Caribbean bareboat charter

[Magnum]

Can anyone recommend a company who has newish boats in the 45ft+ bracket for bareboat charter in the Caribbean? Google returns lots of value orientated providers but all with boats around 4-8 years old. Don't want to put SWMBO off just yet, so would prefer something newer.

Ta

 

[HoratioHB]

Sunsail and the Moorings offer bareboat and their boats are not normally that old. Then I seem to remember barefoot charters and cariacoulos are out there as well.

 

[jfm]

Can anyone recommend a company who has newish boats in the 45ft+ bracket for bareboat charter in the Caribbean? Google returns lots of value orientated providers but all with boats around 4-8 years old. Don't want to put SWMBO off just yet, so would prefer something newer.

Ta

Moorings. They offer boats in their first season for a price premium, but it isn't much of a premium as they're all pretty cheap anyway. I rented one a few years ago in its first season and it was in pretty good nick. Mainly beneteau or jeanneau of course with push pull loos etc. I also recently rented a 2007 in Croatia (I booked late so couldn't get newer) and it was pretty scruffy after 4 seasons. Moorings have a base nr Grenada and that's quite a good location as you can do the grenadines etc. I can give you some coords of nice anchorages when you've decided your rental location. 45' is good size for two; not sure I'd bother going for anything bigger if renting. They may not have any electric winches, though some do

 

[Deleted member 478]

Don't want to put SWMBO off just yet...

Then may I suggest you spoil her rotten by ensuring that she is pampered by a skipper and host? She won't have to cook or wash any dishes, pull any ropes, grind any winches, drop anchors etc etc.

If pampering her works for you, have a look at http://www.extasea.biz (South African mates of mine that I know well)

Hope this helps.

 

[tcm]

Check for flites first or at least together with boats - loadsa boats, not as many flites, they say. Moorings swishest and best gear imho.

 

[Bajansailor]

There seems to be a lot of good info re bareboat charter here :
http://www.ed-hamilton.com/A/BB/1.BBhome.html

Apart from Sunsail and The Moorings, you could also consider TMM, who have bases in the BVIs and the Grenadines - http://sailtmm.com/
They say that they have various new boats, including a Beneteau 43 and a Fountaine Pajot Orana 44 cat which looks very nice.

A pal of mine bought a 9 year old Jeanneau SO 40 2 years ago from TMM in Tortola, and the overall condition of this boat was much better than all of the other boats (from Moorings and Sunsail) that I also looked at on my preliminary reconaisance, which suggests that they do look after their boats well.

Re a choice between the BVIs and the Grenadines - the BVIs are in some ways like a tropical Solent - lots of boats everywhere, lots of bays to anchor in (or pick up a mooring), all literally within a couple of miles from each other, and relatively easy sailing conditions.
Whereas the Grenadines are a bit more challenging, with longer open water passages (eg 20+ miles from Bequia down to the Tobago Cays) - they will still be (relatively) crowded in the winter season, but probably less so than the BVIs.

 

[photodog]

http://www.horizonyachtcharters.com

Bases in Antigua, the Grenadines, the BVI's and St Martin...

They have some bigger new boats, including a very nice SO 50 DS in the Grenadines, and several new big Bavarias in other location.. and 4 SO54 DS's in the BVI's...

Great company. Brit owned. I had a much better experience with them than either Sunsail or the Moorings out there....

Very good clean boats... with good kit. Can't recommend them enough, Far better fleet than anyone else I have chartered with.

Have Fun!

 

[Paddy_N_Murphy]

..........Don't want to put SWMBO off just yet,

Ta

I nearly did that.
First Charter I rashly made the decision to go to Carib with friends (it was due to when we could go with respect to the time of year).
As we were going for one week only it appeared the best bet would be to as little time in the air, and as much time on the Water as possible.
About the only 'direct flight' destination was / is Antigua AFAIK.

Sounds great but sad to say the Chartering / Holiday was not a patch on our Greece and Turkey trips since.
Far lumpier seas, and far less socialising on shore / eating on waterfront locations. It seemed to more or less be shallow sand beaches to anchor in - which is fine, stunning scenery, but generally meant you were a good half mile offshore, more exposed through the night.

