Possible BVI charter, March 2024,boat choice and anything else to consider

[FairweatherDave]

Considering the BVI as a possible special holiday for my family in Feb or March. We have chartered happily in Greece and Turkey but have never chartered a catamaran. We squeeze fine into a 40ft monohull but I am reading the merits of cats. Specifically how shallow cats can get into the beach compared to a monohull - do the monohulls have to anchor so far out it spoils the beach experience? Cramped long dinghy rides ashore with 6 people are not always great fun. I'm aware of the other positives of cats (space, ventilation and living space level with the view). But the cost of a cat is a big step up.
(A secondary question is as you are at anchor or on a mooring bouy most of the time how easy is it to provision the boat during the week or 10 days away? Is it more costly to eat out than Greece, or comparable.)
Would really appreciate some YBW advice!

 

[Bajansailor]

Specifically how shallow cats can get into the beach compared to a monohull - do the monohulls have to anchor so far out it spoils the beach experience?

No, not at all - you will be visiting the BVI's at prime time though, and everywhere will be crowded . I think the sheer number of boats wanting to anchor somewhere (or pick up a mooring ball) will be a bigger problem generally rather than the depth of water.

Re provisions, you should be able to visit a supermarket before you leave the base if you want to provision the boat yourself - or will you be going for a package where provisions are supplied, and you just step on board and go?
Pretty much everywhere you visit will have eating out facilities ashore, but I think you will find that they are generally considerably more expensive than in Greece.

 

[Bobc]

Take half the clothes and twice the money you think you need.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Thanks both, really useful! Being a family holiday I am still on the fence about going for it - meeting everyone's needs is mighty complex - not everyone is a dedicated snorkeller and I don't want my wife to see it as 18 individual meals a day for 7 days....supposed to be her holiday! She's the water babe though!

 

[Bajansailor]

Ok, so 6 of you on board - can't everybody get their own breakfasts and lunch could be simple bread and cheese and such (perhaps while underway), and then dinners could often be ashore somewhere? So that 18 meals could effectively come down to 6 every other day or so?

 

[FairweatherDave]

Ok, so 6 of you on board - can't everybody get their own breakfasts and lunch could be simple bread and cheese and such (perhaps while underway), and then dinners could often be ashore somewhere? So that 18 meals could effectively come down to 6 every other day or so?

That's how you and I could see it, but she likes to see it her way . As long as the family pull their weight we are alright. The point is more how easy is it to get food daily.

 

[john_morris_uk]

You can buy food reasonably easily but it won’t be cheap. Furthermore don’t go with a set decided menu you have to shop for. In my experience you buy what’s available at a reasonable price and make it up from there.

 

[wonkywinch]

I've been to the BVI twice (most recently in Feb this year) and Greece loads of times (there now).

The BVI is 2.5x the price of Greece, we spent roughly $100 pppd on provisioning & eating out. Mooring balls are mostly run by Boaty Ball and cost $50 a night. In peak season, it is a bunfight at 0700 each day to book one. Many people use friends at home with high speed internet to book them instead.

There are plenty of places to anchor so you don't have to pay for balls every night.

It's an expensive place but definitely a bucket list place to go. I'd also highly recommend BVI Yacht Charter, used them both times, no connection, just a happy customer.

These videos by Scott a little outdated but very useful for planning ..

https://m.youtube.com/@ProteusYachtCharters/featured

Also The Wandering Hillbilly has some recent insights into cruising the BVI albeit on a much larger budget than mine!

Can't help with the cat/monohull decision though. We sailed monohulls but cats are extremely popular in the BVI and will come with aircon and loads more space!

 

[tico]

Look at the 'traveltalkonline' forum BVI version, lots of tips there.
Have sailed there lots but not since Irma, so a lot has changed.
Supermarkets at the base, also at Sopers hole.
Echo the comment about half the clothes and twice the cash.
Too many places to like there.

 

[wonkywinch]

I went in 2020 whilst rebuilding still going on and again this year, most places now rebuilt inc the best place in the BVI for us was Saba Rock. Great location and very reasonably priced dinner.

Sabarock

 

[Obi]

+1 for the cats

Those 40-45 foot cats are superb. Single handedly raising head and main from the raised helm position with the push of a couple of buttons was a very different experience to anything else I had sailed; the rest of the crew might be making breakfast or having a shower, they turn around and a few seconds later you have the sails up and the engine off. Amazing.
Nice and fast too. The privacy with each cabin being a double, with full ensuite, wardrobes and space was a huge bonus too. Kids in one hull, adults in the other. Air con on, dining areas inside, and fore and aft. Jumping off the roof. So much space.

And they are the easiest boats to park I have ever sailed. Use the throttles like a tank driver turns a tank. Lock the helm in dead ahead and steer with engines.

But yes, expensive. Worth it though. Definitely worth it.

 

[Obi]

So much space. Aft dining table is bigger still.

 

[Bobc]

Just bear in mind that the BVI is really about going from one beach bar to the next. If you want to do some proper sailing, go to Antigua.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Thanks folks. Gonna keep thinkin', or is it dreaming? Families are complicated and money hmmmm.

 

[geem]

Thanks folks. Gonna keep thinkin', or is it dreaming? Families are complicated and money hmmmm.

The BVIs are at the bottom of my Caribbean go to list. It's charter hell. Millions of moorings ruin the place. Its soulless. Its way over priced and not that interesting. I would charter in the Grenadines given the choice

 

[Seven Spades]

Here is a tip. Learn to make bread before you go. bread costs $8 a loaf and you can buy a 5lb bag of flour for about $2.80 and that makes three loaves. Mellons, Pineapples and lettuce al cost $6-8 or more. The food prices are completely nuts.