SaraWW
New Member
Posts: 3 
Jeanneau Model: Sun Odyssey 379
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Post by SaraWW on Sept 14, 2015 21:16:28 GMT
My husband and I purchased our SO 379 last fall, so this is our first full season as sail boaters. We took lessons last year and have been out cruising on the Chesapeake Bay almost every weekend this summer and consider ourselves confident newbies!
We received information about the Jeanneau owners group chartering in the BVIs in March 2016 and are seriously considering joining the group. It seems like a great opportunity to get sailing experience during the off season, we can charter our same SO 379, and we'll be part of a group if we run into any hairy situations.
We've read the BVIs have mostly friendly sailing conditions in March, but are we too inexperienced for a trip like this? Would anyone recommend waiting to get more experience? Thanks!
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Post by psychotiller on Sept 14, 2015 23:00:05 GMT
You're ready, it doesn't get any more user friendly than the BVI. If you can dodge your way around all those crab pots in the Chesapeake you can sail the BVI no problem. Navigation is extremely easy, nearly every destination you'll be headed you can see while sailing. Grabbing a mooring ball may be a bit tricky the first day or two if you don't have experience but by the third day you'll be a pro and realize it's easier than docking a boat. The most difficult part of the trip will be deciding if you should go ashore for dinner or stay on board. It's an amazing place, you won't have any problems especially if you're on a boat you already know. Currents are minimal, there are very few reefs you need to worry about and generally the winds are fairly moderate. We went last year for the first time and are going back again in a couple months. I highly recommend it, you should go for sure!
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SaraWW
New Member
Posts: 3
Jeanneau Model: Sun Odyssey 379
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Post by SaraWW on Sept 15, 2015 1:33:16 GMT
Thanks for the feedback and vote of confidence! If hooking mooring balls will be our greatest challenge, then we are better off than I thought, since we've had some good experience hooking moorings in Annapolis this summer.  |
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Post by hoppy on Sept 15, 2015 6:36:45 GMT
I've never been there, but I totally agree with PT's comments. I can't imagine that there is anywhere in the world where companies like Sunsail and Moorings with large fleets that you should not consider sailing the same boat you already have. Most first time charterers don't have the luxury and experience of sailing the same boat they will charter. Picking up a mooring buoy is not that hard. The first time I ever did it was in my first season, 20knots of wind and solo. Ok, it did take 2 attempts I've been tempted to do a charter there, but I was thinking of going bigger (50ft) to see what its like. |
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Post by Tafika II on Sept 15, 2015 18:20:10 GMT
Congratulations on your boat and learning . If you can sail the Chesapeake, you can handle the BVI's without a problem. We've chartered there with the Moorings. The BVI Rendezvous is great fun and a good way to meet people; unfortunately, we thought we were going on our on boat this year, but have had to post pone the trip for one year
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Post by Zanshin on Sept 16, 2015 6:18:30 GMT
The BVI is a great sailing destination and I'm sure the Jeanneau meet in March is going to be a good one - I'll be participating as well.
I know the BVI quite well and despite it being a chartering Mecca and quite busy during the high season, one can always find an anchorage or location that is less crowded or even empty.
The BVI are a small island group and there are many protected anchorages available. Most of them have mooring balls available and bars/restaurants ashore. If one anchorage is full then the next is never more than a 1 hour sail or even shorter drive by engine away. Then winds are always from ENE to ESE at 10 to 15 knots at that time of year. Sometimes there are north swells when a major storm system sends it's greetings from the U.S. east coast, but then one can still seek protected anchorages in places such as Diamond Cay and the Virgin Gorda North Sound to get a restful night of sleep.
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Post by j24sailor on Oct 5, 2015 0:51:02 GMT
I laugh when I think back to our first charter down in the BVIs for my 40th. I brought down my own GPS, charts and nav equipment (I didn't own a sextant at that time or I am sure I would have brought that as well), lifejackets with my own jack lines and all attachments just in case we needed to go up on deck. Needless to say I was almost prepared to go off shore, because I was nervous and didn't think I knew enough (I was a dingy instructor and crewed on bigger boats). You have nothing to worry about. It was much easier than I ever thought. Going to Anegada is a little more interesting and you could probably do it, we left it to our third trip down. This is easy sailing and I was much more stressed about it all than I should have been. I think the fact that we are so worried about sailing in the BVIs makes us better sailors. Go have fun. It is an amazing place.
James
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Post by so40gtb on Oct 6, 2015 2:10:30 GMT
We've chartered in the Virgins 4 times, once as crew on a cat, after our second year of boat ownership, and skippering two monohull vacations and last winter's cat adventure. The sailing is probably easier than on the Chesapeake (we lived nearby and took lessons there back in the '90s), unless the wind is unusually brisk and more northerly. The conditions are forgiving, particularly if you pay close attention to sail area management. Being part of a flotilla group takes most of the newbie guesswork out of it. Avoid the "spring break" weeks in March, if you can, as it's far too crowded then. We've found late February to be the best time for us.
Our first time down, I ended up at the helm for most of the adventure, since my wife and I weren't part of the "clothes optional" folks out on the trapeze. No prior cat experience. No problem. The mooring fields are generally easy to navigate. Do watch the depth gauge when entering lesser harbors and anchoring, though. We take our auto-inflate PFDs, compass-equipped binoculars, and tethers with, but the jacklines and such stay home. The tethers seem to find other purposes aboard. Make sure that you have at least one "dry bag".
Also, print out relevant pages from the NOAA "Booklet Charts", available online for free, to study during the flight down. They're less detailed much beyond St. John & St. Thomas, but the familiarization beforehand eases the chaos later.
