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USVI Pick-up #80486
01/05/2016 12:10 AM
01/05/2016 12:10 AM
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 12
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utlawdog Offline OP
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I have been reading on here for a long time and thanks for the many great threads! Some posts have touched on this a bit, but not specifically our delimma. I will be flying into STT in March with 3 other guys on a Friday and picking up our bareboat the next morning from Hodges Marina in BVI. It's a Marine Max 484 if that's important. We will stay Friday night on BVI. Our wives are supposed to arrive Saturday at 3:40 at STT. The sun sets at about 6:30. What is the best option for getting them and getting secured for the evening. We are rookies. We are leaning toward taking the boat from BVI to USVI and either picking them up near the airport or having them taxi to us, then staying at St. John for a day or two. We have considered the ferry to St. John but it looks like the window will be really tight and they probably wouldn't even arrive at Cruz Bay until 6pm. Would you just stay near Cruz Bay? Or just stay in Red Hook? We are mainly worried about the sun set and getting secured for the evening. If we pick them up near the airport, would we have enough time to get back to St. John before dark for a mooring ball (can you reserve them)? Or do we have time to get back to St. John and find an anchorage spot? Or with the sun set time, is it better to pick them up near the airport and stay Sat night close by on St. Thomas? Any advice or thoughts are very much appreciated! Thanks!

Last edited by utlawdog; 01/05/2016 12:11 AM.
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Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80487
01/05/2016 12:33 AM
01/05/2016 12:33 AM
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 483
Austin, TX
TackingAg Offline
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Austin, TX
I'll concede to the feedback of more experienced folks, but you guys could motor from Hodges Creek to West End / Sopers. It's roughly 11 nm so you could be there and tied up in a couple of hours. Your wives could catch a land taxi (Kevin Campbell; (340) 643-0025) from STT to Red Hook. I think the last ferry from RH to West End leaves at 5:00 (or is it 4:30?). You would just dinghy over to pick them up from C&I with a welcome cocktail in hand. If it's your first time out, you'll probably plan on getting off the dock at Hodges about noon or 1:00pm. You'll have a chart briefing, grabbing onsite provisions, getting hooked up with the cell phone, and generally fussing around in the morning. Text Kevin in advance to arrange the taxi pickup. He is very responsive. If at all possible, have the wives only carry-on luggage to speed up the process - making you carry or check-in the heavy bags at the front of the trip. Have a backup plan (hotel options) if their flight gets really delayed but have them follow the same plan to catch the first ferry in the morning to West End. The trip can then begin!


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Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: TackingAg] #80488
01/05/2016 12:34 AM
01/05/2016 12:34 AM
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 483
Austin, TX
TackingAg Offline
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TackingAg  Offline
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Austin, TX
btw, please don't tell me you're a Longhorn Law Dog.


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Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: TackingAg] #80489
01/05/2016 02:30 AM
01/05/2016 02:30 AM
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 366
Seattle
HJS Offline
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HJS  Offline
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Seattle
I had your situation, somewhat, a few years back. I had our late arrival ferry to West End then cab to Cane Garden Bay, where we moored on night 2. In your case, would the ladies manage to get a ferry to Road Town then perhaps join up at Trellis Bay, or some alternate? Lots of options, but check your marina location start point along side the ferry routes and schedules...I think logistically it makes sense for them to ferry to Tortola, otherwise, begin the charter in STT maybe.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: HJS] #80490
01/05/2016 07:48 AM
01/05/2016 07:48 AM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,003
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sail445 Offline
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There's a couple of simple options:
1) charter a plane from Island Birds to meet them in STT and fly them to Beef Island
2) Sail the boat to Cruz Bay ( get a mooring ball at Caneel Bay) check into C&I and have your wives take a taxi to Red Hook to catch the ferry to St John. The ferry runs till about 11pm.
Plenty of restaurants in Cruz Bay.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80491
01/05/2016 08:27 AM
01/05/2016 08:27 AM
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 402
St Thomas, USVI
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Kimber Offline
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Kimber  Offline
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St Thomas, USVI
If you do end up taking the boat to the USVI, make sure your charter boat has the required documentation onboard to clear into the USA. You will have to clear out of the BVI and clear into the USVI in Cruz Bay. A search of this site will bring up dozens of threads describing the process if you aren't familiar with it. Enjoy your trip.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: Kimber] #80492
01/05/2016 09:23 AM
01/05/2016 09:23 AM
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,951
St. John, USVI
RickG Offline
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RickG  Offline
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St. John, USVI
I'd do a water taxi from Red Hook to West End. Stay on a mooring ball in Sopers Hole. Nice dinner out. Happy wife, happy life.