We prefer stern too in the creeks / against the Tavernas in the Med.

BUT - I may know nothing ....... but intrigued to hear others views of the Carib / Med holiday cruising experience.

I 'feel' that long termers Island hoping and being self sufficient may suit the Carib, but we have since felt the Med gives a better "Holiday" as there is far more opportunity to go ashore and explore, to stock up on supplies (ice!)

However....

http://www.horizonyachtcharters.com

Bases in Antigua, the Grenadines, the BVI's and St Martin...

They have some bigger new boats, including a very nice SO 50 DS in the Grenadines, and several new big Bavarias in other location.. and 4 SO54 DS's in the BVI's...

Great company. Brit owned. I had a much better experience with them than either Sunsail or the Moorings out there....

Very good clean boats... with good kit. Can't recommend them enough, Far better fleet than anyone else I have chartered with.

Have Fun!

I agree with that ^^^^ we had a 42DS twin Cabin through them, and it was 18mo old in terrific condition with every conceivable extra (Genset to let the Ladies dry their hair whilst at Anchor)

 

[tcm]

get a big dinghy

The carib boating experience is definitley somewhat wilder than the med: most if not all nights are at anchor off a beach. But the winds are fairly reliably NE to SE, so you won't be whipped round into the beach overnight.

With often hot weather, though, and especially hotter overnight (the sea is warmer) you likely *want* to be at anchor rather in a marina. But agreed it's a lot more different from uk -style marina-based boating.

This "mainly anchoring" policy means that your boat becomes more of where you live and you need the BIGGEST dinghy you can manage with the BIGGEST engine you can manage. EXample: in Rodney bay, the marina is up a 1/2 mile sort-of canal 40metre wide and so people try to gather around the entrance to shorten this distance. Much better to be a bit further out, less noisy musak, no flies ...but that means going in and out of the marina (shopping, restaurants, bars) is a bit of a 20-minute urgh mission. Same in lots of places, if not all.

So, your dinghy is your car. Yeah, these days any car is fine, little pootly runabout one almost exactly as quick as a Bentley. NOT so with a dinghy. A non-rib dinghy under 3m long means a wet bum. You want biggst possible sponsons 17' + and look for one of two brands - carib and AB if you're buying. Length of RIb also a big thing. Shorty 8ft ones ones easy to handle but rubbishy slow and leapy. 9 or 10 foot better. But i have recentlyish got 12ft and each foot of waterline makes a big difference - this is like a limo compared with a 10footer. And obviously longer again wd be better but this is good enough (she says)

Engine is almost as important. Planing in a dinghy means you can blithely plan to go there and here and then over there and oops back to the boat cos we forgot summink and so on, cos it's fast like 15-20 knots or more, not grindy like walking speed under five knots. It maks a huge difference - you can go all over the place instead of saving p the "dinghy ride, urgh" as a Big Mission once a day. 8hp to plane with one on board, 15hp for planing with 2 (maybe just 3) on board (and that's why they so popular) and 25hp to plane four-up.

I have had all of these gradually realising that hm, this is still a bit weedy, and eventualy now 12ft rib with 25hp 2-stroke. Zonks along, no need for mental mental fast, but just tootling it goes nice and quickly enough thanks, just like a car would do, full revs not needed.

Well anyways magnum, askem for biggest outboard if renting. Moorings likely 10hp which is hm accetable but 15hp wd be a load better and actual fun for you and the kids. Probly just about plane 3-up in a 15 full revs.

Oh and don't do any of that shouting about the wash, of course. They don't do it in the med, nor the carib, really. Deal with it. That 70foot mobo with rooster tail *inside* the lagoon is a bit much tho, really....

 

[Paddy_N_Murphy]

Not sure many Bareboats come quite so well prepared as ^^^^ with regards to the Dinghy & Outboard Combo


I do remember our first night of going ashore - the 'Crew' were all respectively dresses after using about Half a tank in preening showers, and such. I was in usual rig of Shorts and a Polo.

As you say, it is a Dinghy ride everywhere and anywhere when you are in the Carib.

