TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Ferry Question

This is my third bareboat charter and BY FAR the worst experience ever in planning. Two people on my 9 person Mooring's 514pc finally sent me their flight info. Annnnnndddd they booked the wrong return date a day early. They say they can't change the flight and have to be back early. Nice of them to check with me before deciding to make that decision all on their own. I think I will be in Jost that day so I'll have them catch a ferry from Jost to Tortola and make their way to ST. Thomas to stay over night to get their flight the next morning. If need be I can drop them at Soper's Hole. My question is what time is the ferry in the morning at Jost? Is there one around 10am and is the ferry picking up at West End now or is everything still leaving from Road Town? Just easier to ask here at the moment.

Just saw an article saying West End will have a temporary terminal open by August!

Can you drop them at beef or cane garden bay so they can catch a taxi to the ferry?

The JVD->West End ferry departs at 7am, 9am, 12pm, 5pm. The current plan is to have a ferry terminal open on West End in August but for planning I would assume they have to go to Road Town.

I will be in Jost and making my way over to the other side of Tortola for our last night to be in proximity of Road Town for the 10am return check in so I think Beef or Cane Garden are out. They could get the ferry from Jost then Tortola to St. Thomas. I thought I could save them the Jost ferry and drop them in Soper's. Is Soper's Hole a good last night stop when having to return to Mooring's? I've been there plenty of times but never with a charter. It's always Peter, Norman or Cooper. I'm not going to worry how they get back since they didn't even bother to ask me first before making early return flights.

I have almost the same situation except I've already moved the whole charter over a day to give them more time and now they want to leave a day early. They need to take a ferry from Tortola to STT on Saturday so my plan is to put them off somewhere on Tortola (Beef, CGB or Sopers) as early as possible on Friday depending on where we are. We originally reserved rooms at the Mariners for Saturday so I just moved theirs back a day and they can taxi to the base leave their bags and sight see, hang out by the pool whatever. Then use their room and take the RT ferry the next morning. Meanwhile, we enjoy our Friday and a bit of Saturday before returning boat.

Tell them to jump off the boat and swim! That's the point I'm at about now! People, especially new crew going on a bareboat charter for the first time, just don't get how hard it is to plan and how much time and work goes into it! My wife and I weren't even going to go this year for financial reasons but a friend that went before with us came to visit. He met one of our girlfriends and "hit it off" with her! She had been with us once before too so in light of this new romance they talked us into planning a trip this year. Keep in mind this took place months ago in April. Our trip is scheduled for October. Now my "friend" has met a new girl after the other one booked her flights and is all set to go. She is recently divorced and he offered to pay for her whole trip! Now he's doing a dance telling me he still wants to go but wants to bring the new girl! He hasn't committed or paid me or the first girl! Now I'm on the hook for the first girl because she can't afford it and I wasn't going myself because I shouldn't be spending the money right now! On top of it all I have the two other girls now screwing around with their flights and early departure date. Never again! Next time it will just be my wife and I on a dinghy.

Ummmmmmmmmmmm

The old saying still goes!!! People ttend to attract!!!!

We actually just booked our first trip where it's just my husband and I (MarineMax 362) because I am tried of trying to plan with friends. They can't commit and I won't book until they're ready to pay me their full cost up front. For your friends that booked a flight home a day early, of course they can change the flight, they just don't want to pay the fees. I would tell them to pay the fees or expect it to be a rough last day or ferries and taxi cabs.

You all have very much confirmed our decision to sail alone. We tried for two years to get friends to join us. Always just before booking something would come up and they would back out. Even though we have some great friends, spending a week with any of them on a floating RV is a risk of the friendship. So for a little extra money I know I will get along with my wife. Well, at least most of the time.

So does that mean Kevin and I are out? We found your wife to be delightful and surely could get along with her for a week...:)

Having done a lot of herding cats on boat trips and at our beach house some people get it and many dont...you have to sift and winnow to find the "givers" who get it. For your first sail trip don't add the dynamic of another couple and possibly another agenda.

I think for the most part newbys and takers think it is Disneyland on water...

With all due respect to your friends, Schwendy, how they get back is their problem. Just tell them they will be at Jost night before and they can figure it out.

With the 514 you can get to home base from pretty much anywhere by 1000. We came from White Bay in May.

Ha! She’s pretty good. I’m fortunate that she has also been my best friend for 38+ years.

As for a week on a boat with you guys? We would do that in a heartbeat. Or on Anegada as week long neighbors.

I do feel we made the right call to do our first sail by ourselves. After many years of land based vacations in the BVI we are very excited to see the islands from the water. Only 118 days to go!!!

The extra ferry, cab rides and hotel will probably cost more than airfare change fees.

They could have changed flights with no fee in the first 24 hours. They had no desire to nor did they ever apologize or say thanks for my efforts to accommodate them. I knew going in that out of the 8 of us they would be the 2 that posed all the problems. As you get older, I'm 52, your friends start to dwindle. At least in my case. At that age it's divorces, second marriages, kids in college.

I've tried to arrange three couples sailing on a crewed charter for two years. One couple won't commit and is trying the "can we do three days" stuff.

At this point we will probably go land-based just the two of us. My sadness about this is, I have sailed many times but my husband has not and I wanted him to experience it but without at least two other couples, we can't get a boat.

I would gladly take two of your spots Schwendy!

Sunny

They sound like they’re the independent types so let them know your schedule and that it’s their responsibility to find a route back to airport.

ND fan...in for your next land base Anegada...

Schwendy-Glad to replace any of your "friends" someday especially if you are a fellow Steelers fan...:)

Sunnykm and bailau if I didn't have everything as "booked and committed" as I do I would definitely take you guys up on the offers! I'll keep you all in mind for next time! It would be so much easier for all of us all the way around getting together with other's on this board than trying to get the people I know to go. Wish I would have known earlier! Yes I am a Steeler's fan! Ready to get the heck out of Pittsburgh though! I can't do any more of these winters and rainy spring/summers. Sunnykm just keep trying. This is my 3rd bareboat charter and it wasn't easy any of the times I've managed to make the trips happen. Last year I had to offer a cabin for free and cover it myself at the last minute to get someone to go just so I had help on the boat!

Schwendy thanks for the encouragement! I really would prefer to be on a cat than on land but any where in BVI during the winter is better than the fog and damp of my part of California.

You gave away a cabin!! I am not much of a help sailing, however, I understand the dynamic of living in an rv on the water and the need to help out, clean up after yourself, and not be obnoxious while on board.

I agree with the others here who have advised you to tell your friends to figure out themselves how to get to STT from Soggy Dollar :-) they will spend more on the ferries than the change fee! Don't be too accommodating to fix a problem they created on their own and affect everyone else's joy on the boat. Would love to see them googling the ferry schedules from JVD to RT to STT--I hope they already paid you for their portion of the charter.

Understand Schwendy....all good my friend. I love that 514PC and cant wait to try out the next version. I dont think I am back out on a boat in the BVis again until May 2020 with college kids again.

If you get down to DC let me know and we can get some Steeler fans and get together...