Clearing out BVI, in USVI, in BVI is work and time. Dinghy from Cruz Bay to Caneel Bay is a long wet ride with luggage in the dark. Getting a slip in Red Hook at AYH is exposed and rolly with tight slips. Yacht Haven Grande and Crown Bay...

We clear in/out all the time being based on St. Thomas with our private boat. The first few times were a hassle, but it basically works. Now its a quick walk through for us. But, we have all of our documents in order and the forms properly filled out. We know from practice that improperly filled forms can send a few of the customs folks into a bit of a tizzy. We're dropping folks off at the Red Hook fuel dock in a week and a half to head to the STT airport.

Cheers, RickG


S/V Echoes, 2003 Beneteau 423
Grenada
Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: RickG] #80493
01/05/2016 09:38 AM
01/05/2016 09:38 AM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 2,041
Upstate New York
TomC Offline
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Upstate New York
I would second either of the options proposed by Tacking Ag (Kevin taxi + ferry to West End) or RickG (land taxi + Water Taxi to West End). Water Taxi would be more expensive, but eliminate any concern about making the public ferry).

Sailing across Pillsbury Sound from STT to St. John is seldom a comfortable ride and probably not how you would want to welcome your wives to the charter.

Either West End option is the way to go, IMHO.


Tom
Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: TomC] #80494
01/05/2016 10:10 AM
01/05/2016 10:10 AM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,003
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sail445 Offline
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Rick, they plan on staying a day or two in St John.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: sail445] #80495
01/05/2016 10:24 AM
01/05/2016 10:24 AM
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,213
GJ, CO S/V Long Overdue
sail2wind Offline
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do you want this convenient to you or your wives? The easiest and most convenient for your wives is motoring to Crown Bay, 5 minutes from the airport and then motor to Christmas Cove and overnight. Why make your wives endure ferries and taxis all over the islands?

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: sail445] #80496
01/05/2016 10:24 AM
01/05/2016 10:24 AM
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 12
U
utlawdog Offline OP
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utlawdog  Offline OP
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No, TackingAg, Big Orange, not burnt Orange! I'm headed to College Station in October for the big game with the Aggies!

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80497
01/05/2016 10:29 AM
01/05/2016 10:29 AM
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 12
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utlawdog Offline OP
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Sounds like pickup at Crown Bay may be best? I don't think we can guarantee that they can make the 5pm ferry with a 3:40 landing and a 40 min taxi ride. If we pick them up, we could either drop anchor in Christmas Cove or St. John depending on our timing? We are mainly planning to travel to USVI in case they have delays. We don't want the hassle of booking another room and leaving them alone for a night.

Last edited by utlawdog; 01/05/2016 10:32 AM.
Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80498
01/05/2016 10:33 AM
01/05/2016 10:33 AM
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 483
Austin, TX
TackingAg Offline
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TackingAg  Offline
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Austin, TX
Whew, good. Me and my UT (Big Orange) good friend are also going to that game. PM if you want cost breakdowns of water taxis from RH. I'm heading back to the islands in a couple of weeks and have done the research on costs. But I think they would be okay catching the public ferry if it departs at 5:00 and they don't check bags and have Kevin ready to go.


