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Every Stormy Pirates boat includes a cooler full of Ice, Water, Beer & Soda
On the Center Console Boats they will also include 64 ounces of Pirates Punch (alcoholic) and Buccaneer Blend (non alcoholic).
On SCHEDULED & PRIVATE charters on our 42′ Power Boats, there will be everything included above + and Open Bar with Cruzen Rum, Stoli Vodka, Jimador Tequila, Sapphire Gin, a variety of Juices and Mixers.
On SCHEDULED & PRIVATE on our Sailing Catamarans & SeaRay Sundancer include everything above + White Wine, Rose Wine and Prosecco.
The beer that is onboard is usually a selection of Local Beers (St. Johns Brewers or LeatherBack), a Domestic Light Beer and either Corona or Carib.
We will try to have a local hard seltzer on board, as well.
If you prefer to drink something that is NOT listed here, you are also welcomed to bring your own drinks on board.
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YES!! we provided snorkel gear for you to use on every Stormy Pirates vessel.
If you have your own snorkel gear, you are welcome to bring it along with you.
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Yes, all of our boats have Bluetooth stereo systems.
On Scheduled (per person priced) Shared Charters, the Captain will play their playlist which is a mix of island music and fun songs that everyone knows and can sing along too. On shared charters we can not allow guests to play their own music, because we have to play music without expletives and music that is enjoyed by the group of people on board.
On Private Charters, you are welcomed to listen to the Captain’s playlist or your own music. On a Private Charter it is just your group, so you are welcomed to play any music you would like.
On all trips, music will be turned down to an acceptable level by the crew, when pulling into any National Park beaches or bays and kept to a respectful level at all times when around other people or boats.
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We try to include a lot of things on board to make your boat day as easy for you as possible, but there are a few things that you should bring.
- Bathing Suite Coverup / Shirt
- Towels
- Reef Safe, non aerosol sunscreen
- DO NOT bring sunscreen to the Virgin Islands, if it has any of these ingredients:
- Oxybenzone
- Octinoxate (Octyl methoxycinnamate)
- Homosalate
- Octisalate
- Octocrylene
- Avobenzone
- DO NOT bring sunscreen to the Virgin Islands, if it has any of these ingredients:
- Cash for Merchandise and Lunch.
- Most places accept Credit Cards, but the wifi will not always work at some of the remote places and it will be CASH only. Do not miss out by not having enough cash.
- Cash for Crew Gratuity – Customary Gratuity is 20% of the price of your trip. Examples:
- If the price of your trip is $160 then 20% = $32
- If the price of your trip is $1500 then 20% = $300
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Yes, you will need to bring your own towels. You can also purchase Stormy Pirates logo towels from our Boat Day Boatique before your boat day.
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Here is a detailed list of what your boat day will include on each boat. You are welcomed to bring anything on board that will make you day even more special.
Note: We do not permit glass bottles or illegal drugs onboard
27′ HydroSport Buccaneer
- US Board Guard Licensed Captain
- Cooler full of Ice
- Beer (LeatherBack Brewing Company, Beach Life Blonde Ale & either Coors Light or Miller Light)
- Water
- Soda (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Club Soda & Ginger Ale)
- 64 Ounces of our famous Pirates Punch
- Use of Community Dry Bag
- Use of Snorkel Equipment (Mask, Snorkel & Fins) in Adult and Children sizes
42′ Power Boats Stormy Petrel & Pirates Penny
- US Coast Guard Licensed Captain
- US Coast Guard Licensed First Mate
- Free Open Bar
- Cruzen Dark Rum, Cruzen Mango Rum, Stoli Vodka, Cuervo Silver Tequila, Sapphire Gin
- Beer (LeatherBack Brewing Company, Beach Life Blonde Ale, Heineken & Coors Light or Miller Light
- Water & a variety of Juices
- Soda (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Club Soda, Ginger Ale & Tonic)
- Our Famous Pirates Punch
- Light Snacks (bags of chips & nut bars)
- Use of community Dry Bag
- Use of Floats and noodles
- Use of Snorkel Equipment (Mask, Snorkel & Fins) in Adult and Children sizes
