Millseas Destinations: USVIs
- aribeiro17
- Apr 14, 2022
- 23 min read
Updated: Apr 18, 2022
So if you read the 'BVIs to USVIs' blog post you know that the USVIs were not our targeted vacation spot and our decision to go there was executed a little more than 48 hours upon arrival.
In a SparkNotes of a SparkNotes summary the boat that we reserved for our trip was seized by BVI customs as the charter company we used (Dream Yacht Charters) was found to be non-compliant with certain license and safety equipment requirements following a new law passed back in October 2021. Despite all our efforts, hoping, and praying - our boat did not clear customs in time for our departure. Dream Yacht Charters worked with us to reschedule our trip to another destination in addition to providing us a credit in the full amount that we paid for our trip to use within a year for another vacation.
We didn't have a ton of time to read the blogs and plan out our ideal route as we wanted - but we relied on our amazing captain and made the most of our forced pivot - and had a great time! As we know this blog post reads more like a War and Peace novel (and that's on purpose - more on the reason why coming soon in our Millseas Mini series), find below for some helpful links in case you want to jump to a specific place:
Now before we jump into the dos and where's, let's dive into the boat!
Our Abode on the Sea
So when we worked with Dream Yacht Charters to reschedule our trip from the BVIs to the USVIs, our contact had reserved us a Bali 4.5 catamaran which means nothing to just about everyone but essentially is a 45-foot boat with 4 cabins and bathrooms. The Bali brand is known for this back door that completely opens like a garage door and rather than the nets in front - cushions and a small forepeak (crow's nest kind of thing) for seating. Well if you read the other blog post - this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone - but that boat - despite being reserved for us - was taken by a different charter. Thank God! our lady at Dream Yacht Charter hooked us up without us even asking and booked us on a Bali 5.5 catamaran. For normal people speak - this is a 55-foot boat with 8 bedrooms, 2 "coffins" (which is not approved in the USVI for anyone to sleep in but in other locations like BVIs and St. Martin - fair game!); and 10 bathrooms. It was massive. Our skipper told us that the boat usually goes for $35k a week and we spent before all other expenses….a little less than $10k. Talk about an upgrade! The first night we were all in awe. I'm not winning an Oscar or an Academy Award over here for filming quality but see below for the two videos of our MTV Crib on the Sea for the week:
OUR TRIP
So before completely diving into the details, I want to provide you all with a map that you can look back at and reference when you need, showing you the locations that I speak about throughout this section. The USVI charter includes the islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. We chose not to travel to St. Croix because it is much farther in distance, approximately a 7-hour sail from St. Thomas whereas we got from Compass Point Marina to Maho Bay Beach in approximately 3 hours, for perspective.
Now without further adieu - let's relive this trip - one day at a time!
