Trip report BVI-Antigua

We "won" this charter on the Sailonline/Sunsail auction the end of last august.
We are: myself, my wife and our 13 year old son Justin. We have for many years been sailing in Europe, North sea, Baltic sea, Holland, France, England, Denmark, Germany etc.
Also our son has been to sailing school the last 2 summers.

We knew that Sunsail does these auctions because they wanted ships delivered to their base in Antigua that is only open between November the 3rd and the end of May. But okay we wanted to do a one-way charter and the price was right. We did not meet the reserved price at the auction but they contacted us if we were still interested to do it, also because there were no other bidders.

The ship was a Benneteau 343, a bit small but no problem. We took this one also because it was a ’14 day’ charter. 14 days is not entirely true because you are not allowed on board on day 1 until 6pm, on the last day, day 14, you have to leave the ship by 11am, a bit odd but we knew this beforehand so it is actually only 12 days of sailing, Sunsail policy. Before we left home, a few days before, we made a provision order with Bobby’s market, also we gathered some needed information, here on the net TTOL, (see our postings). We ordered a book by Bruce vanSant before we left, we got the book on time, I read some beforehand and guess what, we forgot to bring the book with us, Oh well! But we did bring our own GPS, our own binoculars (good visibility at night with them) and a very strong search light.

Thursday evening by train from Oulu to Helsinki about 6hrs
Slept in the Bonus inn by the airport our flight left in the morning at 7.30am with Air France.
They could not find our complete reservation, only mine but not my wife and son’s.
We had to wait, the flight was full but we did get on, not sitting together however.
Change in Paris, was not so easy to find, only 30 minutes change over time. Not very friendly ground staff. Plane full, so we could not sit together. My wife was sitting next to a very overweight man, this man was so overweight that he needed 2 seats for his bud and belly, sounds like I am discriminating here, but this was really a problem. Later my wife changed with our son but even he could not fit in next to the fat man. Finally the crew admitted the problem, also because safety was in question and my son got a seat in the last row which was a bit better.
The crew thought that I ordered a vegetarian meal, they served it 45 minutes before the other regular dinners. Strange how they treat vegetarian people, compared to the regular dinners they assumed that vegetarians eat no dairy, no chocolate, no cheese and drink no wine and rum punch which were included in the regular dinners. The quality and taste of this food was really bad, I would not serve it to my worst enemy.
Later when the other dinners were served and there were some trays left over I got a regular dinner.

Arrival in st.Martin, all went well, except with Winair to the BVI, guess what! They lost our luggage, I did not check our luggage al the way through to the BVI so I had to pick up and check my luggage in ourselves in Saint Martin at Winair, that was our luck so that we knew who had lost our luggage. It took 3 days to find our luggage. Promise was the next day but no, difficult to get contact, promise the next day again, calling to st Martin base also many times all were lying.
Finally on Sunday evening we sailed to Trellisbay and went to the airport were we raised a bit of hell.
The Winair rep was nowhere to be seen. The customs let us in after a lot of swearing (he did), and yes there were our suitcases.
We order by Bobby’s, food was not there at arrival. Sat. morning still no order, we called, yes the have got our order before but they forgot.

So arriving Friday evening, eating at Mayacaya, sat. morning briefing, some things were not in order, no maps ready etc. a lot of asking around, some maps came but not the st. martin map. Only overview maps. Day 2 is the briefings, first the boat briefing by Mervin and then the chart briefing by Andrew, they were fine but by the time you are finished and then get the appropriate maps its about 2pm before you can sail out.
Mentioned in our information, taped to the desktop of Sunsail was that we were oneway to Antigua was that we needed maps and that they were supposed to be there.
They were not, after about an hour of searching and going to the shop to buy maps, we got most maps but not the st.Martin map, it was not available, so they told us to get it in st. Martin.
Luckily We chartered a boat out of st. Martin the previous year with Moorings so I still remembered most of the harbor entries and underwater hazards.

When we arrived, no delivery of Bobby’s, no autopilot on the ship, no maps, no sprayhood, and no luggage.
We called Bobby’s the following day and after o lot of apologies they delivered within the hour.
No automatic pilot, weak boat, wood lamination starts to come of. They said new boat, true only used once or twice before but it already came undone.
Sat. afternoon to cooper island, for my sons diving lesson, nice people at sail Caribbean Divers.
Only 4 miles or so upwind. Water calm wind 12 to 15 knots.

