Antigua/BVI charter

andymcp

andymcp

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First off, Merry Xmas to all, hope the bearded red chap managed to stuff a few yachts into your stockings....

I'm trying to do some background ahead of LIBS about chartering in the Caribbean for this time next year (many thousands spent sailing over there is far preferable to any in-law visits....), and looking for advice of family-friendly sailing areas for a team of SWMBO, me, 3 kids 4-13 with experience of trundling round the west coast of scotland and greece. Once we start to get an idea of what might work for us, it will make the drag around the charter stands much easier, I hope. I'd prefer bareboat but would go flotilla if better for the family. Sort of things that matter to us are:

Fewest possible flights (leaving from Glasgow, so expect 2 to get there)
Least hassle finding somewhere to pull up for the night
Safety
Easy navigation/sailing conditions
Sheltered anchorages (kids like to swim all day)
Decent amenities ashore (after swimming, kids like to run around a lot)

We don't tend to spend evenings swinging on the hook, so would look to have somewhere to tue up each night. Aiming for 2 weeks covering xmas and new year 08/09, if anyone knows of good places to try fo a boat then that would help too - just had the eye-watering experience of following the Sunsail booking system and being handed a £10k offer for 2 weeks on a 39-footer, including flights......but only the flights gatwick-antigua, not onward to Tortola or Glasgow-Gatwick.... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Any help/advice greatly appreciated.

A
 
I imagine that anywhere in the Caribbean will be expensive over Christmas. It's worth checking TMM and Horizon in the BVI, who are second tier, but reputable, companies and may be cheaper. Two weeks on a Bavaria 39 with Horizon over Christmas would be a little under $8000, then work out the cheapest flights for yourself using Travelocity or whatever.
 
I'm in Antigua at the moment and Sunsail are here in English harbour - definitely a good place to be for Christmas - if my sore head is anything to go by. However Antigua is more limited and for a two week charter I would go for the BVIs. Short legs, all the bays have moorings, (a pain for liveaboards) as they charge about $25 a night but not too much if you are only there for two weeks. I am amazed Sunsail quoted £10k we got a 45 ft mono charter last summer for £4500 including flights. Mind you this wasn't over Christmas when prices do rocket. You might want to try flights seperately - I use Dialaflight who have always got me very good deals - allow £400 per person to the BVIs and quite often they can get free car hire or some time in a hotel as well.
 
BVI is better sailing than Antigua but still more moorings than along side
what size are you looking at as Antigua is all over 40ft now
try XL airlines Monday travel only to antigua and liat up to Tortolla ist worth checking the american agenceis such as Vrgin island sailing
south side of Antigua is ok but northside is extremely shallow anitgua is sized between Bute and Arran
BVI is more like Clye estuary size
what about club Colona Antigua for one week and BVI or bare boat Antigua the other
Christmas is going to be most expensive time

do a Google for" dear miss mermaid " for a BVI blog
 
Thats the one Im doing at the mo
With superb sailing Hobie Pacifics with 3 sails out scooting along
Been on a laser Radial all day loved it what a boat rave ,rave ,rave
Off to the bvis next friday after a week at club colona
Very nice sailing there but best time to be had is on a buoy or at anchor
I wouldnt worry about being in a marina all the time there are a few in the bvis if you insist
Regards
 
I think you will find that it can be / will be very enjoyable swinging on your hook most nights - especially as there really is not any alternative!
OK, there are a few marinas in the BVIs, but you will quickly find that it is very nice to be able to get up in the morning and just fling yourselves over the side for a swim to blow the cobwebs away - you cant (or dont want to rather) do this in a marina.....

The Grenadines are very nice - an 8 hour flight to Barbados, and then a 40 minute connecting flight to St Vincent. Sunsail and Barefoot Yacht Charters are on Blue Lagoon approx 5 mins from the airport. Barefoot is a much smaller outfit than Sunsail, and most of their charter fleet are private boats which have been 'loaned' (in exchange for suitable renumeration) to Barefoot - a pal of mine here has recently put his Bavaria 40 with them, and she is proving to be very popular.
Have a look at www.barefootyachts.com and also www.sunsail.com
 
Definitely book with one of the outfits like TMM and Horizon that price the boats in $. I wouldn't class either of the two as 2nd tier as someone did earlier. Most of the fleet is as new as Sunsail/Moorings and often better equipped as they are owned and specified by people like me - not churned out to the standard spec.

For the £10k quoted by Sunsail for a 39ft mono you could have a 4 cabin, 4 head, airconditioned cat like mine, in the BVI, and the flights.

Mine won't be in charter this time next year but I can put you in touch with other owners Cats/Monos or Mobos if you are interested.

