Conference unifix::sailing

Try CYC and the Moorings.

I have heard great things about both companies, and I'm planning a charter
with one of them in a year's time.

Time is short, but call them.  If they got some cancellations, you might
be able to get a deal.

The cheapest boat CYC has is an Endeavor 38 which I think will meet your
price guidelines if you fill her up (2 saterooms & settee), but I don't
have the price list.

The Moorings rents smaller boats and you may have better luck with getting
cheap boats.  They have a Beneteau 32.5 which should be cheap and if you
want to go to Guadeloupe, they have a Beneteau 34 Catamaran which might
not be too expensive.  Of course, to meet your price guidelines, you should
fill all these boats up.  They may be able to help you with this.

Phone # info:
CYC
P.O. Box 583
Marblehead, MA 01945
(800) 225-2520

The Moorings
1305 U.S. 19 South, Suite 402
Clearwater, FL 34624
(800) 535-7289

Hope this helps.
F.

    I believe The Bimini is also offering multi hulls.  They advertise in
    all of the sailing rags.  They also offer a one price, all inclusive
    package with air fare.  We went with them quite awhile ago and they
    were okay.  I have heard not so good things lately on the financial
    front from a charter broker.  We were satisfied for the price but would
    be hesitant going back with them.  Worth the conversation though.
    
    Brian

Re.  My reply a few notes back.

Turns out that the Beneteau 32.5 would meet your price guidelines even
if you went with just two people.  It's about $1300 for a week in Guadeloupe.

F.

    You really can't put more than 2 couples in a 32.5 for a week!
    
    It is really probably best for 1 couple, for 2 I'd recommend the 38 ft.
    
    Frank
    

	My note said 2 people == 1 couple :-)

	I agree, more than 2 couples (4 people) would be tight, but
	he can go with 1 couple (2 people) and still meet his price
	requirements.

F.

    My wife and I chartered a Ben. 32.5 on our honeymoon last march in the
    BVI's from Sunsail Stevens Yachts. You DEFINATELY will be tight with 4
    people on board. Two was fine with gear, but not lots of room for a
    great deal more. 
    
    I'd definately use Stevens again. They were great and the boats were in
    perfect condition. They advertise in crusing world. Don't have the
    number on me, but it's an 800 number that will get you info on all
    areas they have charters into.
    
    Have fun!
    Robert

    I ended up with a Misty Isle (Virgin Gorda) C&C 38. The islands
    are fantastic! There were only two of us, so the C&C was a good
    size.
    
    I would never charter with Misty Isle again, though. There were
    just too many problems with the boat and dinghy to mention. 
                                                             
    Tally-ho,
    
    Ray
                                                             

    Hello,
    
    I have got the same 'problem'. We would like to go  March or April 92
    to Virgin Islands, just my husband and me, and are also looking for
    a 30 to 33 ft sailing yacht. I know the prices from Moorings and
    Sunsail but they are much to high if you have to pay in german marks.
    $ 700 per person would be the upperlimit for us too.
    
    Thank You for any hints?
    
    Bianca
    

    
    	Couple of things the most of the V.I. charter companies drop their
    rates near the end of April.  The exact date varies a little from
    company to company but the rates drop a noticable amount.  In some
    cases the companies do not lower the overall cost but tack on extra
    days.  Cheap/affordable rates are available but once you stray away
    from the major charter companies your risk of having problems goes up
    dramatically.  
    
    	The best thing is to try and find a charter broker if you were in
    the U.S. I would recommend one.  Actually, he is one thta several
    people in the notes file have used and recommend.  I have a recent
    price listing at the sailing club, I will try and bring it home and
    update this.  The problem is I am leaving on a business trip and may
    not get by the club for a coulpe of weeks.
    
    
    Forrest

Bianca,

Forrest is most likely referring to Ed Hamilton, of Maine, USA.  If he 
couldn't handle your business directly, I'm sure he could recommend
someone in Germany qualified to work with him. 

I don't have his number, but since the town he's in is rather small, you 
can probably reach him by addressing a letter to:

				Ed Hamilton, Charter Broker
				North Whitefield, ME  USA

I'll try to post the full address with postal code later.

John.

    ED HAMILTON
    
    (207) 549-7855
    1-800 698-2011

    
    	Just checked a flyer from Ed Hamilton, and it implies that he does
    handle other countries besides the U.S.  It also had prices for boats
    and most of them from the larger companies in the 32-38 ft range are
    between 1200-1800 per week in late April.  I saw some really low prices
    but you have to wonder about service, boat condition, and what is
    included.  Some compaines charge extra for a dinghy, and even more for
    one with a motor what is included varies greatly.
    