DAY 1: ARRIVAL, SUNSET GRILL & DIVE BAR
So we arrived at the airport in St. Thomas on time, found our driver through Ocean Dreams (see note below on Ocean Dreams), and made our way to Compass Point Marina where the DYC fleet lives. In March of 2021 when we went to St. Martin/St. Barth's we landed - went to the boat - waited what felt like all damn day for provisions - and off we went despite the formal 5PM check-in - and so that's what we were expecting here. No dice. We got to the marina and they're like cool, hi - you can't check in until 5PM. We asked if they could watch our bags at least - they said no. Oh to a great start. So note for the future - don't bank on a check-in before 5PM - it probably isn't going to happen. So they recommended we go to Sunset Grill which was approximately a 10-minute ride from the marina and so there we went! Sunset Grill was beautiful! Unfortunately, the day was a little dark and gloomy however fortunately the rest of the week was forecasted accurately to be 85 sunny so if there was one day for the universe to be a little dark and gloomy - the first day when we were posted up with our luggage for 4-5 hours stranded…wasn't a bad one. But let's dive into this restaurant a bit. The staff were so friendly and accommodating with a good sense of humor. It was our first day on vacation and we were looking to start it off right - pina coladas, pain killers, beer, tequila - all were flowing. And the food was - chefs kiss. The fish tacos, the poke, the salads, everything was great. They had a big deck that was located right off the beach and it was truly beautiful. See below for our little amateur video tour:
Once we were notified that our boat was ready for check-in we made the 10-minute ride back to Compass Point Marina and were ready to board our boat. During check-in, we learned that our boat was one of the largest and nicest in the marina with the lady at the desk (Kitzia - so sweet) singing praises about it and our captain - whom we were eager to meet! They brought us to our boat and then went to go meet the man with all the provisions. We went with VIP Provisioning of the 4 options that DYC had provided us because of the variety. Our group had to huff all of the provisions to the boat - which was a bit annoying (normally they bring them to the boat - and you put them away) but whatever we got it all. At that point in the night, it was about 6PM and our captain asked us if we wanted to go somewhere for the night - but stated that there were limited mooring balls and we probably wouldn't get a spot - kind of insinuating that we should stay in the marina until morning. We were all pretty tired from our day of travel so we said yes, to starting off our day bright and early and spending our first night on the marina.
The marina had a restaurant called the Dive Bar on site that was open from 3-11PM. We got takeaway burgers choosing to eat on our boat, played some card games, and settled into our new home for the week.
DAY 2: SNORKELING & MAHO BAY BEACH/MAHO CROSSROADS
So Day 2 started with me wanting to be a wee bit of a Karen. We all woke up refreshed and ready to go at a prime 7:30AM - made some boat breakfast - some nice eggs and bacon - and were ready to set sail. However, DYC had other plans. They are currently so short-staffed with everyone working 7 days a week that our captain was also responsible for walking through the safety briefing and explaining to individuals that were sailing the boat themselves how to operate the boat - so we had to wait, which was just a tad annoying. But alas we set out on our first sail at 10:30AM off to a nice little snorkeling site.
We arrived at our destination which was halfway between Cinnamon Bay and Maho Bay Beach for our first stop which was known for decent snorkeling. Only 1/6 of us snorkeled because the rest of us just wanted to jump in the water and relax on floaties - a pro tip we learned from our last trip! We tied 6 floaties together with string and brought a beverage into the water and soaked in our first day of vacation. It was relaxing, it was boozy, it was fun!
We then set sail for Maho Bay Beach, St. John. I had known from my limited research that Maho Bay Beach was home to Maho Crossroads, a food truck on the beach situation, and as such we were excited. The beach - was rocky on the sides and very narrow but in the middle, the sand was really soft and the water was that wonderful Caribbean blue. If you're looking at the beach (from the sea), Maho Crossroads is located on the far right side of the beach, across the street. The place was adorable, a little drink truck (they don't skimp on the alcohol), some hanging lights, cornholes, connect fours, 2 different food options, and a boutique. We hung out there the remainder of the afternoon enjoying all Maho Crossroads had to offer!
Later that night, at our Skipper's recommendation, we took a trip to the Windmill Bar. It is located at the top of a hill with breathtaking views of the island that were dream-worthy for the sunsets. The restaurant did not disappoint. The ambiance was fantastic with live music and plenty of seating. The menu was limited and predominantly sandwiches but at $12-15 a plate… a restaurant with a view and live music - we were expecting high prices and subpar food - and were shocked that's not what we got. The only con to this place was that it closed at 8PM (which makes sense because the island of St. John predominantly shuts down at 10PM) and we would have liked to have stayed longer.
DAY 3: SAIL TO CORAL BAY FOR LUCNH AT LIME OUT & LAMESHUR BAY
I'm going to say this right off the get-go - Day 3 was our favorite day and there is 1 reason why - Lime Out!
