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We have done two bare powerboat cruises in the BVIs and love it. Are we missing out not trying another cruising ground? Our priorities are great snorkeling, secluded bays, deserted beaches, beautiful islands, alot of different areas to explore... Anyone have other areas we should try?

Start your next charter from St Thomas and visit St John and the Spanish Virgin Islands (Culebra, Culebrita, Vieques).

We got interested in the BVIs from our love of St John. We vacationed there several times and the snorkeling in the many bays is fabulous.

Good question J,

All we can recommend is what we have experienced as to your request. Some will not be in the Caribbean, but might be worth thinking about.

* Australia : Whitsunday Islands for a week or 10 days . We combined the Sailing of the Whitsundays, mostly secluded anchorages, great snorkeling, hikes ashore, no hotels or bars on most of the islands except Hamilton
where we picked up our sailing vessel. The many islands and anchorages, and long , peaceful inlets, are just perfect. Blue Pearl Bay, at Hayman was one fantastic snorkel site, There are several others.

We also had land based adventures....this was two different trips of 30 days. it is a bloody long airplane ride from LAX , and we planned on seeing and experiencing as much as possible.

Also, on both trips, we SCUBA DIVED, the Great Barrier Reef, and Coral Sea. Plus we were spoiled silly on the 120 ft fun and friendly luxury dive boat....THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM. Sharks, Mantas, hundreds of reef fish, and colorful corals.

On land, we white water rafted the Tully River , class 5 of 5. This aint no sissy float, it is paddle or die. Might have been White Water Rafters, We did great, and it was fantastic. We also hiked the rain forrests, some guided and some on our own.

We explored lots of Queensland, and also on the last trip stayed several days ( after sailing and diving ) up in Cape Trib, off the grid, at the Exoitc Fruit Farm, B and B. Digby and Allison were our hosts. We were off
exploring the bush every day, and also, one day, took a small boat out to MACKAY REEF....we have snorkeled world wide, and this site was FANTASTIC with marine life that we had never seen before. the Giant, huge,
monster, Irradecent clams , well there are no words, but those were just part of the healthy colorful reef, and other marine life.


Our first trip : After arriving in Sydney, we spent a few days getting aclimated and wanted to learn about the land and sea creatures. We stayed at the Rock,s and took the Sydney Harbor ferry, no rental cars, to the
Phenominal Sydney Zoo, and another day, the Sydney Aquarium, and the Marine Museum. Plus each time, we had a great tour of Sydney Harbor.

Our Main Base ( land ) was in Cairns, and a load of fun, as well as going off exploring other interesting and fun sites. ( the second trip, we skipped Sydney, and based out of Cairns, and Sailed the Whitsundays, and did
a 3 day SCUBA Trip out to the Great Barrier Reef, and added in Cape Tribulation.\ and Mackay Reef.

Actually, Australia and the Aussies are fantastic, and we did a good share of hitting the pubs as well.
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We have sailed quite a bit of the Caribbean, one other idea or two...

ABACOS , BAHAMAS . Very neat, great fun, mix and match quiet anchorages, with quaint and feel good small villages on the cays. Shallow water, so shallow draft is a good plan.

Windwards : The islands that we liked, were St. Lucia, we skipped St. Vincent, back in those days. This was Sailing. The Passages are long, and the winds are great.
Some of our stops, Bequia, Tobago Cays ( Snorkeling ), Palm Island, and Petite St. Vincent . There are other islands, but those are the ones that I can remember.

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Motor Vessel THE RIVER SHANNON , IRELAND. ( only two of us.....32 to 34 ft power boats for the two of us. They have up to 40 plus footers for larger groups . Emerald Isle Cruises. ( we booked thru the moorings , but you can go direct )

This was also two separate trips and the only power boat vacations that we have had. . No snorkeling, but plenty of neat riverside villages, hikes, castles, historical sites, and the pubs. And of course the wonderful Irish people.
The fun light was lit, singing along in the pubs, and enjoying the beautiful rural country side as we slowly cruised up the river for a couple hundred km. top speed is about 5 kts on the river. No hurries. ( two weeks ) plus the land stays.

After being on the river, we spent a few days in Dublin, no rental car, used the Ho-Ho ( Hop on Hop off double decked bus ) toured the guinness factory, and had a grand time at an IRISH HOUSE PARTY, plus a rebel walking tour of Dublin,
all kinds of things to see , and tour, and of course frequented several different pubs meeting people, singing songs, and Ireland was GREAT. . Before the taking the motor vessel up river, we stayed a few days at the PORTUMAN HOUSE BED AND BREAKFAST, David and Una became wonderful friends, Too many things of interest in Ireland to relate here but both trips were very, very special and relating to people every day , well those experiences have stayed on our hearts
and memories..

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The above are just a few of the sailing vacations that perhaps would sound good to you as a power boat skipper . There are many wonderful places and open and frieindly people and grand adventures to experienced world wide.

Life is an Adventure

Friendship is precious cargo

Have fun,

Denny and Erica

Thank you, we are looking at the Windward islands, maybe Grenadines. Thanks.

Glad you started this post, I was just wondering the same thing this week. Looking to start a sail from STT with either CYOA or Island Yachts, (really want to try out an Island Packet). Love the idea of exploring St John and hopping over to the BVI. We have chartered several times with Moorings, and don't profess to be an expert on the BVI's, but love new adventures and new to me anchorages. I like the thought of longer passages of sailing the Windward Islands.

