Any Charter Itinerary of the USVI should include a trip to the largest island of the USVI and head south to explore St. Croix.
One way to do this, recommends Kristi Marquart, who with husband Brad, have served as crew on the 58-foot Robertson and Caine Catamaran, Sea Esta, is to leave early in the morning from St. John’s Salt Pond Bay for a 5-to-6-hour sail to the Buck Island Reef National Monument.
Two-thirds of Buck Island is surrounded by elkhorn coral barrier reef and it’s common to spot sea turtles. There’s no overnight anchoring here to protect the turtles, so spend the night in the Christiansted harbor or better yet, Green Cay Marina. In Christiansted there are historic forts, plus several shops, bars and restaurants.
Green Cay Marina (https://www.tamarindreefresort.com/marina) is almost a destination in and of itself. Located super close to Christiansted, the sheltered lagoon becomes a great launching point for many adventures (or safe harbor from a storm). They roll out the red carpet for marina guests as they allow access to the amenities of the Tamarind Reef Resort. Face it… Getting pampered in luxury is a nice escape every now and then. Enjoy their swimming pool, tennis courts, fitness center and restaurants. Our favorite part is that you can borrow their kayaks and SUPs, as a marina guest, for free!
Cruisers and yachts up to 100′ will also love that Green Cay Marina has a fuel dock with diesel and premium gas and laundry facilities. Take advantage of the local provisioning on St. Croix to make this your unique advantage over the other charter companies.
The next morning, sail for the island’s west end. Scuba divers will want to stop at the famous Cane Bay Wall. Anchor off Frederiksted and visit the Cruzan Rum Distillery or walk along the beautiful Sandy Point Beach National Wildlife Refuge.
An early morning departure the next day, and 5-to-6-hour sail, can end either in Charlotte Amalie or Christmas Cove off Great St. James.
My favorite was always visiting the beer drinking pigs…