TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Questions for a friend...

I have been researching bareboat charters for a friend and now I'm telling my family it's time for us to start planning our return as well!! But let's start with our friend, they are planning a spring 2023 trip. His buddy is a licensed captain and owns a river boat charter company up north, they want a power cat for 4 adults. Our friend with no sailing experience has been to the BVI's on a captained charter, they had a bad experience and that's why they are asking a lot of questions. The captain and his wife have never been to the BVI's and he told me they have zero experience with sails. I have no experience with power cats. What companies have a great track record with power cats on Tortola? and is it uncommon for a sail cat to be chartered by a non-sailor? thanks for any info!

Marine Max is good for power cats.

Maybe Bailau will weigh in. He's strictly a power cat guy.

Rick:
Your friend could do with a 36-40' power cat.

I have a friend too.
Retired DL airline captain, lifetime sailor. We both grew up in S. Fla. He has sailed competitively for 40 years. Hobies to monohulls, 12 feet to 12 meters. Last year, He took his family (3 generations) on a Moorings 46 Power Cat in the BVI. He said that’s the only way he would do it again! I said he's crazy!

I'm waiting a couple of years until our our third generations are a little older and we can go sailing on a 45-50 sailing Cat.

Then again, in a 24 hour day on any sailboat (especially in the BVI) how many hours will you be under sail?
Isn’t that’s why sail or power catamarans are so popular! Private cabins, en suite heads, (electric-flush-freshwater,) three decks, multiple gathering spaces - and still separate places! Add gensets, A/C, Bluetooth, water makers, blue lights, ice makers!

Oh My! Wish I was there RIGHT NOW!

The Moorings 43 PC is a great boat, but the only issue is that one hull is the master with an en-suite bathroom and the other hull has two rooms and a shared bathroom in the middle. If it’s two couples and one is fine not having an en-suite bathroom, then the boat is great. The couple on that side would still have some privacy since the rooms and bathroom are on their own side - just not closed off Iike the master suite. Moorings and Marine Max are the top two for power cats, but somebody offers a Fountaine Pijot (sp?) in the 40 foot range as well - I’d just google it if interested. Good luck!

They sent me a link to a FP44 from Virgin Charter Yachts they might be interested in. I know that company by name only. It looks to have 2 equal master suites. They said a layout like the Moorings 43PC would work with a coin flip.

Appreciate the quick responses, I just texted them to contact Marine Max and Moorings. If any other options are out there I'd appreciate it!

Pretty certain your friend could rent a sailing cat and never put up the sails - they’d need to work that out with base but i have talked to a couple of guys that charter sailing cats with zero sailing experience and no intention of putting sails up.

The benefit in doing this used to be cost…not sure that is still the case though.

Issue with chartering a sail cat and not putting sails up is boat speed - just not going to have the speed power cats do. Also more than a few companies will not charter their sail cats without actual sailing background. I am sure several will but you might not want to be with those companies…..

MIDiver, more I look into these PC's I see apples and oranges. Speed being primary, but even the layouts, I think a PC will give them more of what they are looking for.

Agree Beerman - we're sailors (at least when in the BVI) so our Lagoon is heaven for us but they will likely be best suited for a PC.

I take out the 514PC and it is a great boat...They now have a 534 which is a power cat built on on its own chassis vs the 514 which was apoer cat built on the (sail) cat

The power cat is easy and fun to drive.

If you go Moorings I can walk you through the boat and what you need to know beforehand

We own a Leopard 51 PC in charter with Virgin Charter Yachts. They are a smaller family owned company that is known for their concierge service and the upkeep of the yachts they charter. This is our second boat managed by VCY.

The FP 44 is a great yacht and the perfect size for 2 couples.

Lexington thank you, I always like hearing from owners. If they go that route can I bother you in a pm about miscellaneous stuff? They are talking things over and should have a decision next week.