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Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: TackingAg] #80499
01/05/2016 10:43 AM
01/05/2016 10:43 AM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Offline
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If you are rookies do the simple thing. Arrange for Kevin or Stanley(love cab) to pick them up. Put them on the Ferry to West End. They should have no trouble catching the Last CA ferry to West End. Take your boat down to West End to meet them. Unless you are doing a sleepaboard your not likely to get off the dock before 2 PM.
G

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: GeorgeC1] #80500
01/05/2016 11:05 AM
01/05/2016 11:05 AM
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 12
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utlawdog Offline OP
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So it looks like these are the options:
1) Pick up at Crown Bay and stay in USVI at maybe Christmas Cove or StJohn (sleepabord is an option Fri night);

2) Ferry or private charter from RH or CA. I just dont think they can make RH. And even with CA and a private ferry, if there are flight delays, then we are apart the first night and need a backup plan which would presumably include a hotel in STT and a ferry the next morning. If there are no delays, do you recommend staying the first night at West End? Just seems option #1 may offer a lower risk of drama from the mama, even though we will have to deal with customs, etc.

Last edited by utlawdog; 01/05/2016 11:06 AM.
Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: GeorgeC1] #80501
01/05/2016 11:06 AM
01/05/2016 11:06 AM
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 65
Atlanta, GA
C
CDavis Offline
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CDavis  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 65
Atlanta, GA
We have done this numerous times with a Marine Max 484. We use the fuel dock to pick-up at for a small fee at American Yacht Harbor or get a slip. We spend the night at one of the harbors in St. John or go back to the BVIs if we want move lively night life. Make sure you let Marine Max know that you are doing it so they leave you the paperwork with Hull number and registration. I keep a copy of a previous form if you have any questions. It is a little bit of a pain but not a big deal. Food and beverages are also much cheaper on STT if you want to pick-up any provisions. We always use Kevin on the transportation side.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: CDavis] #80502
01/05/2016 11:14 AM
01/05/2016 11:14 AM
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 12
U
utlawdog Offline OP
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utlawdog  Offline OP
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CDavis, is it a problem to just drop anchor anywhere around St. John? Or are mooring balls plentiful? Our biggest concern is probably heading back to St. John as it's getting dark without a plan.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80503
01/05/2016 11:22 AM
01/05/2016 11:22 AM
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 65
Atlanta, GA
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CDavis Offline
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Atlanta, GA
We have never had a problem finding mooring balls in St. John. There are plenty of options but you may want to grab one of the more protected harbors. Just keep in mind that you will probably be in a less crowded harbor without options onshore for dinner. This can be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it. Our groups tend to prefer the nightlife so we usual head back to the BVIs on the same day. Depending on the time of the year finding a mooring ball can be harder in some of the BVI harbors. We usually check back in in Great Harbour on Jost which is very easy and will make it much easier on your wives since they won't even have to leave the boat. Just make sure you bring small bills if you check back in the morning since they seem to clear out the cash register each night and can't break up anything until later in the day. Feel free to PM me if you want more detail on Marine Max or the 484. My company owns one of the boats so we have probably been out on them more than anyone else.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: sail2wind] #80504
01/05/2016 11:27 AM
01/05/2016 11:27 AM
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,347
USVI
LocalSailor Offline
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LocalSailor  Offline
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Posts: 1,347
USVI
Quote
sail2wind said:
do you want this convenient to you or your wives? The easiest and most convenient for your wives is motoring to Crown Bay, 5 minutes from the airport and then motor to Christmas Cove and overnight. Why make your wives endure ferries and taxis all over the islands?


Certainly the easiest on the wives arrival day.
You will have to clear out of the BVI - Sopers Hole? and then clear into the USVI - Cruz Bay? possibly Charlotte Amalie? - arrange your slip at Crown Bay[easy] and next sail/motor up the South side of STT when you leave - maybe stay an extra day in St. John - no hardship -and eventually clear back into the BVI with your new crew list. If everyone enjoys the boat underway a lot it is not a bad way to go overall.
Having all the proper forms to do this ahead of time is important as mentioned, Crown Bay is a relatively fail safe option regarding flight delays, taxis, ferries and other problems arising. Make sure the charter company will allow you to do this too.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: CDavis] #80505
01/05/2016 11:29 AM
01/05/2016 11:29 AM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Offline
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With the wives arriving at 3:40 you are essentially done moving the boat wherever you pick them up at. Most charter companies require the boat be on a ball or hook by 1 hour prior to sunset. Very best case you get them on the boat by 5pm.
G

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80506
01/05/2016 01:08 PM
01/05/2016 01:08 PM
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,347
USVI
LocalSailor Offline
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LocalSailor  Offline
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Posts: 1,347
USVI
Quote
utlawdog said:
CDavis, is it a problem to just drop anchor anywhere around St. John? Or are mooring balls plentiful? Our biggest concern is probably heading back to St. John as it's getting dark without a plan.


