Advice on Caribbean sailing

[GoodMorrow]

My wife and l are keen on a bareboat charter holiday in the Caribbean possibly in The Grenadines or the BVI in May this year. We have never chartered before or sailed anywhere outside UK/Irish/French waters.
Can anyone offer any advice (sailing conditions generally, do's and don'ts, where to go or not!) or recommend any charter companies or places to sail to.
We've looked at Sunsail, the Moorings and Tropical Breeze (they look the best at the moment).
Any help, advice or recommendations would be most appreciated!
Thank you

 

[tcm]

Just back (today!) from Sunsail BVI

I'm a part-time sailor, sailing charter boats in UK and caribean. When I say "caribeean" I mean that over the past three years we've sailed for six weeks in the BVI. I have just today (at 8am) got back from latest 2-week jaunt. So I have no exp of other places except antigua where really you have to clear off to other islands cos there's few usable places to stop around the coast of antigua itself.

Every time to BVI we've chosen Sunsail. Moorings is another large operator out there, but not as good in my opinion, as far as I can see. Sunsail is now by far the biggest, and controls an entire marina, Hodges Creek (also known as Maya Cove) almost entirely dedicated to sunsail charterers. We went during the busiest two weeks when around a hundred boats are out on charter, and they handled everthing very smoothly.

This year I was very pleasantly surprised at how things have improved even more. This isn't normal with asset-heavy businesses where there's a tendency to over-sweat the assets and things start new and gradually get older and older. Not so with sunsail - they've upped their game year on year, free ice, smart new paint adn so on.

The BVI is known as the easiest peasiest sailing in the caribbee - far easier than UK waters, no tide, protected area about the size of the greater solent. The area has lots of protected coves, all with loads of mooring buoys set up ($20 a night) or you can anchor for free. Actually, we were so out of synch (they are 4 hours ahead that we were always ashore if anyone came round at dusk (6ish), then went back to boat and slapt from 9pm, then up again and off at 6:30...so they don't seem to get round to chargiong anyone. You can sail from one place to another in an hour or two, or plan longer less efficient routes that criss-srooss around the place. Nice flat seas most of the time. You need no wet eather gear at all, and if going in May you should go in shorts and have no pullover or anoraks whatsoever.

We had a problem or two witt he boat, as di others, nothing massive, a dodgy outboard, and they turned uyp pronto on big speedboat with complete repalacement. Another time I had tentaively asked for a boat with an autopilot, the alloted boat a/p didn't work so we were quickly moved to another boat. With smaller charterer's you 've hirted a specific boat, and they have no "spares". Also noticeable is that sunsail (and Moorings) are selling late-ninties boats ex-charter- others are selling older boats - so they stay on charter for longer, and bear in mind these boats will do 1000 engine hours a year, so age matters.

The sdtandard deal is to fly air2000 to st thomas, and sunsail look after the whole thing as a package. You can go with flotilla for a few extra quid, and make some mates, but there's not much to get wrong - essentially flotilla guarantess some external social life in the evenings, bound to be at least one or two other boat families/crews with whom you'll get along. You'll also not "miss" anything and they should take you to the best bits.

There's enough to do BVI at some speed in a week, though with two weeks you can revisit, explore more slowly, follow the winds and so on.

Mayer cove itself is quite good spot, tho most boats never return until hometime - a nice pool, free mooring, free ice this year too. They lend you snorkel gear free of charge. I think Sopaish town is a dump, and like nannty cay it is too windless so gets too hot. The wind is almsot guaranteed (well, guaranteed actually, it's a Trade Wind) from East, mebbee NE mebbe SE, mebbe F3, if not F4, if not F5. No hanging about hoping against hope for some reasonable wind. There will be wind. Same applies to other islands, though they'll be less protected and less flat on atalntic sides and in open areas away from the coast, more ocean swells.

Boatwise the smaller boats tend to have seen more action, so worth paying a bit more for slightly more space, and avoiding the Hunter boats if at all poss - tyhey only have two winches! If shorthanded, and autopilot (simply to "hold a course" whilst trimming sails or having a drink) is rec'd.

There are midges, which bite numerously but not heavily. Don't rush to the most inshore flat water nearest the beach - take more seaward anchrage spots. I took sprays and lashed the stuff all over seldf and all aroujnd the hatches too. I also took mosquito nets, 20 quid in camping shops, nice and cool to sleep under instead of sheets. Oh, and all bedding, towels are provided by sunsail.

Ambitious types want to sail further, but it's 15 hours to next islands eastwards, and the USVI are much more populous, less paradise-island-like, and free to enter for all US citizens so there's more crime and crud and low-life, so they say, and fairly obvious as you pass from St Thomas (part of US Vigin Islands) to the ferry to the BVI.