    
    Forrest
    Ps.		Give Ed a try I have dealt with him a couple times and will
    		do so again.

    The prices in the guide Ed sends out are pretty accurate but they do
    not necessarily take into account specials that may be running.  A good
    place to start budgeting from though.  I suggest finding a boat
    size or type and maybe even a company and take it from there.  Ed will
    certainly be able to find out if there are any unadvertised or last
    minute specials running.  Many companies also give special rate on
    boats that may not be popular to rent.  Bookings for that time of year 
    are not hard to get and I suspect the charter trade is feeling the same 
    pains the rest of the ecomony is.  
    
    Brian

To add just a bit to .11:

      full address is:  Ed Hamilton & Co
			Yacht Charter Agents
			Box 430 
			North Whitefield, ME 04353
			
			US only: 800- (see .11; I didn't copy it down!)
			outside US: 207-549-7855
			FAX: 207-549-7822
J.

    Hello,
    thanks for all hints, we found a first 32.5 for a reasonable price,
    about 3000 $ for two weeks. We have not contact Ed, because we did
    not reach him by phone, and a letter would take to long because
    the prices we get here are just fixed until 31th December. 
    We will start our turn from April, 27th until May, 9th from Tortola.
    If someone have the price list from Ed and know that 3000 $ is to
    much for 2 weeks, please give a quick notice, because we fix our
    appointment between christmas and new year.
    Once again, thank you for your replies. If someone can tell us 
    how the weather will be , exspecially the wind ?
    
    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
    Bianca 

    
    	I had a copy of Eds list and that appears to be a fair price.  It
    all depends upon what is included for the price.  I also depened who
    the company you are chartering from.  Take a sense of humor, and be
    prepared for some small problems.
    
    
    Forrest

    If you are chartering from the Moorings, this may be about right.  If
    you are chartering with anyone else it seems high.  We chartered a CYC
    44 for just over $2600.00 U.S. for two weeks granted this was a couple
    of years ago but from what I have observed, the prices have not gone up
    much.  If your price includes all of your food and beverages,
    windsurfer, dinghy w/outboard, wind scoops, airfare etc... then maybe 
    this is okay.  The price seems high for a 32' boat though.  I also 
    believe that the time frame you are looking at is considered low season 
    by some charter companies, if it isn't it cannot be more than a week or 
    so farther into May.  There can be substantial discounts for and
    incentive given for chartering in "low" season.  To underscore Forrest's 
    comment, not only a sense of humor but also a sense of adventure should 
    be standard equipment for the crew.  
    
    Seeing as it is about 10 deg. F. outside at the moment, this may be an
    opportune time to nudge Ed for a new price list and brochure.  The
    winter may go by a little quicker with something pleasant to look forward 
    to in the Spring! 
    
    Brian 

    Hello y'all,
    you are right Brian it is with Moorings, but we would not have taken
    them if we had found something cheeper. A dinghy with outboard is 
    included, nothing else. If you can give me a concret suggestion for
    those two weeks, (if it is cheap it may be three weeks)(26th April...)
    please contact me today. 
    Greetings Bianca.

    Bianca,
    
    I do not know of any specific pricing, it just sounded high for a
    32' boat.  The Moorings is a very reputable company and they command
    top dollar for their services.  I spoke with Ed Hamilton yesterday as
    this note has gotten my interest in an island vacation renewed.  I will
    be receiving the info package in the mail soon but that will not help
    you today.  I suggest calling him directly and explaining your
    situation to him.  I was surprised when I spoke with him, he remembered 
    me by name, who we chartered with and even which boat we had!  One 
    possibility comes to mind and that is North/South charters.  They run all 
    inclusive specials also and they are a fairly reputable outfit.  One of 
    the more popular in the area at least.  Sorry I cannot be of more help
    but it may be worth the phone call to Ed Hamilton or another charter
    broker and double check.  
    
    Brian
    
    

I've decided to bearboat charter in the Virgin Islands in March 92 (can't wait) 
Before closing on a boat/outfit, I was wondering how soft the charter business
is right now (given the US recession - even George says so now) and how strong
my negotiating position might be. 

Anyone have any recent experience or informed opinions?  I'll post any 
successes.  

Bob

    You may be able to find someone that actually "owns" a charter boat
    with one of the fleets and negotiate directly through them.  Many
    ownership programs include the ability of the owner to book their own
    charters, or sell their priveleges privately.  If you do not know
    anyone off hand, I do not know how easy it would be to find an owner
    but it may be worth some effort.  I know of one person in particular
    who got out of their ownership that offered us a substantially reduced
    charter this way.  We were not ready to go at the time unfortunately.  
    
