November 2020 BVI Charter

Hi everyone,
We enjoyed our first charter to the BVI in October 2019 and we're really itching to get back. Are in talks to charter in November 2020 and wondering if you think the boarders will be open at that time and we'd be allowed to travel to and from island to island while on charter.

Charter company is NOT offering money back should quarantine be imposed, rather an opportunity to rebook within 12 months. So trying to make the most educated decision we can on if we should book for November 2020 or hold off.

Looking for your opinions.

Thanks much!
Libs_22

Your best bet would be to charter with CYOA out of St. Thomas. If the BVI are closed, you'll still be able to sail throughout the USVI (beautiful anchorages!). If the BVI are open, you'll be able to avoid the ferry and sail to the BVI yourself. Win/win!

There is no way in the world I would set a BVI charter right now...I am caught up in a credit with one and trying to make sure I use it as soon as possible after BVIs open back up and hopefully before the company runs into financial difficulties

I agree with Thistle. I just got back from a CYOA charter two days ago. Had nine wonderful days sailing around St. Thomas/John. Even had a sail down to St Croix. It was very nice - good wind, near empty anchorages and wonderful beaches. Wish we didn't have so much sahara sand but it did cut down on the needed sun block! If you are "itching to go" but don't want to take the risk of the BVI being closed it is really no imposition to sail the US side. In fact now that I've spent more time there I'm pretty sure we'll spend less time in the BVI in the future.

I'm surprised a BVI charter company is being so rigid on changes to a potential new booking. No way I would book under those conditions.

We had to cancel our summer Croatia charter and got Moorings to agree for a 24-month credit instead of 12. So if we can charter in summer 2021 we will, and if not, we will do a BVI charter in fall 2021 or spring 2022 instead.

I would not be putting any non-refundable money down right now.

Travel will be slow for the next year at least. I am not expecting charter companies to book up for the fall. If BVI is open in September or October, you can always book your November charter then, knowing a lot more about what to expect than you do now.

And by staying on the US side, you don’t need to use boatyball

We're hesitant to book flights, and we'll stay at our own house! No way I'd book non-refundable anything and, as noted above, what does refundable mean if the entity is out of business. There should be lots of last minute options come Fall.

Because I got caught up in a non refundable situation, I rebooked to November 4 and fingers crossed it may happen.

LOL...you are relentless my brother. Don't you wish we were back to those days where that was the board's biggest complaint...:)?

My friends at the charter base camp are saying Oct is what they are targeting for whatever that is worth given that the government hasn't even proffered a plan...very unimpressive for our business friends in BVI to not at least have a plan

what exactly do you think businesses in the BVI should be doing to make a plan? you are more and more insulting every day. if everyone here is so stupid and "unimpressive" why do you bother wasting time here?

Jason-

You seem to misinterpret/misrepresent my statements regularly. I stated it is unimpressive of the government to not think of the businesses of the BVI and have a reopening plan for them (you). At least if the government had a plan for exit like the rest of the Caribbean is doing you could strategize your future business plans.

Please also point out where I referred to anyone on this board or anywhere (including you) as "stupid"?

Although I appreciate it Jason, no need for you to worry about what i do with my time. For what it is worth I do have respect for you, Jason, and certainly appreciate your wisdom and input.

Maybe next time you are "insulted" by what I say you can just PM me and we can discuss via sidebar....

OK, guys, hopefully you can discuss this offline, as I didn't take what bailau stated as meaning the 'businesses' should propose something, but that the government propose something. It is concerning that there apparently are no current plans by government for reopening..

I don't see how the quote I provided is a misrepresentation of what you said. You stated "very unimpressive for our business friends in BVI to not at least have a plan". Maybe you didn't communicate what you meant but that is what you said.

I don't PM you because I prefer the entire audience can participate in the conversation if they choose. My opinions don't need to be a secret even if you don't agree.

OK, agreed, he mis-spoke. Can we just move on?

Ok buddy...not looking to be "secret" but fail to see purpose of public debate here....

