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Itinerary question for charter
#96286
05/02/2016 08:17 AM
05/02/2016 08:17 AM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 12
TRVLMOMHHI
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First of several newbie questions!
We are very much looking forward to our second BVI charter this summer. Last charter had a skipper and chef - this time skipper only. We are spending our first three days on Cooper Island and then heading to Road Town to board our charter. We have 3 nights aboard with just me, DH, 3 kids (12, 13, 14). On the 4th day we are picking up my sister, her DH and 3 kids (12, 13, 15). Two quick questions to start our planning.
1. Should we head up to Anegada for 2 of our first nights? If so, where should we go the first night? I would love to try to do Leverick for the Friday night BBQ but will that be too ambitious? We did not go to Anegada on our first trip.
2. Where should we pick up my sister and her crew? They fly into STT and land (on a Monday) at 12:35. My thought is have them get on the 2:30 ferry from CA (if it is running?) and have them taxi from Road Town to Trellis Bay - pick them up there. Then work our way down - starting in North Sound. End with our last day at JVD, Sandy Cay. Go thru BVI customs at Soper's Hole and then get dropped at Cruz Bay, STJ (next 10 days will be on island here).
Thoughts? Our plan is breakfast and lunch aboard with most dinners ashore. Thanks in advance!
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: StormJib]
#96288
05/02/2016 09:37 AM
05/02/2016 09:37 AM
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 144 We come from the land of ice a...
Subaqua
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We come from the land of ice a...
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You could consider checking out from JVD instead of Sopers, unless someone needs to catch the ferry from Sopers. If everyone is going to be on the boat to St John you could consider a few days on the boat there too. Some very nice areas there. We go to the snorkeling sites and gear everything around that so after 1 trip up to Anegada, it's not even on the list anymore.
I agree with StormJib on the hired skippers routine, I know you paid for the boat, and probably paid dearly, but don't put him/her under the pressure of an itinerary. They'll be flexible enough for you to lay out a plan, but plans will change, sometimes due to weather or swell, sometimes due to boat trouble, or possibly your guests missed flights and ferries. You should be ready and willing to go with the flow. It's the islands mon, enjoy.
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: Subaqua]
#96289
05/02/2016 09:57 AM
05/02/2016 09:57 AM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 5,720 Massachusetts
maytrix
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In regards to the hired skipper comments, I think it depends. Did you charter a captained boat or did you just charter a boat and add a captain? If you are just hiring a captain to handle the boat for you, then you can set the schedule and agenda. If you are chartering a "crewed" (captain only in this case) boat, then that may be a little different, but you should still be able to set the agenda, just know that weather can always change things.
Matt
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: maytrix]
#96290
05/02/2016 11:45 AM
05/02/2016 11:45 AM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 12
TRVLMOMHHI
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Charter knows we are a group of 10. Plenty of room for us all. We chartered a boat and are hiring a skipper independently. Our itinerary will be very flexible (we ended up altering our itinerary last trip because the kids wanted to watch the world cup soccer game at BEYC - one of the most memorable nights for them!) We are just trying to decide if Anegada is a good idea for our 3 days alone - or not worth it. We won't need to worry about flights or ferries because we will be coming from Cooper Island. Also need to determine where the best place to pick up the rest of our "crew" for our last 6 days on the boat. JVD makes sense for checking out of BVI's! - Thx Subaqua We will all be going to STJ for 10 days so we don't really want to spend any days around there on the boat. We have been several times and have our routine set for then I would like to have some idea of where we will be going so we can provision properly as well. Planning this has been a blast so far. We know what we want to do again and what we can skip this time around but need a little direction with the best way to do it all.
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: trueblue]
#96294
05/02/2016 03:42 PM
05/02/2016 03:42 PM
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Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 252
jboothe
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If you haven't been, go and try it. You won't know if you like it until you go.
Last edited by jboothe; 05/02/2016 03:42 PM.
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: jboothe]
#96295
05/02/2016 03:53 PM
05/02/2016 03:53 PM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 12
TRVLMOMHHI
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jboothe said: If you haven't been, go and try it. You won't know if you like it until you go. If we don't go to Anegada this trip I am sure we will on another - just trying to determine if it makes sense to go there straight from Road Town with one stop our first night somewhere (thoughts?) and then spend two nights exploring Anegada. We would then head back to Trellis Bay (or somewhere else?) to pick up the rest of our crew that will be sailing with us for the next six nights. We will NOT go to Anegada with them because there is plenty for them to see and do as this is their first BVI trip and one of the kids has T1 diabetes so we want to be near shore in case of an emergency. Our captain will be an experienced sailor and know the waters but I would very much like to be sure our plans maximize both kid and adult fun. The captain of our last charter planned the entire 6 days/5 nights and did a decent job but there were definitely things I want to do differently this trip.
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: TRVLMOMHHI]
#96297
05/02/2016 06:30 PM
05/02/2016 06:30 PM
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,901 Maine
Breeze
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You not only need to GET to Anegada, you also need to get back FROM Anegada, and you have a specific time frame.