    I also received in the mail over the weekend an updated package of
    information from Ed Hamilton.  I have several brochures as well as the
    current price lists compiled by them.  For Bianca in particular, mid
    April prices for 32-35 boats on a weekly basis are as follows.  I only
    excerpted those boats with weekly rates less than $1500.00 U.S for the
    time period of mid April to mid July.    
    
    From BVI (Mostly Tortola)
    
    Caribbean Sailing Club (ex Bimini)
    	- CS Merlin 36'		1604 - inc. air fare, provisions etc. may be 
    				       insolvent or in process of a mangement 
    				       change.
    Conch Charters
    	- Beneteau 375		1249
    
    GO Vacations
    	- Irwin 32'		 910	+250.00 + 40.00 per person 
    	- CS Merlin 36		 836	    "       "    "    "
    
    Moorings
    	- Beneteau 32.5		1512			
    
    North/South
    	- C+C 34+		1365 
    
    Sunsail
    	- Beneteau 32		1295
    	- Oceanis  32		1295
    
    Tortola Marine Management
    	- Endeavor 33		1470
    	- Moody 34		1330
    
    Tropic Island
    	- Nonsuch 33		1500
    
    From St. Thomas
    
    Avery
    	- Pearson 323		1100
    	- Pearson 32 		 900
    	- Pearson 33		1300
    
    Caribbean Adventures	
    	- Freedom 33		1200
    	- Oceanis 350		1200
    	- Beneteau 375		1350
    
    Caribbean Sailing
    	- O'Day 35		1495
    
    
    Brian

    RE .17
    
    >>                                          To underscore Forrest's 
    >> comment, not only a sense of humor but also a sense of adventure
    >> should be standard equipment for the crew.  
    
    I'll be leaving in about three weeks for seven days of sailing.  We're
    renting a Beneteau 51 from Ocean Incentives, out of Red Hook.  Among the
    literature they've sent us was this thing called the "Ten Commandments
    for Travellers" ... I'll post it here as it seems appropriate.
    
    1.  Thou shalt not expect to find things as thou has them at home ...
        for thou has left thy home to find things different.
    
    2.  Thou shalt not take anything too seriously ... for a carefree mind
        is the beginning of a fine vacation!
    
    3.  Thou shalt not let the other tourists get on thy nerves ... for
        thou are paying out good money to enjoy thyself!
    
    4.  Remember to take only one-half the clothes you think you need ...
        and twice the amount of money!
    
    5.  Remember thy passport so thou knowest where it is at all times ...
        for a person without a passport is a person without a country.
    
    6.  Remember if we are expected to stay in one place, we would have
        been created with roots.
    
    7.  Thou shalt not worry.  He that worrieth hath no pleasure ... few
        things are ever fatal.
    
    8.  Thou shalt not make thyself too obviously North American ... when
        in Rome do somewhat as the Romans do.
    
    9.  Thou shalt not judge the people of a country by the one person with
        whom thou hast had trouble.
    
    10. Remember thou are a guest in every land ... and he ahat treatest
        his host with respect is treated as an honored guest.
    

    Good words to live by for any reason.  4. is very appropriate.  I
    always pack what I think I NEED and remove half and still have too many
    things.  I must have been a boy scout in another life or something. 
    Have a great time Bob.  If you get the chance, see if the skipper will
    take you out to Anegada.  Far less worrisome with someone else in
    control.  
    
    Brian

    On a slightly different tack....
    
    
        In the Jan. edition of American Sailor, there is an article on one
    design racing on vacation. Instead of trucking one's boat to a sunny 
    climate for a national event, the author said he went on vacation to
    a yacht club in the Virgin Islands. On the weekends they gave him small
    boats (sunfish, dingies etc) to race, and during the week, the various 
    members took him out on different boats for races, practice etc. 
    
       The author was pretty high on this type of vacation. Anyone else 
    ever try such a thing??? 
    
    
        john
    

    	The Bitter End Yacht club (resort) offers a whole month of special
    racing clinics.  This past year it was the month of November, one week
    guests had the opportunity to crew on Freedom 30's for some of the
    sailing rock stars.  Other weeks they had the laser masters regatta,
    an intensive windsurfing week and so on.  Looks like an interesting way
    to spend a week but is not cheap.....  If I was looking to improve my
    racing I would probably opt for a week at J-Worlds Key West or San
    Diego in the winter, or Newport in the spring summer.

