Look to visit the SVIs during upcoming trips and I'm starting the research. I'd love any recommendations or comments!

A quick search here on SVI cruising guides has the following:
- A Cruising Guide to Puerto Rico: Including the Spanish Virgin Islands, Stephen Pavlidas
- Puerto Rico, the Spanish, U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Donald Street
- The Gentleman's Guide to Passages South: The Thornless Path to Windward, Bruce Van Sandt

I also found Frank Virgintino's "A Cruising Guide to Puerto Rico" on freecrusingguides.com. Eva's trip reports on her web site look like a good resource.

Sail2wind mentioned finding the Pavlidas guide helpful. The reviews on Amazon complain about inaccurate GPS waypoints.

On charts, NOAA seems to cover the area pretty well. Are there any other chart provides you would recommend?

Cheers, RickG

Buy me a beer next time you are down and I can sit down with you and a chart to give you some suggestions. Be aware that getting fuel and water is a problem in the SVI. You really have to watch it more closely than the BVI where there are marinas nearby. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Thanks Kimber, I think I can work that in!

Cheers, RickG

Going there next week after a BVI jaunt starting tomorrow
Il let you know what we found

Pavlidas guide is good.

If you can find an old Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands circa 2002-2003, and some older, there is a section on the SVI. I got one used on Amazon a couple of years ago for just a few bucks.

Twanger is right. I bought an old Cruising Guide by Scott and it had a good section on the SVI. I also own A Cruising Guide to Puerto Rico by Pavlidis.

Van Sandt's book hits suggestions on route given wind within the SVI, but is silent on the upwind return to USVI. We'll probably be look at making a first visit in January during our second week after dropping off crew on STT. I'm a bit worried about returning to St. Thomas if the winds are up in a Beneteau 40. Maybe the weather will cooperate in September and we can give it a test drive then, and go over routes with Kimber.

Any ideas on charts, are the NOAA charts the standard?

Cheers, RickG

Used to be you could order good NOAA charts for the SVI. Not sure now. Seems to me there's been a change in how they do bidnis. The Blue Charts chip for my Garmin works pretty well. CYOA will want you to have a paper chart. I printed out 'chartlets' on letter-sized paper and put them in clear plastic page holders.

As far as returning from the SVI to the USVI... I've done it twice.

It is very tempting to motor straight from Culebra into the lee of St. Thomas and then shoot SE through the gap between Savanna Island and St. Thomas and then sneak up the coast. This is ok of you're motoring and winds are under 15 knots. It's not as sheltered as you'd like. Perhaps if the wind is north of east, you'll be pretty sheltered, but if it's south of east the strategy ain't that great.

The wind and seas are concentrated in the gap between Savanna and St. T, and it can get pretty steep and snotty through there.

I have heard from CYOA staff that if you are going to sail back (vs. motor) that you should take your lumps and make a big tack out into the ocean towards St. Croix and then tack back in when you think you can make Frenchtown. This will take some time. Suggest you leave Culebra real early!

We have done the trip several times. Depending on the weather, you can sail and tack toward Sailrock and then tack back to STT. Last time we really got beat up and motored right into Brewer's Bay and anchored for the night.

Twanger & sail2wind, that's pretty much what I was thinking giving the prevailing wind. Maybe I'll get lucky with a southerly wind in September. Otherwise, an early departure and the STX tack looks like where it goes.

I'll see what the cruising guides I ordered show. Likely, I'll order a print of the NOAA charts on waterproof paper. We need that for the boat either way.

We've got the Navionics chip on de boat and I have a Garmin handeld, plus the Navionics apps for ipad and iphone. As I noticed in Cane Garden Bay, the charts don't always show all the local features.