If you want to go for it, run it by the Captain in terms of weather and sea state. Consider first night in Marina Cay. Pussers is your dinner option there and it is definitely doable first night off the dock.
The sail from Marina Cay to Anegada is a little longer than the sail from North Sound, but you gain some significant time by NOT traveling to North Sound, which I don't consider to be a " first day off the dock" reality.
Remember, I said you need to come BACK from Anegada, too. Since you have to pick up the additional crew on the same day you LEAVE Anegada, you have to do the same sail BACK to Tortola. Trellis bay would make that an easy pick up, and it is literally " next door" to Marina Cay.
So, that then puts you at Trellis for the night of the pick-up. Your arriving guests won't make it to Trellis in time for you to go far, although perhaps you could get back to Marina Cay. You won't have daylight enough to make Peter Island.
Then, if I understand your plan, it is to sail to North Sound the next day ? If so, then Trellis and/ or Marina Cay are logical and ideal for the pick-up night.
Yes, it can be done if the weather co-operates in every respect. There truly is no way to make the decision before you get there.
So, I suggest you have an alternate plan in place, which could be the Bight at Norman the first day, with snorkeling at the Indians, Caves or Water Point, dinner at Pirates. Second day move around to the other side of Norman and take an anchor spot in Benures Bay, where there is absolutely NO shore service but totally amazing swimming and good snorkeling on the reef that protects the bay itself. Third day up to Peter Island, and then the next day it is a straight shot from Peter to Trellis for the pickup.
If the weather window for Anegada is closed early in your charter, and you plan to go to North Sound later, you may get a great chance to go with everybody onboard later. Personally, I would not make a judgment about taking first timers there, because it absolutely, to me and to many others, i s a magical place in the BVI and the 6 kids would have a complete and total blast. Food and cocktails are great on Anegada, so really no worry about missing other stuff. The downwind sail from Anegada takes you to the North Shore of Tortola and yes, to Jost, just as would a trip back down from North Sound.
As far as the T1 Db patient, Anegada has a NP on-island, so you aren't completely out of reach of medical care. If Seasickness becomes an issue, you'l likely find out about that on the sail to North Sound, and then getting land transportation to the clinic on Virgin Gorda will be another issue. Due diligence and caution are always necessary.
Whew, long winded way of saying, wait and see what the weather is like when you get there !
Last edited by Breeze; 05/02/2016 06:52 PM.
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: Breeze]
#96298
05/02/2016 07:15 PM
05/02/2016 07:15 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,049
StormJib
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Certainly every skipper, captain, master... is different. I can only imagine the eyes of the amateur charter boat once a year skippers who frequent TTOL having a crew member hop on the boat and handing him or her an itinerary(boat path) for a week. I suspect any professional mariner will not enjoy the __________________.... The reality is the better paid skippers will first try to make sure there are no surprises, anxiety, risk, worries, painted into a corner failures on his watch. I would review with the hired professional skipper what you most enjoyed on the last trip, what you want to avoid on this trip, and the things you must do like meet your sister. Then let the hired skipper plan the navigation for the week. In my opinion the biggest error many make is trying to "hit" or punch the list with too many spots or must say they were there events or locations. Since it has not come up. With all those kids I would try to make sure you have at least one stand up paddle board and one two man kayak(the bigger and more stable the better) on the boat. We have packed as many as 15 kids on a boat and found as long as we do not rush any of the Moms all goes well. In many cases long late leisurely big lunches ashore with simple dinner on the boat can work well too. No hassles, no hurry, no agenda. The boat moves downwind when everyone is ready for the boat to move again.
Last edited by StormJib; 05/02/2016 08:40 PM.
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: stormster]
#96301
05/03/2016 01:27 PM
05/03/2016 01:27 PM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 12
TRVLMOMHHI
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stormster said: If you are curious about Anegada, you should go.
And just talk to your skipper and don't worry about everyone telling you what you should or shouldn't do or what is or isn't expected. Thanks for the advice! We definitely will be talking to our skipper in detail about what we HOPE to accomplish on this trip with LOTS of flexibility built in based on weather, seas, attitudes and motivation while on total island time.... We are planning on first night at Marina Bay, moving onto Anegada for one or two nights with a sail to Trellis on Day 4 to pick up the rest of our crew. Plan subject to change <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> I have looked at your web page stormster and we nearly chartered S/V Orion but the dates we needed were not exact and we opted for a larger Cat based on the size of our crew. We have Orion bookmarked and hope to sail her on another trip
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: stormster]
#96302
05/03/2016 02:38 PM
05/03/2016 02:38 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,049
StormJib
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stormster said: If you are curious about Anegada, you should go. I think going for a night is fine. You sail in the morning, arrive midday, explore the island for the afternoon, have a great dinner and take off the next morning. You'll leave wanting more which is not a bad thing!
I highly recommend renting scooters, especially with teenagers. They'll have a blast. I think officially they are supposed to be 16 to get one of their own though.