    	The rest of the time they have a fleet of lasers, sunfish,
    windsurfers, Boston Whalers that you can check out.  Every Sunday they
    have a race using Lasers in the morning, and Rhodes 19s in the
    afternoon.  I treated my family to a week at the end of October it was
    one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations I have ever taken. 
    Unless, I was going on one of the racing weeks I would forget it as a
    place to improve my racing or sailing.  I did sail 4 - 6 hours every
    day but without any coaching, or a better sailor to work against it was
    more pleasure oriented.


    Forrest
    Ps.		I wish somebody offered a two week or so racing clinic like
    		the Top-Gun school they used to have for Youth.  I need
    		more racing time against better sailors....

    Gee, I dunno about anyone else, but the LAST thing I want to do on my
    Virgin Islands vacation is race ... I'm rather looking forward to being
    able to relax for a change.  This trip, I'd prefer to set the sails once
    per day, and then just go wherever the wind pushes us.
    
    ... Bob
    

    RE LAST
    
    Bob -  I like that notion - " St. Somewhere" - especially in connection
    with a need to get there.  Could be a title for Jimmy Buffet.
    
    have a good trip.
    
    r

    As a matter of fact Ron, it's a line out of a Jimmy Buffet song ...
    appropriately titled "Boat Drinks" ... ;^)
    
    ... Bob
    

    Hello Brian,
    thank you very much for the price-list. We have phoned Ed now, and we
    are lucky that have done it, because he told us that the company 
    'GO-vacation' where we nearly chartered is going down the tubes and
    we should not send any money to them. So may be this has saved us a
    lot of money and trouble. I asked Ed to send us a proposal and he
    will fax it to us and send the rest by mail. Therefor I would like
    to ask you to do me a favor. Could you please fax or phone my adress
    to Ed, I spelled it on the phone, but I dont know if he got it right.
    I can't fax it from here, because we can't fax to foreign countries.
    I would have send you a mail, but I could not find your node.
    
    my adress:  Bianca Geiselhart
    		Wunnensteinstr. 4/3
    		7144 Asperg
    		Germany
    
    Fax no from Digital Stuttgart:  711-7705-326 
    
    That would be a great help for me. Thank you very much, I will be
    forever in your debt.
    
    Bianca 
    
    

Dean Fachon and I recently returned from a trip to the Virgin Islands.  A
group of eight of us rented a Beneteau 51 for a week ... from January 16th
to January 23rd.  We basically did a large loop, starting from Red Hook,
St. Thomas, then to Jost Van Dyke, Beef Island, Mosquito Island, Cooper's
Island, Norman Island, St. John, and back to St. Thomas.

To sum it up ... it was a vacation like you read about in the travel 
magazines.  The weather was perfect ... sunny and in the eighties every day.
The sailing was great ... steady northeast breezes every day.  The boat was
in good shape ... and the size and layout of the boat was just about perfect
for our party.  The food they stocked aboard was good ... and there was
plenty of it.  The scenery was spectacular ... especially underwater.  Truly
this trip was as close to heaven as I've ever been.

About the only snag was on the trip down ... and that one was fairly minor.
We took a flight from Boston to San Juan, where we were to get a connecting
flight to St. Thomas.  But our connecting flight was cancelled because (of
all things) of a snowstorm in Hartford CT !!  So we had to make alternate
plans which involved our party getting to St. Thomas on two separate flights,
and our luggage coming on two other separate flights.  But we all managed to
collect at the boat in Red Hook (across the island from the airport) by
dinnertime.  We spent our first night there, instead of at Christmas Cove
like we had planned.  No complaints, really, except for the mosquitos ... they
were really thick around dusk and dawn.

Friday morning we got organized and eventually got out of the harbor by around
10 AM.  We headed for Jost Van Dyke, which was our first stop in the B.V.I.s.
It was a lovely 3-1/2 hour sail dead upwind.  

There are two harbors on Jost Van Dyke, separated by a point of land. We 
stayed in Great(?) Harbor, which is the more sheltered of the two.  It also
turned out to be the noisier ... if you want a quiet night, you're better off
anchoring on the other side of the point in White(?) Harbor.  Of course, we
were there on a Friday night, so it may be more tranquil if you stay there
on a week-night.

Anyway, this place is beautiful!  The harbor's nestled between a couple of
pretty large peaks.  There's a picture-perfect white sand beach lined with
palm trees.  The water's so clean that even though we were in over 30' we
could see our anchor lying on the bottom.  A small, two-room building serves
as a combination police station/post office/customs.  You need to go in and
register if you're coming over from the American side.  It costs $4 per day
per person, plus $10 for the boat.  There's also a bar and a nightclub on the
beach.