Sailing Catamarans SP1 & SP 2
- US Coast Guard Licensed Captain
- US Coast Guard Licensed First Mate
- Free Open Bar
- Cruzen Dark Rum, Cruzen Mango Rum, Stoli Vodka, Cuervo Silver Tequila, Sapphire Gin, Italian White Wine & Prosecco
- Beer (LeatherBack Brewing Company, Beach Life Blonde Ale, Heineken & Coors Light or Miller Light
- Water & a variety of Juices
- Soda (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Club Soda, Ginger Ale & Tonic)
- Our Famous Pirates Punch
- Light Snacks
- Morning – Fruit & Muffins
- Afternoon – chocolate cookies
- Use of community Dry Bag
- Use of Snorkel Equipment (Mask, Snorkel & Fins) in Adult and Children sizes
- Use of SUP & Floats
51′ Luxury SeaRay Sundancer Pirate Girl
- US Coast Guard Licensed Captain
- US Coast Guard Licensed First Mate
- Free Open Bar
- Cruzen Dark Rum, Cruzen Mango Rum, Stoli Vodka, Cuervo Silver Tequila, Sapphire Gin, Italian White Wine & Prosecco
- Beer (LeatherBack Brewing Company, Beach Life Blonde Ale, Heineken & Coors Light or Miller Light
- Water & a variety of Juices
- Soda (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Club Soda, Ginger Ale & Tonic)
- Our Famous Pirates Punch
- Light Snacks
- Morning – Fruit, Bagels, Cream Cheese & Muffins
- Afternoon – Charcuterie Board & chocolate cookies
- Use of community Dry Bag
- Use of Snorkel Equipment (Mask, Snorkel & Fins) in Adult and Children sizes
- Use of Noodles & Floats
Please Note: The above items are the items typically stocked on each boat. Certain items are not always available, we do our best to stock with a comparable alternative.
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- US Coast Guard Master Licensed Captain
- US Coast Guard Certified First Mate
- Fuel
- Free Open Bar includes:
- 42′ Power Boats (Stormy Petrel & Pirates Penny)
- Cruzen Rum, Vodka, Tequila, Gin, Beers, Juices, Soda & Water.
- Sailing Catamarans (Sail Pending & Sail Pending 2)
- Cruzen Rum, Vodka, Tequila, Gin, Beers, Juices, Soda, Cruzen Rum, Vodka, Tequila, Gin, Beers, Juices, Soda & Water.
- 42′ Power Boats (Stormy Petrel & Pirates Penny)
- Light Snacks
- 42′ Power Boats (Stormy Petrel & Pirates Penny)
- Chips & Nut Bars
- Sailing Catamarans (Sail Pending & Sail Pending 2)
- Morning Platter of Fruit and banana muffins
- Afternoon snacks of fresh baked Chocolate Chip Cookies and chips
- 42′ Power Boats (Stormy Petrel & Pirates Penny)
- Use of snorkel equipment (adult & children sizes)
- Use of community dry bag to take to shore or into floating restaurants.
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Our 42′ power boats, Stormy Petrel & Pirates Penny were exclusively built for the waters between the US Virgin Islands and Virgin Gorda. This stretch of water is known as the Sir Francis Drake Channel and can be very rough. These Power Boats have a deep V haul, with a large diesel engine in the center of the boat for extra stability. These boats will plow through the waves for a more stable ride.
Our 55′ Power Catamaran, Gorda Pirate is a large 2 story power catamaran that was also exclusively built for these waters and plows through the waves.
It takes about 1.5 – 1.75 hours to travel from the US Virgin Islands to Virgin Gorda and The Baths, National Park. The Baths, National Park gets its name from the Batholith Rock formations that line the shore line between the two beaches, Devils Bay to Spring Bay.
We dock the boat at Spanishtown Marina on Virgin Gorda and take a 5 minute taxi ride to The Baths, National Park. The mate will take our guests on a guided tour of The Baths, National Park, while the Captain goes to customs and checks the boat and the guests in with the BVI Customs & Immigrations. We spend about 2.5 hours on the island of Virgin Gorda and about 2 hours of that time will be spent at The Baths, National Park.
We give you a guided walking/hiking tour through The Baths National Park. The path through the National Park is 1.8 miles long and along the hike you will have time to swim at both Devil’s Bay Beach and Spring Bay Beach. We will also take you off the normal path to some sights that most people don’t get to view or photograph. The hike is over uneven terrain, over slippery rocks, up and down ladders and you could wading through waist deep water at times. If you have limited mobility, you may not be able to do the hike, but you are welcomed to stay at the restaurant and gift shops at the top of The Baths.
