This page is currently under construction.
Itinerary Planning
ISLAND BY ISLAND
Virgin Islands Yacht Charters has created an overview of each island you will most likely visit during your time sailing around the USVI and BVI.
We are always happy to help with planning and making recommendations, so please don't hesitate to call or email.
Let Us Help You In Planning Your Itinerary
Planning a sailing itinerary around the US and British Virgin Islands can be overwhelming, so aside from our sample itinerary pages (found under "The Virgin Islands" tab on the main menu above, we have put together this island by island informational page to assist you in showing up prepared for your charter and to have the opportunity to ask questions well in advance of your arrival.
We hope you will find this very helpful, but encourage you to reach out to us anytime before or during your charter. Our team is always happy to help!
Click on any location below to jump to that section:
St Thomas
Little and Great St James
St John
Water Island
Lovango
Tortola
Anegada
Norman Island
Jost Van Dyke
Peter Island
Guana Island
Cooper Island
Sandy Spit and Sandy Cay
Virgin Gorda
St Thomas, USVI
Recommended moorings and anchorages around St Thomas:
Magen's Bay - Located on the north side of St Thomas you will find this stunning one mile long, white sandy anchorage. Known for its calm, clear waters and pristine one mile long beach, Magen's is often sited as one of the world's most beautiful beaches.
There are no mooring balls in Magen's Bay, but there is plenty of nice sea bottom for dropping anchor. When you go ashore, you will need to pay for entering the park. Typically $5 for non-residents. This bay is part of a protected area, managed by the Magen's Bay Authority. The beach and surrounding land were donated to the people of the Virgin Islands by Arthur Fairchild in 1946.
Facilities:
Bathrooms and showers
Magen's Point Bar and Grill
Gift shop
Beach chair and water sports equipment rentals
Picnic tables and grills available
Nature trail
Lifeguards on duty (during daytime hour)
Click HERE to go to the Magen's Bay Official Website and be sure to check cruise ship schedules to determine the best day to avoid the extra crowds. CRUISE SHIP SCHEDULE
Secret Harbor - Located on the east end of St Thomas just one bay over from Compass Point Marina, Secret Harbor can be a great place to spend your entire last day.
There are a limited number of mooring balls in Secret Harbor and several PRIVATE mooring balls. Please make sure you do not pick up a private ball.
If you need to drop anchor here, try to tuck in as closely as possible while still maintaining a safe distance from the shore and other boats. You don't have to be very far out to be in rougher water and if there is a bit of a swell, it will be better to move across to Great St James for the night.
Facilities:
Air conditioned bathrooms
Sunset Grill (dinner)
The Patio (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Beach chair and water sports equipment rentals
Long Bay (Downtown Moorings and Yacht Haven Grande) - This is the main harbor on St Thomas in Charlotte Amalie. It can often times be quite choppy due to the water bouncing off the retention walls surrounding the entire bay. There are first come, first served mooring balls in Long Bay and you can find specific locations through the Boaty Ball website. BoatyBall.com
You may also reserve a slip at Yacht Haven Grande for the night. Keep in mind, the docks here are mostly concrete and very tall as they are set up more for super yachts. You will have to be extra vigilant in the way you tie up your lines to the dock to avoid chaffing. Those docks will easily cut through your line if not tied off properly.
Long Bay and Crown Bay are where visiting cruise ships dock, so this area can become quite congested. Be sure to check cruise ship schedules.
Facilities:
Bathrooms
Multiple restaurants throughout YHG and Havensite Mall
Havensite Mall nearby for shopping and duty free items
Multiple grocery stores
Walking distance to Paradise Point and the Sky Tram
Also within walking distance to downtown Charlotte Amalie
IMPORTANT: When going ashore please make sure your dinghy is properly locked and protected.
Click on the links below to go to our sample itinerary pages.
7 Night US to BVI
7 Night USVI Only
Spanish Virgins
Marinas and Facilities
Compass Point Marina (Our Location) - Saga Haven Fuel Dock
American Yacht Harbor, Red Hook - Full-service marina
Yacht Haven Grande, Downtown - Full-service marina
Crown Bay Marina, West End - Full-service marina
Our Favorite Restaurants on St Thomas
East End and Red Hook Area (closest to our marina)
Sea Salt - Sapphire Beach
The Easterly - Red Hook
Duffy's Love Shack - Red Hook
Three Palms - Red Hook
Hook'd - Red Hook
Sunset Grille and The Patio - Secret Harbor
Caribbean Fish Market - Cowpet Bay
Downtown Charlotte Amalie
Virgilio's - Downtown
Gladys' Cafe - Downtown
Yacht Haven Grande, Paradise Point, Havensight
Cutlass and Cane - Yacht Haven Grande
Enkai Sushi Bar- Yacht Haven Grande
Prime at Paradise Point - Havensight (near downtown)
Smokin' Rooster - Havensight
Agave - Havensight
North Side
Old Stone Farmhouse - Near Magen's Bay
Fish Bar - Northside
And, of course, in our marina (Compass Point) you will find The Dive Bar and An Hour Late. We dine at both of these quite often!
Lindberg and Brewers Bay on the West End of St Thomas - If you are planning to visit the Spanish Virgin Islands, these two bays are our recommendation for the night before you sail to the SVI's. You will want to make sure everything is working properly on your boat and either one of these locations is a good jumping off point for the SVI.