After registering at customs, some of us took a hike over a small ridge to
the White Harbor beach.  This side is where the good snorkeling is ... just
off the point there's an excellent coral reef with abundant marine life.  I
brought an underwater camera with me, and this was where I started learning
how to use it.  After getting our fill of snorkeling (or just laying on the
beach), we visited a lovely open-air bar called "The Soggy Dollar" that makes
the best Pain-Killers I had the entire trip.  It was a perfect island scene
... the bar on the beach with a few lounge chairs, and hammocks strung up
under the palm and mangrove trees ... truly an ideal way to introduce oneself
to Paradise.

We found out later that when the band plays at the nightclub, it sounds like
they're on the foredeck of your boat.  Fortunately that night they had an
excellent reggae band, and they quit playing around 11:30.  So we just
enjoyed the entertainment a little later than planned.  After that, the
only sounds to be heard were the bleating of goats, an occasional owl, and a
confused rooster who kept crowing at the oddest hours ... ;^)

Saturday morning we hauled anchor around 8 AM and headed for Virgin Gorda.
Even though we ended up changing our itinerary, it was still our longest day
of sailing.  As we left the shelter of Jost Van Dyke, and passed Sandy Cay
we entered open water, and the swells eventually took their toll on some of
the crew.  So we decided to hook back inside the shelter of the islands, and
eventually made our way to Beef Island, off the northeast tip of Tortola.  We
arrived around 3:30 and the harbor was starting to fill up.

This harbor is very protected ... and pretty.  Although we didn't try it, I've
since been told that the restaurant on the tip of the breakwater is a terrific
place to dine.  The swimming/snorkeling was not up to par with the rest of
the places we stopped ... the water was a little murkier than normal, and
something in the water gave us rashes ... jellyfish perhaps, although I didn't
see any.  But that night was one of the quietest of the trip ... the water
remained very calm even though the wind blew very hard all night.

Also, there's a small market on this island that's a good place to stock up
on rum and fruit juices ... the best variety and prices we saw for the rest
of our trip, in fact.

Sunday morning we left early and made for Mosquito Island, off the northern
end of Virgin Gorda.  It was a short trip, and so we didn't even bother
hoisting the sails.  As you approach the harbor you can see a huge reef
sticking waaaay out from the island.  You have to be careful getting in there.
Although the chart showed two navigational markers, we only saw one ... and
we ended up giving it a wide berth as the water got down to about 10 feet
in spots.  The harbor we stayed in is called Drake's Anchorage.  This was
without question the nicest anchorage of the entire trip ... a very well
protected harbor, good snorkeling, excellent swimming, nice beaches, and a
lovely hiking trail to an overlook where I took some of my most spectacular
photos of the trip.

After setting our anchors, most of us took the dingy around the southern end
of the island where there's a narrow strip of water between Mosquito Island
and Virgin Gorda.  There's a lovely beach there ... technically I think it's
for the folks who pay to stay at the resort there.  But we used it all 
afternoon, and nobody told us to leave or anything.  There's excellent
snorkeling in the water between the islands, but the current through there
made it a bit worrisome sometimes ... especially when I was trying to focus
on something to take a picture.  After a couple of hours in the water I was
ready to take a hike, and so armed with cameras and a bottle of water I
headed up to the overlook.

Considering what it looks like from below, the trail to the overlook was
surprisingly easy.  It's about a 20-minute walk from the boat dock to the
rocks on the overlook ... about 250 feet above sea level.  It's a scenic
walk ... there are several species of palms, cactus, and aloes.  You'll also
see a lot of birds and lizards up there.  And once you're up there, you are
treated to a postcard view of the harbor, with Bitter End several miles out
at the end of the bay.  The hike down the southern side of the trail takes
about another 30 minutes ... and it's a very pleasant walk through what I
can only describe as "jungle".  It dumps out on the beach where we were
snorkeling earlier in the day.  Then it's about a 10-minute walk back around
to the dock.  A well-spent hour, with some spectacular and (on this trip, at
least) unique views of the surrounding islands, and the local flora and fauna.

There's a nice restaurant and bar on this island too.  But the restaurant's
pretty expensive and you have to make reservations by 1:30 and select your
menu by 3:30.  And if you like strong drinks, you'll love the way they make
them at this bar.

We ate on the boat that night, and after dinner we discovered we had a 
"guest" hanging out underneath our boat.  At first we thought it was a small
shark, but as we got a better look we decided it wasn't.  It looked kinda like
a shark's body, but the head was different and it a dark patch, like a skull
cap, on it's head.  Still don't know what kind of fish it was, but it had a
definite appetite for roast beef ... ;^)

Monday morning we left around 8 AM to start our slow swing down through Sir
Francis Drake Channel.  Our first stop was Yacht Harbor, about halfway down
the coast of Virgin Gorda, to replenish fuel, water, and supplies.  Then we
stopped for the afternoon at The Baths, on the southern tip of Virgin Gorda.

