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Newbie needs help! #272138
12/29/2021 06:55 PM
12/29/2021 06:55 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6
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dhopelpc Offline OP
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dhopelpc  Offline OP
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6
I'm sure this question has been asked and anwered several times but I'm new and not quite sure how to navigate the site just yet. We will be visiting Feb 17-24. Our boat leaves out of St Thomas and I know currently we are unable to visit the BVI. My main question is, "are we totally out of luck or are there things that we or our boat (crew or owners) can do in the mean time to get permission?" We are 7 weeks out before our vacation. I am just a wreck worrying about this "bucket list" trip. We were orginally scheduled to go the January after Irma but unfortunately the boat we had chartered was destroyed in the storm.... Now covid!!! I'm not a sit and wait to see what happens kind of girl! Any advice, suggestions or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

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Re: Newbie needs help! [Re: dhopelpc] #272143
12/30/2021 12:08 AM
12/30/2021 12:08 AM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13 Offline
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caribbeangirl13  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
I would definitely be prepared to sail the USVI. I can send you an itinerary/suggested stops for you if you would like. We sailed the USVI 3 times last year and really enjoyed it. My brother also owns a charter boat out of St. Thomas and they have been running charters in the USVI with great success. I'm sure others in this forum can help you create a memorable USVI trip as well.


Sue
s/v Ripple
Leopard 40

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Re: Newbie needs help! [Re: dhopelpc] #272179
12/30/2021 11:36 AM
12/30/2021 11:36 AM
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 49
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Volle Maan Offline
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We did the USVI in November. Plenty to do and see around St John and St Thomas. Carribeangirl13 and Capt Jay out of CYOA have great itineraries. We ate well, hiked and snorkeled and saw the beauty of St John like never before. Provisioning out of STT was great w plenty to choose from and prices were not crazy, higher than in the past but nothing too shocking. We were able to supplement our supplies in St John without any issues. Restaurants on St John were busy so make reservations. Recommend Lime In, Mango Marks, Skinny Legs and Lime Out. Sure missed out on the usual BVI venues but nobody came home disappointed.

Re: Newbie needs help! [Re: dhopelpc] #272194
12/30/2021 01:17 PM
12/30/2021 01:17 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6
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dhopelpc Offline OP
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dhopelpc  Offline OP
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So they aren’t letting boats enter at all? Even if they have applied and done all the paperwork?

Re: Newbie needs help! [Re: dhopelpc] #272196
12/30/2021 01:40 PM
12/30/2021 01:40 PM
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,126
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MIDiver Offline
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I believe that all foreign flagged (non-BVI) charter vessels must go through an extensive and costly permitting process. It would be up to the owner of your vessel to complete the process. There is also a $16 per person daily BVI cruising fee for non-BVI flagged vessels. This can add up with a large crew.

Re: Newbie needs help! [Re: dhopelpc] #272210
12/30/2021 04:13 PM
12/30/2021 04:13 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,277
Saint Thomas, USVI
CaptainJay Offline
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CaptainJay  Offline
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Posts: 1,277
Saint Thomas, USVI
I would not even worry about it. The USVI is and always has been a great destination.

Buck Island, St Thomas as a day stop. Turtle Cove and Shipwreck Cove.

Christmas Cove, Great St James A great place to spend the night, snorkel the cay in the middle of the harbor, and share a Pizza from Pizza Pi with your crew.

Cruz Bay, St John Moor your boat at Lind Point or off of Caneel Bay on a national park mooring. Dinghy into town to see the attractions. Dinning and Limin for every budget. Shopping from trinkets to T-shirts, Jewelry, and provisions. Everything in one funky little town.

St John National Park The interactive Marine Resources guide. (Google this map) This has it all the mooring fields, snorkeling spots, pretty much anything you want to know about the Park.

Hawksnest Beach, St John Named for the Hawksnest Turtles that call this home. A white sandy slice of heaven. We could tell you about Mermaid’s Seat but it is a secret.

Trunk Bay, St John One of the most photographed beaches on the planet. It really is that pretty. Check out the snorkel trail around Trunk Bay Cay.

Trunk Bay with the Underwater Trail is a great place for beginners and anyone who wants to learn about marine life by reading the plaques along the trail. The trail follows the west side of Trunk Bay Cay for about 300 feet before making a U-turn back to the beach. The coral and fish are well represented here. The reef continues beyond to the cay's northern tip, however do not venture past where you are in view of the lifeguards. The farther out you go, the rougher the water is.

Cinnamon Bay, St John Hang out with the rich and famous as well as the turles and Conch. Spectacular water views, snorkeling and views of some of the most incredible Vacation Villas in the Caribbean.

Francis Bay Beach and Maho Bay Beach This is a two for one deal. Two great beaches in one great anchorage. This spot pretty much comes with a turtle viewing guarantee.

Maho Crossroads In their own words. “A minimum footprint pop-up village at Maho Beach in St. John, USVI. Enjoy the Paddle-In Tiki Bar, Love Maho Beach Boutique, and Terrapin Beach Club.”

