best private day sail to St John

[ckzimmy]

We will be in the FOS in March. We are looking for opinions on a private day sail. We are a family of 3 with a 10yo. We are experienced snorklers & this is the most important thing we are looking to do. We would like to hit more than one site & are not as interested in the sailing aspect. I am worried the amount of time spent sailing will be too long, but am not interested in going on a cattle-call type snorkel trip. Anyone with suggestions? thanks

[blue_water]

Look at Yacht Nightwind, High Pockets, and New Horizons. These are not really private but you book directly with them.

Edited January 13, 2014 by blue_water

[OMK&Belladonna]

The Wayward Sailor offers exactly what you are seeking. He actually goes in the water with you to snorkel and point out sea life, etc. to insure you are not just seeing sea life but actually identify what you see, find hard to see (camouflaged) creatures, etc.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[blue_water]

Any operator will accommodate you on a private daysail, the pricing will be different and there is generally a 6-person limit.

Several of the more popular operators can be found under the Daysail section of vinow dot com, most of these provide lessons and guidance in the water.

Enjoy!

[sippican]

We did a day sail with High Pockets. The day was lovely, no complaints whatsoever. We are avid snorkelers and frankly, we were very underwhelmed with the two sites at which we stopped. We saw very few fish, no turtles, rays, eels, etc. The sea floor did not appear to be a thriving, healthy environment. I see this as a trend in many ports in the Caribbean - a noticeable decline in what we are seeing when we snorkel, particularly close to shore. Perhaps there are some hidden gems in the area, but we did not see them that day.

Since the "sailing" part is not a priority, you may want to consider identifying a regular motorized boat you can charter.

Edited January 13, 2014 by sippican