The Baths consist of a lovely beach, complete with bar and open-air T-shirt
vendors, and some of the most unique rock formations I saw all week (these
are NOT volcanic rocks, even though the rest of the islands look volcanic).
There are partly submerged caverns to explore on shore, and some of the best
snorkeling we did all week.  There are some incredible rock formations to
explore underwater, and with the waves pounding in it turned out to be about
the most challenging snorkeling adventure of the week!

We met back on the boat around 3 PM, hoisted sail and had a marvelous broad
reach about five miles, to Cooper's Island.  If you're into souvenir T-shirts,
as I am, then the boutique on this island is the place to visit.  I saw some
of the best designs of the whole trip here.  There's also a lovely restaurant
and bar on the other end of the beach that are excellent.  We ate dinner on
shore that night, and from in front of the bar I took my best photo of the
trip ... a postcard sunset shot looking out across the harbor, with palm trees
framing the sunset on both sides ... ;^) ... Paradise Found !!

The anchorage at Cooper's Island is a bit exposed, however, and the bottom's
grassy.  So it's definitely advisable to set two anchors in this harbor.  The
wind picked up that night, and the boat was rocking and rolling all night.

Tuesday morning we set sail for Norman Island, on the southwest end of the
Sir Francis Drake Channel.  This is the last island before you get back into
the U.S.V.I.  At the southern end of the island is a point of land with a
sheltered anchorage ... known as The Bight.  There's caves in the rocks along
the point, where I'm told pirates used to stash their loot.  Several moorings
available here that will let you take your boat right up close to the 
shoreline.  And the swimming and snorkeling in this place are spectacular!
We would jump overboard with bread in our hands, and within seconds be
surrounded by fish so thick you couldn't even see through them all.  Of
course, you're supposed to let go of the bread ... or as Dean found out,the
fish will take it right out of your hand ... with a little finger garnish
on the side.

Exploring the caves was eerie, to say the least, and I didn't spend too much
time in the dark parts ... I like to see what I'm swimming in.  However, I
saw something moving along the bottom right near the mouth of one cave and
dove down and took a picture.  It wasn't till I got the picture back that
I realized it was a school of squid.  I got several spectacular photos of
the abundant marine life among these reefs, it was really quite spectacular.
It's like swimming around in this giant tropical aquarium.

After getting our fill of snorkeling, we motored around the point and into
the harbor.  This harbor is also very sheltered, and the sunset view looking
out the mouth of the harbor at Tortola is worth a picture or two.  There
really isn't much in there ... a floating restaurant in the center of the
harbor is about it.  At night about the only sounds were from the goats on
shore, and the occasional splashing of fish.  This was a very peaceful place
to spend the night.

Wednesday morning we left early and motored out to the rocks off of Pelican
Island ... about a mile from the harbor where we'd spent the night.  Here
again was incredible underwater scenery, as the unusual rock formations 
offered an abundance of variety in the types of coral that grew at different
depths ... there was also an underwater tunnel that provided us with some
entertainment ... it's an eerie feeling swimming through there, with fish and
who knows what else all around you.  After a couple of hours playing in the
water we hoisted anchor and headed down the southern side of St. John ... back
in U.S. waters again.

We reached Cruz Bay, St. John around 2 PM.  The harbor was so crowded we could
not find a place to drop anchor.  So we went ashore in two groups, taking turns
motoring around the anchorage area while the other group went to register
with Customs.  Once this was done, we headed around the point to Caneel Bay,
where we planned to spend our final night in Paradise.  The beach there is
quite nice, but it was more civilization than I had seen in a week and I would
have preferred to have found a more remote place to spend the evening.

It turned out to be something of a rough night, as the harbor isn't all that
well sheltered from the wind.  To make matters worse, the ferry from Cruz Bay
(and probably other places too) came through there at full speed ... I don't
think they understand the concept of No Wake zones down there ... sometimes
the ferry would even veer out of the channel and come blasting right through
the anchorage area!  We didn't get a lot of sleep that night, and my general
impression of St. John was pretty underwhelming compared to the other places
we had visited.  If I had it to do all over again (and I plan to), this is
the only thing about the trip I would choose to do differently.