Facilities:
There are no facilities in Brewers Bay, but it is a great location to watch airplanes and it is a very calm anchorage with public mooring balls.
In Lindberg Bay there is Emerald Bay Beach Resort, there are restrooms and Caribbean Fusion Bar and Grill or visit the snack bar.
You may also use their beach without purchasing a day pass.
You can reserve a floating cabana, jet skis, and many other things through Calypso Watersports.
Water Island - This is the fourth and lesser known of the main US Virgin Islands. It is approximately 500 acres in size and located about a half-mile south of St Thomas (near sub-base). If visiting Water Island you'll want to anchor in the Honeymoon Beach area. There are no public mooring balls here. Be sure to dive your anchor.
Dinghy's Beach Bar and Grill and Heidi's Honeymoon Grill are both located here and this is a great place to spend an entire day.
Facilities:
Golf carts are the primary mode of transportation on island and you can rent one from Rachel at rachelsrentals.com.
Not much in the way of amenities.
Little and Great St James - These are small private islands southeast of St Thomas and just a few minutes outside of our marina, Compass Point. Unfortunately, made famous as "Epstein Island" these islands have since be purchased by Stephen Deckoff, with SD Investments LLC for a whopping $60 million.
Great St James is the location of Pizza Pi, a floating pizza boat and is a favorite spot for the last night of charter. Just a 20-30 minute motor from the channel at Compass Point, it makes for an easy hop the morning of your departure.
There's great snorkeling here around both islands!
St John, USVI
St John is where our charter guest spend the majority of their time within the USVI. Especially, those who are going over to the British Virgin Islands.
St John is known for its pristine beaches, lush tropical forests, and clear waters ideal for snorkeling and diving. The island is relatively small, covering about 20 square miles.
A significant portion of St. John is protected as part of the Virgin Islands National Park. The park covers approximately 7,259 acres of land on the island, which is about 60% of St. John's total land area.
The creation of the national park is largely thanks to the generosity of Laurance Rockefeller. In 1956, he donated about 5,000 acres of land to the federal government, which formed the core of the Virgin Islands National Park. This donation was pivotal in preserving much of the island's natural beauty and ecological diversity for future generations.
Cruz Bay - This is the location of the main harbor and "town" on St John. All the mooring balls in Cruz Bay are private, so the closest you will be able to pick up a mooring ball is right around the point (Lind Point), which is a short dinghy ride. There are two dinghy dock areas, one by the main "people" ferry dock and one near the National Parks Dock.
IMPORTANT: Be SURE to lock your dinghy when in Cruz Bay. Sometimes, (especially with a little too much alcohol) dinghies tend to get a mixed up, so it is very important to lock secure yours.
Honeymoon and Caneel - The closest mooring field to Cruz Bay, this is a favorite area for the last night on charter. There are tons of great restaurants and shops and is the main taxi area for getting around the island.
Hawksnest - Quiet and secluded, Hawksnest is home to the smallest "charted" beach in the Caribbean, locally known as "Two-Butt Beach". The other more famous beach within Hawksnest is Oppenheimer Beach, made famous for its historical significance as the former property of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the "father of the atomic bomb". There is a distinctive red-roofed pavilion that was part of the Oppenheimer's estate.
Trunk Bay - Probably the most famous of all the beaches on St John, primarily because it is the most photographed beach in the Virgin Islands. There is a lookout on the drive above Trunk Bay that is a prime location for gorgeous and scenic photos.
However, Trunk Bay is not recommended as an anchorage. The mooring balls are quite far from shore and the swim in can be very difficult. There are LOTS of cruise ship visitors here, lots of ferry wake, and it is much better to visit from shore than it is by boat.
Cinnamon Bay - One of the longest beaches on island, stretching about a mile.
Marinas and Facilities
Cruz Bay - There is a fuel dock near the National Park Visitors Center, but "The Creek" can get very busy. Especially, with all the ferry and day charter boats coming back in from the BVI. It's better to plan ahead and avoid going into the fuel dock here, unless absolutely necessary.
If you are asked by the Customs and Border Patrol office to clear "in person" when coming back from the BVI, "The Creek" is the area you'll be looking for.
The Marketplace - Located in Cruz Bay, the Marketplace is home to the islands best supermarket, Starfish Market, Chelsea Drug Store, and many boutiques, art galleries, and gift shops.
Our Favorite Restaurants on St John
Morgan's Mango - Mongoose Junction
Greengo's - Mongoose Junction
Sun Dog Cafe - Mongoose Junction
Dave and Jerry's Island Steakhouse - Cruz Bay
Banana Deck - Cruz Bay
The Terrace - Cruz Bay
Extra Virgin - Cruz Bay
The Longboard - Cruz Bay
The Beach Bar - Cruz Bay (great for live music)
Lovango Rum Bar - Cruz Bay
The Windmill Bar - Very much worth the cab ride!
Sam and Jack's Gourmet Deli - Great for taking sandwiches to the beach or back to your boat. Located at The Marketplace.
Maho Crossroads - Maho Beach/Francis Bay
Lime Out - Coral Bay (floating gourmet taco restaurant)