Bailau, same to you. I’m feeling rusty after all these covid years ugh

Of course! I don’t post often but I’ve learned so much over the years from TTOL so I’m happy to help.

for sure...we went out for 2 weeks last June. Surprised it came back that quickly but the 514 is the devil I know

and as Lexington says this group has taught me way more than anything and forever grateful.

We have done powercats many times with Moorings on the old 484s and the now 514s. Our next trip in 2023 will be on the new 545. A boat captain with any power experience especially with 2 motors will have no issues. The beauty about the BVI's is everything is close and in eye shot from island to island. Where captains have problems on a cat is the throttle. Remember go slow and slight movements. Seems newer captains jam those throttles forward to mush and lunge the boat forward. They only need a tapping forward. I bring down a couple things and make a rigging system on the bow for grabbing mooring balls. We are hooked up in less than 30 seconds. You can PM me if you like. Dont be afraid of a powercat they are very easy to handle. They will provide you with a captain at no charge up to 4 hours to get you comfortable and signed off. They have some great captains that will give you great pointers and info. I have just compared marineMax and Moorings again and MarineMax is always 2K to 5K more. They will tell you about the excellent service and I have not chartered with them before so I think they would have that with their reputation. What left a bad taste in my mouth was 2017 in the mooring field of Levericks a MarineMax charter came in doing circles trying to get a ball. The boat was listing over and we went to help and learned that the captain had never driven a boat before and was allowed to take the boat. They had torn the shaft, prop and rudder system off the port side when they drove over the reef in Anegada. They cruised and the boat kept turning to starboard due to the port side was missing. Somehow luckily they made it 14 miles across the channel and into North Sound. They contacted marineMax and they were told to get off the boat and let is sink! The captain had no idea how to call a mayday or if his bilge pumps were on. We nursed the boat over to Leverick's fuel dock and a pump boat assisted pumping the water out of the boat. The next morning MarineMax sent a crew over and a diver stated there was a 5 ft hole in the bottom of the boat. The plugged it and towed the boat away. They were willing to let this boat sink in the Sound all for insurance money and not thinking of the eco-system they charter in. So I say choose wisely. Have a great time!!

454….the boats (both power and sail) just keep getting bigger and bigger and the already tight mooring fields getting smaller and smaller……

Please! It's literally is 2 feet bigger. Trust me they are not a cargo ship or an oil tanker...Plenty of room in the mooring fields.

Guess we will have to agree to disagree, Steve.🌴

Depends on the mooring field, how everyone is moored, and what the wind and waves are doing. In CGB I have been within a couple of feet of another boat - certainly much closer than I was expecting or wanted - because of how the boats drifted with no real wind that day. Both the other captain and I shortened our bridals, and we were both satisfied. At the Caves, the balls are pretty tight, and I have seen boats be pretty damned close - luckily it is not an overnite stop.

All I am saying is that with all the 50s coming out - and yes, the trend in charter is bigger is better - MIDiver has a point. Its just one more thing to watch out for. And for those who say its not, well, its like everything else on the water - eventually it will come to visit.

Keep Smiling!!!

I thought this thread was done, BUT before it goes out in the weeds....my friend, his buddy and their wives have decided to charter a PC with Moorings. "Buddy" owns and operates a river boat charter company, has a 100T Masters, from the little I know he well exceeds the qualification checklist!! As I said at the beginning, my friend has chartered in the BVI's once and had a bad experience, Buddy has never been to the BVI's, with recommendations here and a little research they decided on the boat and charter company that fit their needs.

I asked the question about chartering a sail cat and not actually raising a sail, I now understand the negatives with this, but FYI Moorings sent them a link to the new owners version Leopard 42, pretty nice! Moorings said if someone on your crew has sail cat experience they could charter that. So, it sounds like at least Moorings requires sail experience.

I haven't heard from them in a couple weeks. Now that the hard part of choosing the boat is done they'll start asking more detailed questions I'm sure. They charter in March 2023.