We started the day sailing from Maho Beach to Coral Bay. That sail was a beautiful 2 hours, however, was a little painful because as you can see from the map we passed right by Tortola and (then also not featured on the map) Norman Island the home to Willy T's - 2 places that we were really looking forward to going in the BVIs. But alas we rounded the corner and onto Coral Bay we went.
Lime Out in theory is a rather simple concept and completely obvious from the pictures. Basically a food truck on the water with floating tables and seating - but it was so well done. We stayed there for over 4 hours, eating, drinking, and having a grand old time. The staff had these floaty mats that they would float out your food and drinks to your table. All drinks were served in tumbler-like cups to ensure prime coldness and the food was all tacos. Kudos to them because all tacos were $12-15 and included a solid 1 taco - and as they pitched it - 2's a snack and 3's a meal - so go you Lime Out - way to keep us spending the money! Now you go to a floating taco truck for the nostalgia of it - knowing you're going for the views and the experience - I think we'd all be willing to accept subpar drinks & food. Not the case here - the drinks were tasty and strong and the tacos were beyond amazing. As we are a rather larger group, we tried just about everything - because this is really a blog about helping me help you - see below to relive virtually our $600 bill:
FOOD - our group of 6 tried each and every taco on the menu. My favorite was the ceviche taco with the others on the trip preferring the Rum Rib and the Curry Chicken.
DRINKS
The Danger (big crowd favorite)
Coco Colada
Hunter's Passion (chef's kiss)
With a reluctant goodbye, we sailed away from Lime Out and onto Lameshur Bay for the evening. Our skipper told us that this bay was really beautiful, calm, and known for its snorkeling, and we settled in for the night. We had requested a grill on the boat and that night grilled up some burgers and just had dinner under the stars. It was simple yet beautiful.
DAY 4: SNORKELING NEAR LAMESHUR; WATER & REPROVISIONING STOP; & WATER ISLAND
Day 4 started with a dingy ride to what was supposed to be a beautiful snorkel spot. Based on my knowledge of Google Maps it is my guess that we moored in Great Lameshur Bay and attempted to round the corner for snorkeling in Tektite Bay/Grootpan Bay. However, on that side of the island, the water is the Pacific Ocean and a little rougher. The waves + the 7 of us on the dingy was a little sketchy so we settled for snorkeling on the point of Great Lameshur Bay kind of the equivalent of where Beehive Cove lookout point would be. There were cliffs of rocks filled with coral under the sea with loads of fish in a variety of colors.
After snorkeling, we sailed off back to the Compass Point Marina to refill water. If you read my prior DYC posts you know that this is not a glamorous part of sailing for the week and refills of water and gas never happen at opportune times i.e. first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening - with both of our trips - smack dab in the middle of the day. The only rather interesting thing about this trip was that we passed Little Saint James Island more commonly known as Epstein's Island. It was a wee bit creepy knowing the horrors that took place on what on the surface is a beautiful Caribbean Island. With one main compound at the top of the hill, some imported palm trees, and some smaller buildings on the corner overlooking Great Saint James, this island can be yours for a mere $125 million. I hope you bring a priest and loads of sage… Anywho, so we made it back to Compass Marina Point for water, refilled some junk food from the local grocery store, and make our way to Water Island.
The sail from Compass Point Marina to Water Island was a relatively short one despite what looks like a large distance on a map. As our captain told us, in the USVIs the winds are always blowing from East to West, and with the wind on our back we made great time sailing in this direction. We went to Druif Bay on Water Island home of Dinghy's Beach Bar & Grill. The actual beach wasn't the best I've ever seen. The beach itself was really rocky but the sand in the water…once you got through the rocks was what you expected of a Caribbean beach. That being said, there was a patch in the middle of the stretch of beach without rocks and that was great! There were also 2 volleyball nets. Now we learned the hard way that the net to the far right (if looking at the beach from the sea) is some sand over concrete….pro-tip don't dive for the ball - you will regret it!