Sunday diving lesson at cooper. After diving lesson to Trellisbay (mooring) looking for our suitcases,(4,5nm) nice sailing.
From airport went to “D’ best Cup” nice service good price drinks. Evening eating at the “Last Resort”, great food.
Monday bad weather, tropical wave, thunder and rain. Morning shopping , met people from catamaran here today and full moon. Accident, one woman broke her leg during shopping. Afternoon, weather break, we went to Marina Cay, (anchored) Saw boat Sympatica.

Tuesday morning to the “Baths” were there about 11am 5nm, nice but ok, heavy riptides, no dingy on the beach, heavy fines, but not smart idea, heavy ‘landing’ swimming difficult a bit to dingy 1 woman collapsed. Visar had to come.
Left the baths at 3 pm , thought we are going to Spanish town Virgin Gorda yachtharbor in st.Thomas bay, but we could sail a bit in the wind, only jib Genua) 4knts wind up to 20 knts sometimes and sometimes almost nothing, heavy rain squall came kept on going to north sound. Could not see anything for short time, stopped the engine (no sprayhood), went to sit inside. Made it to Sabarock at about 4,30pm, anchored before to west side of sabarock, eat in Sabarock restaurant. Wednesday to weather should be better.

Sunsail guide Andrew offered us to come to Anegada wednesday morning follow the flotillia. However we did not do that.

Wednesday November 2nd went back to cooper island to see if My son can finish his diving course.

Thursday the same, stayed at cooper for Justin, and again Friday we dropped him off, Kyoung and me went back across to the Tortola Sunsail base to do shopping, fuel, garbage and laundry exchange. Great service the fuel for the boat and the dingy was not charged, we were surprised, very positive.
Saturday morning set for diving to the Rhone wreck.
Norman island.
Sailing around peter island to Norman island, both sides of “pelican” (around the “Indians” can be done) about 9nm, nice place but the “Willy T’s” is not for me, strange place.
We were there for a drink in the evening(me and my wife) and suddenly some naked women started jumping of the ship. We watched them and showed them with our flashlight to the stairs were they could get out. Some young guy came up to us and wanted to beat us up because we were allegedly watching his girlfriend in the water???
Strange and hypocritical people those American tourists sometimes!

Much too late Sunday morning to Spanish town Virging gorda, about 12 miles, customs open also at 2pm after lunch. Then dingy on deck, wind 5 bft, swell, we left at 5, went to sabarock arrived at 7pm did not feel comfortable leaving to st. Martin in the dark, swell up to 7ft wind 20kts.
Monday morning up 5am, now what.

Left Monday morning at 6 to 6.30am round Necker island, swell big 6 feet about course 126
About 80nm to Marrigot bay arrived at 11pm Monday evening, easy, but a roughride.
Since we did not have a map of st. Martin I thought that Marrigot bay had probably light buoys but no such luck as we found out.
Green airport light with white light under it, can see for 10-15 miles out, but for airplanes.
We did not know that until we were almost by the lights itself. Good that we brought our own search light we were able to find Marrigot bay.

Tuesday morning oyster pond fuel water and ice and lunch at dingy dock rest. No pay for fuel ice and water, great service. Dingy on deck, at 2.30pm left for St barth, arrive about 5 pm. 11.62 miles.
Eating dingydock bar

Wednesday going to Antigua.
Left st barth (eating at sushi bar and buccaneer)
Left at 6am 247magn out 1 mile arrive st johns harbour 8pm 75nm altogether
Lightbouy course 151 magn
Calling harbour control for anchoring ended up end of harbour dock bar street drunks, smelly strange.

Next morning customs, pink building, weird, directions to freight dock, all new to them, later I found out that there are customs in English harbour, big ship freighter had to wait for us.
Then around the island west side slowly towards English harbour, about 8 miles??? Or 17.23 check
Lunch crabpoint beach, them tropical wave started, hurry to English harbour, nelson’s dockyard
Last evening, next morning airport at 9am, flight 10.20 winnair, check ourself luggage onboard.
St Martin check in airfrance 12, then to sunset beach until 3.45 pm
Flight home, sh*t airfrance, bad food, flight ot Helsinki, train, auto

In all a very good vacation, nice people at Sunsail, to bad for some mishaps with the luggage and delivery of Bobby’s market but they apologized by email.
But because of all this we lost about 2 days of our vacation. No compensation for that of course.
Nice area to sail. I will do it again someday to deliver boats however hopefully going the other way is easier.

Cheers,
Ronald

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Greets Ronald