Thursday morning it was back to Red Hook.  We arrived mid-morning, and had
the boat checked out before noon.  Of course, having to finish off the last
of the rum punch while packing made for a very interesting ride back over
the mountains to the airport ... I think Edred (our taxi driver) was rather
amused by it all (though I don't doubt he's seen it all before).  As we
cleared the mountain ridge he pulled over to the roadside and let us use
the last of our film taking photos of Great Harbor from about 1,000 feet
above it.  Then it was off to the airport, drop off our luggage, and spend
our final three hours in Paradise shopping down in Charlotte Amalie.

Well, I guess about all that's left to say is "I can't wait to go back!"
This trip was about as perfect a vacation as a person could possibly ask
for.  In case anyone's interested, I picked up some literature from Ocean
Incentives, the folks we chartered the boat from.  Can't say how their
prices compare to others ... I didn't plan this trip.  But the boat was
in pretty good shape, everything worked as advertised, and they definitely
didn't skimp on the provisions.  So I'd recommend them, based on this one
experience.

Now I know why everybody told me that I should go on this trip ... but now
that I know what I'm missing, it's probably going to become a high priority
to get down there as often as possible ... ;^) ... still a lot of islands
to explore between the Virgins and South America, after all ... ;^) ;^)

... Bob

    re:  .30
    
    Yeah, but did you have a good time??
    
    R.

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Note 1624.32                   Virgin Is charter?                       32 of 32
SUOSWS::GEISELHART                                   37 lines  22-MAY-1992 07:16
                            -< Back from Paradise >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Sigh, just back from paradise.
    We, (my husband and me) are just back from a three weeks cruise in BVI.
    We had a Hunter 35.5 from Tortola Marine Management, with which we
    were very pleased. The boat was new and very comfortable for this
    region. 
    
    I don't want to repeat all the places we went, which are mentioned in
    the last replies, so just some new infos on prices etc... (not sorted).
    
    * Mooring are now 15 $ mostly from MOORSEACURE ( they want you to 
      leave the Mooring if there are more than 40 knots wind. The same
      we had in Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour.
    
    * There is no more free bottle of Pussers Rum, when dining. The new
      Pussers location in Leverick Bay, Gorda Sound has a very nice
      restaurant.
    
    * If you take a ferry boat to St Thomas (from Tortola), we took one
      from 'Native Son Co' , dont book a roundtrip. They sell roundtrips
      in the morning, but they mostly had no boat going back, so we had
      to pay it again.
    
    * If you book a flight from St Juan to Tortola and back be sure to
      reserve a seat when you confirm the flight. They overbook, and also
      we had confirmed the flight they had no seats left.
    
    * Best place I found was white bay (Jost van Dyke), the beach is best 
      with palmtrees and very lonesome. We left our boat in Great Harbour,
      because White Bay is no good place to stay if there is no stable
      wheather conditions. We walked from there to White Bay, but I
      would recommend to take the dinghy. In the evening back in Great
      Harbour try to listen to Foxi if you dont know his jokes already.
      
    We will go back next year
        it was marvellous.
    
    Bianca  (SUOSW4::GEISELHART)

Hi... I am planning a trip with my family to B.V.I some where between January 96
to May 96.  I'm looking to rent a boat from Mooring's (only because I have 
experience with them... if anyone has another suggestion it would help) and
am trying to figure out when would be the best time to go.  If I remember
correctly January thru to the end of February the wind can blow down there
and the weather is not always sunny.  Therefore a March or April time frame
would be the best.  My wife is not crazy about boats and if they tip to much 
(more than 10 degrees) she get's nervious ... so wind speed is a "big" concern
of mine.

My limited experience with Notes file has not helped me to find anything in this
file with this key word (B.V.I.)... so any help in that area would be helpful 
also.

Thanks,

Cheers,

Tom

    Check out note 397.* "October Chartering in the BVIs". It is keyworded
    under CHARTERING, CRUISING

    Re note .33: If your wife gets nervous if the boat heels too much, then
    try to charter a catamaran. Moorings have a few, and they hardly heel
    at all!

Hi One and All... does anyone have any information/ experience with any of the 
following Chartering companies out of BVI???


TMM (Tortola Marine Management) ... recommended in one note

Virgin Islnad Saling Ltd.

North/South

Foot Loose

Sun Yacht Charters

Trad Wind Yachts

I have experience with Moorings and have looked at SunSail but would like to 
price shop a little before I pick one...

Thanks,

Cheers,

Tom

    Tom
    
      Back in nov or dec, Sailing magazine started rating all chartering
    companies. This was off a databank of subscribers along with 
    spot checks of their own. Real detailed.
    
      They said they would be doing this every couple of months. Someone
    may have copies of the issue I am talking about (sorry I gave mine
    away).
    
      Or you may wish to call them in Wisconsin for a reprint.
    
