Need advice for first charter - guys trip

Hi All,

Sailing for just 4 nights/5days in July, primarily to attend Bomba's full moon party. Just wanted some suggestions as this a first for all of us. Trying to balance fun/partying with some chill time/snorkeling and perhaps fishing.

Tentative (ambitious) itinerary:
Day 1: Pick up charter in Road Town and head to JVD/Great Harbour and in the evening to CGB.

Day 2: head to Norman Island, hitting the Indians and any other interesting sights along the way. Willie T's for the evening <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Day 3: (this is where I really need help): Sail to Beef island and catch a 8am flight to Anegada for bone fishing and short island tour. Plane comes back around 5pm, so we have time to head to Bomba (I think?) - Full moon party that night

Day 4: Open to suggestions but need to moor close enough to Road Town to return charter next morning and catch a 8:30am departure from west end back to STT.

Many thanks in advance for any advice...

Hi

I'll let others comment on sailing times, but days 3 and 4 are really hard logistically. Drive times from Beef Island to Bomba's and Road Town to West End are each ~45 minutes.

You don't mention your flight time out of STT, but keep in mind that you can catch the ferry in Road Town, and that you need to clear immigration/customs when you arrive back in Charlotte Amalie. For reference, we took the 10:15 ferry out of WE yesterday (10:00 out of RT) and arrived at the airport around noon.

You are trying to pack a 7 day itinerary into 4 days. Figure out your priorities and revise accordingly.

Agree 100% with NCSailor.

And given an 8:30am departure from West end, You'd have to do the boat debrief the night before.

Regarding the first day, I assume you have a noon boarding. So you are more likely to get off the dock by 2pm or so. What kind of boat will you be on? A powercat would certainly be better.

Another option you might want to look at is hiring a Captain. Perhaps with a hired Captain, they could pick you up and drop you off in STT. Or at least drop you off at West End before returning the boat.

Why not go to the Trellis fool moon party instead? I know the parties have different reputations, for lack of a better word -- but if the trip to Anegada is a priority, that might make things a little easier.

I agree on the JVD/CGB plan - also, what kind of boat are you guys on? This will make a big difference in your timings.

For your fourth night, if you're trying to make an 8:30 a.m. West End ferry? I wouldn't be anyplace but the dock of your charter company....

Day 1 (Sunday, July 9): Head to Norman Island (Indians, then The Caves, then moor overnight in The Bight). Roadtown to The Indians is 6.0 nm straight line, then 1.1 nm to The Caves, then 0.7 nm into The Bight. Well under 2 hrs total of sailing or motoring time which should leave you plenty of time to snorkel and visit Pirates Bight Bar prior to the Willy-T.

Day 2: Head to JVD/Great Harbour (11 nm, 1h30~2h). Sunrise is 5:50 am so start as early as crew is recovered from the Willy-T visit. You can reasonably be there by 9 am leaving plenty of time for visits to nearby White Bay, Sandy Spit, Sandy Cay, or Diamond Cay. Great Harbour to CGB is 5.6 nm (45m~1h). Sunset is 7 pm so depart JVD area by 5 pm. Moorings should be readily available in CGB in July.

When you come ashore in CGB, arrange for a reliable taxi pickup the next morning to EIS. It's 35~40 minutes to EIS so arrange a pickup time (6~6:30 am?) that gets you to EIS in time for the required flight check-in. Other TTOLer's can probably recommend a reliable driver in the CGB area.

Day 3: Leave the boat in CGB for the day. Taxi to EIS. Return to CGB that evening by 6~6:30 pm. Clean up then taxi to the Bomba Shack. Moonrise is 7:25 pm.

(Note: It's 9.6 nm from CGB-Trellis Bay, or about 1h25m~1h45m depending on your boat size. You would likely have to depart by 5 am and well before sunrise in order to be ashore at Trellis Bay by 7 am and headed to the airport.)

Day 4: With a Day 5 8:30 am departure from West End, you need to have the boat back at the marina in Roadtown by the end-Day 4 before they close (5 pm?).

Heading counterclockwise around Beef Island, it's 17.8nm straightline back to Roadtown (2h30~3h). You can stop enroute at Guana Island and dinghy to the beach (to the south of the resort) or snorkel at Monkey Point, or you can stop at Marina Cay and dinghy ashore for lunch at Pussers.