We spent our day challenging...and unfortunately losing to some locals in some competitive games of volleyball, bringing a cooler of adult beverages to the beach, and enjoying in the sun. That evening we ate dinner at Dinghy's Beach Bar & Grill and can say that the food was delicious. We brought our own beverages so we really didn't have the opportunity to try their cocktails however we did order the PaddleWacker and it was like a reese's peanut butter cup milkshake kind of situation. Definitely wish we got more than 1! Also, the food was great! We got a variety of options as shown below and no one had any complaints:
FOOD
Pulled pork sandwich
Chicken Tinto Tacos
Fresh Catch Sandwich (mahi mahi)
BBQ Tacos
Poke Bowl
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Bang Bang Shrimp
Jalapeno Poppers
As you can see this was not a fancy establishment just good simple food that filled our bellies and left us happy. We went back to the boat for some games and an early night.
DAY 5: WATER ISLAND ROUND 2 & LOVANGO BAY
Day 5 started off with breakfast on the boat followed by some additional beach time. We picked up where we left off and challenged some locals to another friendly game of volleyball. We somehow managed to pull out a win this time. We spent the rest of the morning on the beach, enjoying the water. We went back to the boat for lunch to make some sandwiches and eat a well-diversified charcuterie board.
At this point in the day, our captain offered to dinghy us to Charlotte Amalie, the capital of St. Thomas for some afternoon shopping. We passed on the opportunity and spent the rest of the afternoon hanging in our floaties behind the boat, jumping in the water from the top deck, and just soaking in the sun on our beautiful 55 ft catamaran.
At around 5:30PM we set sail for Lovango Bay for our dinner reservations at Lovango Resort & Beach Club in St. John. We were recommended this dinner spot by a friend and then learned from our captain that they have a la carte days and family-style days. The family-style days are $130 for pre-fixed menus and 1 drink. We opted for an a la carte day.
Pulling up to the restaurant, it was an absolute beauty and it only continued as you entered. They had lights, trees, beaches, views, adorable shops, clean bathrooms - a Pinterest-worthy setup! Now for the history lesson, no one asked for - our waiter told us the legend of how the island got its name of Lovango stating that in the 18th century allegedly pirates visited brothels located on the island, sought their pleasure, and sailed away - or if you would the "Love and Go Island" - which said quickly - wah-la you have Lovango.
Now onto the food. As you can imagine - we got a little bit of everything. Now I'm just going to come out and say it - the food didn't blow me away. I thought it was a bit boring and quite a bit overpriced. But the ambiance was beautiful so I'll give it a pass. Here is a summary of what we ordered and my thoughts, even though no one asked:
CRISPY KOREAN CALAMARI- sounds good right….umm super boring. It was fried calamari, with what tasted like a fancy shmear of kraft mac & cheese, cheese sauce with some slaw….not impressed.
SEA URCHIN GNOCCHI - a favorite at the table
DAILY FRESH CATCH OYSTERS - good & fresh
AHI TUNA POKE - a great combination of flavors on the poke - my favorite thing on the entire menu
FERMENTED TEA LEAF SALAD - I know who gets a salad…but it was good.
*BLACKENED SHRIMP & CRAB CHOWDER - so this one has a star because no one in our group actually ate this but our captain said that it was amazing! His other recommendation (braised short ribs) was also apparently amazing, so if you find yourself wanting to be spoiled in this ambiance this may be a good option for you!
CARIBBEAN LOBSTER SCHNITZEL - don't fantasize about this. It is pounded fried lobster. Lobster is a delicacy that is normally not pounded nor fried and there's a good reason why. Was it awful - no. Was it great - no. Pass.
FRESH CATCH FISH - The fresh catch of the day was swordfish. There were two of us that got this dish - our friend got the swordfish and I opted for snapper (also on the menu re: salads). I didn't like the way it was prepared. It was a tomato sauce over some type of chili adjacent mixture….not really what I'm going for in the islands but the fish was cooked well…
BRAISED BLACK ANGUS SHORT RIB - a captain recommendation and apparently really fantastic!
