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LePacha

LePacha

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Hi guys,

Initial plan was to go sailing in the BVI in October. However, one of my friend told me that the Caribean was not that far away, and as we don't have any kid or other obligations at the moment, we might as well consider going somewhere else further away. So we started looking into French Polynesia (Tahiti, Leeward Islands etc.).
Revised plan would be to go over there for at least a couple of weeks (but no more than 3 max). I did a few internet searches, and I haven't contacted anybody yet to start discussing prices, but at the moment, all I can find is bloody expensive keelboats/catamarans (even if we were to charter only for a week, and spend the other week travelling through other means).

I was wondering if you guys would have any good addresses/tips/recommendations for over there? I was thinking leaving from Raiatea, and then going to Tahaa, Bora Bora, and maybe Huahine depending on whether we'd have enough time.

Thanks for the help you could provide in advance,
 
I haven't chartered in that part of the world but I have visited Tahiti in a yachty context. Tahiti, and, I believe, the rest of French Polynesia, is extremely expensive, particularly for visitors. As a department of France, the islands are part of the EU zone and attracts a lot of Euro support. So much so that the Tahitians pay almost no tax, including VAT but visitors pay the full whack. Personally I wouldn't consider Tahiti worth the very long and tiring journey, certainly not for just a couple of weeks.
The island has its historical interest including, of course, links with Captains Cook and Blythe, and the painter Gauguin. Native history and culture has been heavily overlaid and suppressed by western Christianity but is worth delving into if you have time.
Local sailing around Tahiti is limited. I know nothing of other 'nearby' islands but distances are quite considerable in the terms of a charter holiday - one and a half to two day passages I would guess.
 
Raiatea and Tahaa are very good as you can sail around them without leaving the lagoon and they offer many creeks etc to hold up in some with moorings many of which are /were free if you use the on shore owners bar / restaurant....the journey to BoraBora is a short day and the view of the reef from the outside can be spectacular on both Raiatea/Tahaa and Bora Bora. The islands are very lush and verdant and you also need to pick your season right so as to maximise the weather. We spent two days within the lagoon at BB but preferred R&T really!...... all in all very very nice but a long haul to get there...24hrs one way and 22 back!
 
Correct me if I am wrong, I always believed French Polynesia was in the Pacific. As far as I can recall its a bloody long way from the BVI's! I cant quite get the gist of the OP's post, unless he is confusing the French Caribean Islands with their Pacific ones.
 
rotrax said:
Correct me if I am wrong, I always believed French Polynesia was in the Pacific. As far as I can recall its a bloody long way from the BVI's! I cant quite get the gist of the OP's post, unless he is confusing the French Caribean Islands with their Pacific ones.
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Sorry, my explanations might not have been really clear. I was initially thinking about the BVIs. But I was convinced afterward to go to Polynesie. Just a change of plan really, and yes, it becomes a really long trip now.

@ Talbot: thanks for that, already did Gt Barrier Reef in 2007, willl look into Whitsunday.
@Jamejermain: agree, which is part of my dilemma... not yet entirely sold on the destination...
@ean_p: thanks for making my decision making process more difficult now ;)
 
I have sailed in both the BVIs and French Polynesia but not chartered. It really depends what you want from your sailing. If you want long distances and exotic locations go to French Polynesia. If you want day sails between exotic locations go to the BVIs.

Someone mentioned expense in French Polynesia. I spent some time there living on a boat in Pape'ete and didn't find it expensive at all, other than having to put up a bond as I am a non European. In fact my impression particularly from a resupply and eating out point of view was that the BVIs were more expensive.

If you wanted to go somewhere a little less crowded than the BVIs but no further away try The Grenadines. Once again short little hops lovely anchorages and not so many Sunsail boats who think anchoring is a bit like pulling into a space in a supermarket carpark. I don't know what the chartering possibilities are but you should be able to get something out of St Vincent or Grenada.
 
Glayva said:
I have sailed in both the BVIs and French Polynesia but not chartered. It really depends what you want from your sailing. If you want long distances and exotic locations go to French Polynesia. If you want day sails between exotic locations go to the BVIs.

Someone mentioned expense in French Polynesia. I spent some time there living on a boat in Pape'ete and didn't find it expensive at all, other than having to put up a bond as I am a non European. In fact my impression particularly from a resupply and eating out point of view was that the BVIs were more expensive.