Leinster Bay and Waterlemon Cay Did we mention snorkeling? This spot can keep your whole crew in the water for hours. You can snorkel around Waterlemon Cay, Snorkle the reef along the shore or dinghy into the shallows in the mangrove area and look for juvenile fish. There are more starfish here than any other place we have ever been.

Coral Bay, St John The little village time forgot. Don’t come here looking for commercialized attractions it is not that kind of town. You can find art, food, and drinks. A dive shop and a floating Taco Bar. It is that kind of town.

Lime Out, Coral Bay Speaking of floating Taco Bars, because who doesn’t want to go to a swim up Taco Bar with Rum Drinks? This one speaks for itself.

Hurricane Hole, Coral Bay St John Made up of several day mooring areas in the National Park, this is a great place to spend the afternoon. Swim and snorkel along the mangroves on shore to see countless juvenile fish and sea life.

Salt Pond, St John This one is a secret so do not tell anyone. There are a limited number of moorings surrounded by unlimited beauty.

Rams Head Trail, Salt Pond, St John This hiking trail runs from the beach at Salt Pond to the top of Rams Head. Pack some water and comfortable shoes. The views are spectacular.

Great and Little Lameshur Bays Quiet coves, snorkeling oh and did we mention stargazing? With almost no light noise from shore due to the remote location in the park this is like taking a walk around the milky way. Make sure to put a stargazing app on your phone or tablet. It is good for hours of fun.

Reef Bay, St John Limited to two moorings this is an advanced hike.
“By Ken Wild
Within the deep interior of the Reef Bay valley rests one of St. John’s most important clues to a lost culture from the island’s past, the petroglyphs. This captivating place is located at the base of the valley’s highest waterfall, surrounded by the island’s lush tropical vegetation. Here, mysterious faces are found carved into the fall’s blue basalt rock. A spring fed pool beneath reflects a 20-foot wide panorama of carvings year-round with other petroglyphs visible nearby. For those who may be unfamiliar with the term petroglyph, the term petroglyph refers to rock art carvings whereas pictographs are rock art paintings.

Red Hook, St Thomas Does your crew want to spend a little time in town? In Red Hook you can either anchor out or get a slip in the Marina for the night. Either way there are a dozen or so Bars and Restaurants. Some diverse shopping opportunities and even a Grocery Store.

Magens Bay, St Thomas Take a nice down wind sail around the north shore of St Thomas. You will get to view lots of small cays like Hans Lolick on the north side on your way to Magen’s. This is a truely magical spot with a large crescent beach located between two peninsulas. Anchor in the middle or closer to shore. The pelicans are sure to put on a show.

Way Out West, St Thomas As you leave Magens you can continue on your down wind sail around the west end of St Thomas. Once you have cleared the west end it is back up towards the anchorages west of Charlotte Amalia.

Brewers Bay, St Thomas The first of the western anchorages. This anchorage is tucked in by the University of the Virgin Islands. It features a large sand beach and a very protected area for swimming.

Linbergh Bay, St Thomas Next up is another large sand beach. The hotel located on shore has a small beach bar and restaurant. This bay is home to lots of turtles and conchs.

Druif Bay, Water Island Home of Honeymoon Beach, a great spot to waste a day snorkeling and swimming with the turtles and rays. Lime away the afternoon at a beach bar. Then have sundowners watching, wait for it the spectacular sunset to the west.

Re: Newbie needs help! [Re: dhopelpc] #272214
12/30/2021 04:28 PM
12/30/2021 04:28 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6
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dhopelpc Offline OP
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dhopelpc  Offline OP
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 6
Wow! Thank you for all the info.

Re: Newbie needs help! [Re: dhopelpc] #272233
12/31/2021 08:45 AM
12/31/2021 08:45 AM
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,951
St. John, USVI
RickG Offline
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RickG  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,951
St. John, USVI
Check out Coral Bay Yacht Club's cruising guide for Coral Bay - https://www.cbycstj.org/

Cheers, RickG


S/V Echoes, 2003 Beneteau 423
Grenada
Re: Newbie needs help! [Re: dhopelpc] #272307
12/31/2021 10:06 PM
12/31/2021 10:06 PM
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
caribbeangirl13 Offline
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caribbeangirl13  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 663
Vail, CO/St. Thomas, USVI
I'm going to chime in again... we were just planning our 2022 boat usage time and my husband turns 50 this year. We have sailed all over the Caribbean and he has chosen to spend his birthday sailing in the USVI. Granted we are going to be sailing Martinique, St. Lucia and the Grenadines (Bequia would have been his first choice of a birthday destination) in October but I thought this was a good testament to how much we enjoyed our time sailing there this year. And, after just getting back from almost 3 weeks in the BVI last month I can definitely attest that the USVI is SO much less expensive for almost everything!


Sue
s/v Ripple
Leopard 40

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