Bareboat Charter in Bahamas vs BVI?

shemandr · Feb 8, 2023

Before you get too many responses, we should know if any of your group has experience in either Bahamas - Abacus or The BVI?

Don S/V ILLusion · Feb 8, 2023

As has been implied, the Bahamas is a big place. Depending on when, the BVIs Is pretty crowded, moorings are scarce and lots of drunk sailors with more money than brains.

Parsons · Feb 8, 2023

Not been to BVI, but Bahamas. General impression is that BVI is like going to sailing Disney World - easy to do, expensive, crowded. Bahamas is more like a national park - more natural, challenging (depth is a real issue), less crowded with yahoos. Depends on the scene you want, I suppose.

Personally, I would do a search on Cruisers & Sailing Forum for this type of location specific travel advice.

TimFromLI · Feb 8, 2023

We are doing a bareboat charter in the BVI at the end of the month with a group. I am going with a group from our Yacht Club who have done it several times before and loved it. Moorings and slips can be reserved in advance, so that's what we did. I will let you know what I think when I return.

nightowle · Feb 8, 2023

I've been to the BVI's a couple of times and not the Bahamas. I can definitely say the BVI's are great for diving if anyone in your group is planning on that, but you only mentioned snorkeling. And, of course, it won't disappoint for that either. Maybe the Bahamas can suffice for snorkeling. The beach bars are active (usually crowded) in the Virgins and expensive and for me, that doesn't make them better. If I were to choose today I'd pick a trip to the Bahamas having been to BVI, but I'd want to get more knowledge and comfort about the shallow depths. Of course, I'd always have a spotter on the bow.

dlochner · Feb 9, 2023

I haven't been to the BVI in 30 years, so any comment would be dated, other than water depth is generally not an issue in the BVI.

Depending on the boat and its draft, water depth can be an issue in the Bahamas. We spent a month in the Abacos with 5' draft and generally had no issues.

Where you go in the Bahamas is really dependent on what you want to do and when you are going. The Abacos are pretty far north and the climate is cooler than the Exumas. We spent our time on the smaller out islands, Green Turtle Cay, Great Iguana, Cay, Elbow Cay, and enjoyed meeting people and the life in small towns. If, however, you are looking for wide expanses of white sand beaches and are headed there earlier in the year, then the Exumas may be a better choice. The Abacos are still recovering from Hurricane Dorian and the effects are still visible. There are more vacant lots, debris in difficult to reach place, and lots of construction. Restaurants and shops are beginning to reopen on the out islands and life is beginning to return to normal. One is issue is the lack of tourism. Many of the rental properties that are available are being rented by construction workers rebuilding the islands. Marsh Harbor, the largest town on Great Abaco Island is struggling to recover, lots of devastation.

Food is expensive, especially in the out islands. Alcohol is also expensive, I saw beer prices ranging from $60 to $90 a case and a bottle of beer in bar will set you back about $10. A lot of that is due to transportation costs. Supplies are delivered to Nassau, then shipped to Marsh Harbor and then shipped to the out islands. Overall, the trip was rewarding and in spite of some of the limitations from Hurricane Dorian, we were happy to be supporting an economy in great need.

Don S/V ILLusion · Feb 9, 2023

Skipper J said:
Thanks for the information. I look forward to hearing about your trip, TimFromLI. I don't think any of the group have been to the area yet. Now I'm seeing that the Exumas look amazing too. Glad to know the general impression between the BVI and Bahamas but of course every cruise is different.

If you are open to suggestions, I can think of a number of island groups in the Caribbean which you might find preferable to the typical charter destinations.

TimFromLI · Mar 6, 2023

Just back from the BVI cruise and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Spent 5 nights on moorings and 2 in slips. The moorings do get taken fast but we only had one day in the 5 where we had to change plans because we couldn't get a mooring. I wouldn't count on anchoring. Some places allow it other's don't due to coral and others have hard bottoms which won't hold. We reserved a slip one night at scrub island and spent the last night in a slip at the Moorings. Download and register for the app "boaty ball" it lets you reserve a mooring in the morning. Some locations sold out in minutes some days but were still available other days. You can download it now and you can see availability without reserving one (remember the time zone difference). The beachside bars like Foxy's and Soggy Dollar and Bitter End (bitterly expensive) were ok- not really my cup of tea. The restaurants were great. There was great snorkeling at the Indians, the Dogs and several other spots. Provisioning is expensive, you can google BVI provisioning to see the prices. Every Island is easily reachable, the distances are short water is deep - we took the scenic route when possible. Some in our group chartered monohulls and some chartered cats. We chartered a cat, it would obviously be better sailing on a monohull, the cat is like sailing a small house but the space and amenities sure were nice. All in all it was a great trip and I look forward to going back now that I know the lay of the land.