If you're feeling very aggressive, it's 14.5 nm (2h~2h30m) to The Baths from CGB. You can be there by mid-morning. Dinghy to the dinghy mooring line at The Baths, then swim ashore with your snorkel gear. Hike thru the Baths to Devils Bay, then swim back to dinghy. Lots of very special underwater rock formations to see. From there it's 10 nm (1h30m~1h45m) back to Roadtown.

100% what BaardJ said above. I would also think very hard about how important bonefishing on Anegada is to your group. Personally, I would use that day to take in some of the other venues by boat at a more leisurely pace. But, priorities differ obviously and have fun whatever you do!

There's only one thing you may want to check on - what is your liability if something happened to the boat while you are that far away? I'd probably opt to have it on a dock somewhere so its more secure and less prone to any issues.

Thank you everybody for your advice! This forum is amazing. We are on a lagoon 52 and we also have a lagoon 450.

Thanks again

Another potential option would be to do the bonefishing trip before you actually take possession of the boat. Then you're not responsible for it while being many miles away.

We do have hired captains as well.

Awesome detail....will likely follow your exact advice!!!

With hired captains, check if you have the option for them to drop you off at West End on Day 5, and they return the boats to Roadtown. If so, then you have much better options for spending the last night moored or anchored out rather than at a hot, stuffy Roadtown marina.

With an 8:30 am drop-off I would plan to be in West End by 8 am to allow time to find a mooring, load the dinghy, and get ashore. With a sunrise departure you have plenty of time to arrive in West End by 8 am from several locations.

Cooper Island is 12nm (1h40m) and has a good restaurant and bar with lovely sunset views and nearby snorkeling at Cistern Rock.
Deadman's Bay at Peter Island is 9 nm (1h15m) and has a beautiful beach and very good dining at Peter Island Resort.

You might even be able to squeeze in a Day 4 afternoon snorkel at the Wreck of the Rhone (Salt Island) which is only 1.6nm~2.3nm from these anchorages.

If you want more secluded anchorages and will eat onboard, try White Bay on the south shore of Peter Island or Benures Bay / Soldier Bay / Privateer Bay at Norman Island.

Great advice....and thank you again!!!

Hi everyone,

We decided that trying to get to Anegada to bonefish was really pushing it a bit much, so we have dropped it off the itinerary. Would appreciate any input on the tentative 4 night itinerary listed below for a guys trip:

Day 1 (Friday, July 7): Head to Norman Island (Indians, then The Caves, then moor overnight in The Bight). Willie T's at night for the festivities!

Day 2: (Saturday July 8)Head to JVD/Great Harbour (11 nm, 1h30~2h). Hope to get to sandy spit, white bay and then Moor overnight in Great Harbour.
Question: Where would you spend your evening if you are looking for a good party? I assume at Foxys.



Day 3: (Sunday, July 9) - Sail to Guana Island/Monkey point or to Marina Cay and then back to CGB - mooring overnight. Full moon is at 12:07am, so not sure if Bomba will have the full moon party on Sat night or Sunday night. If the FMP is on Saturday, will swap day 2 with day 3.


Day 4: (Monday, July 10th): I checked with the charter company and they indicated that we can have our captain bring the boat back to Roadtown on July 11th. So I was thinking we can moor in Soper's Hole for our final night, but spend the day as suggested getting to the baths/devil bay and then back.

Day 5: (Tuesday, July 11th): Water taxi setup for 8:30am at West End. We have a flight out of STT around 2pm.

Thank you again for any input.

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/thanks.gif" alt="" />

Congratulations on dropping the Anegada portion as you were being way to ambitious in your plans. That can be the next trip's focus.

Generally I would hit Normans and then head up the channel to Baths as coming back with wind is a much quicker trip.

Figure out your INTENTIONS
1) how much time you want to be SAILING and how much time on land ...
2) Seems your group wants "party" experience?
3) do you want to get going before the party people get moving the next morning.
4 ) You will have captain so you don't need all hands on deck to sail.


Once you meet with your captain , discuss your "must do", which seems to be FMP at Bomba's. He will suggest an itinerary that fits 1,2 &3...

Adjust as needed... My last trip, I had planned to visit Soggy Dollar Bar and then sail a good bit that day. My group was having so much fun/relaxing on beach, we ate lunch and finally left SDB about 2pm... Sailed a short ways and anchored for the night.... Be FLEXIBLE

I haven't met any experienced captains who cannot adjust the float plan to the groups real desires and realities, resulting in a great trip (Otherwise, they become an ex-captain)

Thanks Wes. Will be flexible and it seems like heading to VG from Norman makes the most sense.