PEPPER CRUSTED FILET MIGNON - classic and apparently didn't disappoint
Despite the food being subpar, that didn't stop us from eating like baby water buffalos. After dinner, we all hit the hay.
DAY 6 - OUR LAST DAY ON THE BOAT :( AND HAWKSNEST BEACH & CRUZ BAY
Waking up on our last full day on the boat was depressing. While we were at Water Island, I told our captain, I really want to go to a nice beach. St. John is a National Park, known for its beaches, I want to be impressed. So off we went right across the bay to Hawksnest Beach. This beach didn't disappoint. The water was basically white, the sand so soft and from the beach, you could see Mr. Trader Joes/Aldi's house and a house that once belonged to the late J. Robert Oppenheimer best known for developing the first nuclear bomb. Good guy.
Per usual, we brought our own beverages, and one of the locals so kindly told us that glass was no way allowed on the beach. He further stated that the police, from the water, use binoculars to look and see what the patrons are drinking and will give you quite the expensive ticket for any glass consumption. So we put our cooler next to the 'no glass allowed beyond this point sign' and lived our best life. Our captain assisted us in bringing the floaties/inner tubes to the beach and we proceeded to float in the shallows around Hawksnest Beach soaking in the sun and the beauty.
At night, we got ready for a night out in Cruz Bay, the capital of St. John. Just a 10-minute dingy ride from Hawknest Beach - we somehow managed to keep our clothes dry. Upon arriving in Cruz Bay there were plenty of restaurants looking on the water that all looked picture perfect. We had met a couple on the beach at Hawksnest that had recommended to us The Terrace (reservations needed); The Longboard (reservations needed); and The Beach Bar for live music (no reservations needed). As we didn't have any time for reservations we went to The Beach Bar. The place was nice overlooking the corner of the beach. We were a rather large group so we weren't lucky enough to have a view but live music was great and the food was standard American food. We all got - sandwiches, nachos, tacos, salads…nothing blow your socks off fantastic. But it also wasn't a bad time. Now we knew that Cruz Bay for the most part (or at least in the tourist areas) closes at a whopping 10PM. The drinks at The Beach Bar weren't lovely. It was either frozen drinks - that were just heavy to be sipping on all night long or just inconsistencies in the quality of the beverage. So we decided to take our talents elsewhere.
Our captain recommended the Longboard as a great place to grab a cocktail. This place was tiny yet adorable and let me tell you - his recommendation was right on the money. For $13 or so apiece these cocktails were unique and delicious. Unfortunately, we hit that 10PM cut off a little faster than we would have liked only staying for 1 drink. They told us that there were a few bars around the corner that were open a wee bit later so there we went - first to some Irish pub - which I have no idea who selected that place - who goes to an island for an Irish pub?! And then over to Woody's - where we concluded our night.
Woody's was a little tiny establishment covered in bumper stickers. What caught our attention is that there were so many from Ocean City, Maryland - a place that everyone in our group had a connection to, with 1 couple living there full time. Turns out two of the part-time owners are from OCMD and talk about a small world. We hung out there for the rest of the night - played some riddle-like games - and soaked in the last night on our boat.
DAY 7: BYE BYE BOAT, HELLO AIRBNB & HELLO REDHOOK
We woke up early and depressed on Day 7 (Friday 4/7) - made a sad little breakfast - and refueled at Cruz Bay before taking our last sail to Compass Point Marina. Check-out took no time at all and we were quickly on our way to the Airbnb. The drive from Compass Point to our Airbnb was a short 10 minutes and thank God - because on our last day, we might not be on the boat - but we planning to enjoy it to the fullest. After dropping our stuff in the Airbnb and walking to the beach, we settled down for the day. We ate at the little restaurant off the beach - some pizzas and some conch fritters - that did not disappoint and filled ourselves with pina coladas at the beach bar - popping in and out of the water. Was the water the greatest - no way - but nothing was going to stop us from enjoying our day!
