One of the best things about starting and ending your trip in the USVI is taking advantage of spending some time on St John. With its long stretches of white sandy beaches and beautiful, mountainous terrain wrapped in rich foliage, as if draped in green velvet, St John is not to be missed. Sail around the East End of St Thomas for the beautil Magen's Bay/Lunch ashore/dinner onboard
One of the newest attractions in the US Virgin Islands is Zozo's H2O located on Lovango. Private and charter boats are welcome, and there are also private ferries from Red Hook and Cruz Bay. They are in the process of adding more mooring balls to avoid having anyone drop anchor on the very delicate reef in this area.
As you make your way along the North shore, take some time to stop to enjoy the beautiful, clear water and stop in a few of the quiet cays for a snorkel or for lunch onboard. A great place for this is Hawksnest and Oppenheimer Beach, made famous because it was the former home of Robert Oppenheimer, Father of the Atomic Bomb. this property was eventually given to the people of St John and is a spectacular, private recreation area. Continue sailing (or motoring) past Trunk Bay, Cinnamon, and Peter Bay, where the scenery is spectacular. Plan to overnight in Francis Bay, which is the most favored on the northeastern side offering excellent holding and protection. This is home to the new Maho Crossroads, where you can enjoy a bite to eat, cool Caribbean beverages, and most days live music. Sunday, Fun-Days and full-moon parties are the best! Plus, you're sure to see some turtle (and, donkeys)!
Discover Waterlemon Cay and Leinster Bay, taking time to enjoy snorkeling in the stunningly clear waters. Here you will find abundant coral, and boundless marine life. Perfect snorkeling for all levels. There is also a beautiful and historic hike through the Annaberg Plantation. A very flat walk along the shoreline makes for a easy, relaxing self-guided tour of sugar mill ruins. For lunch, head over to Hansen Bay to taste the tacos from floating restaurant Lime Out (open Tuesday – Sunday, 11:30 am - 5pm). Make your way to Salt Pond or Lameshur for quiet overnight and dinner aboard.
Prepare for a passage to Water Island, where you can dine at Heidi’s Honeymoon Grill or Dinghy’s Beach Bar & Grill. You can overnight in Lindberg Bay, normally a nice, calm anchorage, and dine at beachfront Emerald Bay Resort, the resort has gone through a remodel/rebuild and has a nice pool, restaurant and bar. Great place to chill! (OR, choose to anchor in Long Bay/marina slip at YHG for dinner & shopping downtown).
Breakfast at Emerald Cafe/then head back east and motor through Long Bay for the scenery. Cruz Bay is prohibited since ALL of the balls are private, Honeymoon and Caneel offer plenty of options for those wanting to dinghy in to town. Cruz Bay offers many dining and shopping options, as well as a vibrant nightlife, both in the downtown area, as well as Mongoose Junction. It is definitely a good idea to make a reservation for most of the restaurants in St John, so be sure to plan ahead. There are a couple of dinghy docks accessible and that will be covered during the chart briefing.e time in Cruz Bay for shopping and dinner
A very nice spot to spend the last night of charter is Christmas Cove at Great St James. This area is only about 30 minutes outside of Compass Point Marina and is home to the world famous Pizza Pi, #4 on the USA Today Readers' Choice for Best Restaurants in the Caribbean. We always see turtles here and quite often spotted eagle rays. Unfortunately, Little St James has recently become quite the tourist attraction because of its infamous owner, Jeffrey Epstein. Little St James is referred to by the locals as Pedophile Island. On the bright side, there's great snorkeling there!
OR, spend the afternoon and evening in Secret Harbor on anchor. it's VERY calm here. This is one of our favorite places! The water is almost always calm here, great snorkeling, cool pool bar/restaurant, and a nicer restaurant for the evening, Sunset Grill. This is the closest bay to our marina, only about 15 minutes to the channel markers. This is a great place to stay pre-or post-charter as well. We have many guests who take advantage of this beautiful condo resort, especially given its convenient location and gorgeous setting.
After an early breakfast sail back to Compass Point Marina for disembarkation.
