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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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BVI Charter Recommendations

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TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/12/2012 : 06:09:08

I will be chartering in the BVI sometime in 2013. I'm considering going as early as January. I was shopping some deals at the Annapolis Boat Show last weekend.

I talked to Conch Charters for awhile, but more recently I have heard some bad things about malfunctioning refrigeration causing food to go bad, dirty bed linens, smelly pillows, malfunctioning heads, dead radios, etc. This kind of stuff, especially smells, will really cause my wife to go nuts. There's some really negative stuff on Sailnet. Conch does have older boats, which doesn't bother me if I can save some money, but I guess I should not assume that a charter will maintain a boat like I would.

I know Moorings has the newest boats, Sunsail (different division of same company) typically a couple years older on average. Their prices are considerably higher than Conch and the other independents, but I just saw that Sunsail is running a deal of 15-25% off in January and February, which really puts their prices in the same ballpark as Conch.

I really value the advice and experience of you guys up here, so if you have any suggestions of who is good and what things to look out for, I would appreciate it.

Rick S., Swarthmore, PA
PO of Take Five, 1998 Catalina 250WK #348 (relocated to Baltimore's Inner Harbor)
New owner of 2001 Catalina 34MkII #1535 Breakin' Away (at Rock Hall Landing Marina)

Edited by - TakeFive on 10/12/2012 06:25:53

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2012 : 06:18:23

They all offer discounts. I *think* Sunsail was offering 10% to members of this association a couple years ago. I have never chartered though - just heard things on the docks.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2012 : 16:45:19

Quality is king when it comes to bareboating. Splurge on the boat. If they will provision the basics for you for a nominal added charge, do that. Save money by staying in the cockpit and galley more than in the bars. Invite fellow cruisers over for sundowners, you'll have a better time anyway. The scruffy fellow with lots of jerry cans and sailing on a budget will swap stories for food and bevs, and you'll get the better of the deal.

Here's how to meet everyone. Cruise around in the Dink with shots or some sangria. You'll probably get invited aboard.

Have fun!

Sten

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2012 : 18:09:40

We have booked our Charter of an Island Packet 370 in May 2013. So far the staff have been really helpful in the planning of the trip. Flying out to St Thomas on Spirit Airlines, but that was all booked online.

Not trying to save money, but not throwing it away. Just not going to let the price dictate the enjoyment levels.

Paul

Edited by - on

hewebb
Admiral

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USA
761 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2012 : 04:02:46

We have several friends that use the Moorings for their bare boat charters there. They have recommended them to us and are Moorings repeat customers.

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DanM
Captain

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USA
256 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2012 : 17:14:13

Longtime friends have invited us to join them on a BVI week chartered with Sail TMM. They have bareboated from them a few times. It looks good to me. I would appreciate any comments from our members.

BVI link: http://www.sailtmm.com/Tortola/bviprov.cfm?&Reset=1,

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Unsinkable2
Captain

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USA
273 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2012 : 20:58:58

I've chartered with Conch Charters on 3 different trips, and had nothing but great experiences with them. Here's a blog post of 2 of the trips (the blogpost for the third trip isn't finished yet...)

Trip 1: Sailed a 37 footer, just the Admiral and I
http://blog.unsinkable2.com/2010/04/british-virgin-islands-bareboat-charter.html

Trip 2: Sailed a 51' Beneteau again from Conch Charters, this time with another couple.
http://blog.unsinkable2.com/2011/01/british-virgin-islands-sailing-charter.html

Trip 3: Sailed a 44' catamaran again from Conch Charters. I haven't yet got the blog posts up from this trip. Took all 6 of my kids and had a fantastic time for a couple weeks of sailing.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2012 : 03:42:35

Great Blogs Mike, we're garnering as much info as we can in prep for our trip in May.

Thanks.

