Hurricane Irma Destroys Charter Fleet in BVI - Now Where?

Our hearts reach out to all those affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. With Irma at maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and minimum barometric pressure of 916 mb, this has been the worst Hurricane in the Atlantic is history. Consequently, the yacht charter fleet in BVI and St Martin has been severely damaged along with marina facilities. Most yacht charter companies are reporting they will not be in operation in the BVI until at least December 2017. Saint Martin was hit worst and more than likely they will not be operational until January 2018. While Maria knocked out Puerto Rico, the charter fleet was battened down in hurricane holes enough to remain undamaged. However with out electricity in PR – it is difficult to contact the bases for futher information.

NAUTICED IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE RAISED $70,000 FOR OUR BVI RELIEF FUND FROM THE GENEROUS AND KIND DONATIONS OF OUR STUDENTS. GO NAUTICED STUDENTS, YOU ROCK! FUNDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENT TO THE VIRGIN UNITE BVI FUND. SEE OUR GOFUNDME CAMPAIGN

Anyone who is planning a yacht charter vacation to the Caribbean for any time in 2017 or 2018 should heed that there is going to be a severe lack of available boats and prices will rise accordingly. If you are thinking about a charter, act soon.

NauticEd is able to book yacht charters worldwide – click here to inquire

Here is an update from some of the charter companies (as of Sept 27th)

Dream Yacht Charter
BVI: re-opening mid-November 2017 with new boats already purchased
Puerto Rico: re-opening mid-October
St Martin: re-opening mid-November with new boats already purchased
Martinique: open now – expanded the fleet to absorb the demand moving from the BVI

The Moorings
BVI: re-open December 9th
Puerto Rico: re-open December 9th
Antigua: Opening new base date to be announced
St Martin: re-opening Feb 1st

Sunsail
BVI: re-opening Dec 8th
St Martin: re-opening January 31st
Antigua: Open and expanding the fleet on Nov 4th

Catamaran Company
BVI: Office and docks intact re-opening November 1st
Fleet – new boats on order for arrival in November

Sail TMM
BVI: re-opening mid-December with New boats arriving

Sail Caribe
Puerto Rico: No phone or electricity – fleet 100% intact.

Virgin Island Yacht Charters
USVI: Operational now with no damage to the fleet

CYOA
USVI: re-opening mid-December

BVI facilities:
RiteWay Grocery Store: open with fresh produce (hats off to these guys they did not raise prices when supplies were limited)
Tamarin Club hotel and restaurant: re-opened
Foxy’s: opening Nov 1st
Soccy Dollar: opening Nov 1st
Bomba Shack: reports all their panties were blown away and are looking for new donations
Tico Liquor Store: open and distributing (needed rum in particular)
Ferry Roadtown to St Thomas: Operating

Here is a quick round-up of the typical locations in order of north to south.

WHAT EVER YOU CHOOSE, OUR ADVICE IS TO BOOK FAST. IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING A SAILING VACATION ANYTIME FOR THE NEXT YEAR, BOOK IT NOW. INVENTORY WILL GO FAST.

NAUTICED ARE AGENTS FOR ALL YACHT CHARTER COMPANIES WORLD WIDE.
We don’t charge a fee – the same price as going direct but we can do an advanced search for you and make the booking.

WE CAN EVEN PUT BOATS ON HOLD WHILE YOU ROUND UP THE CREW

Make a sailing vacation inquiry here

Bahamas: All charter companies open

Puerto Rico: Maria did severe infrastructure damage to the island but the fleets of charter boat remained undamaged. Expect the charet bases to be operating November.

BVI and USVI: Destroyed – and rebuilding fast – see above – mostly open for business in December

Damage From Hurricane Irma

Saint Martin: Destroyed – no operations until Feb 2018

Antigua: Spared – No damage. Horizon Yachts, Dream Yacht Charter, Sunsail and Moorings all operate out of here.

Guadeloupe: Operational. This is a great charter destination. There are several good islands to sail to including the Iles Des Saintes and Marie-Galante. To the south in Dominica Island which is also easily reachable in a weeklong charter. The island is French and is well kept. Plan a few days in the quaint Iles Des Saintes.

