We are planning our first BVI bareboat charter for Dec 2007. Since we are first timers we thought it best to go with one of the larger charter companies. I am looking at Moorings, Sunsail and Footloose (much less expensive). I would appreciate any feedback that you have on these companies and the experience in general. I would also love some recommendations on guide books or other reading matter that I should look at now to enhance our experience. Thanks!
BVI Bareboat Charter
- Thread starter Roy Udwin
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BVI
I have chartered with both for many year's, I Like Sunsail the best, You can go to traveltalkonline.com to get more information... Enjoy your trip... I got there a day before the charter and stayed at Sunsail then stayed 4 days afterwards just to enjoy the island... Sunsail has newer boats that don't break down as often... Katie
I have chartered with both for many year's, I Like Sunsail the best, You can go to traveltalkonline.com to get more information... Enjoy your trip... I got there a day before the charter and stayed at Sunsail then stayed 4 days afterwards just to enjoy the island... Sunsail has newer boats that don't break down as often... Katie
We sailed with Sunsail last summer
Pictures an more details are on our web page http://home.att.net/~dragonflyb331/ Sailing BVI with SunSail Flotilla, June 23-30 We set sail aboard "Marsha Claire" a Beneteau 393 and eight other boats: "Perroquet" our lead boat with Philmore and Sue Plum, Bikini Man, Atanto, Baby Ben, Niou Dem, Rondeau II, Pip Overall comments: We really enjoyed the sail. The flotilla gave us an opportunity to meet others and a guide to help us learn the Caribbean. I'm sure we would have had a good time by ourselves, but Philmore and Sue showed us were to anchor and recommended great places to eat. We choose to have breakfast and lunch aboard and ate out for dinner each night. This gave us a little flavor of the Caribbean. However, eating out was expensive. We had budgeted $100 per night and spent at least that much when drinks were included. But we ate good meals. Most menus had a salad with chicken or shrimp and/or a pasta meal for $12-$15. Chicken and/or BBQ rib dinners were $15-$20. Steaks and fresh fish were $25-$30. We picked up a mooring most nights...$25 and anchored 2 nights at no charge. You can pick up a mooring during the day at no charge. To assure access to a mooring, most recommended being in the bay by 4:00. This seemed early, but there was always good snorkeling in the area. Each boat had a dingy that allowed quick transportation to the beach or far away shores. Fat old men like Mark need a ladder to get back into the dingy! Several other sailors outside the flotilla brought in meat and planned to anchor out each night. I'm sure this saved them a lot on meals and mooring fees. Each boat had a charcoal Magna BBQ grill. We ordered provisions before we left. All was on board with fresh fruits and turkey deli meat in the frig. There is a small store at the SunSail base. On checking prices, ordering provisioning was about 15% more than shopping ourselves. There were lots more beer and less expensive wine options in the store than on the provision list. Next time, I'd buy the wine and beer when we get there. We quickly lost track of time and had to refer to the flotilla itinerary to see what day it was. The one week went quickly. If we have another couple with us or several couples on several boats, we might pass on the flotilla. However, if just our family, we will probably join a flotilla.
Pictures an more details are on our web page http://home.att.net/~dragonflyb331/ Sailing BVI with SunSail Flotilla, June 23-30 We set sail aboard "Marsha Claire" a Beneteau 393 and eight other boats: "Perroquet" our lead boat with Philmore and Sue Plum, Bikini Man, Atanto, Baby Ben, Niou Dem, Rondeau II, Pip Overall comments: We really enjoyed the sail. The flotilla gave us an opportunity to meet others and a guide to help us learn the Caribbean. I'm sure we would have had a good time by ourselves, but Philmore and Sue showed us were to anchor and recommended great places to eat. We choose to have breakfast and lunch aboard and ate out for dinner each night. This gave us a little flavor of the Caribbean. However, eating out was expensive. We had budgeted $100 per night and spent at least that much when drinks were included. But we ate good meals. Most menus had a salad with chicken or shrimp and/or a pasta meal for $12-$15. Chicken and/or BBQ rib dinners were $15-$20. Steaks and fresh fish were $25-$30. We picked up a mooring most nights...$25 and anchored 2 nights at no charge. You can pick up a mooring during the day at no charge. To assure access to a mooring, most recommended being in the bay by 4:00. This seemed early, but there was always good snorkeling in the area. Each boat had a dingy that allowed quick transportation to the beach or far away shores. Fat old men like Mark need a ladder to get back into the dingy! Several other sailors outside the flotilla brought in meat and planned to anchor out each night. I'm sure this saved them a lot on meals and mooring fees. Each boat had a charcoal Magna BBQ grill. We ordered provisions before we left. All was on board with fresh fruits and turkey deli meat in the frig. There is a small store at the SunSail base. On checking prices, ordering provisioning was about 15% more than shopping ourselves. There were lots more beer and less expensive wine options in the store than on the provision list. Next time, I'd buy the wine and beer when we get there. We quickly lost track of time and had to refer to the flotilla itinerary to see what day it was. The one week went quickly. If we have another couple with us or several couples on several boats, we might pass on the flotilla. However, if just our family, we will probably join a flotilla.