We pootled in to the Beach in front of the Sandals hotel to eat at a beach front restaurant.
How many of you successfully beach a Dinghy in the dark, whilst trying to judge speed, waves, and Outboard lifting? - Oh and as your fist time in that Dinghy / Outboard combo.

As you can guess, my 'crew' dressed as Crockett and Tubbs all got dumped on !
There was a few tense minutes I must confess.

More booze fixed it eventually.....

Good Luck OP !

 

[photodog]

You may find it easier if you want relaxing places ashore, lots of easy beaches, and short non-too-rough hops to do the BVI's.

Most places are on bouys, (Save Jost Van Dyke....) and if you are going in the winter, its a lot more sheltered.

Plus a couple of nice spas to visit for the missus.

2 weeks is a good time for the BVI's, you can see everything at a relaxed pace then..

Landing stage at Anegada..

Beach at Anegada..

Sunset Sopers Hole..

Cane Garden Bay..

Cane Garden Bay..

Coopers Island..


The BVI's are busy... and the locals can be a bit standoffish... but they are pretty good!

 

[Paddy_N_Murphy]

Yes - I have definitely been told the BVI's would of been a better bet than Antigua and Barbuda, but also as said, you need it to be 2 weeks really so the buggering around travelling there is justified.


Oh - and supplies were outrageous prices....

Don't get me wrong, we all had a great holiday, but I know that SWMBO was not amused with the "Sailing" there with the sea swell.

Thank Christ the Boat was a Beauty !

 

[photodog]

The travel is a pain... And the new airport at Beef Island has taken some of the romance out of it! (no more chickens in the departure lounge....)

We have always flown Antigua then Beef Island with LIAT, but I think we would now fly into St Martin with KLM/AF from CDG or Amsterdam, then transfer with LIAT if there was only 2 of us or private charter if there was 4 or more....

I would NOT fly into the USVI again, or use any American Carrier.

I always enjoyed the break in Antigua, spending a few hours drinking beer and eating disc in the Top Banana (Go upstairs.. its Airconditioned...) was a important ritual of the trip...

Antigua is nice, but not as easy as the BVI's... But there is some spectacular anchorages, my favorite being NonSuch Bay... a big turqouise pool.

Mmmmm... I would give my eye teeth to be out there this year!

 

[Whiskey Bravo]

Last Nov/Dec we went to the BVI for 2 weeks and chartered a Cyclades 43.3 from Dream Yacht Charters in Tortola via Nautilus in the UK. The yacht had 3 cabins, 3 heads!, plenty of space and sailed nicely.

The sailing was easy, short hops if you wanted, mooring generally on mooring buoys at 25 dollars per night. We ate excellent food in most places, especially Marina Cay and Soper's Hole. Winds were reliable from F2 - 5 and warm. We had a couple of 10 minute rainstorms which were useful for cooling down, but they never amounted to much.

We flew with British Airways via Antigua and LIAT to Tortola, ok on the way out but plenty of time to relax in Antigua on the way back. The good thing being that you can check in luggage immediately and then leave the airport for 5/6 hours.

 

[iangrant]

Don't want to put SWMBO off?

Well between the islands Antigua, Barbuda, Guadaloupe, Dominica, Martinique, ST Lucia and all points south you are in the Atlantic swell, it's big and can dump waves in yer vodka!

Antigua has a couple of marinas, Jolly harbour (ex mosquito cove) and Falmouth but it is more the norm in the Carib to anchor off and as has been said when a squall goes through it blows, especially with the Christmas winds. It can rain as well, BIG rain but it's warm.

As also said your dinghy is your car and to get off a beach in a swell it's an art, swamped handbag, phone, camera etc. Provisioning is a major issue in places like Dominica EC or US dollar here, Guadaloupe and Martinique Euro's. Jolly harbour Antigua has a supermarket like Tesco, marmite, kellogs corn flakes tetly t bags the lot, Dominica Not, Guadaloupe is FRENCH no English spoken but a charming place.

It is always a lovely feeling dropping the hook snorkelling over it to see it's dug in for the night, but read a Doyles guide for the places to go and see.

If I'm teaching my grandmother to suck eggs then sorry.

It is great sailing, the people are wonderful, it all depends if you want a Med holiday or some rough stuff, (not just the sea).