Here is the whole sentence:

My friends at the charter base camp are saying Oct is what they are targeting for whatever that is worth given that the government hasn't even proffered a plan...very unimpressive for our business friends in BVI to not at least have a plan.

Taken together it is pretty clear...if you want to take it out of context and misconstrue and publish that is certainly your right which I respect.

Again, let's move on, guys.

They were supposed to come up with a date by yesterday, but obviously that didn't happen.

Pretty sure I've posted this before, but on April 15 the premier made a statement and it was published in the link below. In short, Phase 2 of the BVI reopening started on June 2 (or maybe June 1) and allows people with resident status to enter with conditions at the Beef Island airport only. According to the statement, that will be the entry status for 3 months so until something different is stated, I'd plan around that.

Full Statement

I've seen that, but this came out in the news on the 29th:
https://www.bviplatinum.com/news.ph...wL0lM-Zj9oxlfoK-xH-DDvyQy2UiBXUjaRKJ6YdA

The Chamber of Commerce was asking for a firm date so businesses could plan.

I don't see anything there as far as when tourists might be expected to be admitted. Has there been anything said as to when tourists might be able to return?

No nothing confirmed as Bailau said the governement has no plan so local businesses cannot plan

Looking forward to a USVI trip report.

If BVI have not opened up by October (Annapolis Boat Show), we will be looking at USVI charter options for January.

Yes, for sure, would appreciate a trip report!

I believe other islands are opening with criteria such as PCR testing within x-days of arrival and of course symptom history and temperature screening. Also I would presume masks required in public gatheiring/buildings where social distancing cannot be assured.

I do hope that BVI government will begin to announce their intentions. Hopefully vaccine and treatment options will quickly make this a non-issue, however we (Planet Earth) need to prepare to "live with it", as Vaccines and treatment are not assured. Keeping BVI )(other tourist destinations) closed is guaranteed to result in local economic hardship/disaster.

(Being in USA, I do not feel we have been good examples of how to react to this. Masks have become political, as has reopening plans. I would rather base these on science and non-partisan good judgement).

Libs.-22

Check your InBox

NYTimes has an article today on the reopenings....

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/travel/caribbean-reopening-coronavirus.html

NY Times is requiring registration again to view..

Here
is a link to a story detailing some problems with reopening in several countries.

We moved our May charter to November so keeping fingers crossed. Our charter is with CYOA so we do have the USVI only option

Can you elaborate on the sail to St Croix - time of departure, conditions, time of arrival, return? This sounds like a cool sail, new adventure!

You could leave from Coral Bay on St John. It would be a little closer to st croix and shorten the trip.

The amount of time would of course vary with wind and sea conditions.

Leave around sunrise and I'm guessing you be there around lunch time.

Stop at Buck Island on the way over. It's a national park.

Our boat Scuba doo has regularly taken guests over to cruise St Croix.

The diving there has been a highlight of the itinerary. We have some pictures on our scuba doo yacht charters Facebook page. Check them out.

A couple of weeks ago, they had a pod of around 8 dolphins join them on the trip back to St thomas.

post deleted

This is ~34nm so it's a "long" sail compared to what we're used to. We were sailing a Beneteau 45. We left from Salt Pond Bay on St John. We had 15 to 20 knot wind with seas of 4 to 6. We made it down to St. Croix in 5 hours and back up in 4.5. Actually on the way down I turned the boat around and went back to St. John on the first attempt as my wife starting puking about 15 miles into it. The second attempt we drugged her up and she was fine. We left Salt Pond at about 7:00 and pulled in to Green Cay marina (about 2 miles outside of Christiansted) for two nights. The bill there for the slip+power plus 22 gallons diesel (slightly over $2/gallon) and a tank of dingy gas came to $309. The marina was very quite with nice/clean amenities.

I'm pretty sure we'll do that trip again - it was a nice sail. And there is more to see than we had time for. The passage was a little wet at times and a little more challenging that we're used to but definitely worth it.