It is very unlikely you will be leaving Crown Bay or anywhere else you decide, the day of the ladies arrival. That should not be your biggest concern - you will have to decide where you are going to be spending the night and be there - before you ever you get them aboard.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: LocalSailor] #80507
01/05/2016 01:51 PM
01/05/2016 01:51 PM
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 886
Louisville, KY
NoelHall Online content
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Posts: 886
Louisville, KY
Listen to George - Pre-arrange a meeting at the STT airport with either Kevin or Stanley (Love Cab). They will take the ladies to the next ferry headed to West End from either Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook. (Worst case, they end-up on a ferry to Road Town and back-track by taxi to West End .... second worse case is arriving too late to take any ferry to Tortola, therefore stay overnight on St. Thomas and take first ferry the next morning.) In the meantime the fellows finish check-out, briefing, provisioning, followed by a leisure motor to West End (Soper's Hole) and grab a mooring ball somewhere between C & I and the marina. Have the drinks ready on board and take the dinghy to the small dock east of C&I to meet the ladies (or they can take the $6 taxi ride over to the marina). Dinner at Pusser's or Fish-n-Lime, or "upscale" at Scramouche. Harbor Market opens at 7:00 am for final provisioning items before starting your adventure.


Noel Hall
"It is humbling indeed, to discover my own opinion is only correct less than 50% of the time."

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Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: NoelHall] #80508
01/05/2016 02:35 PM
01/05/2016 02:35 PM
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 5,861
Bradenton, FL
Winterstale Offline
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Bradenton, FL
Quote
NoelHall said:
Listen to George - Pre-arrange a meeting at the STT airport with either Kevin or Stanley (Love Cab). They will take the ladies to the next ferry headed to West End from either Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook. (Worst case, they end-up on a ferry to Road Town and back-track by taxi to West End .... second worse case is arriving too late to take any ferry to Tortola, therefore stay overnight on St. Thomas and take first ferry the next morning.) In the meantime the fellows finish check-out, briefing, provisioning, followed by a leisure motor to West End (Soper's Hole) and grab a mooring ball somewhere between C & I and the marina. Have the drinks ready on board and take the dinghy to the small dock east of C&I to meet the ladies (or they can take the $6 taxi ride over to the marina). Dinner at Pusser's or Fish-n-Lime, or "upscale" at Scramouche. Harbor Market opens at 7:00 am for final provisioning items before starting your adventure.


Totally agree with the above...particularly if you are rookies.


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Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: NoelHall] #80509
01/05/2016 02:44 PM
01/05/2016 02:44 PM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 85
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burge Offline
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I just did this exact drill by myself in a 43 Powercat out of road town. Checked out of sopers into cruz bay, Kevin dropped family off at Crown bay dock. I picked them up at 3:30 and we motored back to St john and spent the night in Canneal bay (which I would go further down st john due to the ferry waves ) I did this at thanksgiving so they days were longer. Crown is nice since you avoid all the ferry hassle. If you are late there are mooring balls across from Crown bay on that Island ( don't remember the name ) or you can stay in crown bay marina but pricey.

I did the reverse when they went home but had a little more daylight.

You will burn more fuel and if it is rough you will take a beating but in a power cat you can make time easy.

My next try will most like be redhook pickup....to avid ferry. next would be Cruz bay. next will be west end ( avoids customs..

As others have said have you forms ready to fill out and know the drill. It was my first time and a good learning experience.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: burge] #80510
01/05/2016 03:21 PM
01/05/2016 03:21 PM
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 12
U
utlawdog Offline OP
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utlawdog  Offline OP
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Posts: 12
Burge, what time did your crew land? Do you agree with the others that with a 3:40 landing, we will be pushing it to get them out of Crown and anchored at either St. John, or even maybe to Christmas Cove before a 6:30 sunset. thanks!

