sink for back syphoning.
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* Electrical systems : DC and C. Battery location, water filled, volt meter, master switch location -all positions, Check all electrical panel switches and operation of all ecletrical systems, below and topside, nav instruments, etc.
* Engine room : Total fuel in tanks, GPH ___ RPM's for charging batteries ____ Operating ranges temp ___ Oil press ___ Coolant levels ___ Engine Oil filled and dip stick inserted tight. All belt tensions.
* Any and all fluid leaks ( Including before engine start, then check water out of exhaust. Then while engine is running re check for engine and transmission oil leaks and coolant leeks.
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Top side :

*Check ships mag compass , agrees with ny hand beariing compass, as well as the auto pilot heading, * Helm wheel centered, gear in neutral after first checking grear and throttles ranges and operation.
* Check when engine running, trans, forward neutral and reverse. * Vessel answering to inputs. Check engine out exhaust
* Stove fuel, tanks filled, lift and feel weight and check gage. Also, check changing fuel tank procedures. Keep valves closed unless using fuel stove. Check proper stove operatiion and any safety valves.
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* Check shore power cord unplugged ashore and on board and stowed. * Check stern anchor location and condition, Check cockpit lockers and count total fenders on the vessel., Find manual bilge pump handle.
* Check dinghy is secured with proper cleat to bow cleat close aboard when departing bow first. Post bow watch when leaving docks. Haul up fenders and make up and coil all docklines, and stow all fenders.

WE ARE OUT OF THE DOCKS, BY ABOUT 1;00 PM, TOTALLY KNOWLDEGEABLE OF ALL SYSTEMS AND RIGGING, DINGHY LINE IS PAYED OUT ASTERN, CLEATED DOWN WITH PROPER CLEAT HITCH, AND BACKED UP WITH BOWLINE TO THE STERN PULPIT.
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Why are we out of there early and others are not as fortunate ?

1. Because we chose early boarding, the evening before departure, and all provisions and gear are stowed. All vessel inventory found and stowed. All standing and running rigging have been identified and checked.
2. We have already gone over all of the vessels systems , Both Erica and I together.
3. We have already checked the weather, know our first nights destination, and usually with the MAY winds, tucked in a single or double reef in the main, run the sheet block forward to popper position for the 110% jib .
4. We are have totally refreshed our selves on info in the cruising guide, and made up my own cruising guide, and are very familiar with the nav and local knowledge for SAILING THE BVI. We do get a chart briefing but that lasts about
5 or 10 minutes, We know that due to Irma, we need updates, that some navaids may not be watching on station, or bottom depth has changed to shallower in some anchorages.

5. ALL OF THE ABOVE BEFORE boat and systems BRIEFER ARRIVES . Erica and I, and our fellow crew , if any, have already learned and understand all of the he vessel systems.
We listens and take head of the breifer, but he only has to show us once, and therefore
The vessel an systems briefing is completed much, much sooner. Yep, it took work and effort to be seaman wise and professionally prepared and confident.
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What also helps out the Briefer as he boards the vessel :

6. Also he sees we have properly reefed down the main, and have secured the main halyard with a preventer to keep the main halyard tight and ready for hoisting. He sees the sheet blocks set for the 110% jib.
He sees all of the inventory and personaal gear stowed down below so NOTHING CAN GO ADRIFT IN THE CABIN.

7, He sees that we gave rigged a single life jacket to the stern pulpit for a quick release in case of a M,O,B. And recoiled the MOB pole and horseshoe lines so that it will run free.
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The Briefer can complete is systems and vessel check n much less time. We can help that :


* By being ahead of the power curve by being prepared. Ourr vessel is properly ready to let go dock lines and depart to our first over night destination .
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WHAT ARE THE POSITIVES ABOUT EARLY BOARDING AND PREPARING FOR SEA. and ahead of time for the chart brief, and the boat and systems briefings.

* Not only are we quickly checked out, and ready to depart in short order and early, but the briefer can get to the next crew and their vessel on his list and get then on their way as well. Multiply that out for the whole day.


* The other helpful positive is that there is only two of us to be briefed, on a 36 ft. monohull, We both are highly experienced sailors, and follow those procedures that we feel are important . Having 14 people to brief,
or even get themo ut of the bar or shops us a mighty big problem. Plus, having the crew learn all of the vessels systems and rigging and inventory and not having water tanks filled or the boat prepared for sea.
...nor the crew prepared,. The en result is that is , likely those briefings are going to be much longer.
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Agaiin, it all comes dowb totally up to the charterer own personal choices , .

They have theirs, we have ours.

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A vessel that is 100 % well l prepared for SAILING for the current conditions and going to sea. That Crew and vessel will prepared to leave immediately .

Their and systems briefs should be quickly completed. And, they will be more professionally be pared safer as an informed crew and out of the docks early,

Not to mention thinking of others who now cab be will be getting their systems brief sooner , and out of their slip sooner.
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We never have had to remain at the charter cimpany dock due to a late briefing. And that includes Australia, Tahiti, Tonga, much of the Caribbeab, Greece and Ireland .

However , all any if can control is our own personal procedures, and is also true for other bare boaters and boat owners, We chart the course that best suits us,


Denny and Erica


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