Back after 10 years

Hello everyone. I am a longtime TravelTalkOnline user, but have not even logged in for 10 years! Have not chartered in the BVI since 2012. I have read back through almost 6 months of threads and I can see that a lot of things have changed in the BVI between Hurricane IRMA and Boatyball

Right now I'm focused on selecting a charter yacht for June 2024 and then I'll probably be back here with a lot of questions. The charter company that we sailed with for many years, Pro Valor, is no longer in business. They closed their operation just before Irma - boy, they got lucky. So I am researching and talking to many charter companies, some we've used before and some new ones. I've narrowed it down to a Lagoon 450 from Catamaran Company or Navigare. I've sailed with Catmaran Company before and I like them (except for their base location) but I've never even heard of Navigare. Does anyone have experience with Navigare out of Nanny Cay?

You might consider Captains Compass. Brent was the founder and orginial owner of Pro Valor. Captains Compass is operating out of Fat Hog Bay and currently has 2 Leopard 45s, a Leopard 40 and Lagoon 450. Worth checking out.

Also check out Waypoints out of Nanny Cay, they are a "boutique" charter company which means they keep their fleets small intentionally so the service is amazing, we had an excellent experience with them this past March on an Elba 45....and TMM is still Top Notch, there are quite a few TMM owners on this board

Waypoints quoted much higher pricing. Brent from Captains Compass was very helpful but the Lagoon 450 in his fleet does not have a salon conversion to berth which we need for our group. Waypoint’s Elba 45 in Nanny Cay is only licensed for 8 and we are 9 so we cannot charter with them.

I did get a quote from TMM and they were very nice but pricing is about 15% higher. That may be because I’m sailing off season beginning of July and some of the other companies are offering 10 for 7 deals (we will be out 10 nights). That deal makes a big difference in cost.

You might also want to talk to some of the TMM owners who do direct charters - Deepcut here has a great 46 and I'd bet he would set you up. I'd offer you TWT, but she is a 42, and you mentioned a 450.

Either way, welcome back to the islands! You're gonna have a great time!

Keep Smiling!!!


-Peter

Just an FYI, We booked at the boat show and got the 20% off ...also, we had 9 people...i should add though that person just used the "couch".

The Salon will convert on the Leopard 45 Brent has in his fleet.

Yes, he did offer the Leopard 454, but it is a much older boat - with great price!!! I've always had my heart set on trying a Lagoon 450 but we never could on previous charters due to cost (they were new at that time) or wrong berth configuration for our group I believe this may be my last charter as captain in the BVI so I am looking for a little bit of luxury this time around. But, I'll certainly be back as planner/crew member.

Our '9th' person is me - solo. Some of you have met my husband and I - we were the hula dancer group at the TTOL Luau at Corsair's JVD with Saildoggie many many years ago. My husband has passed away, but I'm taking a cabin because I'm not sleeping in the salon! So my daughter/partner is going to have to sleep in the salon. Therefore, the salon table needs to drop down for a full conversion to double berth. This seems to be a difficult feature to pin down with the charter salespeople. They have to keep calling down to the base for confirmation.

Both of Brent’s Leopard 45 Have the “captain’s cabin including a 5th head. That makes sleeping for 9 without dropping the galley table.

I considered that but I would get shot if I separated a couple into separate coffin sleepers.

Since we have two young couples (daughters of two sets of parents) it would become a fight ‘why does my daughter have to sleep in the coffin berth and yours gets a cabin? For now the couples are splitting time in salon. Five nights in salon and then they switch to cabin with change of sheets

We chartered ORION out of TMM in May just for this reason. Salon conversion.

ORION

Shared our cabin head with the crew in salon.

Waypoints St Thomas also has an Elba 45 with salon conversion.

Family Therapy