BVI Travel Help

Travel help

Air
The least expensive air ticket from Minneapolis flies into St Thomas, USVI (STT).  From there I catch the fast ferry toRoad Town…approx. $45. one way.   Don't be tempted to buy a RT ticket even though you save money.  The ferry schedules are so erratic you might end up on a different ferry on the way home.

You can fly also into Beef Island (EIS) on Tortola but I never seem to find very well priced tickets to that airport.  This might be different from the East coast or other departure points.   Kayak and hipmunk are my favorite travel search engines.  They reliably and easily find the least expensive fares and they have nice apps too. They also direct you to the airline web site to buy tickets.  Booking directly with the Airline makes it much easier to deal with changes. 

Ferries

The ferries leave from a dock that is not too far from the airport (20’).  Here’s a link to the BVI ferries to look at the schedule.  You'll be taking the ferry from Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas to Road Town, Tortola.  Be sure to arrive in St. Thomas early enough to get the last ferry to Tortola.  If you can’t manage that, you’ll need to spend the night on St. Thomas and catch an early ferry over.  Arrive as early as possible to the ferry dock.  They fill fast and the schedules can be unpredictable and even change at the last minute.  Buying your ferry ticket ahead of time is a good idea too…they will board those passengers with tickets first and sometimes this is the difference between getting on and not.  I should write a book, well maybe pamphlet, about the Virgin Island ferries!

Accommodations
Sometimes flight schedules necessitate an overnight on either St. Thomas or Tortola.
Check TripAdvisor, there are lots of options and your own taste & price will guide you. Here are a couple of options that sound good.  

Tortola
Be prepared to pay over $100./night and lower your expectations about what you'll get for that price. Still, I'd prefer to overnight on Tortola than on St. Thomas.
RoadTown: near ferry dock Hummingbird B & B

Near Pro Valor: (east end of Tortola), James Young Harbourview Marina, their website is not up and running yet but they have a Facebook page JY Harbour View Marina.  Phone # 1-284-342-1808

Beef Island Guest Houses at Trellis Bay (part of de Loose Mongoose)

St. Thomas

Limited and expensive options.  I avoid it, if at all possible.  But if I do get stuck...I've stayed at Galleon House.  Enormous stair climb, aka stairmaster,  and tiny rooms.  Its close to the ferry dock.  Best thing to say about it.

Other resources

The local newspaper, Limin' Times is a source of info. and a peek into island life.  http://www.limin-times.com/

Fun Sail 2015 - Overview

We are chartering a monohull, Midnight Song, a Beneteau 473, from Pro Valor Charters on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).  Midnight Song has 3 double cabins and 3 heads. Your BVI guide and skipper is Claudia Dengler. You can learn to sail, tie knots, cook on a boat, snorkel, trim sails, serve as crew or just be a passenger.  

Schedule
March 7, 2015       1:00 PM (EST) Board Midnight Song at the James Young Chalwell Marina at Fat Hogs Bay on the East End of Tortola.

March 14, 2015      11:00 AM (EST) we are back at the Marina and ready to head back to our respective destinations.

The Price per person $1,595.  

What’s included?   The boat – a Beneteau 473

All breakfasts (Claudia’s homemade granola is on the menu) & lunches.  We'll find a new island and a new restaurant for dinner each night.

The charter company supplies us with: water, fuel, mooring fees, charter insurance, dinghy with motor, bath & bed linens, kitchenware, 7 nights aboard, National Parks fees, cruising permits, VISAR  (Virgin Islands Search & Rescue) fees and snorkel gear. 

What’s not included? Airfare, ferry tickets ($45. one way), dining ashore, alcoholic beverages, taxis, BVI departure tax ($10.), souvenirs, and personal incidentals.

Payment schedule

Sept. 10^th - $595 a deposit per person to get the ball rolling. 

October 10^th - 50% of balance due, $500.

January 10^th – the remaining 50% of the total amount due, $500.  

Credit cards, checks, bank transfers and cash are all acceptable forms of payment.

Whose coming?
Claudia Dengler, your skipper, Retired executive, USCG 50 ton Master Inland Waters & Great Lakes, OUPV near coastal, sailing & towing endorsements, ASA instructor for Basic Keel Boat, Basic Cruising, Bareboat Charter, Navigation, Catamaran.  Sailing since 1968.  Owner (previously) of 3 sailboats.   Lead instructor at the SailAway Sailing School.
Chris Rieffer & Tom Flint - Chris owns the yarn shop where I buy yarn and knit.  She has made me the knitter that I am today.   Her husband Tom designed my business cards, as a huge favor, he's a marketing wizard with a speciality matters of technology and social media.  This trip is an anniversary present for them and btw they are awesome swing dancers.
Pam Vincent - While we are on the topic of knitting, Pam is a brilliant knitter, a fantastic cook, especially in the baking category, sings with Unitarians, wrote a wonderful mini-homily about her dog and spirituality and marries people for fun.
Kiki Johnson & Margaret Davenport - I've known these 2 the longest.  Kiki is a pediatric anesthesiologist in Northern California. A lover of four footed animals and a wonderful friend.  Margaret is her partner and is winemaker.  With any luck, we'll have a bottle of her wine on board.  They  have one child Sofie, a teenager.
Jacob Saltzman - is my oldest son (29) and lives in Northern California.  These days he is a student of a renown and visionary Austrian farmer named Sepp Holzer.  Jacob is a steward of the land and the 14 acres under his care in Petaluma are going to look a lot better when he is done with it. He knows how to tie a monkey's fist and is willing to teach you how to make one.  You can friend Jake on Facebook...he's got a lot of interesting stuff there.

We might be at the legal limit for the number of talented and interesting people you can put on one vessel!