There was a little gift shop next to the beach where we asked the guy working for some dinner reservations to which he recommended The Easterly, XO Bistro, and Duffy's Love Shack. We couldn't get reservations at The Easterly but did succeed at XO Bistro. Although from the outside The Easterly is cuter - with the white stucco, the swings - the whole vibe is island perfection - do not sleep on XO Bistro. May not be the quintessential island restaurant but the food was the best we had the entire trip. Because at this point, I've committed, so I'm going to lean in - here's what we ate and some commentary:
STREET CORN GUACAMOLE: Delicious and exactly what you'd expect - did not disappoint though
SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE DIP - came in a bread bowl. Not very island-y so I'll take the judgment on the chin but man was she tasty
BRUSCHETTA - another non-island-y staple but it was fresh and didn't disappoint.
SPICY THAI SALAD - I know you're going to read the rest of these options and be like who picks the salad. Let me tell ya - she was talking about this salad for the next 2 days. (Yes same lady that got the salad at Lovango - we're getting her the help that she needs…)
PAN SEARED SCALLOPS - chefs kiss - get it - don't think twice - what a combination with the jam and corn polenta - fantastic!
LASAGNA - another weird move - I know - but this thing came out like a brick. And from an Italian - he said it wasn't his mom's but it was dang good
LAMB SHANK POT PIE - I know we really deviated from the whole island theme. 2 people got this - and loved every second of it.
So after we feasted on our last supper, we walked right out the door and into Duffy's Love Shack. I knew from my limited research that this was the place to be late night in St. Thomas and was a good time for fun drinks, music, and dancing. I'll start with the drinks - so fun. They all have crazy names that correlate to a fun glass (if you get the large size). Now me being the over-packer as I am - I didn't bring home any of the glasses - that's right you get to keep them - because I exceeded the weight limit (spoiler alert 57 pounds…) but it was tempting. The drinks were strong, delicious, smooth, and a fun spin on a cocktail. It took a while but soon the dinner set up was moved, the music turned up a bit, the crowds came and the dancing started. There was a little shark with smoke that filled the inside of the restaurant which really was just another unnecessary but fun and silly touch. They crushed Abba - which honestly really respect - and played your favorite sing at the top of your lungs kind of songs. We had a great time!
DAY 8 - ACTUAL GOODBYE USVIS
I'm going to spare you with the airport details - because that's not what we're here for. But in conclusion, it was the trip we didn't expect but a great one nonetheless. The places we went to, our captain, even DYC - really helped us pull our last-minute little trip into a great one that we'll never forget!
The Side Notes
Ocean Dreams: I would be remiss if I didn't start off by talking about how amazing Ocean Dreams was. If you read the blog post 'DYC - BVIs - Getting There' you know finding transportation both by land and sea to the BVIs was costly! They worked with me to find a plan that was more accommodating to our budget despite not being the cheapest vendor out there on the market. So when I reached out to them 48-hours prior to us arriving in the BVIs telling them I no longer needed the water taxi - they apologized to me for my inconvenience, worked with me to reschedule and book additional land transportation that we needed, AND gave me a credit in the remaining amount we paid for us to apply for when we hopefully make it back to the BVIs on our DYC credit. How amazing is that! It wasn't their business that was impacted by DYC's decision not to be compliant - but they went out of their way to help us have a fantastic trip. That customer service and the quality of people working there gets a 10/10 in my book!
