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Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help #240842
11/28/2020 03:09 AM
11/28/2020 03:09 AM
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 124
Georgia
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cruzdoc Offline OP
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cruzdoc  Offline OP
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Georgia
Trying out the USVI exclusively in December for first time and need some help. From what I can gather, there are not many places to dine at night in many of the USVI overnight anchorages. Lots of great lunch options at day stops it appears so we may eat out for lunch and do dinners onboard instead. Was looking to confirm a couple of possibilities below that I had researched for overnights.

Honeymoon Bay - Dinghys Beach Bar and Grill

Christmas Cove - Pizza Pi for take out

Cruz Bay - option to Dinghy in around Lind Point for multiple options

Coral Bay area - several dining options but sounds as if it is difficult to find an overnight anchorage potentially due to a lot of private moorings. Anyone have a good suggestion for a good place to anchor near one of the restaurants there?

*Am I missing any other spots?


Now for the DIVING help. Which dive shops are best to get air fills quickly in the USVI? Admiralty? Coki? Red Hook? Low Key? Anyone have experience with these?
Also, we tend to keep dive tanks on board and do our own diving when possible. We are all advanced divers with Nitrox certifications. Anyone have any experience doing self guided dives at the following sites (i.e.mooring ball availability and ease of dive site in the setting of visiting for the first time):
-Carval Rock
-WIT shoal wreck
-Arches and Tunnels on Thatch
-Eagle Shoals
-Congo Cay
-Cow Rock

Lastly, we have sailed to Culebra previously and recent reports would suggest that CBP there is still allowing clearance of USVI vessels via CBP Roam App with COVID. Wanted to see if there had been any other recent accounts of any problems/successes with a clear in for a day or two to the SVI? I seem to remember as well that the USVI did not require a visit to USVI customs upon return from SVI. Is that accurate?

Thanks as always for any help!

Brett

BVI Sponsors
Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #240847
11/28/2020 07:52 AM
11/28/2020 07:52 AM
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Posts: 29
Ft. Worth, TX
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lisajctx Offline
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Ft. Worth, TX
Depending on when in December you are going, Lovango Beach Club and resort will be open on December 23rd. Otherwise, you are right, there are not many dinner options. Sorry, I can’t help with your other questions.

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #240866
11/28/2020 11:14 AM
11/28/2020 11:14 AM
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Cleobeach Offline
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RickG is the one for the Coral Bay Area as he lives there on his boat, shoot him a private message

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #240889
11/28/2020 03:02 PM
11/28/2020 03:02 PM
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,347
USVI
LocalSailor Offline
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Red Hook - Frenchtown - Benner Bay Lagooh - Cowpet Bay - Secret Harbor - Lindbergh Bay - Crown Bay Marina Yacht Haven Grande -- ALL on STT for Dining Options

Last edited by LocalSailor; 11/28/2020 03:36 PM. Reason: veracity
Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #240893
11/28/2020 03:36 PM
11/28/2020 03:36 PM
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Knoxville, Tennessee
Fred Offline
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In July, Dinghy's - great, Pizza Pi - really good pizza, Cruz Bay - dinked in for lunch/supplies, Coral Bay - came in using local channel markers until too crowded ahead, turned left and back up until room to anchor. Not too long of a dinghy ride to Skinny Legs.

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241003
11/30/2020 03:40 AM
11/30/2020 03:40 AM
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Posts: 124
Georgia
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cruzdoc Offline OP
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Appreciate the input from everyone. I did not look closely enough at some of those areas on STT LocalSailor. Appreciate the heads up. Bummer that we will be there before Lovango Cay opens up. We like the idea of spending the night at Lameshur, Maho, Salt Pond, etc. and think we may do a lot of lunch stops for food and dinner onboard on St. John. Hopefully weather cooperates with some of the STT locales.

Anyone have any diving experience in USVI? I get the feeling that air fills may take some time and detour the trip. May just be easier to pay for a few more tanks instead.

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241055
11/30/2020 04:03 PM
11/30/2020 04:03 PM
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Posts: 1,105
Syracuse NY
sandsea Offline
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Maybe check out Water Bay/Pineapple Bay on the east end of St Thomas. Three restaurants are there - Point Pleasant has 2 - The Shoreline Grill right on the water and the fine dining restaurant Mirador up the hill; and the Margaritaville resort is there too.

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241108
12/01/2020 12:12 PM
12/01/2020 12:12 PM
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Posts: 962
Middleburg, VA
cwoody Offline
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Originally Posted by cruzdoc
Anyone have any diving experience in USVI?


Did a couple of dives with Aqua Action out of Secret Harbor last year. Good group.


Chuck W.

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241125
12/01/2020 01:26 PM
12/01/2020 01:26 PM
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MIDiver Offline
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We dive with Busy Bee, Coral Bay, St. John. We typically dive with them when land based, but will be rendezvous diving with them this February. Great shop. They also do tank fills, but the logistics might be tough.

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241377
12/03/2020 10:53 AM
12/03/2020 10:53 AM
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,951
St. John, USVI
RickG Offline
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St. John, USVI
Plenty of room to anchor in Coral Bay for Lime Inn. Turn to port when you enter the channel and drop your hook in mud / clay. Don't bother going deeper into the anchorage until the derelict boat removal is complete (soon). Restaurants that are walkable are Skinny Legs, Rhumb Lines, Coral Bay Caribbean Oasis (trivia Wednesday 6PM), and Salty Mongoose pizza. Dolphin Market and Love City Mini Market have provisions and ice.