Martinique: Operational. I really enjoyed Martinique. A gorgeous clean and well run french Caribbean island. With chocolate croissants that rival the best in Paris. The sailing area is along the coast line and there are lots of villages to stop at. The markets are wonderful. Overall this is one of my favorites int he Caribbean.

See our blog of Martinique:

https://www.nauticed.org/sailing-blog/bareboat-chartering-in-martinique/

Saint Lucia: Operational. See the above blog as we visited there on our Martinique trip. Saint Lucia is about 25 miles to the south of Martinique so it only a 5 hour sail. Saint Lucia is the home of the iconic Petit and Gros Pitons. There is plenty to do in and around the St. Lucia area albeit you can also sail south to St. Vincent (about another 25 miles).

St Lucia Pitons

St Vincent: Operational. This is an ideal location because 25 miles to the north is St. Lucia. And about 10 miles south of the main city of St. Vincents Kingston is Bequia Island then slightly further south is Mustique island. About another 30 miles south is Mayreau Island and Tobago Cays which are not to be missed in this life time. There is so much to do around this area that a week is not enough time. Also not to be missed is ile Mopion to the south of Tobago Cays; A tiny sandy Island with one thatched umbrella.

ile Mopion

Grenada: Operational. From Grenada, you will typically head north to the Grenadines and back. Grenada is a long island and the charter bases are in the southern tip. We recommend a pickup of your boat in St. Vincent with a drop off in Grenada. This gives a good sweep of the whole area.

Belize: Operational. The islands of Belize are a gorgeous north south running chain. The sailing area is remote however and reprovisioning is not possible. Expect to see few people, just gorgeous water, sandy beaches.

La Paz: Operational. This is on the Pacific side of Mexico at the bottom of Baja California Peninsula. The is a remote sailing area. Re provisioning is not possible. See a gorgeous mix of arid desert and abundant sea life.

Brazil: Operational. Heading further south (quite a bit), you might consider Brazil. Located south of Rio de Janeiro City, Angra’s vast bay features 365 lush islands—one for every day of the year—with more than 2,000 spectacular beaches. Some islands are private playgrounds for the wealthy, supermodels and media companies, but many are pure testaments to nature. Superb snorkeling, diving, and hiking, water sports, fishing, and cruising can be done throughout the region. Whether you’d rather find ecological treasures in national parks or go clubbing in exclusive bars, there’s something for everyone on Brazil’s Green Coast.

OTHER PLACES TO CONSIDER

The Pacific

Tonga: This is a remote sailing destination. There are hundreds of island and gorgeous coral reefs.

Tahiti: Not to be missed in your life time. Nuff said.

See our blog here on Tonga and Tahiti

https://www.nauticed.org/sailing-blog/bareboat-yacht-charter-tonga-or-tahiti/

The Mediterranean

We can’t say enough about the Mediterranean. See these blogs. THE MED IS BEST BETWEEN MAY AND OCTOBER. But typically under normal circumstances, you should book 10 months in advance. Our advice – book now.

https://www.nauticed.org/sailing-blog/bareboat-charter-athens-greece-day-1/

https://www.nauticed.org/sailing-blog/number-1-sailing-vacation-spot-in-the-world/

WHAT EVER YOU CHOOSE, OUR ADVICE IS TO BOOK FAST. IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING A SAILING VACATION ANYTIME FOR THE NEXT YEAR, BOOK IT NOW. INVENTORY WILL GO FAST.

NAUTICED ARE AGENTS FOR ALL YACHT CHARTER COMPANIES WORLD WIDE.
We don’t charge a fee – the same price as going direct but we can do an advanced search for you and make the booking.

WE CAN EVEN PUT BOATS ON HOLD WHILE YOU ROUND UP THE CREW

Make a sailing vacation inquiry here

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Grant Headifen

My vision for NauticEd is to provide the highest quality sailing and boating education available - and deliver competence wherever sailors live and go.

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