After the hike through the batholith rock formations and caves you will have about 20-30 minutes to swim at Spring Bay Beach or grab a drink at the Poor Man’s Beach Bar.
After Virgin Gorda, we travel another hour, by boat to White Bay, Jost Van Dyke.
We enjoy about 2 hours at White Bay, Jost Van Dyke. This is more than enough time for most people to enjoy lunch and a little beach time. We suggest you order your lunch as soon as you get off the boat and then enjoy the beach. If you stop at gift shops and don’t order your lunch right away, the time spent here may feel rushed to you. The crew will remind you of this before you swim in. Go immediately to the restaurant of your choice, order your lunch right away and then shop and enjoy your painkillers on the beach.
Our guests must keep in mind that these popular BVI attractions are quit a distance from the USVI and quite a bit of distance from each other.
We travel over 70 MILES by boat, to hit the two most popular BVI destinations from the US Virgin Islands.
If you are looking to be able to spend a lot of time at each location you MUST do a private charter (which we also offer), so you can enjoy only 1 location for as long as you would like. Or if you would like more time at both locations maybe plan your vacation to STAY in the British Virgin Islands and take a tour from there, so you don’t need to travel over 70 miles on a boat.
Many people join this tour with the expectation that these islands are close to the USVI; they are not! This is an “international experience” that our company offers for guests visiting the US Virgin Islands. We are one of the ONLY companies that offers this experience.
Will you get to spend several hours at each place?
NO! – That is impossible because of the distance that we need to travel.Will you have a great experience, learn some history about the Virgin Islands and see the 2 most popular destinations in the BVI while your accommodations are in the USVI.
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We depart from both St. Thomas & St. John.
If you are staying on St. Thomas, we depart from “P” dock at American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook, which is on the East End of the island.
If you are staying in St. John, we depart from the National Park Dock in Cruz Bay.
Just like in most major cities across the US, there is no free parking in either location, so please plan accordingly. If you have a rental car, please plan ahead and allow yourself plenty of time to find parking and walk to our dock for an on time departure.
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We proudly service BOTH the Islands of St. Thomas & St. John.
The Island of St. John does not have a marina.
At Stormy Pirates, we choose to keep our boats in a secure Marina every night, and for this reason we have to keep our boats in St. Thomas. Keeping a boat in a Marina is MUCH more expensive than keeping our boats on a mooring ball, but we do this to give each guest the best experience possible.
- At the end of each and every day, we come back to a fresh water source. We can thoroughly clean and rinse off the boats and equipment (like snorkel gear, mats, seats, beanbags, etc) with fresh water. If we were on a mooring ball this fresh water option is not available and the boat would always be covered in salt. This is not good for the boat or the equipment.
- We can more easily provision and offer our guest more choices for drinks and snacks.
- Long Term Housing is scarce and very expensive on St. John. Having our boats on St. Thomas gives our Crew members more choices for housing while not taking away long term housing options from St. John locals, who are loosing housing options to the tourist industry staff.
All of our boats are kept at American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook. We depart from our dock there and we pick up from The National Park Dock in Cruz Bay.
We proudly service BOTH the islands of St. Thomas & St. John.
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We are excited to announce that you can NOW book a trip to the British Virgin Islands on our following boats, and ONLY a limited number of trips each week. If you see a boat listed as “USVI only” this means that the maximum number of BVI trips have been booked for that day. If you want to be able to go to the BVI please make sure you reserve your day well in advance.
We are now offering a SCHEDULED (Shared small group at per person pricing) CHARTERS. Our shared trips are very personalized and we take only a maximum of 12 guests on each trip. Many people tell us its like being on a Private Charter with new friends.
- Baths & White Bay
- Sail & Explore Jost Van Dyke
- JVD Funday
- BVI Bar Hop (recommended for guests over 18 only)
Private Charters to the BVI are available on the following vessels:
- 51′ SeaRay, Pirate Girl
- 37′ Axopar
- 42′ Power Boats
- Sailing Catamarans (to Jost van Dyke only)
Please read below about the licensing required to visit the British Virgin Islands below.
The Baths are on Virgin Gorda which is a British Virgin Island.
Jost Van Dyke is also a British Virgin Island.
Norman Island, The Indians & The Caves are also in BVI waters.
- 6 Stormy Pirates boats certified to travel internationally by the USCG, VISR, & CVLA.