If you are on a CYOA boat you should check on what qualifications you need - they are different than sailing around St. John.

I will see about writing up a report from the trip soon.

Leave St Thomas/St John early (7am). This gives you extra daylight to get to ST Croix and if you don't like initial anchorage, it gives you options .

You just called your arrival into customs?

Do you need to clear customs within the USVI?

No need to go through customs or immigration. St Thomas, St John, and St Croix are all USVI and no processing necessary.

This quote is from an earlier thread concerning Sailing to STX on a CYOA vessel - Captain Jay is a lead presence there and commented:

****** "Yes, the other post is wrong. We allow CYOA boats to go to St Croix. St Croix is open for tourism like all of the USVI's. We have a separate waiver and requirements for sailing to St Croix. You have to have a minimum of four people on board, you also have to submit two sailing resumes for qualified skippers. You also have to plan your trip to leave early and arrive during daylight hours." ********

Good plan sailing the U.S.V.I, and also very interesting sailing to St. Croix.......somehow, there is always a plan B.

We are only familiar with St. John, and St. Thomas in a very minor way, and so it would be all new anchorages for us......St. Croix , we need to investigate, but what a great idea.

We are still a bit gun shy with the Covid 19, and probably would hold of until 2021, in our may / early june usual time frames.

We pretty much stay clear of the caribbean in hurricane season.... and do take note of September Remember....end of October all over. and for
right now, we are sitting on our okoles, rum in hand, kicked back in Pussers bosuns pants, no shirt, and singing along with Jimmy Buffet....Oh,and my fave rum glass is one of those pussers tumblers with the BVI imprinted, like a chart.

Also, we are staying positive for the BVI to also open up and be back to sailing, sunshine, and rumming.

Again, thanks for the scoops on the U.S.V.I and St. Croix.

Great winds, and good times.

Denny and Erica

I agree with the comments about St. Croix. We spent shy of a week there in June 2017.

We started from Roadtown on a 48' cat, bounced around BVI for a few days, cleared in to USVI at Cruz Bay, spent part of a day in Charolette A then anchored in Brewers Bay (very protected bay just west of the STT airport. Up early the next day for St. Croix. Fun but salty sail close hauled in 20+ kt wind. Took us 5.5 hours (~40nm).

Anchored in Christiansted harbor and kicked around town for the afternoon. Very cute main waterfront area and nicely preserved colonial fort run by the NPS. Not much room to anchor in the main harbor. We heard Buck Island might be nice. Picked up a permit at the NPS office located in the fort and arrived at beautiful deserted Buck Island late in the afternoon.

Fantastic reef snorkeling (not a beginner spot) on the windward east end of the island (wet ride in the dink from the leeward anchorage). We stayed several days. Day boats would come over but we pretty much had the island to ourselves from late afternoon until mid morning.

We felt obligated to explore St. Croix a bit before heading back north. Sailed down to Salt River (~10nm). Not worth the trouble although I understand there is some great diving off the entrance to the bay. Back to Christiansted for a night squeezed in between several derelict boats. Then back "home" to Buck Is for another couple days.

Sailed back to Norman Is mostly close hauled in 18-25 kts. Took about 4.5 hours. Cleared in the next day at Roadtown and reprovisioned. Spent the 2nd week enjoying familiar spots in the BVI.

We tried to go back to St. Croix this last Feb, but the sea state was too much and we turned back after an hour. We will definitely try again. We found St. Croix to be much different than the rest of the VIs. A refreshing change. Hope to see you all in November, with any luck.

Husker.

For those of us who enjoy piloting, when you plot a course for St Croix, what do you figure for current?

We pointed the auto pilot towards the eastern end of St. Croix figuring we'd have some leeway towards the west. Didn't happen. Not one bit. On the way north we just pointed the boat to the destination and that's where we ended up. So I don't think you need to worry about it.

The currents are produced by tides and also wind directIon.
You would have to adjust the day you’re leaving or you can go to your chart plotter and aim for a point on land and hold the course for an hour and you can see the degrees your off your point