Planning our first trip to the BVIs with another couple in January. Will bareboat for a week. So far, the best price is from Sunsail. I've heard lots about the Moorings and know that Moorings now owns Sunsail. Anybody use Sunsail in the BVIs recently? Would love to hear any thoughts. Also, is mid-January a good time to go? Know the snow won't be as heavy as here in KC, but is the weather and the winds OK that time of year? Thanks for your insight and advice.
Sunsail in the BVI?
- Thread starter Steve L22188
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Last July
Steve, We chartered from Sunsail BVI last July, and had a great time. Since this was our first charter, I can't compare Sunsail to other companies or say anything about January, but I'll make a few comments. We sailed a Beneteau 343 from the very-recently moved charter base Wickham's Cay II, in Roadtown. (They moved a couple of weeks before we went.) It was hard to find the base from the road (surprisingly), probably because they didn't have the signs up yet. We circled 4 or 5 times before finding it: I'd recommend looking with google earth. Basically, the charter was a very positive experience. The base was really busy: you had the feeling that 100 boats were leaving the next morning. We ran out of water during the pre-departure sleepover night because we hadn't had the boat briefing yet, and so didn't know that there were 3 separate water tanks with separate deck fills. I guess the active tank was empty. But after the briefing and topping off the tanks the next morning, departure was uneventful. The boat had a chart-plotter, which was not on the equipment list, so that was a big plus. Warning: the electronic chart was right 95% of the time, but heading East to round the point and come in to Leverick Bay (Virgin Gorda), it was off by a huge margin on one scale setting and showed us sailing through an island! I had read about electronic chart inaccuracy in the BVI on some web site and so was prepared, but you need to pay attention as always. Use the mooring balls, unless you're particularly hard-core and/or experienced. I tried to anchor several times, but either was too worried about damaging coral or the hook failed to set in the hard sand and boulder bottoms we found there. Even diving on the anchor, I couldn't get it to set. The wind was pegged at 20 knots every day we were there, which made for great sailing, but would have made me nervous overnight on an anchor. One tip I never read about anywhere: the mooring pennant has a large eye in it: just run a dock line from the port-side cleat, forward through the pennant eye, and secure it to the stbd cleat. It took me 4 days to notice everyone else doing this, but it was much better than tying off to just one cleat. Other minor problems/comments: matchlight charcoal is a b**** to light in 20 knots, even with paper to help it. Buy lighter fluid. But the grill was the best way to cook, if you can get it lit. We ran out of water the last night, and couldn't fill up at the large marina in Soper's Hole b/c of a water outage there. So I'd top off every chance you get. As for Sunsail: the boat was in great shape, and had no complaints about the company, but also very little interaction with them. We did have a fresh-water leak into the bilge during the last 3 hours of our charter. But once I determined that we weren't sinking, that was their problem, so I just noted it on the checkout list. Boats have problems: I don't blame Sunsail for this. I was also nervous about bringing a new-to-me boat into a very tight slip stern-first at the end of the charter, but not to worry: they have a guy meet you, take your dingy, and drop off someone to pilot the boat into the slip at the end. One less thing to sweat. Overall, I would rate Sunsail highly. I'd get a bigger boat next time, though
. Have fun on your trip! Jay
Steve, We chartered from Sunsail BVI last July, and had a great time. Since this was our first charter, I can't compare Sunsail to other companies or say anything about January, but I'll make a few comments. We sailed a Beneteau 343 from the very-recently moved charter base Wickham's Cay II, in Roadtown. (They moved a couple of weeks before we went.) It was hard to find the base from the road (surprisingly), probably because they didn't have the signs up yet. We circled 4 or 5 times before finding it: I'd recommend looking with google earth. Basically, the charter was a very positive experience. The base was really busy: you had the feeling that 100 boats were leaving the next morning. We ran out of water during the pre-departure sleepover night because we hadn't had the boat briefing yet, and so didn't know that there were 3 separate water tanks with separate deck fills. I guess the active tank was empty. But after the briefing and topping off the tanks the next