My wife and I have decided to embark a few days early to extend our time on "Now or Never", one of Catamaran Company's 2016 52's. Needless to say we are crazy excited to see her in person. We will enjoy St. John for a few days before picking up our guests/crew who arrive in St. Thomas. We figure we can save them the ferry fare and pick them up in the dink and set out immediately, a real treat for them too. Is it best to pick up at Red Hook? Compass Point? Charlotte Amalie? Thinking of grabbing a mooring somewhere instead of dockside service. Any thoughts on what the most convenient place for me to accomplish this?

Someone mentioned the other day the idea of picking up at the beach at one of the former Best Westerns in Lindbergh Bay right next to the airport. Makes sense to me, just might take a couple trips depending on how many people and bags there are. But I would think that's about as close to stepping off the plane and onto the boat as you can get.

If you are already going to be around St. John, save yourself a lot of time and pain by telling them to go to Red Hook and take the hourly ferry ($7.00) over to Cruz Bay and meet them there. You will lose the better part of 2 days trying to make it to Charlotte Amalie and back.

I am doing it this year at Crown Bay Marina because the incoming crew has small children and lots of gear. Last year we took a ball at Caneel Bay St John and had crew ferry to st john then cab to Caneel Bay. Great spot for dinner and the management at Caneel was very accomodating to us glad for us to use dinghy dock. I think this is a new attitude compared to what I have heard in years past.

"You will lose the better part of 2 days trying to make it to Charlotte Amalie and back."

Not really, especially if you are already in St.John. Maho to Crown Bay is about 12 miles or 2 hours in a cat. Note, the taxi from the airport to Red Hook is over $30 plus extra people and luggage. The Crown Bay is most convenient, but the Lindburg pick up is very cool, especially to newbees.

Great suggestions, thanks. Love the idea of walking from the airport to a beach pickup!

Look into a mooring at cyoa near French town or go to honeymoon bay for the night.

or head out to Christmas Cove for the night, about an hour from Charlotte Amelie (sp)

Red hook can be rolly.

We have always thought picking up in Lindbergh bay would be great until this November when the waves were about 3 feet crashing on the beach.
Is there a dinghy dock at the bar we could use?
So far we have only anchored by Yacht Haven Grande and taxied or bussed to the airport to pick up crew then dinghy to Frenchtown Marina for pizza at Pie Whole.

The best option for those on the boat is the St. John ferry pickup. If you want to be close to the airport than you can anchor at the very nice Honeymoon Beach and dinghy over to Crown Bay Marina for pickup or have them take the Water Island launch. If CYOA has a mooring free then that works nicely with an evening in Frenchtown at the restaurants and bars.

St. Thomas has some great attractions on the south shore with Christmas Cove, Abi Beach Bar, Hassel Island and Water Island/Honeymoon Beach.

Cheers, RickG

There certainly can be a swell at Linberg at times --there is no dinghy dock -- in addition to the places already mentioned - all of which will work - Brewers Bay , west of Lindberg is generally much calmer but will require the airport people to take a 5 min. taxi ride, no dinghy dock but a much more protected anchorage overall.