Tortola to St. Croix Passage

[cayennita]

The good about STX is that all the cruisers tell all the cruisers not to come. It is fine with us because that way we don't have to worry about too many boats staying for ever. Plenty of anchorage if you know how to do it. There are moorings in the outer harbor and also lots of room north of the channel to the power plant. No charter boats. No bare boats. No loud music blaring away from power boats. Beaches with no one on them. Beautiful Buck Island, Teague bay, Fredericksted with maybe one cruise ship per day. Please go to St. John, Tortola, St. Thoamas, Culebra. All overrun by tourists from cruise ships. We like our peace and quite.
10' waves are uncommon. Maybe you should look at the weather forecast before departing. I have been crossing from STX to all the other islands since 1969 and I can count in one hand the times I had 10' waves. (I was racing)

[Mustang Sally]

Originally Posted by cayennita

The good about STX is that all the cruisers tell all the cruisers not to come. It is fine with us because that way we don't have to worry about too many boats staying for ever. Plenty of anchorage if you know how to do it. There are moorings in the outer harbor and also lots of room north of the channel to the power plant. No charter boats. No bare boats. No loud music blaring away from power boats. Beaches with no one on them. Beautiful Buck Island, Teague bay, Fredericksted with maybe one cruise ship per day. Please go to St. John, Tortola, St. Thoamas, Culebra. All overrun by tourists from cruise ships. We like our peace and quite.
10' waves are uncommon. Maybe you should look at the weather forecast before departing. I have been crossing from STX to all the other islands since 1969 and I can count in one hand the times I had 10' waves. (I was racing)

Oh I love comments like these, not really factual just emotional. Beautiful Buck Island is a pain in the a$$ as you have to purchase a permit, which I tried but needed ridiculous documents like boat papers, passport etc, all for a day use permit so we gave up. When we sailed by it we realized it was nothing spectacular that the other Virgins don't have. Frederiksted is honestly a dump while Christianstead is lovely but kind of deserted.

[oceangypsy]

Now Sally, that's not very lady like. Sorry you did not take the time to enjoy STX or Buck. If you can judge a spot simply by sailing by then you are going to miss some of the gratest treasures of cruising. I know Buck Island intimately, as i led Charters there for over 8 years twice daily sailing into the lagoon and guiding snorkeler 6 at a time. It is magnificent on the outer reef and the northern side of the lagoon...ESPECIALLY for those that have and take the time to get to the mostly un visited areas of the reef. STX on the other hand is a place that should also not be judge by "passing through". A week is the minimum time to absorb the warm hospitality provided to cruisers by the locals, boaters and landlubbers alike. Unless of course said cruisers are simply unpleasant by nature... then you will not get the time of day. So gallop on and don't stop until you find your happy place...STX will not miss you... but please ... If you have nothing nice to say about a place, then say nothing at all...especially if you don't know of what you speak.

[cayennita]

Thank you Oceangypsy. We do not need the kind of cruisers that re inforce the ugly americam image. Let's keep our secret and not invite the Sally types to our "Beautiful St. Croix" as Lewellyn would sing while guiding his Mongoose 37 to the Buck Island under water reef.

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by Mustang Sally

Oh I love comments like these, not really factual just emotional. Beautiful Buck Island is a pain in the a$$ as you have to purchase a permit, which I tried but needed ridiculous documents like boat papers, passport etc, all for a day use permit so we gave up. When we sailed by it we realized it was nothing spectacular that the other Virgins don't have. Frederiksted is honestly a dump while Christianstead is lovely but kind of deserted.

I wonder which parts are not factual? Would you care to enlighten us to errors? Cayennita has been living and sailing in the area for 40yrs. I'm sorry that you found it too challenging to visit Buck Island since it is truly magnificent. At least it's not as challenging as your recent experience in Vieques!!!