BVI = Med - Antigua St Lucia (direct flights) = grown up sailing and robinson cruso it you want it. Dominica, Eastern Caribbean dive centre Dominica, sheltered anchorage and eat on the beach what the owners wife happened to shop for, Honesty bar there. India river don't miss a trip up there. etc etc..

Talk to Brian at Miramar Sailing (.com) he's in Antigua tell him I sent you.. he'll know the latest boat Horizon have there at the mo because he drinks in the bar next to their dock and knows the folks! He also runs Cool cat as part of his company, SWMBO would love that, two lovely peeps run the cat and work bl%%dy hard to ensure charterers are happy.

Ian

 

[Magnum]

Thanks for the great advice

Looking for a gentle introduction to the Carib so have booked with Moorings in the BVI next Feb. Me, SWMBO and my two teenage sons, who are all rather excited!

 

[photodog]

Make sure you add a Kayak to the boat... I would recomend staying in the hotel at the marina for the first night.... they have a nice pool and a decent restaurant as well....
Get them to do the provisioning.. its a lot easier. There is a good supermarket not far away... But its hard to get decent wine..... Stick to the Carib, Painkillers, and Mount Gay.

Have a great time! (Ps; avoid the salad at Foxy's... swmbo got food poisoning from it.... if she wasnt a veggie she would have had all the meat like us and been fine!)

 

[Magnum]

Yep 1st night will be in hotel. Hadn't really considered provisioning. Prefer to see what is available on land and work around that.

However, lack of good wine is serious. Don't drink beer either. Must find a solution.

 

[photodog]

Bobbys is the main place in the center of Road town... which is a medium walk from the moorings... http://www.bobbysmarketplace.com/

You can provision directly with them...

Most of the stuff is brought in from the states... so a lot of Kraft ****e.

Landside is a bit.... errr.. dissapointing... so best move on ASAP.... Lots of good restuarants ashore... fresh fish, lobster is the order of the day...

When you get up to Virgin Gorda, Leverick Bay was our prefered shoreside spot... good spa for the missus, real nice restaurant.

Make sure that you get out to Anegada... the entrance is pretty strightforward... the beaches are top.

White Bay is a good spot for beach bars...

Get to Quitos's ... Pussers bar and grill is good at both Sopers hole and Marina Cay, good bar at the top of the hill there as well....

For real Posh Peter Island is the spot... but I thought the food was overated... there used to be a couple of moorings in their little harbour...

Coopers Island is a great first stop... excellent little bar on the shore, good beach... and great sunset. Can get a bit bumpy if there is any north in the wind...

Watch when picking up a mooring strop... if they havnet been used in a while they can get a bit of coral growing on them.... discovered this the hard way. Very very nasty injury involving a lot of blood.

Lots more small cruise ships now... so the Baths in particular and White Bay can be crowded.... if the Baths is busy you will find that everyone tends to go in one direction throught the rocks... which causes delays at the little tight spots... instead of going counterclockwise... go clockwise against the traffic... Nice bar/restaurant with great views and a good pool at the top of the hill overlooking the Baths. Worth visiting.


However, lack of good wine is serious. Don't drink beer either. Must find a solution.


Mount Gay and coke with a slice of lime. OR, stick to decent champagne....

 

[mandlmaunder]

Yep 1st night will be in hotel. Hadn't really considered provisioning. Prefer to see what is available on land and work around that.

However, lack of good wine is serious. Don't drink beer either. Must find a solution.

If wine is something that will make or break your holiday in the Virgin Islands then I suggest that near the start of your sailing you come on over to the USVI's, go to Cruz Bay on St John and get to the Starfish Gourmet at the market place and see my very good friends Paul the Greek and Wally, they will hook you up good and proper.

The store has a huge selection, a little pricey but some bargains to, and the deli section is awesome (for a small Caribbean Island).

If you are doing a 2 week holiday a few days on the USVI will make for a nice diversion and a change of pace.

Many locals on the BVI's come to ST Thomas and St John for food and bulk shopping as the availability and prices are better.

And don't forget to come to Coral Bay, St John and say hi, you will find us in Skinny Legs most days.

Mark