Taxis: The taxi situation in both St. Thomas and St. John is a wee bit odd. They have your normal big vans that accommodate people and luggage but the majority of what would be a yellow cab in NYC - are trucks pulling kind of like a wagon with open seating. I cannot do this description justice, so see the right for a picture. However, I know no one cares about the aesthetics - what we care about is the pricing and how safe it is to travel by local taxi in a foreign place (even if it's US territory). Even for the close trips, we needed a taxi for - Compass Point to Sunset and back (~10 minutes); Compass Point to Airbnb (~10 minutes); Airbnb to Red Hook and back (~7 minutes)- it was $5 a person + tip really no negotiating. When we went to the Windmill Bar - they originally asked $300 roundtrip for 7 people and then we negotiated it down to $170 total for roundtrip transportation. We used a variety of different taxi companies and so I'd say there's some room for negotiation on the longer trips but we felt like the minimum anyone was willing to accept was $5 per person even for shorter distance travel. In terms of safety - we always felt so safe! They drive on the left side of the road and the roads are narrow - so kudos to the skill of the driver - however, we never felt unsafe at any point in time and therefore continued to call taxi companies and use drivers we saw out.
Mooring: Since St. John is a National Park, you have to abide by certain rules when staying there by sea. This includes not anchoring, not having bottom lights on after a certain time of night, in addition to a few other rules. So the island has these buoys with a tiny rope attached that you tie off your boat too. Be sure to keep in mind that your captain will probably need assistance in this process. We saw on another boat, a lady that our captain said was the chef - do it all herself assisting the captain. We were impressed. For us - it was a 4-person team effort. Two people with the ropes on either side, 1 person with the hook trying to fish out the mooring line, and another o that person's ankle duty because it was a bit far from the boat. By the end of our 7 days, we didn't look like a complete embarrassment but nowhere near as sharp as the chef that looked like a total pro - doing it all. The captain may also ask for help when docking - throwing over the fenders (essentially boat bumpers) and tossing the line to the dock for someone to tie off the boat.
Dominik, Dominik, Dominik: If you haven't sensed the common theme through all of the days described above, it was that we leaned hard on the recommendations of our captain. Not only for the best food but for the best snorkeling destinations, beaches, and places we as a group of young 30s would have fun. Dominik was amazing! Originally from Croatia, spending just over 2 years in the Caribbean he was incredibly knowledgeable and kind. We thought not being able to secure Eric, our captain from our St.Martin/St. Barth's trip was such a huge loss and while we missed him, Dominik fit in with our group perfectly, joining us out for every meal and becoming a great friend while also maintaining professionalism and a balance. If you are looking for a skipper in Europe or the Caribbean (doesn't have to be with DYC - as he is an independent contractor) do not hesitate to reach out. His Instagram is @dominikmoh92
Lessons Learned:
Trunk Bay; Trunk Bay is supposedly one of the nicest beaches in St. John and we didn't make it there. I don't know why it wasn't on the itinerary but in speaking with some locals on our last full boat day they were shocked that we didn't make it there as a part of the standard itinerary. I love a beautiful beach and therefore if I were to go back, I'd definitely make sure that I would check this box!
Magen's Bay: Before traveling to the USVI's, I knew one thing - Magens Bay/Coki Bay - and there were maybe 1-2 others that were listed as the most beautiful beaches in St. Thomas and we didn’t make it to one of them. I didn’t' push the point because of the location of Magen's Bay was a little bit out of the way and secondly, I figured if it was that great…our captain would take us there? I just didn't trust the little research I did to insist on it and therefore relied on our captain. Again, if I were to go back - I'd want to check box!
Coral Bay: Let me say it one more time - Lime Out is A!M!A!Z!I!N!G! Might be farther on the other side of St. John but worth going! We just went to Lime Out and then made our way to Lameshur Beach for the evening as it is known for great snorkeling to start our morning with. In speaking with locals on our last beach day they were shocked we didn't do more in Coral Bay - listing the beaches as one of her favorites on the island and referencing a restaurant called Skinny Legs as a high recommendation. If I were to go back - I'd spend more time here!
If you're looking for additional information on a sailing vacation or our experiences with Dream Yacht Charters, check out:
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