PM me for more details /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
Great, thanks everyone for all the advice and guidance. Think we need to wait till early Jan to start getting decent price deals, as loads aren't taking bookings yet for a return date more than a year away.

BVI sounds much better for a 2 week break, and the charter rates are excellent at the mo with $ exchange rates. SWMBO coming round to the anchor idea - think she was too used to tying up outside a taverna in Greece! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Cheers,

A
 
It just goes to show how people's ideas on ideal cruising differ. We loved Antigua but the only time we lay alongside was in Jolly harbour to provision for the return crossing. There are pontoons in Falmouth harbour but mainly for superyachts and you can occasionally get alongside at Nelson's Dockyard but all the best spots are hook and dinghy jobs.
 
Hi, We went to BVI last year, it was as good as everything I have read and other people have said. The sailing is easy with short hops between islands.
The flights were a bit of a pain due to connection flights, but well wort it. We used mainly mooring bouys and there are plenty in most bays where there are restaurants etc. We went July however I am told that its more crowded this time of year. Worth researing. Good luck
PS we went with Footloose, they use older Moorings yachts and they were really good I would have no problem recommending them
 
[ QUOTE ]


BVI sounds much better for a 2 week break, and the charter rates are excellent at the mo with $ exchange rates. SWMBO coming round to the anchor idea - think she was too used to tying up outside a taverna in Greece! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Cheers,

A

[/ QUOTE ]

We have done BVI flotilla and Grenada bareboat. The snorkelling was better in BVIs. Scenary was good in both places. Catching a mooring bouy is problem free and lacks the anxiety of anchoring. One advantage is that you get the breeze which you do not if in a marina.

When we did BVI we stayed in a hotel for a night pre-flotilla to get over the jet lag. Then we were on flotilla for a week. At the end we then stayed 5 nights at the Bitter End Yacht Club. Everyone loved the holiday with the Bitter End still talked about years later. Admittedly we did this in July which was therefore off-season.
 
We've done the BVI's on several occasions, plus antigua, Guadeloupe.....

From your description with kids etc, I think the BVI's will be your best bet, but it is crowded at christmas, and can be very windy as well...

Ive chartered with several outfits out there, including Moorings, Sunsail and Horizon. The best by far is Horizon...

Book direct with them and get maximum advantage of the cheap dollar. The boats are all very modern, clean and well maintained, get a newish bavaria, something say 40-44 feet long.

You will spend virtually all the time on the mooring balls, most of the best anchorage spots are now full of moorings, with the main harbour at Jost Van dyke being the exception...
were it can get very crowded and stressfull.. what with all the muppet yanks laying out 10 meters and hoping itll hold their 60foot cat...

Flights; There are regular BA/Virgin/BWIA flights into Antigua, with LIAT connections onto Beef Island in the BVI's...

You can book the connections on line with Liat.

Another alternative that I would look at if comeing from Glasgow is Air France/ KLM from Glasgow-Amsterdam or CDG- St Martin- and then Liat to Beef Island.

Most of the Antigua Liat flights stop in St Martin on their way to Beef Island, so it cuts down a bit...

Alternative is to charter a aircraft to meet you at St Martin, then go straight to Beef Island.... more expensive but not so much if you have 5-6 people (Search online, there are a couple of operators who will give a quote for the flight, plus they wait for you.)

Provision in advance, dont bother dicking about getting the groceries in, Horizon can sort the lot for you.

There is a OK hotel at the Horizon Marina, plus a good pool...

When you get closer to the time, drop a note here and I am sure loads of tips as to best places will be proffered.
Great Place for the kids, Have a good time.

PS.. Get a Kayak for the boat as well.

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
All, thanks again for all the input. Really helps in coming up with a halfway-informed plan. Current thinking is to go for the BVI, do the whole 2 weeks afloat (kids much prefer life afloat to ashore) and to go for a 40-odd foot yacht. Already had a couple of what appear to be very reasonable quotes from $-listed charter companies.

Flights on the rest of the airlines come online mid-end Jan so should be able to book by then.

Again, it's been great to get input from you all, and I'll no doubt be back nearer the time to ask for advice on the best pubs. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
On the subject of flights... My next trip to the BVI will be with Continental flying from Birmingham - but you could go from Glasgow with Continental - to New York and then San Juan, Puerto Rico. Overnight San Juan and a 07.00 flight next morning with Cape Air in a little Cessna to Tortola so I'll get the whole day in the BVI and be refreshed after a night in an hotel.

Return is accomplished without an overnight stop. That cost me $1060 booked just 3 weeks in advance. You'll pay more for going at Christmas.
 
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