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: NoelHall] #80511
01/05/2016 05:12 PM
01/05/2016 05:12 PM
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,213
GJ, CO S/V Long Overdue
sail2wind Offline
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GJ, CO S/V Long Overdue
Quote
NoelHall said:
Listen to George - Pre-arrange a meeting at the STT airport with either Kevin or Stanley (Love Cab). They will take the ladies to the next ferry headed to West End from either Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook. (Worst case, they end-up on a ferry to Road Town and back-track by taxi to West End .... second worse case is arriving too late to take any ferry to Tortola, therefore stay overnight on St. Thomas and take first ferry the next morning.) In the meantime the fellows finish check-out, briefing, provisioning, followed by a leisure motor to West End (Soper's Hole) and grab a mooring ball somewhere between C & I and the marina. Have the drinks ready on board and take the dinghy to the small dock east of C&I to meet the ladies (or they can take the $6 taxi ride over to the marina). Dinner at Pusser's or Fish-n-Lime, or "upscale" at Scramouche. Harbor Market opens at 7:00 am for final provisioning items before starting your adventure.



I so disagree with this. Why stress out your wives? What if the flight is delayed, baggage lost? You might find your wives in a hotel in STT without you. IMHO, Crown Bay is a no brainer.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80512
01/05/2016 05:29 PM
01/05/2016 05:29 PM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 5,884
St. Thomas, USVI
Nutmeg Offline
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St. Thomas, USVI
Quote
utlawdog said:
is it a problem to just drop anchor anywhere around St. John? Or are mooring balls plentiful? Our biggest concern is probably heading back to St. John as it's getting dark without a plan.


No, you can't just drop an anchor anywhere. Here are the rules for the National Park. And have fun!


[color:"red"]NUTMEG[/color]
Today is the tomorrow you talked about yesterday.
Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80513
01/05/2016 05:41 PM
01/05/2016 05:41 PM
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 4,214
Toledo, OH, USA
Orange_Burst Offline
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I guess it depends on how comfortable your wife and her friend are traveling without their husbands. I would be okay, but others are not. I think there is a ferry leaving Charlotte Amalie at 5:00 daily. http://www.bviferryservices.com/index.php/schedules Are they checking bags? If flights are delayed even an hour, with carry on bag and Kevin, they should be able to make the 5:00 ferry out of Charlotte Amalie.

If this your first time charter, you might not get out of the marina until after noon, so it might be tight for you to get to St. Thomas before they land.

If it was me, I would meet them in West End. In the 20+ trips going through St. Thomas, we have not been stranded yet. Not saying it can't happen, but their chances are good of making the 5:00 ferry.

Last edited by Orange_Burst; 01/05/2016 06:00 PM.

Colleen

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Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80514
01/05/2016 05:59 PM
01/05/2016 05:59 PM
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 3,003
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sail445 Offline
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How long is your charter? If it's a week then picking them up at the Cruz Bay ferry dock will save you a day.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: sail445] #80515
01/05/2016 06:17 PM
01/05/2016 06:17 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Offline
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The 3:40 arrival is easy to catch a ferry out of CA. If the flight runs late in my experience the last ferry will always wait. Since the flight will be taking off 4 hours before it arrives it's easy to know if it will be on time. Check the status right after departure time. If the flight is running to late to make a ferry then it's easy to audible at that point and head up to STT.
A big factor would be how many days is the charter. If it's a seven day charter the ferry option would be my first choice hands down. If it's a 10 day charter with a sleepaboard I would consider the STT pickup.
Keep in mind to go and pick them up you have to deal with customs 3 different times. Out of the BVI, into the USVI and back into the BVI.
One last point. If there is a North Swell running then the North Shore anchorages for St Johns will not be a good option.
G

Last edited by GeorgeC1; 01/05/2016 06:20 PM.
Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: Orange_Burst] #80516
01/05/2016 06:19 PM
01/05/2016 06:19 PM
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 483
Austin, TX
TackingAg Offline
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Austin, TX
Agreed. I wouldn't want to be stressed to get off the dock and then have to cover ~25nm. Stress+new boat+rookie trip+pushing could = a safety issue. Just take it easy and get some sailing under your belt down to West End and greet the wives when they arrive on the ferry from CA (I only looked at the RH ferries before, so the 5:00 CA ferry should be good for them). Again, encourage all carry-ons for them and they'll hit the ground running. You will have scoped out the dinner locations and have the drinks ready to pour, making you look like the hero instead of the guy stressed out when they board.