A fun dampener are obnoxious liveaboards that put out a 10:1 anchor scope to keep everyone else far away, especially any charter boat, and usually in crowded places, during "high season". One of our friends, with 40 years' sailing experience, was cursed out by a liveaboard guy as an "amateur" just because he was skippering a charter boat. When challenged, the liveaboard admitted that he had been sailing half as long. Most of the liveaboards are far more courteous.
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Post by chuckr on Oct 11, 2015 8:30:36 GMT
Great idea -- and yes the BVI's usually provide good wind and the way they are situated you get very little seas. The only real down side is anchoring as when we sailed it we were told that charter companies require you to take a mooring ball. I am not sure of that as we had our own boat.
But anchoring is a real skill and we worked on it a lot, both up and down, and now it is really second nature to us.
Good luck and have fun.
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Post by MartyB on Oct 11, 2015 20:04:47 GMT
www.sunsail.com/jeanneauI doubt there will be a ton of anchoring on the trip the OP is talking about. More like sailing from marina to marina, eating, drinking, partying, repeat! Marty
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Post by ForGrinsToo on Oct 14, 2015 19:27:53 GMT
Two charters in the BVI are what convinced us to look for a Sun Odyssey of our own. Fleets tend to be Jeanneau or Beneteau.
The best advice: get moving early, have your coffee under sail, get to the next destination when most people are leaving. We planned our legs for at least 15 nm of sailing each day to arrive by noon for hiking, swimming, snorkeling. We had no issues with finding a nicely located mooring or a good spot to drop the hook (of the three big vendors we've used, none cautioned against anchoring). Only once were we forced to choose an alternate destination as all the park moorings were occupied.
If you've been doing weekends in the Chesapeake, you should have no issues in the BVI.
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Post by chuckr on Oct 15, 2015 7:39:49 GMT
Two charters in the BVI are what convinced us to look for a Sun Odyssey of our own. Fleets tend to be Jeanneau or Beneteau. The best advice: get moving early, have your coffee under sail, get to the next destination when most people are leaving. We planned our legs for at least 15 nm of sailing each day to arrive by noon for hiking, swimming, snorkeling. We had no issues with finding a nicely located mooring or a good spot to drop the hook (of the three big vendors we've used, none cautioned against anchoring). Only once were we forced to choose an alternate destination as all the park moorings were occupied. If you've been doing weekends in the Chesapeake, you should have no issues in the BVI. Great suggestion on the out early in early. It seems to us any time you are in an area where there is a lot of charter boats get out early and get in early. We find sometimes we are getting in just as some of the charter boats are leaving. And in crowded areas you can "stake out" your territory and have a terrific day having fun and not worry about getting in late. |
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ubeda
Junior Member
Posts: 11 
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Post by ubeda on Oct 16, 2015 18:53:06 GMT
Sara WW, you're definitely not a newbie compared to many charterers in the BVI - you'll love it. we've been the last four years in high season and the only anchorage you will struggle to get into is Cooper Island and Anegada...... You'll find a mooring ball just about anywhere else.
Also, bear in mind that in just about every anchorage there is always room to drop the anchor in sand, especially Anegada !!! .....enjoy, Ubeda
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Post by alenka on Nov 22, 2015 11:44:46 GMT
I was surprised just how compact the BVI cruising ground is. Which means you are never very far from a safe haven if things turn unpleasant but days on the water can be a little short.
The only word of caution I would offer is to be very mindful of reefs and shoal areas. One morning I took a nap in the cockpit and left the sailing/navigation to the crew, When I awoke I was struck with dread as the bottom was clearly just a few feet beneath our keel. They hadn't been taking notice and assumed because they were a fair distance from land the water would be deep!!
The shoals were clearly marked on the paper chart but no on the chart plotter.
Here is the cruise (route) we managed in two weeks.
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Post by cpetku on Mar 12, 2016 3:55:48 GMT
It's a great place to go. Stay in the Sir Frances Drake Channel and you'll have no problem. I like sailing the open ocean on the north coast of Tortola. The one area I didn't care for was south of Norman and Peter as there are more reefs and you can't stay close to shore. This was on a trip where every day we had weather in the channel and I was able to avoid it one day on the south side, but eventually we got into heavy swells that required running the engines. The only issues I've ever had have been with the Dingy. Once I spun a prop. I've wrapped the tow line around a prop (and dived to cut it free). Another time heavy seas pushed it under a piling on Yost Van d**e causing a hole in a tube. Not fun taking people ashore (or picking them up) with a damaged dingy while waiting for service.
Most of the time the BVI's are a very relaxed atmosphere where you have to remember you're on island time. Anyone who owns their own yacht, feels comfortable reading a map and can pick up a mooring will have no troubles.
One of my favorite anchorages for the last night is Cooper. Get there early and find a mooring then make reservations for dinner. Great photos of sunsets down the SFDC. Likewise pony up for dockage at the Virgin Gorda yacht harbor. Great sunset shots from the marina. This is a chance to treat yourself and the crew to Air Conditioning as well, but don't try to save s few bucks as there is a minimum charge for the electric hookup. You can spend as much keeping the fridge cool as you might keeping the entire boat cool. If you want to do some diving, both Cooper and VGYH have excursions that you can hop on (actually the boat may leave from VGYH and pickup at cooper...).
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Post by moonshadow on Jul 19, 2018 12:07:58 GMT
The Abacos in the Bahamas is great also. Try Cruise Abaco for charter. Lots of jeanneau boats and lots of options for any additional training you might want. Easy help available for any problems while you enjoy sailing.
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