TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Sunsail Charter start time (of day)

I’m looking at Sunsail charter which is showing a start time on contract of 6 pm day of charter. Is this common practice lately? Curious if anyone has used them and when you can realistically get off the dock. At 6 pm that’s probably realistically a morning start and overnight at
Dock. I’m actually looking at St Martin base - not Tortola - but TTOL SXM is never about bareboating - just trying to get a feel for Sunsail’s standard checkout procedures.

Thanks!

We have not used them for a quite a while, but the evening start was standard in the BVI and Grenadines. Basically, you get a 6 day charter with a sleep aboard.

This is still correct.

Yup, sleep aboard. Not possible to get off the dock with a 6pm start.

Last 5 years we've been with Sunsail.

We arrive to the marina around 7pm, if we still have some fight left in us after 18hrs travelling then we sort provisions out from Riteway. Next morning final few details, check-out briefing and then get off the dock as soon as possible.

Best we've done is about 9.30am cast off. Worst (due to some bits that needed fixing/sorting on the boat) was midday. In either case...nice sail down to Norman, pick up ball...get into that azure water, snorkel...painkiller...painkiller...painkiller.

We always find it hard to get onto 'island time' that first morning...when you just want to get going! But...trying to rush the staff at the base doesn't usually help!

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The hassels of actually getting underway. The below is just to help and what we have found keeps thing easy and efficent.

We were usually out of the docks, by noon to 1 pm, and headed over to Norman and the Willy T.

That was many years with the moorings and sunsail . .

The last two years , we have been bare boating with Conch. Going with them again in a few days. ( two weeks of sailing )
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Again, this is just to maybe help keep you ahead of the power curve, and have a happy ship load of friends.

With Conch, we have a sleep aboard, that begins at 4:30 pm, the boat is cleaned, watered, fueled, checked by staff and ready for us to board and leave the next day. Small fee for the early sleep aboard.
That plan really helps us to depart road harbor early the next day. Early the next day, we will re- top off all water tanks .

For the early boarding, sleep aboard , We do not sit around on the boat, We are busy preparing . And I mean very busy, and after the work is done and the sun is down, it is grub and grog time, and hit the rack.

Early boarding procedures : 1630 hrs.

1. Go to Rireway and load up and stow provisions and board at 4:30 pm. Load up with a couple giant bags of ICE. .

2. Go thru the vessel inventory to make sure everything is on board, and we know exactly where it is located. Check off each one on the inventory list. That is done.

3. Also also begin our own personal pre departure check list as well. We locate all ships gear, operate all of the different systems, electrical, engine room, check rigging and sails. anchors, electronics, bilges , marine head, batteries etc.
Actually some of it , we will finish up first thing the next morning . Anything that we are not familar with, the briefer will going over the next day during his overall boat system brief. This not only saves time, but we discover
any problems that can be fixed or corrected and not hold us up getting out of the docks the next day.

4. Navigation and plotting : Nav, charts, course, ETA to destination, mooring fields. navaids, , things to do ashore. All done and taken care of.

Next Day,

5. Scheduled chart briefing should be fairly early on your departure day.. I think the moorings and sunsail were early , about 9 am.

6, System brief wold be about 10:00 or 11:00 am. That would will also go along fairly quickly due to our earlier pre sailing personal checks and inspections.

Don't forget , you also have to brief the passengers and crew on the systems as well. And with the catamarans, that is one heck of a lot of people.

Erica attends the chart and systems briefing. Also, we have any questions for the briefer written out as well.

We have found, that if we are prepared, we can get thru the chart brief, and boat systems brief, and let go dock lines and be under sail.

I feel sorry for Erica.

salty

Sunsail does offer a 12 PM start. To make that happen your still going to need to stay close by overnight. 6 PM start with overnight at the dock seems to work.

Thanks for the confirmations...again, I'm looking at a charter out of St Martin (not BVIs) but clearly its an overnite at dock which is just good to know in advance...thanks!

NC.

In response to your post. .

You FEEL SORRY FOR ERICA ? Your quote in regard to my post. Be advised we are a Team and she is right there with me thru all of what I posted.

Well, we have been a real TEAM for 36 years, notice the word TEAM. We have been sharing real life sea ,land and air adventures that actually are life challenging. .
,
. .
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OK, that being said, maybe you can actually, learn a bit about the marvelous lady who you FEEL SORRY FOR. . Ready !!!

1. Put herself thru college as an impoverished student, and earned a masters degree. No 40 to 400 million dollar free ride from mommy and daddy..; She did this all on her own.

2. Then medical school, and become an M.D. and now a retired supervising physician from L.A. County Health Dept. ( She will never mention this )

3. Add in, the fun things that she has accomplished. Because she is a true adventure loving person.

( these topics she loves to share with others who share theirs ) Fun talk story good times.

* World traveler from childhood to present.
* Sky Diver
* PADI certified , open water, advanced and rescue diver
* Outdoors lady hiking the Sierras, with a back pack, map , compass, etc. None of the electronic BS.
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* Erica is a real sailor and seaman, qualified up thru 46 ft. sailing vessels with The Moorings, and Sunsail , and sailing clubs , Sailed world wide. She uses coastal navigation. No electronic whiz ding crutches required.
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* Private Pilot and 200 hr Aerobatic Pilot. ( rolls, loops, stalls, spins, split s', etc, etc. )
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Together , Life has been and still is an Adventure.

Good stuff, off to the BVI tomorrow.....as a TEAM.

Oh, and I read your post to Erica.....she says, it is OK but " You do not have to FEEL SORRY FOR HER. "
















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Who would like to see the moonings?

I could not resist, sorry.

I feel sorry for "anyone" that has to be on that boat!

He seems like a well intentioned guy. Too much of a narcissist, though.

That's funny.