[cayennita]

Looks like the ugly american could not be bothered with the paper work. Takes about 10 minutes in town to get the free permit. The permit makes sure that US waters entered boats are in fact legal. It's possible that Mustang Sally has been cruising through the islands with out going to customs? Maybe he is not an American registered boat.

[osirissail]

"If you have nothing nice to say about a place, then say nothing at all...especially if you don't know of what you speak."

That statement is both rude and ill-informed. I have spent a lot of time visiting St. Croix over the last 50 years and have seen it as both a dump and a nice place. One persons experiences visiting "anyplace" is just as valid as your experience. Different people has difference perceptions and most often very different experiences.
- - I have been in places in the islands where I perceived the officials and locals to be rude and indifferent. Other friends have been to the same places at different times and had wonderful and happy experiences. Any place is not "always" the same and can vary depending upon the particular official or "first contact" persons. They set the tone and whatever you experience thereafter is colored by that.
- - Over long periods of time and many experiences in the various Caribbean Islands it is normal and valid for some folks to have bad feelings/experiences and for others to have bland or average experiences and obviously some have wonderful experiences and feelings. So I would be cautious about making "absolute" statements and demeaning somebody else who has had a different experience.
- - As specifically to St. Croix, it has not had the best reputation over the decades and my most recent visit was very enjoyable as I experienced a wonderful time thanks to a local friend who showed me the "good/fun places." However, it is not any better than most of the other Virgin Islands, or worse. Wall diving is popular there along the north shore as most other islands nearby do not have that unique geology. Buck Island was much better 50 years ago than my recent experience. All of the Virgins are not as good as 50 years ago, obviously as millions of visitors and Mother Nature has changed the ecology of the underwater environment. I know places off the north shore of St. Thomas that are far superior mainly because few people know them and even less go there.
- - I am always cautious about recommending my favorite places too adamantly as not everybody is looking for the same things I look for. And they bring different experiences with them to make comparisons. So please, don't be dogmatic about someplace when it is known that others have and will have different viewpoints. A negative viewpoint will not stop me from visiting a new place, but it will alert me to look beyond to see what is really behind the scenes - or not.

[donradcliffe]

St Croix (Christiansted) is a welcome change from St Thomas, and is pretty user friendly. Easy to check-in if you are coming from the BVI (have your US visa if needed), and a good place to get the new 'local boater option' cards. The new DNPR moorings were described to me as free for 'transient' boats, and I had no problem finding one for my 8' draft. The marina wants to charge for dinghy tieup, but the town front has ample free dinghy space (you will want to put out a stern anchor).

Buck Island permits are easy to get if you take your boat papers with you to the office. Anchorage on the west end is fairly smooth. The underwater trail has been wiped out and the park puts picnic tables under mancheonel trees, but hey, nobody's perfect.

Keep an eye out for some west-setting current as you reach across, but I have fetched from Culebra with a little NE in the wind.

[Rubikoop]

Originally Posted by cayennita

Looks like the ugly american could not be bothered with the paper work. Takes about 10 minutes in town to get the free permit. The permit makes sure that US waters entered boats are in fact legal. It's possible that Mustang Sally has been cruising through the islands with out going to customs? Maybe he is not an American registered boat.

Just to correct one part of your statement...I'm pretty sure they are both from Canada.

[cayennita]

Since I am now officialy a CLOD (Cruiser Living On Dirt) I will sign off from the site and leave the comments to other cruisers. I love STX and the fact that it has all the things I need.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by cayennita

Since I am now officialy a CLOD (Cruiser Living On Dirt) I will sign off from the site and leave the comments to other cruisers. I love STX and the fact that it has all the things I need.

And that is one of the great benefits of the cruising lifestyle. You have an opportunity to visit and experience all the different islands and cultures - in this case - the Caribbean. I see we have folks who are living in STX and others in the Virgins and in Nevis and down Island in Grenada, etc., etc., etc. Each has had the opportunity to explore, and if they take the opportunity, to spend some significant time in different places. Then when the move to shore life is made it is easy to decide on the island "that has all the things I need."