I like Moorings but what about others? Any good or bad experiences? Always afraid to try the smaller/cheaper ones.<br><br><br> 'cause I am not in SXM where I am

I've been with Sunsail for 11 years and it's on a par with Moorings as far as quality goes. Might be a very small bit<br>cheaper but I share your fear of the second tier operations. Still, there are smaller companies that have great service and are highly recommended. Age of boat is a factor.. as is maintenance. TMM is good and some have<br>spoken highly of Tradewinds and Conch. Ask for references and ask the bb members here and on Egroups for<br>their opinions and experiences. They won't lead you astray.<br>bh<br><br>Bill Hartzman<br>Augusta, GA <br>706 855 0958 <br>Fax 706 855 0305<br>

I have been with Mooring's twice and Tradewinds once and, while the Mooring's has a nicer base, the Tradewinds had better service.<br><br>Read my trip report here: http://w3.one.net/~armand/bvi/<br><br>

God...a lot of familiar names/faces here. Hi guys...<br><br>Murray-like both Bill and Armand, I have my favorite charter company; in my case, Conch. However, that being said, I would call one of the better known brokers and let them guide you. The good ones treat their customers right.<br><br>Best,<br>Jeff<br><br>

We've used Caribbean Yacht Charters (CYC) for our first five charters and have been very happy. Unfortunately (only because we were so satisfied with CYC's previous ownership), they have been bought out and are now VIP Yacht Charters. We've chartered with them one time since the change in ownership and were very satisfied, although that was just shortly after the change-over and it was still very much a CYC operation. Anyway, at the time, they had very nice center-cockpit Hylas yachts which we love. We would like to hear how things are now that the new owners have operated the business for a while. <br><br>--<br>Regards,<br>Gary Kunkel<br>Visalia, CA

We have chartered with TMM 5 times and have been extremely happy with the boats, staff and service. They seem to be small enough to give you personal attention and big enough to carry a quality, well maintained fleet.<br><br>

Glad to hear that. We are chartering a cat with TMM for the last week of March, 2001. <br><br>

While I am not in the least bit experienced with chartering, I did have my first experience via TMM, on an Athena 38 called "Connections". They were an absolute breeze to work with, and the price was very right. We hired a local friend from Tortola to sail us, so we did'nt utilize their staff. All this to say that I can happily vouch for TMM...we shall use them again, next trip. I'm returning in February, but will be villa bound. But we're calling TMM for next July, FOR SURE! Loved it! Good luck on your hunt...<br><br>

I also am glad to hear that TMM is a good company. We will be chartering a Lagoon 410 from them 4/29 - 5/6. These boards have been very useful (except the TT board is a bit weird these days). This is our first experience sailing in the BVI so any advise is welcome. <br><br>

Steph:<br><br>Please feel free to read our trip reports at http://people.we.mediaone.net/gkunkel We read all the reports we could find before our first trip and found them to be very helpful. You'll see what others liked most (everything) and least (very few things). You'll have a ball, it's not possible to do otherwise.<br><br>--<br>Regards,<br>Gary Kunkel<br>Visalia, CA

I think Sunsail's base operations in Soper's have gone downhill.<br>After chartering with Sunsail several times, I've switched to Sun Yacht Charters (recently renamed "Stardust"??) and am pleased with the boat quality, price, and overall operation.<br><br>

Hi Jeff: Great to see you are on the new board. From the look of the old one,this is much needed. Cindy<br><br>

Hi Cindy - These folks have done a terrific job. I'll be calling you in the next few weeks; sorry my time has been so nuts lately .<br><br>Best,<br>Jeff Carlin<br>Bloomington, IN

I have charter every year and use a type of boat never mentioned in here, POWER. I use Trawlers in paradise out of St. Thomas. I highly reccomend them. Well maintained boats, Grand Banks, and professional staff. They help with every detail. Power is different, air condidioning, fridge, generator, icemaker need I say more? Why rough it, your on vacation!<br><br>

Hi,<br><br>Do you mean Sunsail has gone downhill or the Sunsail base at Sopers Hole. Their web site says their new base is at Maya Cove. I may be joining a flotilla out of Sunsail in Feb. We didn't have any problems with them in 1999.<br><br>d<br><br><br><br>

Sunsail will soon be renamed First Choice. FC bought Sunsail in 1999, then Sunsail bought Sunyachts. Obviously people are happy with Sunsail, but I meet someone at the Annapolis that was trying to place a boat coming out of the Sunsail fleet and no one was interested due to real or perceived maintance issues. Boots, Sunsail's guru of boat mechanics is now with Tradewinds.<br><br>I am an owner with Tradewinds so I am somewhat biased, but bang for the buck you can't go wrong with TMM or Tradewinds.<br><br>Mike<br><br>

Mike - <br><br>How was your trip down with the new boat? Do you have anything posted on it?<br><br>Best,<br>Jeff Carlin<br>Bloomington, IN

Jeff,<br><br>The ride down was great - until we got hit by lightening and lost most of the electronics. But no damage to boat or crew. We averaged 8.6 the first 4 days, used up all the wind and motored the remaining 5 into BVI. The boat handled like a champ in all the conditions.<br><br>Cruising in 15 ft seas in a multi-hull was a whole lot better than a monohull. All we were missing on the ride was a lazy boy and a big screen TV.<br><br>For those not in the know. I just delivered our new boat from Annapolis - BVI. Aristo-Cat and Island Spririt 37 Cat. When we aren't using it as a crewed boat it will be available in Tradewind yachts fleet as a bareboat.<br><br>Mike<br><br>

I have researched and visited most of the companies in Road Town, Tortola. Most do a similarly good job and are quite professional. My absolute favorite is TMM (Tortola Marine Management), owned by a fabulous guy named Barney Crook. This outfit has been around a long time, and has not changed hands through numerous buyouts and mergers. They are small enough to be very personal, yet large enough to really have their act together.<br>I have actually just put my own boat there for charter, a new Lagoon 380. It's a brand new model 38' cat that sleeps EIGHT and has an amazingly efficient design/layout. A very competitively priced charter... Barney really takes great care of the boats and charterers. Don't hesitate to email me if you have any other questions.<br><br>Frank Burkle<br>monk@sover.net<br><br>

Frank,<br><br> I think we have your cat chartered for the last week in March. <br> We are looking forward to our week on her. <br><br>

If you are chartering a Lagoon 380, it must be mine, because I am pretty sure it is the only one they have. They are very scarce. It really is a great cat. It's just 38.5' long, but through innovative design it has the layout and functionality of the 43 footers. The obvious benefit is that it sleeps eight at considerably less money! The galley is in the salon area and even faces back towards the cockpit with a sliding window... very social. Mine has the larger 27 hp Yanmar engines, so it motors really well too. I love the size. I have sailed a 43' cat and it really felt too big. The 380 ought to feel more responsive, more fun to sail. Linda, it's fun to converse with someone who will charter my boat. By the way, the vessel name has now been documented as "Angelina." You will really like the folks at TMM. You also asked about hotels nearby TMM. The Fort Burt Hotel sits above it right across the road. The rooms range from cozy to suites.The veranda and restaurant are simple and truly delightful. The guy that suggested Cane Garden Bay makes a good point too. It's a lively place with a glorious beach for evening walk. Fort Burt sits above a fairly busy road (no beach), but is very, very pleasant. Frank<br><br>Frank<br>Middlebury, VT

We are chartering from TMM (not the lagoon 380, but the 410). We have chosen to stay at Prospect Reef Resort in one of the newer remodeled rooms (has airconditioning). Any thoughts on the property?<br><br><br>Steph