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Hi Reader,
This is Matt with the Yacht Warriors, and here's what I have for you today:
After 10+ years of flat BVI mooring ball fee prices, $25-30/night, it looks like prices are set to rise across the board in the BVIs.
The announcement first came from BoatyBall in an email to their users at the end of November. These are their changes:
They aren't the only ones increasing prices. Non-Boatyball moorings in Anegada are currently at the $40 mark, and perhaps others. The rest will soon follow, no doubt.
My thoughts? Perhaps it was time for an increase. Costs have no doubt increased over the last 10-15 years?
Don't like it? Here are your options:
A couple annual Top Caribbean Beach Bar lists are in. Here are some highlights popular with charter crews:
USA Today (Top 10)
#1: Yup, you guessed it, the Soggy Dollar Bar
#4: Hendo's Hideout, right next door!
#5: Chat 'N' Chill, Exuma Bahamas
#7: Esther's Bar, Grenada
CaribJournal (Top 25)
#1 Maho Crossroads, St. John. We enjoyed this one on our recent trip to the USVIs.
#3 Loose Mongoose, BVI at Trellis Bay
#12 Tranquil Turtle Beach Bar, Abacos
After jumping through plenty of hoops, ~65% of the Waypoints USVI fleet is now certified to travel to the BVI from USVI. This follows extensive restrictions announced by BVI during Covid in an effort to protect their yacht charter industry.
Here's the Waypoints announcement.
They are the first charter company I've heard that has cleared this difficult hurdle.
The catch? Make sure you check with them or your broker before booking. Yachts new to the fleet might not be certified yet, and I understand some older vessels that will be phased out have not gone through the process.
Sometimes, the best view of the sunset is behind you! We took this photo on a stopover to the Dry Tortugas several years ago.
Sailing Vacations
⛵ Ready to take the trip of a lifetime? I write a twice monthly, free newsletter with planning ideas for your next yacht charter trip: insider destination guides, sailing itineraries, and the latest news.
Hi Reader, Before we hoist sails on today's journey, let's navigate through a couple of recent news items: Last week the Baths bore witness to a charter grounding on the rocks amidst Red Flag conditions. This incident mirrors the lee shore grounding of the Hillbilly a few weeks ago. Takeaways: monitor weather resources vigilantly, respect Red Flag warnings, and steer clear of anchorages that test fate (lee shores). There have been recent reports of multiple stolen dinghies at JVD, BVI. Raise...
Hi Reader, Reports are in: the BVI is buzzing with activity, reaching its peak around the Easter weekend. As the Yacht Warriors crew gears up for our BVI next adventure next month aboard a Lagoon 51, I’m hopeful the crowds will thin a bit. Meanwhile, I kicked off the provisioning for our journey, stowing away those essential hot sauces that no sailing trip can do without. Matouk's and Marie Sharp's are my two favorite hot sauces Safety update: recent groundings in BVI A quick note on safety,...
Hi Reader, We just returned from an amazing land-based trip to St. Thomas for Spring Break. We stayed on the north shore, close to Magens Bay, and enjoyed wonderful vistas stretching all the way to the palm tree-lined shore of White Bay, Jost Van Dyke. Though our sea legs took a brief hiatus, our spirit for exploration remained as we ventured into locales beloved by bareboat charter crews. Here are the pearls of wisdom we unearthed during our visit that might help you on your next USVI or BVI...