jonl@sun.uucp (Jon Lancaster) (07/03/84)
Some friends and I are looking into bareboat charters in the
Caribbean. The group will will be 3-4 couples and we plan to
spend approximately a week sailing from port to port. We all
have some sailing experience and have chartered boats in the
San Francisco area quite a bit, including overnight trips and
bluewater experience. We plan to bring snorkeling and scuba
equipment, fishing equipment, rent windsurfers and work on a
Grade A sunburn. There's only one problem, no one, has ever
been to the Caribbean before and we therefore have many questions:
1) We are currently planning on spending Thanksgiving week
in the Caribbean. What kind of weather can we expect?
How much rain? Will there be good wind?
2) Most of the bareboat charter companies will arrange to
provision the boat for you. Is this a good idea or can
we save some money and have more control over things
if we do it ourselves?
3) What are the ten things that we are absolutely going to
have to have that we should plan on bringing with us?
4) Will we need to convert U.S. $ into local currency and/or
do most places accept credit cards such as Mastercard,
Visa and American Express?
5) Can you from personal experience recommend a particular
charter company that has clean, well maintained, well
equipped boats?
6) Most charter companies seem to be based on St. Thomas,
St. Maarten or Tortola, which is the preferred area
and why? (ie. good snorkeling, beaches, etc...)
If there is significant interest and response, I will summarize
to the net and will post a follow-up upon returning.
Thanx in advance for any suggestions, pointers to information,
and anything else that might be helpful.
Jon Lancaster
{decwrl|ucbvax}!sun!jonleve@ssc-bee.UUCP (Michael Eve) (07/09/84)
....
My scuba club chartered a Morgan 41 (?) out of St. Thomas during the
Thanksgiving holiday three years ago. We had the boat for 10 days and
had a great time. Not being sailors, we also hired a captain ($50/day)
who also had worked for Jim and Kathy Church so he knew all the dive sites.
The weather was good by Seattle standards, but not so great for diving.
A storm was in the area giving us great winds for sailing, but made it too
rough to dive on the Atlantic side of the islands. The temperature was in
the upper 70s and low 80s with mostly sunny skies. Despite the storm, we were
only rained on one day.
We provisioned the boat ourselves and saved a substantial amount of money.
Probably cut our food bill in half, and we still had food left over. We
didn't spearfish (several local fish are toxic) so that didn't reduce our
food bill any. There is a large supermarket in Charlotte Amalie (sp?) just
a block from the marina, and throughout the trip we were always near stores.
The dollar was accepted everywhere we went, both British and American Virgin
Islands, likewise travelers checks. Seem to recall one restaurant on Virgin
Gorda wouldn't take plastic.
The charter company we used was Sea Breeze, I think. They provided us a nice
boat, mostly working (the bilge pump didn't work, and the freezer served mostly
as an ice chest). As you probably know, the rates are the lowest that time of
year. The Sheraton Hotel at the marina is a pit. I don't know if it is even
still in the chain.
I've only taken two trips to the Caribbean (Virgin Islands and French West
Indies). I found both places to have similar diving. Lots of staghorn coral,
parrotfish, etc. In the Virgin Islands, we also found a sea turtle, a school
of squid, a stingray, and several small sharks.
Our route took us from St. Thomas to St. John (very pretty at the National
Park), and into the British Virgin Islands: Tortolla, Virgin Gorda, Cane
Garden Bay (remember the song by Jimmy Buffet, our captain played it
constantly), Jost van Dyke (with Nippy's tee-shirt dingy delivery service).
The most memorable part of the whole trip was Thanksgiving night when we
were anchored just off the wreck of the Rhone (used to film The Deep).
There is a graveyard on shore where the crewmen are buried. The graves look
pretty shallow, and are covered with bleached driftwood that looks like
bones. Anyway, the wind starts picking up about evening and by midnight is
really roaring. We start dragging both anchors and are headed toward the
graveyard when the captain breaks out the life jackets and orders up anchor.
With the anchors up and the sail only about a third out, we took off like a
banshee and went scooting across the Caribbean heeled over at 30 degrees.
For nonsailors, it was very exhilerating. We made Roadtown in two hours, and
when we woke in the morning, the place was packed with other boats which
had arrived after we did.