Captain Larry-DH · Mar 7, 2023

@Skipper J you wrote that you’re experienced sailors. I’ve been to the BVI’s many times and made my first trip to the Bahamas (Exumas) last month. They’re both wonderful places, and there’s no wrong choice.
Bahamas - more beautiful beaches, dine aboard (mostly), less spoiled by development, bigger distances between harbors, bigger area, easier to find places to anchor (vs moorings), shallower, less reliable charts but you can usually see the bottom in daylight where shoals and coral heads are a risk. Poor or no cell phone reception in most of the Exumas. If you want to unplug, it’s definitely better in the Bahamas.
BVI’s - Generally deeper (except Anagada channel and anchorage), more competition for moorings and fewer options to anchor, anchorages are deep, good restaurants available at every stop, cell service everywhere, a few convenience store type options to add to your provisions mid-week (North Sound or Anagada).
Both have clear water and good snorkeling places. Overall, Bahamas require more navigation/piloting skill and the weather is a bit more risky (a strong norther could restrict your choices for a day or two, and options for sheltered anchoring in a norther are more limited). Again, either one is a good choice, and as a first timer both will feel like an adventure.

sailme88 · Mar 7, 2023

COVID.... while eased is not gone. Should a spike re-occur you'd have issues getting in. Assuming all are US residents I'd suggest going to a US island ( group) i.e. St Thomas. No passports needed..

Captain Larry-DH · Mar 7, 2023

sailme88 said:
COVID.... while eased is not gone. Should a spike re-occur you'd have issues getting in. Assuming all are US residents I'd suggest going to a US island ( group) i.e. St Thomas. No passports needed..

Trip insurance, changeable flights, negotiated charter terms with cancellation provisions

Bob S · Mar 8, 2023

We're chartering a cat for the first time in the BVI this coming May. Looking forward to the weather change! I'm excited aout exploring the islands. I'm using Navionics and plotting different routes. I will let the wind dictate where we go. This is supposed to be a relaxing vacation I really don't want to race to the next destination just to be early enough to grab a mooring. I'd rather go at my own pace and anchor if I have to. A lot of the reviews on Navionics are dated so I'm not sure how accurate they are. I did register with boatyball and did a fair amount of reading on traveltalkonline.com. How difficult is it to find sandy areas to anchor there? I wish I had done this 15 years ago.

Captain Larry-DH · Mar 8, 2023

Bob S said:
We're chartering a cat for the first time in the BVI this coming May. Looking forward to the weather change! I'm excited aout exploring the islands. I'm using Navionics and plotting different routes. I will let the wind dictate where we go. This is supposed to be a relaxing vacation I really don't want to race to the next destination just to be early enough to grab a mooring. I'd rather go at my own pace and anchor if I have to. A lot of the reviews on Navionics are dated so I'm not sure how accurate they are. I did register with boatyball and did a fair amount of reading on traveltalkonline.com. How difficult is it to find sandy areas to anchor there? I wish I had done this 15 years ago.

I haven't been there since pre-covid March 2020 (lockdown was just breaking as we departed). The best spots are filled with mooring balls, others are very deep, and some have sand where you can anchor at the edges (or even between moorings on short scope). I recommend you grab a mooring when available, considering the charter boats usually come with Delta anchors that are sized for mild weather.

Captain Larry-DH · Mar 8, 2023

Skipper J said:
Good points.
Also, I wonder about the feasibilty of sleeping in the boat at various destinations without A/C. We've always just had fans, but will that be enough not to be miserable if the breeze dies after sunset?

First or last night at the dock you will want AC. If the berth has an overhead hatch and you're on anchor or mooring you'll probably be comfortable with the breeze. AC is also nice if it rains and you need to close up the boat. Most charter boats come with AC and gensets. Your checkout should include instructions on operation, and don't hesitate to ask if you're not sure you understood. It's a good practice to run everything at the dock and check all fluids/thru-hulls/belts and hoses before you leave. Make sure you know where the breakers and switches are. Close the hatches and run the dock hose on them with someone inside to make sure they don't leak. Tropical showers are fine provided the water doesn't wet someone's bed.

Edit - the charter company will provide basic safety equipment and tools. Bring your own multimeter and a few crimp connectors, leatherman tool and multibit screwdriver, adjustable wrenches/pliers/cutters/vice grips etc. Keep it basic don't go crazy with everything you own. In the BVIs the charter repair boat is only a few hours away and you'll have cell service. Bahamas not so close and don't count on cell service depending where you go.