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Re: Attracting Sailors Again
[Re: Maria_and_Steve]
#151150
01/03/2018 03:26 PM
01/03/2018 03:26 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 559 Apex, NC
agrimsrud
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 559
Apex, NC
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I don't think it's the fees that's holding anyone back. Compared to the total cost, some mooring fees or a 50 dollar impact fee is minor. If this is what is holding back the charter business then I'm sure the charter companies themselves can run a promotion refunding or allocating some discount to pay for the fees.
What the BVI govt. can do is to make it simpler and more pleasant. They should, IMHO, do this irrespective of the hurricane rebuild. And frankly this doesn't necessarily cost them much if anything.
My guess is that the charter business won't be back in full swing until some time goes by and the early adopters take a boat out and talk about their great/fun trip. What people mostly want to know right now is that their vacation is going to be pleasant, they will find water/fuel and can dump their garbage and can find food/drink, that the beaches are good with no dangerous debris, etc. I don't think it all needs to be perfect - people just need to know what to expect.
Life's short - sail more!
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Re: Attracting Sailors Again
[Re: Maria_and_Steve]
#151163
01/03/2018 05:03 PM
01/03/2018 05:03 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 61 Massachusetts
Sea&SkiPJ
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jan 2018
Posts: 61
Massachusetts
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New contributor here, but am planning my third charter vacation in the BVI and have been monitoring for quite some time.
I agree with @agrimsrud, if we can afford the cost of travel to the BVI, charter yachts, water toys, provisioning and dining out, then what's another $250 USD?
My concern is the status and condition of certain anchorages (mooring balls), slips at resorts, restaurants, etc. I think of others are similarly concerned, then getting upbeat reports from other sailors will help to reinvigorate travel there.
BTW, anyone know anything about the Willie T?
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Re: Attracting Sailors Again
[Re: Sea&SkiPJ]
#151192
01/03/2018 06:11 PM
01/03/2018 06:11 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 559 Apex, NC
agrimsrud
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 559
Apex, NC
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I think of others are similarly concerned, then getting upbeat reports from other sailors will help to reinvigorate travel there. I think the challenge is going to be how to get the word out. As I participate in this forum it appears to be that traffic/comments/interest has drastically diminished. How will the people that dropped off get any news that invites them back and rebuilds interest? Not enough that there are positive comments - somehow those comments need to arrive in the view of future and possible charter customers. Social media will likely be helpful but I'm afraid it's a slow slog.
Life's short - sail more!
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Re: Attracting Sailors Again
[Re: Maria_and_Steve]
#151413
01/05/2018 08:38 PM
01/05/2018 08:38 PM
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,999 Macon, Georgia
GlennA
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,999
Macon, Georgia
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Private cruising vessels with the owner onboard are not charged the same as charter boats but I have found several conflicting bits of information . As I understand it from Noonsite: First entry of the year they are charged a "net tonnage fee" of $45 and given 30 days to cruise. Any passengers not directly related to the owner pay the daily rate . After 30 days there is a $200 annual temporary import duty.
Back in 2008 there was a proposal to charge: - $1 per foot for the first day in BVI waters - $0.75 per foot for the second day - $0.50 per foot for EVERY day thereafter but I think I remember they chickened out but I have also heard of some boats being charged $1/foot/day as recently as this year..
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. - Mark Twain
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Re: Attracting Sailors Again
[Re: Maria_and_Steve]
#151443
01/06/2018 11:29 AM
01/06/2018 11:29 AM
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,999 Macon, Georgia
GlennA
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,999
Macon, Georgia
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$200 for a year long permit after 30 days is not all that bad compared to $300 from day 1 in the Bahamas or $50 for 7 days and $300 for 3 months inTurks and Cicos.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. - Mark Twain
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Re: Attracting Sailors Again
[Re: d_fish]
#151447
01/06/2018 11:45 AM
01/06/2018 11:45 AM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,170 Rincón PR
casailor53
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Traveler
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,170
Rincón PR
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I can also see cruisers steering clear of the BVIs due to the cost of mooring versus anchoring. Not many places left to anchor and mooring fees add up quickly. While I agree that there are "Not many places left to anchor", real cruisers NEVER anchor.
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Re: Attracting Sailors Again
[Re: Maria_and_Steve]
#151541
01/07/2018 10:11 AM
01/07/2018 10:11 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 48 NYC
stephenr
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Traveler
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 48
NYC
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Moorings cost $30-$35 in the BVI’s while anchoring further south is free."
I believe anchoring is free in BVI too.
Steve
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Re: Attracting Sailors Again
[Re: StormJib]
#151592
01/07/2018 05:16 PM
01/07/2018 05:16 PM
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,048 GA/NC
GeorgeC1
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,048
GA/NC
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We have done all the islands south of Miami except Venezuela. When the dust settles the fleets will be restored in the BVI for this reason first. The ease and short distances between islands or bars. No other place has anything like that 10 months(even 12) out of of the year. Before the storm the BVI was way over subscribed many weeks out of the year. Raising the fees and increasing the level of services would be a plus for the local economy and environment. Unless we want to go to a practice where you must have a mooring reservation like Nantucket and Catalina..... then a day will be reached when the total number of boats out on the water must be limited. There is zero need to hurry or rush lhat along. When you look at the total costs of a charter trip starting with transport to the airport and end with transfer home from the airport the overnight mooring fee is a small fraction of the total trip cost.
If you have not tried it.... the food is always far better in the French Islands. Everything can be described as a small portion of the total cost. In the end however all those items add up to become the total cost. I know several friends who will no longer sail in the BVI because they feel they are being gouged everywhere from the moment they arrive until they leave. I have talked with several dedicated BVI sailors. They never went anywhere else until Irma forced them to move their trips this fall. They now don’t plan on coming back to the BVI after seeing other options. If the BVI government were smart they would use this as a opportunity to retool the entire visitor experience from the moment you set foot at the customs dock.
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Re: Attracting Sailors Again
[Re: tradewinds]
#151608
01/07/2018 08:11 PM
01/07/2018 08:11 PM
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,048 GA/NC
GeorgeC1
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,048
GA/NC
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Since when is Venezuela an island? Since the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor! All kidding aside there are lots of islands off the coast.
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Re: Attracting Sailors Again
[Re: casailor53]
#151806
01/09/2018 01:57 PM
01/09/2018 01:57 PM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,170 Rincón PR
casailor53
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,170
Rincón PR
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I can also see cruisers steering clear of the BVIs due to the cost of mooring versus anchoring. Not many places left to anchor and mooring fees add up quickly. While I agree that there are "Not many places left to anchor", real cruisers NEVER anchor. I really needed to proof this! I meant "real cruisers ONLY anchor". I was only ever in a marina for repairs, or in Venezuela (pre- Chavez), where it was dirt cheap, and secure. That's what I did for 3 ½ years, but somewhere along the way (too much sun and rum probably), I forgot how to proof-read!
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Re: Attracting Sailors Again
[Re: Maria_and_Steve]
#152015
01/11/2018 11:12 AM
01/11/2018 11:12 AM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,148 road town
sleepychef
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,148
road town
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Glad you can provide local info sleepchef. BUT, our friends were in Soopers hole and were 1 of only 3 boats there. They said it was a ghost town, along with most of the other anchorages they visited. That was 2 weeks ago.
Please re read my post as I STATE that Sopers Hole has a long way to come, also 2 weeks ago is usually the quietest time of the year, the week before Christmas, again local knowledge.
Last edited by sleepychef; 01/11/2018 11:14 AM.
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