# Suggestions please 50th bday trip



## Bama girl (Apr 8, 2017)

I have sailed the BVI may times with a captain using a owners time. I am thinking of st martin or abacos in late July early aug. I have never been to either. Suggestions, thoughts? I will need a boat 4 cabins, captain and maybe someone has owners week we can rent. Please help it is my 50th bday trip. We love the bvi because fun bars, secluded spots, restaurants, unique atmosphere. Looking for something like that. Would go back to bvi but sailed there 7 times. Looking for a little change


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

You can't do any better in the Grenadines for a new place to go. However, many of the places you might want to eat at or party at are closed for the summer around here, but that is not to say everything is closed. That would make for far less boats on the water than during the high season, so the anchorages would be a lot more pleasant. Rates are way down, too. Even most cruisers are hunkered down in Grenada.
We had a gentleman charter us for his 50th birthday and we were in the Tobago Cays for it (at his request). Grilled fish, local veges and fruit on an uninhabited island beach was his b-day meal. Oh yeah, and a bottle of champagne.
I'd be happy to help you plan your route if you decide to do the Grenadines, but we are not available, so this isn't an attempt to get the charter.


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## MarkofSeaLife (Nov 7, 2010)

St Martin and cruise to St Barts for a birthday dinner to remember!


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

Just a thought....

Maybe look at Georgian Bay for that time of year.
They say Eh a lot up there, but they are nice people....


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

RegisteredUser said:


> Just a thought....
> 
> Maybe look at Georgian Bay for that time of year.
> They say Eh a lot up there, but they are nice people....


And the skeeters are?????


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## Towguy (May 8, 2016)

capta said:


> And the skeeters are?????


Excuse me ,doesn,t everyone carry a stout baseball bat?? Pest control.....


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

capta said:


> And the skeeters are?????


Some of them are worthy to mount...
A breeze and tad off the shore should allow you to retain most of your blood.

BVIs etc are fine in summer..but you need have some good air movement inside da boat. 
I was there during a July 25 years ago and loved it...but had to buy a fan for the boat chartered. 
It can get really thick down below.
Do the deck sleep...


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## RegisteredUser (Aug 16, 2010)

Towguy said:


> Excuse me ,doesn,t everyone carry a stout baseball bat?? Pest control.....


Baseball bat - that's a good one...


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## Towguy (May 8, 2016)

Actually Georgian Bay would would be great ,that time of year,and no skeeters out on the water.......as such another suggestion would be Vancouver Island ,two charter outfits in Comox and one in Nanaimo, probaly more in Victoria and vancouver,the strait of Georgia,up and down the Sunshine Coast...lots of wildlife Orcas to Eagles,and awsome diving.....also the Juan de fuca strait......good exchange rate right now.....Ralph


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Towguy said:


> Actually Georgian Bay would would be great ,that time of year,and no skeeters out on the water.......as such another suggestion would be Vancouver Island ,two charter outfits in Comox and one in Nanaimo, probaly more in Victoria and vancouver,the strait of Georgia,up and down the Sunshine Coast...lots of wildlife Orcas to Eagles,and awsome diving.....also the Juan de fuca strait......good exchange rate right now.....Ralph


True, that...

In summer it's pretty hard to imagine a better cruising ground than BC inland waters. Generally good temperatures, cooler nights, quiet and plentiful anchorages with a good network of marine parks.

In the Caribbean, I liked Capta's SVG suggestion, the tobago cays, Bequia, etc offer seclusion, stellar snorkeling but maybe not so many restaurants and bars.. Also far fewer check-ins and outs if you plan your route accordingly. However have heard that summertime is totally stifling..


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

I second the Grenadines
We just chartered from St Vincent to Grenada 10 days
Huge wind but on the rear quarter mostly
Lots of neat places to explore. We have done the BVI area a lot and we're looking for a change also. We visited Bequia, Mustique, Carricau, St Vincent and Grenada.

Our next charter this year coming up is the inner passage and the San Juans.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

How about Greece? 

The Caribbean in the summer is a hurricane crap shoot. You can get insurance, but it's not that simple. If it crops up, while you're underway, you may not get a flight off the island. If it's a few days out, when you're due to arrive, insurance may not agree to pay that far in advance for a cancel. Either way, messes up your birthday.


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## twoshoes (Aug 19, 2010)

Minnewaska said:


> How about Greece?
> 
> The Caribbean in the summer is a hurricane crap shoot. You can get insurance, but it's not that simple. If it crops up, while you're underway, you may not get a flight off the island. If it's a few days out, when you're due to arrive, insurance may not agree to pay that far in advance for a cancel. Either way, messes up your birthday.


Is there vacation insurance out there that actually covers bad weather? It sounds like a good idea, but I've always declined it despite how hard it gets pushed, due to the fine print in the agreement usually specifically stating it doesn't. Now if a piano falls on Aunt Gertie's head while on the way to the beauty shop and you need to attend her funeral, you're golden.


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## jvlassak (Oct 1, 2009)

The eastern Med is a really nice place to charter - lots of islands to explore, picturesque little ports, an incredible amount of history, great restaurants... The Turkish coastline is also wonderful, albeit maybe less advised given the current political circumstances. Drawbacks are the crowds and the Meltemi, which can blow quite hard during the summer months. Last time we were there, force 5 -6 was typical, but we had a couple of days of force 7 and 8.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

chef2sail said:


> I second the Grenadines
> We just chartered from St Vincent to Grenada 10 days
> Huge wind but on the rear quarter mostly
> Lots of neat places to explore. We have done the BVI area a lot and we're looking for a change also. We visited Bequia, Mustique, Carricau, St Vincent and Grenada.
> ...


Please tell me you didn't miss the Tobago Cays.
You should have sent us a shout out. It would have been cool to meet, had our paths crossed, which is most likely, except at Mustique. Were the moorings the us$80.00 as advertised?


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

And there's Maine if you don't mind a little fog.


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

MarkofSeaLife said:


> St Martin and cruise to St Barts for a birthday dinner to remember!


A St Martin charter out of Oyster Bay would provide an easy sail to St. Bart's, but except for Gustavia, there isn't much shore action at places like Ile Forche and Columbier. The OP might return to St Martin and check out the scene at Orient Bay, or Grand Case for some classy French restaurants. Another option would be to sail around to the North side of Anguilla, where one could rent a car and explore the island. Some of the resorts there offer high end dining. This trip would not be like the casual beach bar scene in the BVI, but if the OP wants to move on.....

Summertime in the Caribbean doesn't appeal to me, though. The OP might consider the sailing conditions in SE New England, perhaps sailing out of Newport for Block Island, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Cuttyhunk, or Greenport, Shelter Island, Stonington, Mystic, etc. in the other direction.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

fallard said:


> ....The OP might consider the sailing conditions in SE New England, perhaps sailing out of Newport for Block Island, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Cuttyhunk, or Greenport, Shelter Island, Stonington, Mystic, etc. in the other direction.


That's a great add. There are several bareboat and crewed charter operations in Narragansett Bay.


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## Sal Paradise (Sep 14, 2012)

St Barts, yeah... if you have a lot of money.. a lot of money.
On the other hand ..... Martha's Vineyard is incredible.


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