If you wanted to go somewhere a little less crowded than the BVIs but no further away try The Grenadines. Once again short little hops lovely anchorages and not so many Sunsail boats who think anchoring is a bit like pulling into a space in a supermarket carpark. I don't know what the chartering possibilities are but you should be able to get something out of St Vincent or Grenada.
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I agree with Glayva.

I, too, have sailed in FP and the Caribbean (but not the BVIs or anywhere N of Martinique. I really liked FP but I think the most satisfying from a sailing holiday POV would be somewhere like the Grenadines and islands nearby N&S.
 
I've sailed my own boat and chartered others all over the Caribbean. I've also sailed FP as part of a circumnavigation.

In my humble opinion, it isn't worth going all the way to FP just to do the Society Islands... Tahiti, Bora Bora etc. They really aren't special enough to be worth the travel. The best bits of FP are the Marquesas and in particular the Tuamotus but it is even more difficult to get there and there is little charter activity.

I would recommend the Grenadines as being the best alternative to the BVI in your case. Quite different from the BVI, much less crowded, different characters between the islands and more chance for slightly longer passages.
 
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If you would like to split the difference, stay in the Caribbean but try something a little more unusual may I suggest the south coast of Cuba?

There is at least one charter company operating out of Cienfuegos on the south coast. The cruising grounds are simply amazing, virtually unspoilt.Magnificent fishing too!The 'jarden del la reine' area is, in my humble opinion, probably the last unspoilt destination in the Caribbean.

Just a thought!
 
Thanks for the feedbacks!

So, had a chat with our friends, and we decided to rule out FP, based on your experiences and the time constraints.

It looks like it will be now BVI or Grenadines. When you guys say that the BVI are more crowded than the Grenadines, does this mean that the BVI are like being in Newton Creek by a beautiful day during summer time....?

@ Gerry: Cuba could have been a good idea, but already known by 50% of the crew unfortunately...
 
BVI is the marine equivalent of pony trekking. My least favorite place in the West Indies, though Antigua runs it close.
 
I kept my boat in the BVI for 5 years and then operated crewed charters there for another couple of years. You didn't say when in October you are planning to go but the BVI are very quiet early in October with many bars and restaurants still closed for hurricane season. The islands/mooring fields won't be crowded any time in October but later is better than earlier as the risk of serious weather reduces.

Basically BVI is better if you only want a short sail to the next bar/restaurant/snorkel stop. If the sailing aspect is more important then go for the Grenadines.
 
We sailed the length of the Caribbean from Trinidad up to the Florida Keys.

I have to say that I wasn't that enamoured with much of the Caribbean, inc the Grenadines, too many boats and too commercial. Some of the BVIs are crowded but Anagada is or certainly was a bit more out of the way.

Have you thought of somewhere like the cays off Belize? Pretty, less crowded with some 5* resorts to pop into for a meal or two?
 
Thanks for all your input guys, it really helped making a decision on this one. Based on your feedbacks and the information I retrieved here and there online, I was in a position to give the crew members what I believe is a fair preview of our time on the water.
It appears that my friends and wife are more interested in the snorkeling/sunbathing/drinking/eating stuff than pure sailing. So BVI it will be as the sailing can be kept at a minimum. Not a happy skipper right now, but I guess this is better than no sailing at all, and at least everybody should have a good time... it's called compromise apparently...

Thanks anyway for your advice, as it did help clarifying the kind of sailing in all these areas.

Now, if anybody has some recommendations to make regarding a charter; from what I have seen, it should be Sunsail or Moorings if I don't want to chance too much the quality of the boat... Any idea where I could find some chart online to have a rough idea of what I should be expecting?

Thanks again for your help all.
 
Try TMM... http://sailtmm.com/Availability/ShowMonthBookings.cfm?B=T&SM=10&SY=2013 . They are a smaller company, mainly staffed by Brits, all the boats are individually specced by the boat owners so you'll often get nice things like chart plotters, autopilots and generally more of an 'owners boat' than the standardised Moorings/Sunsail offerings.

I used to have a boat with them a few years back but have no affiliation.
 
I don't recall seeing a bareboat charter operation in French Polynesia. In my view they aren't very suitable. The Society Islands are a fair distance apart (a 75 mile jump from Moorea to Huahine) and in the steady SE Trades it's definitely a one-way ride along them, getting back would be tiresome. Only Raiatea/Taha'a offers worthwhile cruising around the island, the others are simply destinations.

If you really fancy the Pacific experience, consider Vava'u, Tonga, where there is a Moorings charter operation.
 
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