Locals call Culebra an island of nothingno nightclubs, no casinos. On this quiet and unspoiled island, the beach is your best bet for entertainment and Culebra beaches are amongst the finest in the world. Bahia Aldomovar is a calm mangrove harbor with a coral reef barrier and faces east towards St. Thomas. San Juan - Loiza 30, 98 km (19, 25 mi), Day 2. . My plan calls for a week in the US Virgin Islands and Spanish Virgin Islands. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Why should you book a yacht charter with us? Checking out is not required. In ideal trade wind conditions, you may not even have to make a single sail change. Visitors will see a breathtaking sight here: beautiful blue water, palm forest, and rocks emerging from the sea. } Sailors used to bypass the area as the American military forces held firearms training here. 58 While working on the engine, Nick was able to get satori back up and running. Seafarers from around the globe have flocked to the sheltered harbors of St. Thomas since pirates sailed these seas. jQuery.ajax({ It was built on the site of an 18th-century sugar plantation. Go for a diving and snorkelling experience at La Cordillera. It is still just a short distance from upscale jewellery stores and boutiques. This white sandy beach stretches along the entire bay, you will feel the Caribbean sun everywhere and wonder why you had waited this long! The two smaller islands called Hans Lollik also belong to the United States Virgin Islands. if ($.trim(params.term) === "") { Take your pick or snorkel sites. 26 If its crowded use Lindbergh or Flamingo Bays as back ups. 5 kilometres from here. It is a natural preserve with its long coral island, and it belongs to the Culebra National Wildlife Refuge. $50 onboard credit, per cabin. Several airlines operate flights from SJU to STT . That adds up quick! There are quite a lot of docks in the bay. There are more than 5 docks in the city. With 10-15 knot winds that should make for a 4-hour trip. It was a short dinghy ride into the marina where they had a safe place to dock up the dinghy. This temporary fix was working so we left it. Charlotte Amelia the capital has many shops, restaurants, and bars offering local products, spices, gems, drinks, and handcrafted items. TOTE provides safe, reliable transportation for the Puerto Rico and related Caribbean trades. The bay is protected from all directions, and the boats can be secured easily the sea bottom is mostly sandy and will hold the vessels firmly. 32 We were trying desperately to meet our friends, so that meant another early run the following day. They have their catamaran in the Moorings charter and invited us to sail with them in the British Virgin Islands for a week. let search = params.term.toLowerCase(); There are more operators, and sailing yachts available in St. Thomas, USVI. Celebrate with a frosty Carib. Most of the island is a natural preserve. Discover your dream trip and rent a boat from St. Thomas. 5 kilometres from Fajardo, we can find a narrow bay with a peaceful little town. Enjoy a scenic 25 minute drive to Coral World Ocean Park. There are dozens of fascinating restaurants and shops on Marina Market offering an imposing view. We found Culebra to be the true gem of Puerto Rico. A crewed yacht charter is one of the best ways to explore and experience the vast offerings of the British Virgin Islands. It is a very popular destination among sailors its most famous port is the Great Harbor, which is also one of the busiest docks of the archipelago. After that, we made dinner and hit the hay early. These cruises are selling out fast, get them while you can. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. Thanks to its unspoiled nature, it is an ideal habitat for all types of coral. Our true favorite was Cayo De Luis Pena, a little island off of Culebra. 18 When it calms down, its velocity is reduced to 1828 km/h. We can sail to Saint Thomas from Puerto Rico in just one day. "The best solution for your real time boat rental from experts you can trust!". Make sure there isnt a northerly swell and ideally there will be <15 knots blowing with the easterlies. Cruz Bay is a charming little town with cute shops and restaurants/bars. The port is not open during the whole year it is closed in September so we should plan accordingly. There were plenty of fish to spot, including jacks, hogfish, and some large snapper that hang on the edge of the reef where the grass meets the sand. This might be enough reason alone to do one or the other. Otherwise you might be in for an uncomfortable night on a mooring ball. Its time for some snorkeling and scuba diving. There are turtles everywhere! Heres what I would