Pickup crew on STT?

Hey everyone,

I posted this in the USVI forum but it is pretty quiet over there...

I'm considering trying something new and sailing my charter boat from Tortola to STT to pickup 12 people. The cost, time, and frustration getting from STT to Hodges Creek -- and/or the cost of flying into EIS and getting to Hodges Creek -- has led me to consider picking up the boat myself and motor-sailing it Red Hook to clear into USVI and pickup my crew on St. Thomas. Either in Red Hook, or someplace close such as secret harbor or Cowpet. They can taxi as a group from the airport to these beaches and hop on the boat with little stress.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!
Drew

Wouldn't it be easier to charter from a STT based company?

Certainly would be. Unfortunately they are sold out of boats that meet our criteria.

I would use a water taxi for a group that size. The cost should be about the same as the ferry with 12 people.

I do use a water taxi to get the group from Tortola directly to St. John for a land based stay, as there is no direct alternative.

I got numerous quotes such as this one from some water taxis:

The private water taxi from Red Hook to Hodges Creek is $125pp. Customs, Immigration & Docking fees are $35 per person

That's $1500 with out the immigration fees one way.

There is no water taxi from CA on STT. So the taxi to Red Hook is still required as well.

Pick them up at West end unless you want to spend a few days in the USVI. The ferry and customs situation is much better there. If you want to go to the USVI there are multiple options to pick them up. Be aware that most charter companies require two people onboard so they may not let you leave solo.
G

If you're interested, you can take Inter-island Boat Services directly from WE ferry dock to St. John. $40pp.

George is spot on.
You will need 2 competent crew for the charter co.
You will need 2 competent crew to catch the ball at Lind Pt. to clear in at Cruz.
Past that - Water Island is a real neat place to pick-up
folks arriving at STT
It keeps ya out of the mess and they can take the short taxi
to Crown Bay Marina. Then catch the 10 minute ferry to Water Island. Neat Place

Thanks AgapeCottages. I did that taxi ride to WE from Hodges one year... Certainly an option, but not a lot of fun.

Appreciate you pointing it out though.

Thanks,
Drew

Great point. I was thinking I could pull up to the dock in Cruz Bay but I could bring a couple guys and do Lind Pt.

A few years back I chartered for two weeks out of BVI and swapped out 5 of the 8 ppl in our crew after week 1 by spending a night at the Crown Bay Marina in CA. It was by far the easiest crew swap I've done, and re-provisioning was super easy. Spent the night before Crown Bay in Christmas Cove and the night after in Maho Bay.

Other than the upwind motor-sail slog up to Maho after picking up new crew, it was a pleasant experience and I'd do it again.

We make the trip over to St. Thomas on nearly every trip to pick-up guests. Here are a few recommendations:

- We pick-up our guests at Red Hook and use American Yacht Harbor for the drop off and pick-up. They charge a small fee ($30?) but it is pretty easy. Keep in mind that AYH can be pretty crowded at times but they will let you use another end tie if they are open.

- We have a power cat so we usually tie up directly at the customs dock in St. John.

- Clearing BVI customs seems to be the easiest at Jost but West End is not too bad either. Please keep in mind that certain times can be a lot busier than others. We nearly missed a flight on July 1st due to the crowds at West End. I would not go out of my way to check out at Jost if you are coming from Hodges Creek but checking back in is nice and you can spend the night at Great Harbour.

- Try to arrive at Cruz Bay outside of the peak times for ferries and day boats. 11 seems to be pretty good although we were held up on our last trip by a delayed ferry that was also changing boats. Probably not a big deal if you grab a ball.

- Probably does not apply to your trip but the BVI will allow you to check out the day before.

- If you are ever checking out of the BVI and in the North Sound then I would recommend going over to Gun Creek but do it in the morning so the seem to pick a random time to close in the afternoon.

- I know a lot of people on this board like the quiet of St. John but we find the island to be inconvenient for charter boats given the lack of facilities. We had a wedding in St. John on our last trip and it was a real pain getting people back and forth. I think it will be a long time before we will spend another night on the boat in St. John.

- One more thing. Grab copies of sample customs forms in advance so you can have those prepared and make sure the charter company gives you everything you need. The US forms can be downloaded and entered via Adobe Acrobat which is really nice. We had one trip where we were in and out of Cruz Bay in under 5 minutes with our pre-printed forms.

The per diem rate for the charter boat makes for an expensive water taxi

Thanks camsbored! Appreciate the info on your experience.

Awesome. Thanks CDavis2! Noted the times you recommended. COYA charters out of STT indicated I could clear in, and out at the same time. Do you always check out and then in?

Thanks,
Drew

Yes, totally. However, in our case, less than the water taxi. If it means we can spend the night in a nice harbor on STT or STJ versus hodges creek... I'm probably going to go for it.

We picked up crew in Red Hook last month and it was a breeze. Anchored in Muller Bay and used the dinghy dock at Fish Tails. Left around 2:30, cleared in at West End by around 4 and made it to Norman with plenty of light left. As others have alluded, plenty of great anchorages on the north shore of STJ if you're strapped for time.

Not sure I understood you correctly but it sounded to me like you planned to clean in in Red Hook? Since no one else mentioned it, AFAIK CA and Cruz Bay are your only options.

You could go to Lindberg Bay - STT - anchor and pick them up on shore - they can walk there from the baggage claim in 5 min.
The big Schooners that do student sail schools do it all the time and even get their provisions delivered there often.

On the check in / check out side you can handle both sides of the US at the same time but I think you will need to stop back for the BVI since you will have additional crew with you. If you were dropping people off or traveling with the same crew then you could complete both steps at the same time. The BVI paperwork is very easy on the return trip since your guests will simply need to complete the small form and then have their passport numbers added to the boat's paperwork.

If you pay for your cruising taxes and park permit through the charter company make sure you bring proof of payment when clearing back in.
G

Thanks for the info everyone!

"The private water taxi from Red Hook to Hodges Creek is $125pp. Customs, Immigration & Docking fees are $35 per person

That's $1500 with out the immigration fees one way"

We have picked up and dropped others off at St. Thomas many times. To move the entire group charter aircraft from SJU always seems to be best. There are many hours required to move the boat like a water taxi to and from St. Thomas. Most of us are spending more that $2,000 per day for the total cost of the trip considering everyone's transportation starting at home plus the boat cost. I have found many who try to save a few dollars on one part of the transportation are costing others far more in the total cost of the trip.

I always suggest adding up the complete and total costs of the trip per hour. Then figure out how many dollars you MIGHT save with some gimmick to bypass the most reliable way to move the crew in a timely and predictable method. If the ferry is part of a crew members plans? That person should be courteous and arrive the day before. Anyone riding the ferries should budget water taxi funds to catch up with the boat if their plane, taxi, ferry, taxi plan fails them.

If were going to move an entire crew with a STT pickup? I would reserve and overnight slip on St. Thomas or plan to anchor overnight in Lindbergh Bay. Open a tab at one of the hotel beach bars there to welcome the crew when they arrive. You and your friends are on vacation. If it looks like a hassle avoid it.

I have dropped off and picked up crew , but only mid trip. Allows each to see USVI/ ST Johns, but not as a "ferry". It becomes part of the loop (or double loop for me).