Quote
Orange_Burst said:
I guess it depends on how comfortable your wife and her friend are traveling without their husbands. I would be okay, but others are not. I think there is a ferry leaving Charlotte Amalie at 5:00 daily. http://www.bviferryservices.com/index.php/schedules Are they checking bags? If flights are delayed even an hour, with carry on bag and Kevin, they should be able to make the 5:00 ferry out of Charlotte Amalie.

If this your first time charter, you might not get out of the marina until after noon, so it might be tight for you to get to St. Thomas before they land.

If it was me, I would meet them in West End. In the 20+ trips going through St. Thomas, we have not been stranded yet. Not saying it can't happen, but their chances are good of making the 5:00 ferry.


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Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: TackingAg] #80517
01/05/2016 06:36 PM
01/05/2016 06:36 PM
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 12
U
utlawdog Offline OP
Traveler
utlawdog  Offline OP
Traveler
U
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 12
We have 7 days. We wanted to hit St. John if possible and assumed that if we slept aboard Friday, we could get to StJ, RH or CA by 4pm Saturday?

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80518
01/05/2016 06:54 PM
01/05/2016 06:54 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Offline
Traveler
GeorgeC1  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
If you only have 7 days you will miss a lot of the BVI to get one short night on St John. I never recommend that to a first time charter with only 7 days. If there is a N swell your anchorage options will be very limited.
G

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80519
01/05/2016 06:55 PM
01/05/2016 06:55 PM
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,901
Maine
Breeze Offline
Traveler
Breeze  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,901
Maine
Reserve taxi with Kevin Campbell, Kevin will get them on the next ferry to West End. Make reservations at Scaramouche for dinner on Saturday night @ 8 and be the hero's you'd like to be. The ladies will even have time at the boat in West end to freshen up and change clothes.

I'd be embarrassed as all heck if my husband thought I was incapable of traveling in the company of 2 other women.

Truly, the USVI and BVI are not third world countries.

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: utlawdog] #80520
01/05/2016 08:17 PM
01/05/2016 08:17 PM
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,390
Ill, USA
Will_L Offline
Traveler
Will_L  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,390
Ill, USA
I caught bits and pieces of this as we traveled down today. Now by pool with drink in hand I will give my take that is worth exactly what you paid for it.

I assume your wives are adults and traveled to STT just fine. Catching a taxi and a ferry will be a piece of cake.

If I understood this correctly this is your first time to charter here and you are contemplating doing this on your first day off the dock, with an unfamiliar boat in unfamiliar setting and having to do unfamiliar things, clear out of BVI and into USVI and find spouses.

A no brainier for me to take the boat to Sopers, catch a ball. Hang at fish and lime with adult libations until you see their ferry arrive. Caution..don't overdo the imbibing while they are in transit...they will not be impressed. I know these things. smile . Sweep them off their feet after they clear customs out to your awaiting yacht...then whisk them away to Scaramouche ..great Italian place or back to fish and lime for dinner. Cast off in the BVIs in the am. Will save a lot of unseeded angst on your first BVI charter. can bet nobody on this board has ever on their first trip cleared out of the BVI after a likely 1-2 pm departure from charter dock ..cleared out..cleared in to BVI and picked up passengers and made it to Christmas cove. Vacations are best when they are most hassle free..go to Sopers..west end, be on your best behavior and leave the taxi service to meet up to the pros on the ferry.

Have a great time!

Re: USVI Pick-up [Re: Will_L] #80521
01/05/2016 08:53 PM
01/05/2016 08:53 PM
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
GeorgeC1 Offline
Traveler
GeorgeC1  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 6,993
GA/NC
To add to the above post both Sprint and ATT will work in network at Sopers. If anyone has either phone communication with the wives will be easy. Arriving at Christmas cove at sunset is asking for trouble. Good chance their will be no balls to be had.
G


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