Sunsail
We chartered from Sunsail about two years ago. Great service, great boats. I would highly recommend them.
We chartered from Sunsail about two years ago. Great service, great boats. I would highly recommend them.
Don't forget Horizon
Our first and next charter will be with Horizon. They are smaller but very personal. You should check them out. A fellow sailor is soon to leave on his 3rd Horizon trip. I'm trying to sneak into his luggage!
Our first and next charter will be with Horizon. They are smaller but very personal. You should check them out. A fellow sailor is soon to leave on his 3rd Horizon trip. I'm trying to sneak into his luggage!
TMM...
...and they will provide a cruising guide, but so will the others. I've gone with TMM twice - nice guys at a reasonable cost, but choose a newer boat of theirs for about the same cost. Footloose is older Moorings boats. But stay with a BVI company, rather than a USVI company to avoid customs clearance time.
...and they will provide a cruising guide, but so will the others. I've gone with TMM twice - nice guys at a reasonable cost, but choose a newer boat of theirs for about the same cost. Footloose is older Moorings boats. But stay with a BVI company, rather than a USVI company to avoid customs clearance time.
BVI Charter
We like Voyage Charters http://voyagecharters.com/bareboat-charters-voyage440.html in Sopers Hole. First class boats. Price is not everything. Some of the boats in the BVI are very tired. Minor problems can make for an irritating week. Check out this website for pics and narrative of our Jan 2007 trip to the BVI http://kobernus.com/BVI/bvi.html
We like Voyage Charters http://voyagecharters.com/bareboat-charters-voyage440.html in Sopers Hole. First class boats. Price is not everything. Some of the boats in the BVI are very tired. Minor problems can make for an irritating week. Check out this website for pics and narrative of our Jan 2007 trip to the BVI http://kobernus.com/BVI/bvi.html
Conch
All the companies mentioned have excellent reputations - I have used TMM (Belize) and was completly satisfied. I think the competition is pretty stiff and they all have to do a good job. Moorings seems to be the class organization, but you pay for it. Our last time in the BVI, we used Conch to save a little money. While the boats were not pristine new models, they were clean and quite up to the task and we saved a significant amount.
All the companies mentioned have excellent reputations - I have used TMM (Belize) and was completly satisfied. I think the competition is pretty stiff and they all have to do a good job. Moorings seems to be the class organization, but you pay for it. Our last time in the BVI, we used Conch to save a little money. While the boats were not pristine new models, they were clean and quite up to the task and we saved a significant amount.
BVI Guide
We've chartered there 4 times and sailed on our own bottom once. The guide you want to get for the area is this one: http://www.cruisingguides.com/detail.asp?product_id=cgvi As to companies...it is hard to go wrong with either sunsail or moorings (same parent company) and if you are looking to save $$ footloose provides good boats that have been retired from the moorings fleet and so are not as cosmetically nice. Other thoughts: It is MUCH more of a pain to clear customs in the USVI than the BVI. If you have only a week and DO plan to visit both sets of islands I would suggest starting in the USVI ...doing St. John etc. then sailing to JostVanDyke or Soper's hole for an easy check in rather than trying the reverse. Frankly, there will be MORE than you can see in just the BVI's in a week so I would save the USVI for a future trip. You will be chartering in PEAK PEAK season...plan on starting your days at sunrise and picking up your mooring (VERY FEW PLACES LEFT WHERE YOU CAN ANCHOR) by 2PM...not the usual 4PM. Moorings run $25-30 a night so plan on this expense. One nice way to do the trip is to take your first day to get all the way EAST to Virgin Gorda's protected and BEAUIFUL north sound (Bitter End Yacht Club,etc.) Then you can spend the rest of the week on nice downwind reaches to wherever else you want and end up close to home base for your last night out. Easy sailing, beautiful water and islands...you will have a great time!
We've chartered there 4 times and sailed on our own bottom once. The guide you want to get for the area is this one: http://www.cruisingguides.com/detail.asp?product_id=cgvi As to companies...it is hard to go wrong with either sunsail or moorings (same parent company) and if you are looking to save $$ footloose provides good boats that have been retired from the moorings fleet and so are not as cosmetically nice. Other thoughts: It is MUCH more of a pain to clear customs in the USVI than the BVI. If you have only a week and DO plan to visit both sets of islands I would suggest starting in the USVI ...doing St. John etc. then sailing to JostVanDyke or Soper's hole for an easy check in rather than trying the reverse. Frankly, there will be MORE than you can see in just the BVI's in a week so I would save the USVI for a future trip. You will be chartering in PEAK PEAK season...plan on starting your days at sunrise and picking up your mooring (VERY FEW PLACES LEFT WHERE YOU CAN ANCHOR) by 2PM...not the usual 4PM. Moorings run $25-30 a night so plan on this expense. One nice way to do the trip is to take your first day to get all the way EAST to Virgin Gorda's protected and BEAUIFUL north sound (Bitter End Yacht Club,etc.) Then you can spend the rest of the week on nice downwind reaches to wherever else you want and end up close to home base for your last night out. Easy sailing, beautiful water and islands...you will have a great time!
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