Cheers, RickG

No bad suggestions given. As you may be aware I make multiple trips every year back from PR to CYOA moving boats after hurricane season on boats as small as 36'. Last year was some of the worst conditions I've encountered taking nearly 11hrs to do the 42 miles on a 40' cat. Typically the worst conditions are from Culebra to Sail Rock. With that in mind, it is only about 10 miles. I've made the trip many times on my previous 31' mono as well. Yes it can be miserable but only for a couple of hours or so. It really depends on the winds. If the forecast is for over 6' seas I don't go unless for a delivery. 6' forecast means 8-12' steep faced waves in the worst area just off Culebra in the shallow water. It sucks, period. You can turn off and sail south which prolongs the agony. I prefer to motor sail about 15 degrees off the wind while trying to go the shortest distance to the lee of St Thomas. Since you will be on a private boat I would aim for Savanah, if not directly into the wind, and then fall off to the south in the lee. I would confirm all the owners are in favor of that. Boats have hit the reefs south of the airport around Flat Cay in the past. That 40' Bene you're on sails and motors well. I would go for shortest route back.

I also want to add that the Raymarine, Garmin and Navionics (software I've used on my phone) plotters have been incredibly accurate around the SVI. I was told the reason was that the US liked to bomb the heck out of it and the military made ultra accurate charts of the area. The story may not be true but seemed logical to me at the time of hearing it.

Good stuff, thanks Kimber!

Cheers, RickG

I should probably point out that there are a lot of submerged reefs off the south-east side of Culebra.

This is definitely not the territory of "full steam ahead and pass me a beer."

I am 'exceedingly alert' when heading into Dewey and make absodamnlutely that I know exactly where I am at all times and positively identify every single buoy by it's hull number. We often go through the pass west of Culebrita to Dewey, having spent the night at Culebrita the first day or two. This is a little trickier than going south of the whole mess, but it's calmer and prettier.

Once you're lined up with the final range into Dewey it's pretty easy ... it's just getting to that point that you really have to pay attention.

Some people make a big deal out of sailing into Anegada, but I feel that is easier than navigating into Dewey/Culebra from STT.

first time we went to Culebra our Raymarine Chartplotter took a crap and we did it the old fashion way. I forgot how much fun it is to actually plot a course. Luckily Puerto Del Ray as some great technicians and we found an excellent Raymarine guy.

How many times did you run up and down the stairs to the Nav Station? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

so true, the entrance is quite tricky

The Pavlidas and Street guides arrived yesterday. Street is very general. Pavlidas is pretty specific with the caveat of reported bad waypoints. Nothing like what comes from Cruising Guide Publications, a la the Virgin Islands Cruising Guide.

Money would/will be better spent talking to experienced Captains and buying rounds of beers.

I'm thinking September will be about getting Sweet Christine familiar with 'de Life' and January will be blowing hard. SVIs probably won't be on the itinerary until July 2015.

Cheers, RickG

Wise move on time of year, IMHO.
I wouldn't want to be offshore slogging upwind in 30 knots of breeze.

I gave all the resources a good read. Without road testing, Frank Virgintino's "A Cruising Guide to Puerto Rico" is better than the Street guide and as good as the Pavlidas book. I'm going to reconcile the two books' Culebra sections and run it past Capt. Jay and Kimber.

Cheers, RickG

I think you mean Ensenada Honda, Dewey is the small harbor where the ferry dock is.
Your dead on about it being more difficult then Anegada.
Anegada is a piece if cake.

One tidbit ... There are two Cays south of Puerto Real on the south shore of Vieques. One might be tempted (I was) to sail in between them and anchor off the old broken-down dock. The water is pretty shallow in there.

The preferred anchorage is just west of the sandbar to the North side of the western Cay. There is sea-grass here and I have been told that getting an anchor to set can be difficult. I have been lucky because we've been there twice and gotten the anchor to stick both times. Esperanza is a beautiful little town with lots of places to eat and some shopping. Makes a nice stop if you plan to visit the Bio-Bay. (Hopefully it will be back to full strength soon!). The big shopping 'mecca' on Vieques is the town of Isabella Secunda on the north-shore, which you can access by micro-bus for $4 during the day, and $6 at night. Buses run almost continuously. There's a nice dive shop and an pretty decent supermarket.

Rick when is your next "upcoming trip" that you are planning on going to SVI? We are considering it also. We will be there T-Giving forward.

We are sailing in September, January and July. It all depends on the weather.

Cheers, RickG

Thanks. If you make it over in September let me know. Would love to get suggestions.

There are some good suggestions above from the veterans!

Cheers, RickG