do. Next well continue clockwise to Culebra, SVI. While visiting keep your eyes peeled over the land horizon. Our high-speed lift-on/lift-off vessels are the world's first environmentally friendly commercial container ships and are supported by a seamless network of port facilities, support systems and inland transportation resources. It is a perfect place to get acquainted with Saint Thomas better. There are very few people (if any) in most places. The volcanic island is located south of Saint Thomas, not far from Charlotte Amelie. Sail roundtrip Ft. Lauderdale or Galveston. St. Thomas offers great snorkeling, diving, surfing, and sailing, among others. Feel free to walk the grounds of this luxury beach resort, while enjoying the sparkling lights of St. Thomas on the distant horizon, before heading back to your private yacht. Crank the sailing tunes. Mayagez - Puerto Real (Marina Pescaderia) 17, 98 km (11, 17 mi), Day 2. 21 From the small city of Fajardo, you will transfer to Cabo San Juan Airport and fly home. Crown Bay Marina can be found in the western part of Charlotte Amalie, on the southern coast of the island. Drugmaker Eli Lilly says it will cut its insulin prices up to 70% and capout-of-pocket costs for privately insured consumers at $35 a month. We were going over to St. John which is the next island. In this episode, Nick and Kelly finally leave Salinas, Puerto Rico. Wind forecast. Water Island is the smallest island of the United States Virgin Islands with a territory of only 200 hectares. All rights reserved. . 59 Day 1. Specifically, we are going to go sailing to St. Croix from St. Thomas. The weather was getting nasty again but luckily sailing in the Virgin Islands is well protected. Frederiksted on the west end of the island is another option with excellent protection from the easterly trades. 56.25 km (34.95 mi) There are two mooring buoys on the island altogether, but we can go ahead and tie our boat to them without any problem. 50 There are some very shallow spots near the marina. 17 In this case, we can get to know the United States Virgin Islands better, and admire its many treasures. Approx. © 2023 Better Sailing. But if we prefer wandering around, we can take a walk on Limestone Beach or explore the remains of the old military fort Fort Segarra. That's why a Carnival cruise to the Virgin Islands tops many folk's vacation wish lists. This means anchored in Dewey, Culebra. Docking should not be a problem with an experienced skipper, especially if the wind is favourable. From Puerto Del Rey, its about a 5-mile sail over to Isla Palominos, the private island of the El Conquistador hotel. This is where one of the countrys oldest lighthouse is located it provides a fantastic view in good weather. (181931.5N 645106.4W) You can swim with the sharks and be one with the fish. Id get an early start and head to the famous north drop for a last bit of deepwater fishing (assuming the trades arent blowing too hard). You can also snorkel nearby reefs and ledges, or dive the Cayos Ballena, Tiburon, and Geniqui a mile to the north. Sailing from Puerto Rico to St. ThomasLets explore the Caribbean Sea and Saint Thomas! Work With Us Advertise on Better Sailing, Best Boating Destinations in the Florida Keys, Best Places for Sailing in the US in 2023, 14 Essential Boat Parts and Equipment for Sailing, Common Sailboat Problems and How to Fix Them, Common Outboard Marine Engine Issues and How to Fix Them, Living on a Boat in London: What you Need to Know (Best Liveaboard Marinas, Costs, etc), 10 Reasons Why You Should Live on a Sailboat. Update: heres the trip report. There are plenty of options within walking distance from the dock. }); And yes, this is the plan for my next sailing trip coming up in November 2022. Day 1. 14 days sailing around Puerto Rico. Its a combination of day anchorages and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) mooring balls. Complete the clearing in process (described above). There are nearly 100 established docking places and a 96-meter-long fuel dock here; they offer fair prices, too. 44 We can navigate through Charlotte Amalie Bay to enter. 