Air2000 from Gatwick isn't a great airplane - not a jumbo, and not much legroom for transatlantic 8hours, but ok really. Upgrade to extra legroom economy or Premium economy if you can. Al drinks are chargeable, so we sneaked in our own premixed bacardi and coke in plastic coke bottle. Born skinflint I'm afraid, from Yorkshire, I can't help it.

Another flight option is to fly (say Virgin) to antigua, then LIAT hopper flight 200 miles up to the BVI and land just a mile from the sunsail base. Another is to take cheaper flight to one of the french islands like St maarten from Paris which I understand is cheaper, have a night in Paris, but you're getting into lots of connecting flights.

There is the option of a 2-centre holiday with sunsail, one week on a boat, then one week on a "club hotel" beach hotel in antigua. I'd stay on the boat, and chill for the whole 2 weeks, less packing and unpacking too.

Oh, the best thing I took was a 100-quid battery powered gps, just to make sure that you don't mistake one palm-fringed green island with another.

Final handy tip- there's a black guy in a dory who collects the mooring fee money in Frenchman's Cay /soper's hole who will confidently announce that he works for sunsail and look there no way you can anchor out in this and you should take a buoy. Fortunately, i was in a bad mood and toldim I was the skipper not him so no jumping aboard as he's the sailing police. So, tellim to sod off- he may have worked for sunsail in the past but he wants you on the buoy to collect the $20. No sunsail staff are based in Sopers hole any more

 

[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[tcm]

Tellus about the other islands then, fatipa?n

I am not dithering bout goibng back to carib, but I am dithering about whether to go to other islands and if so which ones?

Think we've done the BVI's to death, so assuming you couldn't go to BVI, (and assuming you're a bit foodie and like france) is guadaloupe and surrounding islands nearly as good -or will we say aw shit we should've gone back to the BVI!

Or instead do the islands north of Antigua like St Barts?

Also, I like the anchoring off instead of sweating in a marina, so is that as easy away from BVI?

 

[wishbone]

Re: Tellus about the other islands then, fatipa?n

Excellent advice by TCM! Just to add! We sailed the BVI’s a few years ago with Sunsail, paradise Islands, easy sailing in fact it was only the third time my wife had been on a boat so I was single handed for some of the time! we had a 34’ Jenneau nice new boat, we had good service from them, change the boat the 2nd day we arrived, as the first had no electric windlass, which we pre-ordered it was no problem. We went for flotilla for the nightlife and made some nice friends as far afield as Switzerland, we drove over for a visit and still keep in touch via e-mail. Just one point I would anchor rather than use a buoy, as the fortnights various charges including a stopover in Roadtown could mount up to $450.00 which is a lot of ice cold beer’s! One other thing I bought a BVI Imray chart to look over before the trip. We didn’t rate the food much, bought produce and had meals and barbie’s on the boat, My main problem I am Coeliac and trying to make the locals understand, well the didn’t want to understand my dietary needs. There is an excellent large supermarket in Roadtown and good prices.

Good Luck
Wishbone

 

[GoodMorrow]

Re: Just back (today!) from Sunsail BVI

Hi TCM
Thank you for taking the time to reply, we found your notes very useful. If you have the time just a few questions please.
Are the winds constant throughout the day?
In a marina is it finger pontoon or med type moorings?
And last but most important....what's the evening nightlife like ashore? Are there nice bars and resturants to go to or is it a case of make your own entertainment back on the boat?
Once again thank you for your reply.

 

[snowleopard]

here goes...

returned this year from an atlantic circuit during which we visited most of the windwards & leewards.
grenadines: fair bit of open water sailing, tobago cays fabulous esp for snorkelling, bequia v pleasant but bad for flies & boatboys
st lucia: fabulous scenery, high crime rate, bothersome boat boys.
martinique: great variety of scenery, good anchorages, great food.
dominica: our favourite but very poor (economically i mean), only a couple of anchorages
guadeloupe: best bit is isles des saintes, rest a little disappointing
antigua: loads of great anchorages and some good snorkelling. a bit barren and uninteresting inland
montserrat: a 'must', take a taxi tour and see the volcano.
st kitts & nevis: not many anchorages, not a lot to see on shore. good beaches on nevis
statia: off the beaten track, lovely quiet atmosphere, some good walks
st barths: anchor in anse des columbiers 2m north of gustavia- no roads, v few clothes, great snorkelling. french food in gustavia
st maarten: great place for spares & repairs plust a thriving liveaboard community. not much good as a tourist spot.
anguilla: a couple of nice anchorages, the most expensive bar in the islands.
barbuda: the ultimate in away-from-it-all, 11 miles of sandy beach and not another soul in sight!

 

[tcm]

Re: Just back (today!) from Sunsail BVI

"Are the winds constant throughout the day?"
Yes, they aren't "onshore breezes" that rise at miday for example, they're all day and all night.