morning, departure was uneventful. The boat had a chart-plotter, which was not on the equipment list, so that was a big plus. Warning: the electronic chart was right 95% of the time, but heading East to round the point and come in to Leverick Bay (Virgin Gorda), it was off by a huge margin on one scale setting and showed us sailing through an island! I had read about electronic chart inaccuracy in the BVI on some web site and so was prepared, but you need to pay attention as always. Use the mooring balls, unless you're particularly hard-core and/or experienced. I tried to anchor several times, but either was too worried about damaging coral or the hook failed to set in the hard sand and boulder bottoms we found there. Even diving on the anchor, I couldn't get it to set. The wind was pegged at 20 knots every day we were there, which made for great sailing, but would have made me nervous overnight on an anchor. One tip I never read about anywhere: the mooring pennant has a large eye in it: just run a dock line from the port-side cleat, forward through the pennant eye, and secure it to the stbd cleat. It took me 4 days to notice everyone else doing this, but it was much better than tying off to just one cleat. Other minor problems/comments: matchlight charcoal is a b**** to light in 20 knots, even with paper to help it. Buy lighter fluid. But the grill was the best way to cook, if you can get it lit. We ran out of water the last night, and couldn't fill up at the large marina in Soper's Hole b/c of a water outage there. So I'd top off every chance you get. As for Sunsail: the boat was in great shape, and had no complaints about the company, but also very little interaction with them. We did have a fresh-water leak into the bilge during the last 3 hours of our charter. But once I determined that we weren't sinking, that was their problem, so I just noted it on the checkout list. Boats have problems: I don't blame Sunsail for this. I was also nervous about bringing a new-to-me boat into a very tight slip stern-first at the end of the charter, but not to worry: they have a guy meet you, take your dingy, and drop off someone to pilot the boat into the slip at the end. One less thing to sweat. Overall, I would rate Sunsail highly. I'd get a bigger boat next time, though
. Have fun on your trip! JayThanks Jay!
Jay -- how kind of you to give me so much good info. Thanks so much. Anyone else have any experience with Sunsail? Thanks.
Jay -- how kind of you to give me so much good info. Thanks so much. Anyone else have any experience with Sunsail? Thanks.
We did it in January
We chartered from Conch and had a very good experience. The weather in January was windy and such the water was a bit cloudy, not the very crystal clear water you see on the ads. But the crowds were minimal no real issue getting a place to anchor or moor. I would also suggest that you use a ball when ever you can yeah it costs but the comfort in knowing you are secure is worth it. I am looking forward to our next trip.
We chartered from Conch and had a very good experience. The weather in January was windy and such the water was a bit cloudy, not the very crystal clear water you see on the ads. But the crowds were minimal no real issue getting a place to anchor or moor. I would also suggest that you use a ball when ever you can yeah it costs but the comfort in knowing you are secure is worth it. I am looking forward to our next trip.
2nd annual BVI charter
We booked our 2nd annual BVI bareboat charter with Sunsail for end of Dec 2008. Last year was our first and all in all a great experience. Feel free to email me directly for more details and comments: rudwin@enor.com
We booked our 2nd annual BVI bareboat charter with Sunsail for end of Dec 2008. Last year was our first and all in all a great experience. Feel free to email me directly for more details and comments: rudwin@enor.com
About all we can add
is that we took the flottila. If you,e never been there this is a good way to learn your way around and see the interesting places. Next year we hope to go back and explore more in detail. Granted, this is not the cheapest way around but how many times do you get to do this. Sunsail is very well set up and the boat was ship shape except for the frige,but ice came with the flottila package. I have nothing but good things to say about Sunsail.
is that we took the flottila. If you,e never been there this is a good way to learn your way around and see the interesting places. Next year we hope to go back and explore more in detail. Granted, this is not the cheapest way around but how many times do you get to do this. Sunsail is very well set up and the boat was ship shape except for the frige,but ice came with the flottila package. I have nothing but good things to say about Sunsail.
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