TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums US VI and Puerto Rico CYOA Upgraded us to a Helia 44!

Whoo-hoo!

I just heard from CYOA that due to a mechanical problem with our boat, they will be upgrading us to a brand-new 2015 Helia 44-3 Catamaran, Big Papa LuLu!

This boat will be perfect for cruising the Spanish Virgin Islands, which is where we're going! I'll explain why...

In the SVI the closest dock to the USVI and BVI where you can get fuel and water is all the way west (down wind) to Marina Del Ray in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. You can get fuel and water in a pinch at Culebra and Vieques but it will be in 5 gallon increments via your dingy. Ugh! Also, getting ice is almost equally inconvenient in the SVI.

Big Papa Lulu will solve these problems with:

A large fuel capacity - 123 gallons.
A water-maker.
An ice-maker.
A cockpit fridge which will save on ice-use.

No more mandatory salt-water showers, and no more schlepping ice half a mile and then into the dingy!

I have a feeling that it's gonna be hard going back to a boat that doesn't have these amenities! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

This will be our 31st year chartering with CYOA.

Thanks CYOA!



http://cyoacharters.com/VesselDetail.asp?vessel=helia44-4

Oh - I should mention another perk of going to the SVI from the USVI... NO CUSTOMS! NO BVI CRUISING FEES!

You call C&I on your cell-phone during the sail from STT to Culebra to check in. Read them your names and passport numbers.

The cost to cruise the SVI is $ZERO dollars. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />
You can anchor almost everywhere at a cost of $ZERO dollars per night. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

The last time eight of us cruised the BVI for a week it cost us about $400 dollars in cruising fees! Then add essentially a week of mooring ball costs at around $30 a pop... about another $200. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

funny, my grand father was papa LuLu

Twanger - I'll look forward to your report! We have her chartered in Oct

Sounds like a great upgrade! Have fun!

I've never really understood the ice issue though - only reason we need ice typically is for drinks. Otherwise the freezer stays plenty cold and we typically have room for drinks in the fridge. Although this upcoming trip will be the largest group we've had in many years.. (8 of us!)

Matrix - Lately, we never have had room for beer and soft drinks in the fridge. We've been cruising with 8-people though. Ten days of food for 8 people seems to pack the fridge to the gills.

So... we'd buy ice and ice-down the beer and sodas in the cockpit cooler, and that would consume basically a bag of ice a day, so... generally we bought two bags every two days. Then there's another bag every two days for drinks. So... in a typical trip we'd buy something like 15 bags of ice at $3-$4/bag. It will be nice not to have to do that!

One trick we'd do to help save on beer ice was once the freezer could fit a gallon jug of water we'd freeze one every night, and that would go into the outside cooler. By the end of the day it would be melted, but still cold, and we'd use it for cold-water to drink.

We do the gallon jug in the freezer trick as well - works wonders to 'stretch' a bag of ice

Matt....you are traveling with a guy who chose the name BEERMAN for TTOL, I don't think a few bottles of beer in the fridge will cut it <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> I plan to convert the Polar Bear into the drink cooler after unloading the frozen goods! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />

We've been out on Glad In It, a CYOA Helia 44, this week. A water maker would have been welcome with 10 on board. I'll write a review, but 7 adults and 3 kids work great. The kids love the coffin bunks and sleep late.

SVIs for us in October. It's just the two of us, so we should be able to stretch De Life's 95 gallons of water.

Cheers, RickG