In general, the anchorages are very good, very sheltered. Salt Island (where
we were) is an exception. The weather was supposed to be an exception;
usually, much less wind. Many nights you will either have the anchorage to
yourself or share it with another boat or two. Lots of sandy beaches.
Oh, I just remembered. Right before the great domino match in Honduras,
some Canadian friends rented a boat at Roatan just off Honduras. Said the
diving was great, very unspoiled. We were going to lead another scuba
sailing trip there when Honduras activity stepped up. Also, the arrival
of a little one, was a small deterrent (we were willing, but who would
share the boat?). The charter agency at Roatan claims there is no
problem locally, and his rates are really low.
When you get back from wherever, I would like to know how it went.
Mike Eve
{what gobbly gook goes here? Is it required?}dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak) (07/10/84)
-->1) We are currently planning on spending Thanksgiving week
--> in the Caribbean. What kind of weather can we expect?
--> How much rain? Will there be good wind?
You'll be in the charterers high season rate is the first thing
you want to be aware of.The hurricane season will have just ended
so you can expect pretty clear weather with sporadic and short
rain storms.Anywhere south of the Vigin Isles you have a fairly
constant 15-20 Trade wind from the northeast but the westward
side of some islands (the ones with tall mountains) can be
flukey and tricky (you'll be okay about 2 miles off though).
-->2) Most of the bareboat charter companies will arrange to
--> provision the boat for you. Is this a good idea or can
--> we save some money and have more control over things
--> if we do it ourselves?
When we chartered in '75 we did all our own provisioning
and things worked out pretty well.HOWEVER MY BROTHER WAS
WORKING THERE AT THE TIME AT TOOK CARE OF THE ORIGINAL
PROVISIONING !!!!!
I would suggest arranging 2-3 days of provisioning ,that
is if the charterer will do this and then take it from
there. You can also stock up on some of the basics like
stuff for breakfast and wing it from that point.If you
try and do it all for yourself you may find it costing you
more (especially the first couple of days when you don't
know where to shop and don't know what things are negotiable).
-->3) What are the ten things that we are absolutely going to
--> have to have that we should plan on bringing with us?
1) A very casual approach to service - no one is in a hurry
down there.
2) Water proof cameras
3) Water resistant watches
4) A fatalistic approach - anything that can go wrong MIGHT
[We couldn't douse the roller furling genny on our first day
out when the wind came up . So we had to take down the mizzen
and the main. A 44 footer is a strange beast to sail when all
you have up is a 150% genoa. We eventually got into the lee
of the island and got the roller furling to furl.
Make sure you have one or more experienced sailors if you are
going to bare-boat.
5) I'll mail any other things I think of .
-->4) Will we need to convert U.S. $ into local currency and/or
--> do most places accept credit cards such as Mastercard,
--> Visa and American Express?
Depends where you go . The standard is the East Caribbean Dollar
in the ex-British Islands which is approx 50cUS and can be easily
exchanged at most large marinas or hotels $1US gets you $2EC.
In some of the bars that are frequented by a lot of Americans
prices may be listed in US $ beware of this as you dont usually
find out about until its time to pay and you can end up paying double
the norm.Credit cards OK for larger restuarants,hotels ,marinas etc
however you'll miss a lot of the atmosphere if you don't get off the
beaten track a bit.
-->5) Can you from personal experience recommend a particular
--> charter company that has clean, well maintained, well
--> equipped boats?
CSY(Caribbean Sailing Yaghts ) are the standard by which most
others are gauged , I may be a little predjudiced as the manager
of the St Vincent fleet was my brothers' next door neighbour and
close friend.CSY didn't have a boat available(we booked with les
than a weeks notice) and Stevens Yachts was the one we took.
-->6) Most charter companies seem to be based on St. Thomas,
--> St. Maarten or Tortola, which is the preferred area
--> and why? (ie. good snorkeling, beaches, etc...)
Another reason is its a US possession so there's more stability.
Generally speaking first time charterers should charter in the
Bahamas,then the Virgins and then onto the Windward Isles due
to the increasing demands on sailing ability.
-->Jon Lancaster
-->{decwrl|ucbvax}!sun!jonl
Pick up the July 1984 edition of Cruising World for their 1985
Guide to chartering.
--
Dave Peak (pyuxhh!dxp)
" Don't forget, Lady Godiva put everything SHE had on a horse ! "
- W.C. Fields