Eleven Days to Sail USVI - Where to Go, What to Do?

[SkyPilot]

Yes, I know its rough to have such problems

Our family has an 11 day charter coming up in April out of St Thomas. We want to get a good bit of diving and snorkeling in, and I fall on the side of getting away from the crowds, vs going to the crowds. As such, I'm currently planning on bypassing the BVIs and focusing on USVI, St John and St Croix, with possible leg over to SVI.

Recomendations on route? Land activities? Good evening/restaurants for families?

[Hud3]

If you want to get away from it all, head over to Culebra, Culebrita and Vieques during the weekdays. Very nice anchorages, many with free moorings. On weekends, motor yachts come out from PR, so it gets a bit more crowded and sometimes noisy, depending on where you are.

[Joli]

We like Francis/Maho Bay, one of our favorites. We also like Culebra and I especially like Cluebrita but it is open to north swells. The Spanish Virgins will certainly be less busy.

[s/v Moondancer]

I second Hud's suggestions...Spanish Virgins are very nice and then you can reach down to St Croix and back for a nice offshore sail.

Christiansted is nice but beware the entry...stay in the port side channel. This months Caribbean Compass reports that a boat a month is hitting the reef in the middle. There is a green over red for a channel split that is very confusing; for the port side channel it is a red.



Caribbean Compass - The On-line Magazine

[S/V Antares]

Anagada if the charter co will let you, LiensterBay and ditto on Francis in St John, Virgin Gorda sound. Day trip to Sandy cay near Jost, Places to avoid? The big cities ST Thomas is rude, Red hook rolls, Cruz bay is crowded, Most of tortola is too busy or prone to N. Swells. Jost Van Dyke is fun but can be roudy. Do short sails and get in early for the prime moorings and enjoy the great water and use the dink to seek adventure on shore.

[Canibul]

If you get the chance, and are in the area on a nice day, it's a good snorkel around The Indians just NW of Norman's.

[Zanshin]

Maho(e) Bay is wonderful for a couple of days with good snorkeling, diving and even shoreside food available (if you are willing to climb all those 200+ stairs from the beach to the restaurant then the dinner at the green campgrounds is the best deal I found in the whole Caribbean). If you do head to the BVI there are a number of anchorages where chances are high that you will be alone; even in the North Sound you can find solitude off Prickly Pear or Mosquito islands.

[Rubikoop]

Unless you've made dozens of trips to the BVIs there are many areas that one can go to "get away from the crowds". Generally getting away from the crowds anywhere will negate the opportunity to eat ashore, as mentioned in your last sentence.

Have you spoken to your charter company and specifically mentioned your intentions of possibly sailing to St Croix or the SVI? There will probably either be restrictions or a specific criteria you or the vessel you are chartering on must meet. Chartering in the SVI from St Thomas generally means there will not be much support in the event of a mechanical problem. Are you comfortable with that? Who are you chartering with, Fairwinds, Island Yachts or CYOA?

On St Thomas there are a plethora of land activities and restaurants. Send me a PM if you want specific suggestions. As far as places to stop Linbergh, Brewers, Megens, Honeymoon, Christmas Cove etc... all provide good places to spend the evening on the hook in typically flat water.

St John has dozens of bays with VI Park service mooring balls. Typically the snorkeling around them is good. Francis/Maho is nearly always calm but with very limited shore side food other than the restaurant at the top of the stairs. You do have the opportunity to catch a cab/safari and take it into Cruz Bay and have many dining options. Leinster/Waterlemon has great snorkeling some hiking but no access to shoreside establishments. Lameshur has great snorkeling and is usually nearly vacant. Coral Bay is a fun place to visit as far as a variety of dinghy accessible bars/restaurants like Skinny Legs, Donkey Cafe and Lucy's (all reasonably priced and unique).

Route reccommendations would be hard to give as it is so weather dependent. If there are large north swells then clearly the sail to Megens on STT would be rough. A 2-3 day cricumnavigation of St Thomas with a stop on Water Island makes for a fair amount of sailing with no crowds. The same holds true for St John, some of the north side bays can be busy during the day like Hawksnest and Caneel but usually clear out later. You could easily spend 10 days sailing around either St Thomas or St John, especially if you wish to dive a lot. The diving on St Croix is fantastic!!!! Christianstad Harbor has a variety of restaurants to choose from.

Originally Posted by SkyPilot

Yes, I know its rough to have such problems

Our family has an 11 day charter coming up in April out of St Thomas. We want to get a good bit of diving and snorkeling in, and I fall on the side of getting away from the crowds, vs going to the crowds. As such, I'm currently planning on bypassing the BVIs and focusing on USVI, St John and St Croix, with possible leg over to SVI.

Recomendations on route? Land activities? Good evening/restaurants for families?

[gonesail]

i can attest to st. john being better than st. thomas as far as sights and scenery goes .. as well as nice fairly secluded beaches. be aware of the trade winds when planning a route to windward .. especially on the south side heading to coral bay from USVI. stock up on food and drinks so you can cook on the boat at the nice anchorages you will find. the best sailing i found was in pilsbury sound up to francis bay past carvel rock.