Paul

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MrKawfey
Navigator

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USA
124 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2012 : 10:41:40

We used Horizon in 2007 and went in October. We went at the very last week of the "hurricane" season. I put it in quotes because hurricanes are actually quite rare in the BVI. We found a web site that shows historical hurricane tracks on a map, and there were only 2 close storms over a 20 year period. The reson we went then was because they had a 10 day for theprice of 7 deal. Their prices were great and so was the service. We had a 2 year old 36foot Bavaria. There was a mix up with transportation at customs (we took the ferry from UsVI), because our flight was delayed so we were on a later ferry, but they put a free bottle of champagne on the boat for us.

We opted to spend the night on the boat at the marina and start the charter the next day. This only cost something like $50 more and then we didnt waste a paid charter day on traveling and and other administrative stuff. On day one we were sailing in the am. Also it gave us a few hours to check out the boat and ask any questions.

We used their provisioning service, but i wouldnt do that again. Nothing wrong with them, i just think we would have preferred to go to the store ourselves. We did it because we werent sure ifwe would have time or the ability to shop when we got there, but it turned out it would have been a piece of cake. With the provisions we ordered a couple of prepared meals and that was a mistake too. They just didnt look appetizing after a few days in the ice box. Also, we ate at restaurants and bars a lot more than we thought we would.

Overall, it was one of the best trips of our lives! I cant wait to be able to do it again.

Edited by - on

Merrick
Navigator

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USA
192 Posts

Response Posted - 10/15/2012 : 14:40:31

Satisfied with Sunsail, can't compare since was our first experience. Would not have the company load up food again. There is a store near the marina and at other locations you will stop at. Maybe do a basic starter package. Restaurants/bars at most moorings, so we ate out almost every night because it was more fun and had some great food and drinks. Many are open air and few were busy when we were there. You will have a great time.

Edited by - on

Gambit
Navigator

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USA
160 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2012 : 08:49:34

I would recommend TMM out of Roadtown, Tortola. We bareboated a Jeanneau 40.5 a couple years ago and it was very nice. The staff made sure the boat was in excellent condition and gave me a good review of all systems on the boat then held a skippers safety meeting before we took off. There is a local food market that puts out a menu and we ordered our provisions to be delivered the evening we arrived. They even made sure that one six pack of beer was delivered cold.

We saw a lot of Moorings boats out and about as well.

The boat was well set up and very easy to sail. All systems worked, unlike my boat :).

Good luck on you search and have a great time when you go.

Edited by - on

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2012 : 18:15:51

My sincere thanks to all of you who provided suggestions. I am grateful to those of you who make suggestions even though you have nothing to gain financially.

Following the advice of some people on Sailnet, I used Ed Hamilton to research the best values in January, and chartered a Sunsail 38 during one of their "double reef" weeks. The 30% discount brought the the price of this "premier" (0-3 year old) vessel to about the same as competitors' much older boats.

My decision was not based on any dissatisfaction with Conch Charters. It was just that for the time that we were considering, Sunsail has a much newer boat for about the same price.

Edited by - on

DanM
Captain

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USA
256 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2012 : 16:31:48

Thanks for your confirmation George. And thanks, also, to others who posted that full provisioning is not the best idea.

This is sounding like a great vacation. I'm thinking Gardner McKay as Adam Troy in the "Adventures in Paradise" TV series.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 10/19/2012 : 11:10:10

We went three years ago and chartered with Footloose. I am not sure how everything in Wickham's key operates now, but back then Sunsail, Moorings and Footloose (all owned by same parent company) shared a lot of the on shore amenities. We got a 47 foot catamaran and provisioned ourselves out of Bobby's Place Market in Nanny Cay. We ordered ahead and they delivered when we arrived. I believe we saved something in the neighborhood of 500-800 dollars (for 10 people for a week) by provisioning ourselves.

We will be going again this December and are chartering with Horizon. This time it is a brand new (delivered in September) 46' monohull. I thoroughly loved the Cat and really had to be convinced the keelboat was the way we should go....I'll report back on my Horizon experience in a few months.

As long as you realize you are on Island Time in the BVI's ...things don't seem to matter as much. Most of the companies are more than capable.

Edited by - on

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