P.S. And just talk to your skipper and don't worry about everyone telling you what you should or shouldn't do or what is or isn't expected. It is never good judgement for a parent or group leader to ever put young people on anything like a scooter far from home and the healthcare they know. On Anegada the roads and not just unfamiliar they are terrible. Putting anyone on a scooter risks the safety of the young person and the trip for everyone else. Can they be fun sure. Can the immature and inexperienced created a real mess. You Bet! Double all that on Anegada or any remote place.
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: StormJib]
#96303
05/03/2016 03:08 PM
05/03/2016 03:08 PM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,390 Ill, USA
Will_L
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You are a long way from great orthopedic, spinal or brain specialists. Young (or not so young) folks on two wheels in totally unfamiliar environment with bad roads, lots of sand, cows, cars/taxis going too fast for those roads, rum,,are not ideal conditions to rent a scooter. A couple weeks ago our best friend's son had a freak bike accident on their property ..skull fracture, sub dural hematoma.. Referred immediately by ambulance to a pediatric neurosurgeon in a speciality center handling children problems only..to evacuate the hematoma. He's doing fine and seems none the worse for wear..indeed while recuperating suggested his Mom take his sister for a bike ride when she was arguing with him.
Anegada is not a great place to do the scooter thing imho..and there are some residents there that can confirm that to be the case. Have a great trip..
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: TRVLMOMHHI]
#96306
05/03/2016 07:50 PM
05/03/2016 07:50 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 276 Atlantic Highlands, NJ
MarkS
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Posts: 276
Atlantic Highlands, NJ
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We had a medical emergency in Anegada and I can say they were well set up to get us to help. Short version is that my wife had a heart issue in the anchorage. We called the Island Nurse from Potters' and he personally drove us to meet her. She had already had an aircraft in the air and brought us to the airport for the very short flight to Beef Island. We were met there by an ambulance and were at the hospital in what felt like 8 minutes. I think start to finish was about 1/2 hour. Not bad considering. A longer version of the story is in my Trip Report: http://traveltalkonline.com/forums/showf...amp;Search=trueI understand that in a real emergency 1/2 hour is way too long but my point is that they do have a plan.
Last edited by MarkS; 05/03/2016 07:53 PM.
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: TRVLMOMHHI]
#96308
05/04/2016 12:30 PM
05/04/2016 12:30 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 633
BaardJ
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You should be able to comfortably make Leverick Bay on Day 1. It's only 18 nm from Roadtown and should take about 2.5 hours. If you're off the dock by 3:30 pm, you're still there 45 minutes before sunset. If you get to North Sound by early afternoon, you could anchor/moor at Prickly Pear island for some beach time and swimming before repositioning to Leverick Bay. Kids will also like the pool at Leverick. Might as well stay at the dock at Leverick using the TTOL special of $35 with bag of ice and water fill.
For Day 2 & 3, I highly recommend a visit to Anegada. We've taken kids in that age group - they enjoyed the 'adventure' of the sail over the horizon, riding the bench seats in the back of the rental pickup, visiting the Anegada iguana sanctuary, beachcombing and snorkeling (if seas are settled) at Flash of Beauty, hanging out at the beach & pool at Anegada Beach Club, lobster dinner on the beach (many restaurants choices), limbo dancing in the sand at Potters.
On Monday, it's only a 20 nm sail from Anegada to Trellis Bay. In the morning dinghy over to Pam's Bakery at Neptune's Treasure for some fresh baked goods such as banana bread, drop off the rental vehicle (or simply arrange to leave it at Anegada Reef Hotel with the keys under the mat), then enjoy a leisurely sail. If seas are settled, make a stop at Great Dog or George Dog for lunch & snorkel or continue directly to Cam Bay and anchor for the afternoon behind the reef, have lunch and snorkel. In the late afternoon, head to Trellis Bay to meet your crew.
Another alternative on Day 4 would be to spend the afternoon and night at the dock at Scrub Island. The summer marina rate is only $2/ft plus 17% service charge. The kids (and likely the adults) will enjoy the two-level pool, waterslide, and hot tub. Your guests can take the Scrub Island ferry from Trellis Bay (10 minute trip, departs 45 minutes after the hour until 10:45 pm). This also allows you and your new guests to take nice long showers ashore, and to start you next leg in the morning with full water tanks ($0.35/gallon).
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Re: Itinerary question for charter
[Re: StormJib]
#96310
05/05/2016 11:45 AM
05/05/2016 11:45 AM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 397 Colorado
stormster
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StormJib said:
It is never good judgement for a parent or group leader to ever put young people on anything like a scooter far from home and the healthcare they know. On Anegada the roads and not just unfamiliar they are terrible. Putting anyone on a scooter risks the safety of the young person and the trip for everyone else. Can they be fun sure. Can the immature and inexperienced created a real mess. You Bet! Double all that on Anegada or any remote place. I think parents are capable of accessing their own kids' abilities. We've rented several times on Anegada and our teenager showed responsible, competent behavior. It was a positive experience that we plan to do again. Some would say taking your kids on a sailboat, in the ocean, where water is over their head and weather can come up at any time is also irresponsible. Stormy
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