In a marina is it finger pontoon or med type moorings?
I think it's mostly finger pontoon - but most overnighting places are in bays, where you pick up a mooring, dead easy and much cooler with air swooshing thru the boat.

Eveneing nightlife.

If this is important, book youself into the flotilla. And perhaps first time too and feeling not too confident - book into flotilla.

Yes, there are bars and restaurants. Lots of BVI visitors come from USA and want cheeseburgers with diet coke please, so most places will offer this, plus ribs, jerk chicken and so on. The food varies from okish to not too bad. There are enough bars and casual restaurants such that you could get away with having just one meal a day on board if you wanted, either breakfast or lunch, and eat ashore at other times. Therer's only slightly poncey place in the whole BVI that you'll come acropss and that's at the Peter island resort where they want jackets and ties and long pants. Everywhere elese it's shorts and t-shirts in the evenings and shoes optional.


Our best restaurant moment was when one iof the kids asked if a salad "with jack cheese" was referring to a type of cheese or did it actually mean "with no cheese at all"? However, I hardly made it past 10pm either thru more daytime drinking or simple jet lag.

 

[Anchorite]

Re: Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique

Can't let my favorite sailing area disappear in the middle of an island salesman's
catalogue. I've been going there on and off for a mere 30 years: in that time the
only nights I've spent in a marina were when we picked up or returned the boat.
And there are no 20$ bouys (no boo-ees at all).
The average sail - if you want to move on - is 22 miles. This is reckoned to be
the optimum length for a passage by most SWMBO's. From Point-à-Pitre to the
Saintes is 22 nm. From the Saintes across the boisterous Passage - real Atlantic
sailing - to Dominica and Rupert's Bluff is 22 nm. Down to Roseau, ditto and
then Martinique and St Pierre studded with the numerous wrecks of the ships
which caught fire and sank when the Mont Pelée erupted 100 years ago. And
bus from St Pierre to Fort-de-France (rolly anchorage) if you want to. Best of
all it was a beam reach down and it will be a beam reach back and you may
just be able to fetch Marie Galante (and it's famed rum) from Dominica.
The fishing is excellent - ciguatera (toxic fish) - starts north of Guadeloupe.
What I rate as the 'up' side may be seen otherwise by some: no marinas!!

 

[jimboaw]

Re: here goes..

Pretty much aggree with you Snow.We spent 15months "doing" the Carribean only ever going into marinas for fuel and water. Why did you miss Grenada which was our favourite island? Fantastic scenery!

 

[ericw]

Hi ! I would echo other postings re Sunsail - I've chartered with them on numerous occasions in the Caribbean and they've always come up with the goods.

Re location for a charter - if it's a first time I'd go for the BVIs - for me, they're the Carib. equivalent of the Ionians in the Med, except better, of course ! Haven't been back for abt 3 yrs now, so memory is slightly rusty, but a couple of nice places to o/n and eat were 1) Cooper Island Beach Club - get there about mid-afternoon and go snorkelling just up past the club for an hour or so - used to be great for non-divers. Food was good ashore. 2) On Norman Island in a large bay (can't remember name and don't have chart here !) was a beach bar called Billy Bones - great ribs/burgers and good beach bar atmosphere - if that's your cup o' tea !

Other places .... Foxy's on Jost van Dyke ( I think !) for o/n/eating and for lunch anchorage, Sandy Spit (think that's it anyway - a Treasure Is. type place - go ashore for a wander, but get there early if u want the beach to yourself !). Finally, if u are a diver, or have been thinking of doing it, do it in the BVI - water's great and marine life was always good plus u have the wreck of HMS Rhone - one of the top 10 wreck dives in the World - if u dive, don't miss it ! I used Dive BVI - like other operations they'll come and pick u up from your boat, take u diving and drop u back - thought they were professional operation and friendly divemasters etc.

As for other places you mentioned, I loved the Grenadines. Slightly more challenging, but 'real' Carib. sailing. Highlights for me were - Tobago Cays (and if u go out of season u'll have a much better time there), Admiralty Bay on Bequia (and the run ashore - great Carib. market and just how I imagined the Caribbbean to be b4 I went !) and Salt Whistle Bay on Mayreau - slightly more expensive restaurant than normal, but you get your own little hut as your table once you've dragged yourself away from the cocktail bar (remember u've got to make it back aboard !) - I loved it here and only a couple of miles from the Cays.
I'd avoid Clifton on Union Is., unless u need stores, water etc.

Finally, should you really want to push the boat out and blow some (read a lot) of your hard earned cash, then the Cotton House on Mustique is the place ! Romantic setting for dinner, but rolly anchorage - can't have it all, I guess !

Excuse the ramblings, but hope they may help u out !

Regards,

Eric.

www.HarryHindsight.com

 

[snowleopard]

timetables

had a fixed date with a plane in martinique so also missed other grenadines. next time maybe...