USVI/Around St. John

St. John, USVI Seven Days Capt. Shane McClellan Around

Are you having trouble finding a place to get away during these turbulent times due to COVID-19?

Trust me, so is everyone. What you might want to consider is what has turned out to be the easiest charter location in the Caribbean: The US Virgin Islands. Having run charters on Guiding Light, my Lagoon 410, in the Virgin Island for most of the last decade, I can tell you St. John is an amazing charter location and one you will not regret checking out.

I know what you are thinking: A week to go around one island? Simply stated, you bet. St. John is packed with such a variety of different activities that you will love it and below is a sample of what a week around St. John would look like. Enjoy!

Day 1 – Pick up or meet your boat. I prefer to start in Red Hook because it is on the east end of St. Thomas and a good jumping-off spot. If you start in Charlotte Amalie then you simply need to add a two-hour upwind motor to get to the east end. The first stop is on the southwest corner of St. John and it is the secluded Rendezvous Bay. Tuck up into the eastern part of the bay just off a rocky beach. Here you have the choice of two different snorkel spots. The one to the left is against the cliff side and you will be amazed at the variety of sea creatures you will find. The second spot is on the opposite side of the boat. This one is from the edge of the beach all the way out to the point. Halfway out you will start to find large rocks, walls, and overhangs that are covered in coral and fish. This snorkel is a bit deeper (15-25 feet) and more advanced, but is amazing.

Day 2 – The first stop will be in Reef Bay in order to hike up to see the 500- to 1000-year-old PreColombian Petroglyphs and the last active sugar factory on St. John. It is also the only one that brought in steam equipment to run the factory. Once you are done with your hike head half a mile or so to the east and snorkel Tektite Point in Great Lamshur Bay. This spot has some cool history as NASA and NOAA ran underwater tests here back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Finish your day off at Salt Pond Bay where you will find only five other boats since you have to take a mooring while inside the US National Park that makes up two-thirds of St. John.

Day 3 – Start your day off with a sunrise hike out to Ram’s Head, one of the most popular hikes on St. John. Other highlights of Salt Pond Bay are the wonderful beach, turtles, and snorkeling. If you want a more adventurous snorkel then check out the cliff between Salt Pond Bay and Blue Cobblestone Beach to the south (also where the Ram’s Head hike goes by). You can also walk from the beach to the other side of the peninsula and check out the artwork people have made using the coral on the beach at Drunk Bay. Around 2-3 pm head around Ram’s Head with the boat and find a place to anchor in Coral Bay so you can have dinner at Skinny Legs, which is a funky little burger and sandwich joint that people love to visit.

Day 4 – Spend the morning snorkeling along the mangrovelined bays of Otter and Water Creek in Hurricane Hole. This is one of my favorite snorkels in the whole Virgin Islands because you will find coral, sponges, fish, and other creatures in and on the mangrove tree roots. It is a very different snorkel from what you will find anywhere else. Once done snorkeling head back to Coral Bay to have lunch at Lime Out, which is an amazing taco boat that has lilypads for your group to hang out in. Once done with lunch, head

to Newfound Bay on the east coast of St. John. This is a bay that I can almost guarantee you will have to yourself. Make sure you are comfortable with reef navigation because you need to sail between two reefs on a lee shore to enter the bay. You must have good light, so get here early. Once inside you can tuck in behind the southern reef and you will have an amazing breeze and view of the BVI. If the weather is settled enough to snorkel outside the reef, it is amazing. Otherwise do the entrance to the bay on both sides and you will find some good stuff. I see rays coming into this bay all the time.

Day 5 – Time to enjoy a four-mile downwind sail to Waterlemon Bay where you will find some of the best examples of soft corals in the VI. The best snorkeling is on the back side of Waterlemon Cay, which was

the last place on the island where pistol duels took place. You can also enjoy the beach and walk over to Annaberg Sugar Factory, which is the most popular historic site on St. John and the largest of the five windmills on the island. Up on the hillside from the anchorage, you will find a garrison house and a great house.

Day 6 – Today is beach day where you can choose from four different major beaches and a handful of small beaches to play on all within a one-mile area. Each beach provides its own atmosphere: Francis is quieter and has a boardwalk hike, Maho has food trucks, Cinnamon is the National Parks campgrounds, and Trunk is considered one of the most beautiful. My favorite is actually the small beach to the west of Cinnamon Beach. It is amazing and you will probably have it to yourself. You can moor at any of the bays,

but I prefer Francis Bay because it is the calmest and provides the best breeze. Another choice is to spend the night in Caneel Bay or off Honeymoon Beach and dinghy around the corner into Cruz Bay to enjoy dinner and nightlife in town.

Day 7 – You can Snorkel Whistling Cay and hang out on another beach in the morning and early afternoon before heading downwind to Christmas Cove. This is a very popular and great anchorage outside the National Park. There is great snorkeling to be found along a five-foot ridge at the head of the bay and around the Fish Cays in the middle of the bay. With that said the best part of Christmas Cove is having pizza for dinner from Pizza Pi, which is a boat built specifically to dish out some of the best pies you will find.

Day 8 – Relax until you need to head back to the base to drop off the boat and have a safe flight home.

About the Author

After 11 years of running charters in the Virgin Islands & Eastern Caribbean, Captain Shane is setting sail for the Greater Antilles, including Cuba, and Belize. Check out his adventures at www.svGuidingLight.com.