    
       Regards
    
        john

I know it is just idle interest on my part, but I would like to see such a
rating.  I chartered with the Moorings about 10 years ago.  There were both
good and bad things associated with the trip (big surprise).  I just wonder how
they would stack up against others.

It is idle couriosity, since I really have no intention of chartering in the
forseeable future.

Do operations change much from one location to another?  I used Moorings at
Tortola.  How does that compare say to Tonga, or the Antilles etc?

Doug Claflin
dtn 592 4787

    We are using TMM this time around but it has been through Ed Hamilton. 
    So far no hassles.  They came highly recommended by Ed & Co.  I was
    told to stay away from Foot Loose specifically due to alleged financial 
    troubles.  The tip was to find a fleet that had boats less than 3 years 
    old if possible and no more than 5.  The likelihood of serious problems
    supposedly goes up exponentially with length of charter duty.  The
    ability to service yachts and solve problems goes down with size of
    fleet and therefore size of staff.  
    
    Brian

    
    I used Sun Yacht last year in Tortola.  They were great - everything
    was handled professionally and smoothly.  The boat (Morgan 38) was
    well equipped...my only complaints were on the boat handling itself - 
    nothing that the charter company can influence.
    
    Sun Yacht does ariport transportation.  If you want to stay on the
    boat the evening before your charter starts, you need to arrange that
    in advance with Sun Yacht.  They charge extra, but it is less than the
    hotel.  The advance stay also helps you get stowed and familiar with
    theboat earlier, and makes your departure briefing easy.  Briefings
    were very comprehensive.  Support if needed during the charter is
    easily accessible (we had a few problems that they helped us through
    via radio).  
    
    I'd use them again....but with different equipment.
    
    -MK

    My first time was Go Vacations --- who went.
    My second was Conch Charters -- I'd never go with them again.
    My third was North South and I would consider using them again but only
    because of the price.  Thier fleet was a little old and the C&C 37 that
    I had was pretty clapped out.  Nevertheless I enjoyed the trip.  On the
    other hand, one of the other boats in our party had a lot of trouble
    and lost a lot of sailing time - it was a hassle.
    
    Our last night was at West End and we went to look at Sunsail's boats,
    they were immaculate and everyone on our trip all said the next time it
    will be Sunsail !

Thanks one an all... 

So far I have prices from Mooring's and SunSail... I chartered from Moorings 
have seen been to the SunSail Marina... I called TMM for some information.  I
Think I'm going to limit the information to only those that have real solid 
reputation.

It's still a year and some month off but I can feel the sun on my face already..
or is it the window I'm standing next to,,,

    Not on your list of candidates, but a company from whom I chartered a
    30' Nonesuch is, Tropic Island Yacht Charter, Maya Cove, Tortola, BVI.
    They also charter real sailboats.
    
    The boat was in top notch shape.  Provisioning was absolutely superb. 
    We went with custom provisioning, and everything they got for us was
    reasonably priced (by BVI standards) and of excellent quality.  They
    did not provision one of the produce items we had requested because
    they couldn't get one of acceptable quality.  I think it was something
    fairly perishable like cauliflower.
    
    Rolf and the rest of the crew were very professional and complete in
    the presail checkout and everything else.  The boat was neat, clean and
    very well looked-after.
    
    Nothing broke or mal-functioned, so we have no advise about who
    promptly they'd respond to problems.  
    
    At the start of the charter we left a cash deposit of I think, $500 for 
    contingency against damage, and Rolf passed me back the $500 within an hour
    of our return to his dock.
    
    We booked through Ed Hamilton, who also did a good job for us, helping
    to work our way through the many charter agencies who ply their trade
    in the area.  
    
    Our charter was May, 1993.
    
    djc

I was windsurfing on Tortola last spring and decided to spend a few days
sailing at the last minute while I was there.  Because I was already on
island and had a car, I wandered around to many of the charter companies in
person.

I can't emphasize enough the *enormous* range of quality among the various
charter companies.  The companies range from Moorings who have an enormous
operation with their own hotel, a dozen copies of each boat in the fleet, 
and more chase boats than most people have charter boats, to that guy that
down the road who rents out his boat and those in the 3 neighboring slips.

I stumbled upon a charter agent who was very helpful and who I would 
recommend, but it's probably easier to work with someone like Ed Hamilton
if you are not already on Tortola.  She didn't recommend NorthSouth,
basically echoing some of the earlier comments about boat age, reliability,
etc.  As far as I know, the only real drawback to Moorings is the price.

I have literature at home from most of the companies as well as the business
card of the charter agent.  I'll try to remember to look it up and enter
some more impressions.

Tom