52 Together, they make a terrific destination for enthusiastic snorkelers. St. Croix is considered the garden island and is known for its picturesque Dutch architecture. We were pleasantly surprised at how clear the water was. I would recommend waiting until after the tours are done and then paddle in yourself. Journey to Caneel Bay to visit the Caneel Bay Resort. Read more about my top 5 favorite Culebra anchorages here. Shore excursions may be booked Staged prior to sailing up until the Pre-Sail cut-off time, 11:30pm ET the evening prior to the cruise departure. Great Dog Island- Prickly Pear Island 10.15 km (6.31 mi) Day 10. Clearing customs is easy into the SVI with the CBP ROAM app, and not required for entering USVI from SVI (and there is no check out required). Nick tried a few things, but she just kept dying. Its a perfect place to enjoy an unobstructed sunset over the Cayos to the west. The only limit of the port is the depth of water unfortunately, it is very shallow, but we still have other opportunities outside the dock to secure our boat. Excursions for 2019 sail dates are available for purchase. For the more adventurous types, we head to Leinster Bay and Waterlemon Cay. }).done(function(msg) { Is it Dangerous to Sail from California to Hawaii? Calm and protected, Leinster Bay has extensive seagrass, with turtles, conch, and sea stars. To find out more, please. 48 Your Spanish Virgin Islands sailing itinerary begins in St Thomas, then youll sail to St Johns, Culebra, Culebrita Little Culebra, Vieques, and finish in Puerto Rico. Keep an eye out for the strange boat anchoring pattern here; its not random. Sailing westward from St. Thomas or St. John, stops in Culebra are possible. Here is what we were posting on Instagram during this video. This is a very exciting place for several reasons. This period is between June and November. Try to pick a night with no moon if you really want to see the bioluminescence. The luminescence is caused by micro-organisms (dinoflagellates) that dart away from boats, leaving eerie neon-blue trails of phosphorescence. There are some shallow reefs around the island that, among other sea creatures, have a few lobsters if you look hard enough. We will need to navigate through Jersey Bay slightly further to the east with Rotto Cay on our right-hand side. On the first day, we will stay close to Puerto Rico and head towards Ceiba. 40 We didnt make a stop to the bio bay this trip but have been to the bay before as a tourist. We checked the radar, and the Southside still looked clear. 25 min. Off the beach at Altona Lagoon use this if you want to dinghy ashore and explore the island. sail back to the SailCaribe base at Marina Puerto del Rey. If we would like to eat something before leaving, we can choose from great restaurants, offering a wonderful view of the bay. English Harbour - Nonsuch Bay 18, 24 km (11, 33 mi), Day 2. Culebrita is the little brother of Culebra. If we are lucky, we can catch the period with the most suitable winds during the late summer and autumn months. It was a nice ride back to Salinas, and we were flying! Nick Kelly and Adrianne on a Catamaran in the BVI. The building was restored and it now houses a museum of Viequense art and the history of people dating back to the indigenous times. Set sail across the Caribbean on this 1.5-hour cruise from San Juan and enjoy unforgettable views of the Puerto Rican capital. For overnighting, Id recommend the moorings at Carlos Rosario beach (unless there is a strong northerly swell running). Fajardo Puerto Mosquito (Vieques) 44.90 km (27.90 mi) Day 2. Heres what we are looking for and why this sailing itinerary might work for you: Several longer days on the water with some chill days to mix it up. Then a few minutes later, there was another storm. 16 Upon completion youll receive your Verified Traveler numbers. The other significant port, Little Harbor is a beautiful and quiet dock with app. 17.50 km (10.87 mi) They set sail for the British Virgin Islands to meet their friends. This area is lively on the weekends with hoards of kayakers banging around the bay on their way to the mangrove trail that leads to the bioluminescent bay. If Nick had a Street name it would be Ziptie! Croatia sailing routes & Croatia sailing destinations, Greece sailing routes, sailing destinations in Greece, Sailing in Sailing intineraries, ports, coasts & islands. Most likely youll have a beach all to yourself any time of the year due to the great number of small beach coves around the island. 5 Using the jerry can as an emergency fuel tank. You should prepare with the proper types of clothes and make sure that you drink enough water and stay hydrated. Well save those for another trip. Landlubbers can hike 0.25 miles up the Johnny Horn Trail, which departs from Leinster Bay to Annaberg Plantation Ruinsa Dutch mill that was used for processing sugar cane. That would make sense. Its conveniently located about as far south as you can be on St. John. The trail can be easily found ashore at Salt Pond Bay. The following day would conclude our journey. No problem from either with plenty of options available. Bays as back ups with app nearby reefs and ledges, or dive the Cayos to bio! 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