I've been looking into other ideas for future trips too. I'd like to try Guadeloupe, but travel is a problem. I was recently reading about chartering out of Key West and visiting Marquesas and Dry Tortugas. I'm sailing in the BVI's in a couple of months. After that trip I will probably start looking into other locations more seriously. I love the BVI, but the cost are getting too high. The travel cost right now is really high. ATL to STT is about $1000 right now. We're flying SJU to EIS an it was actually $200-ish cheaper. ATL to FLL is maybe $200, but then you have to rent a car or take a shuttle to Key West. Still, I think I could do a Key West trip for $1500-$2000 per couple cheaper than the upcoming BVI trip.

We are thinking the same thing...LOVE the BVI but we are wondering about going out of St. Martin to see Anguilla, St. Barts, etc....

Loved the BVI, done the winwards, looking for more.
We sailed Greece three years ago. We are doing Croatia in July. Both with Moorings.
Any input welcomed. I posted something in other forum here on TTOL asking for advice.

Some other areas to consider...

New Zealand - Bay of Islands - fabulous sailing ground, but for us it was once and done. You really can experience 'Four Seasons in one day' here. Prefer Caribbean but would still recomend.

Australia - Whitsunday Islands - enjoyed a lot, but again a once and done for us. But certainly somewhere to consider, if you like BVI you'll love it.

Australia - Great Barrier Reef - Cairns up to Lizard Island - AMAZING! Highly, highly recommend. Incredible sailing ground, snorkeling I have to say puts the BVI to shame, both coral and fish are spectacular. Beautifully deserted, little islands similar to Sandy Spit and Sandy Cay dotted around all over the place, just minus the other boats. Easy provisioning at various places along the way but more of a self-sufficient cruising area, not beach-bars around every corner!

Greece - Cyclades - Good, but missed the steady trade-winds and a lot of other things. Prefer Caribbean.

Greece - Ionian - Beautiful but again for us its just not as amazing as the Caribbean.

Tyrrhenian Sea - We did Sardinia to Sicily to Naples. Fabulous sailing and thoroughly enjoyed Sicily, quite an unsung gem of a place. Sardinia...crazy place, if you think BVI is becoming expensive, this is next level! Naples...would avoid in future, albeit good for provisioning.

Do you have to go through customs at every island in the windward islands? Grenada, Carriacou, etc? How long does this process take? Which islands is it required?

Speaking of the windwards, I've heard the seas can be rough. We've got two kids 8 and 10 years old so we wouldn't want anything too rough. Any firsthand accounts?

Yes, you do need to clear in and out of each country as you go, though not each island. So you will need to check out of Carriacou (part of Grenada) and into St. Vincent - probably at union island. Then back out and in again. Offices vary, but I would plan 1.5 hours +/-. At Union, you check in and out at the airport, which is about a 30 minute walk from the harbor, so that could be a little bit longer unless you get a ride.

In most cases, only the captain checks in (with all passports) for the crew (check each county's requirements). It really helps to 1) have all your papers in order and properly filled out in advance whenever possible, 2) be patient, getting pushy and impatient will not help, 3) have cash for the fees. Overall, it's just another part of the experience.

TC42 - the passages can be rougher, I would take kids if they had prior experience and I would want a flexible schedule to be able to pick a weather window. It really depends on individual preferences, experience and the boat.

Agree with the above about the Whitsundays, AUS. We included Hamilton Is and GBR, Brisbane and Sydney in that trip. Have since returned to Hamilton Is and Airlie Beach. Loved it and will be returning often. The Aussies are some of the nicest people we've encountered. And the cities are so clean!

Bay of Islands , NZ is stunning! The scenery is incredible. We are spending more time in AUS but want to see more of NZ too. We sailed up the coast from Auckland, fabulous trip, and enjoyed BoI, but didn't get to see other areas. People there are awesome too.

Another trip on my list is Seychelles. Land and Sea.

Hi jredenbaugh,

I've done captained charters in the Grenadines twice, and highly recommend those islands. Bucket list material in my opinion. Bequia, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, just can't be beat. Both times we based out of St. Vincent, but you can also reach them from Grenada. Regarding your customs question, if you base from St. Vincent you can have a week plus itinerary all in the Grenadines without needing to clear customs anywhere. One night we anchored off Petit St. Vincent (in St. Vincent and the Grenadines) and dinghied over to Petit Martinique (Grenada) for dinner, without customs formalities - it was expected / understood / casual. Absolutely one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Cheers,
Randy

Great feedback. Thank you. I think Moorings is just out of Grenada now. So we will probably be based out of there. I am not sure we can make Bequia from there on a 7 day cruise.

The triangle from St. Martin to Anguilla to St Barth's is often the next step for those venturing beyond the BVI. Each island has its own personality with plenty to do ashore and nice anchorages.

A one way trip south through the Windwards and Grenadines is another great option. A lot of different anchorages and islands to explore. You'll be in more open water on a couple of the crossings than in the BVI or even the St Martin area. It's not always as fun coming back North, thus the one-way charter.

You will never forget the first time you sail into an atoll, especially if it's Bora Bora. Even if the opening is a quarter mile wide, there's definitely a pucker factor that will having you griping the wheel! We loved sailing Tahiti!

The Cyclades are also great. As much about exploring ashore as it is about sailing. Countless beautiful beaches and all they offer. There are some long sails and if the Meltemi is blowing it can feel like you're sailing in a washing machine. I don't know what it's like these days, when we went, hiring a captain was a must to deal with the Harbor Captains yelling in Greek.

The Sea of Cortez is beautiful the way the desert is. Not much of anything in the way of amenities ashore anywhere. More cruisers than charter boats. Great snorkeling and secluded beaches.

State-side, the Florida Keys can be fun as can cruising San Diego or chartering from Marina del Rey or Redondo to Catalina. Even SF Bay, Seattle/Puget Sound, and Vancouver can be great if you can forgo the tropics!

Once you scratch the surface, there are really countless great cruising grounds to explore!