Add Pelican Rock in Hansen / Round Bay for a dive site. Busy Bee does their night dives there. We love Eagle Shoal in settled weather, but there is no dive ball. Booby Rock off of Salt Pond has dive buoys. At Lind Point there is a dive buoy and plenty to see.

Cheers, RickG


S/V Echoes, 2003 Beneteau 423
Grenada
Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241468
12/03/2020 07:02 PM
12/03/2020 07:02 PM
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Posts: 124
Georgia
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cruzdoc Offline OP
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Georgia
Rick,

Appreciate that info. Very helpful. A couple of more questions if you have a minute. Do you just anchor at Eagle Shoals with no mooring ball? Looks like it would be hard to find a sandy patch there and don’t want to damage the reef. Just curious how the dive boats are able to dive there without a ball.

Booby rock sounds like a good dive. Do you usually just circumnavigate it in a clockwise fashion?

Do you know if there are dive balls at Arches and Tunnels or any of the wrecks like WIT Shoal?

The Lind point you are referring to is North of Cruz Bay I’m assuming.

Thanks again for the info!

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241495
12/04/2020 09:26 AM
12/04/2020 09:26 AM
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Posts: 1,951
St. John, USVI
RickG Offline
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At Eagle Shoals we drop an anchor at the shallow spot in about 16 feet. It is rocky there. If it is calm enough to stop there you will be able to see where you anchor. We have always left someone on the boat in case of any issues.

The moorings at Booby Rock are to the windward, more or less, so we go as we wish. There is a good drop and we usually see pelagic fish.

I have not been near Arches and Tunnels or Wit Shoal since Irma.

Yes, Lind Point is between Caneel Bay and Cruz Bay.

Cheers, RickG


S/V Echoes, 2003 Beneteau 423
Grenada
Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241499
12/04/2020 09:57 AM
12/04/2020 09:57 AM
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The mooring ball at Booby Rock was missing at the end-Oct.

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: RickG] #241584
12/04/2020 08:26 PM
12/04/2020 08:26 PM
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Iowa, US
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shivers Offline
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Rick - can you explain "Sunday funday" for us newbies to the USVI?

Also - thanks for all your informative posts - we will be down next week and I feel much more literate with your assistance!

Sue

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241821
12/07/2020 02:09 PM
12/07/2020 02:09 PM
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,951
St. John, USVI
RickG Offline
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St. John, USVI
Sunday Funday is what we call the popular beach day on Honeymoon Beach, Water Island. Dinghy's Beach Bar used to host live music, but no longer due to lease changes. Still, a great time with many boaters showing up It generally kicks up around lunch and settles down around dusk.

Cheers, RickG


S/V Echoes, 2003 Beneteau 423
Grenada
Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241826
12/07/2020 04:26 PM
12/07/2020 04:26 PM
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Posts: 1,277
Saint Thomas, USVI
CaptainJay Offline
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CaptainJay  Offline
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Saint Thomas, USVI
Zo Zo's is reopening at Caneel Bay at the building closest to the dock It seems there will be boat access.

ZoZo's at Caneel

Last edited by CaptainJay; 12/07/2020 04:27 PM.
Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: CaptainJay] #241933
12/08/2020 02:51 PM
12/08/2020 02:51 PM
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Posts: 559
Apex, NC
agrimsrud Offline
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Originally Posted by CaptainJay
Zo Zo's is reopening at Caneel Bay at the building closest to the dock It seems there will be boat access.

ZoZo's at Caneel


So you can dingy in and tie up to the dock and walk up to ZoZo's?


Life's short - sail more!
Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241941
12/08/2020 04:40 PM
12/08/2020 04:40 PM
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Posts: 1,277
Saint Thomas, USVI
CaptainJay Offline
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Saint Thomas, USVI
Yes, that is what they are saying. Here are some links.

ZoZo's at Caneel Bay

On St John ZoZo's opening plans.

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #241948
12/08/2020 05:43 PM
12/08/2020 05:43 PM
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Posts: 1,951
St. John, USVI
RickG Offline
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St. John, USVI
Last I heard was that Zozo's at Caneel opens 12/15.

Cheers, RickG


S/V Echoes, 2003 Beneteau 423
Grenada
Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #242977
12/20/2020 04:54 PM
12/20/2020 04:54 PM
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Posts: 1,347
USVI
LocalSailor Offline
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USVI

Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: cruzdoc] #243019
12/21/2020 11:40 AM
12/21/2020 11:40 AM
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Posts: 1,451
Finger Lake Region
crmoores Offline
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Really miss Latitude 18, especially when Dick Solberg and the Sun Mountain Band played!

No news of a reopening, right? It had closed a couple times earlier, tough location, etc. Irma/Maria just caused so much damage? Or just no investor interested as before?


Last edited by crmoores; 12/21/2020 11:42 AM.

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Re: Dining and Dives Help - USVI style help [Re: crmoores] #243021
12/21/2020 12:26 PM
12/21/2020 12:26 PM
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