- Stormy Pirates has obtained a Type 3 International Carrier Bond required by Customs and Border Patrol for International transportation of guests.
- 6 Captains have also taken the time and additional courses required for the International regulations and have obtained their STCW II/3.
- 6 Mates have completed the additional International required Courses for their STCW
Because of all of this added expenses, a BVI trip will cost a little more than a USVI trip. All charges are clearly stated when booking a BVI trip.
Each person will need to bring $75 cash for BVI International Customs & Border fees and $10.00 cash for USVI Port Authority charges. **(=$85.00 per person)**
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A private charter is completely customizable, and so are your lunch options.
Our Power Boats can visit any of the locations for Lunch.
Our Sailing Catamarans CAN NOT go to Lime Out for Lunch on a normal day. If you would like to go to Lime Out on the sailing catamaran, you must add the sunset sail AND an additional 2 hours to your day, because Lime Out is directly into the wind and current. You will need at least 10 hours to get to Lime Out and back on the sailing catamaran. To book this trip, call our office. 1-340-775-7990. It is only possible on days when the wind is forecast to be less than 15 knots.
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Pizza Pi & Lime Out are both closed starting mid-August – mid October each year.
We can not operate the Circle St. John trip during this time, because there is no where to eat lunch on the far side of St. John. We will resume our Circle St. John trip on October 12th.
We will still operate both our USVI Island Hop and our Turtles, Pizza & Sunset Sail and grab pizza from another amazing location. The itinerary remains the same.
Sapphire Beach Bar, Sunset Grill at Secret Harbor are both really fun Beach Bars on St. Thomas that you can enjoy lunch at on any of our boats.
Dinghy’s Beach Bar and Grill is located on Water Island and is a perfect lunch spot for our power boats.
If you’re joining us from St. Thomas and want to enjoy Lunch in Cruz Bay, St. John we can drop you off at The National Park Dock and there are lots of great restaurants within walking distance. Here is the list of several restaurants just a short walking distance from the dock and open all year, or closed for just a week or two.
The Tap Room – St. John Brewery (closed Tuesday)
Sun Dog Cafe (Closed Sept. 12-25)
Greengo’s
High Tide (closed August 22-28)
Cruz Bay Landing
Beach Bar (closed September 4-12th)
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When booking we require ONLY a 20% deposit to reserve your boat day. The remaining balance is due on the day of your charter.
We accept the following payments on board all of our vessels.
- All major credit cards
- You can pay with the card on file or a different card
- Your party can also pay split the payment and pay the remaining balance with several different cards.
- Cash
- Venmo (@StormyPirates)
Can the Gratuity also be paid on a credit card?
Yes, Your Crew’s Gratuity can also be added to your credit card. Please keep in mind the Credit Card subtracts a 3% processing fee on all purchases, so if you think that you are tipping the crew 20%, you are really only tipping 17%. This is why CASH is always preferred as gratuity whether it is on a boat day or in a restaurant.
- All major credit cards
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Captains & Crew Member in the Virgin Islands are considered, working in a “Service Based Industry”
Our Captain and Crew members work very hard, to make a safe and amazing day on the water.
Keep in mind the days start well before you arrive and end well after you disembark. If your boat day is 8 hours, our crew work 10+ hours.
Customary Gratuity is 20% of the price of your boat day if your crew does an amazing job.
- If the price of your trip is $160.00, then your tip to the crew should be approximately $32.00.
- If the price of your trip is $185.00, then your tip to the crew should be approximately $37.00.
- If the price of your private charter is $1500.00, then the tip to the crew should be approximately $300.00
- If the price of your private charter is $2000.00, then the tip to the crew should be approximately $400.00
**IF YOU ARE TRAVELING WITH FRIENDS WHO DO NOT KNOW THE TRIP COSTS AND ARE PAYING THE GRATUITY, PLEASE HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT THE CUSTOMARY GRATUITY AMOUNT FOR THEN ENTIRE TRIP OR THE AMOUNT EACH PERSON SHOULD CONTRIBUTE.**
Gratuity can be given directly to the Captain or Mate. Crew combine tips and split evenly.
IF YOUR CREW DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB, THERE IS NOTHING THAT SHOWS YOUR APPRECIATION MORE THAN A LARGER TIP AND A REVIEW MENTIONING THEIR NAME!!
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This fee is an online convenience for you, to book your trip online.
We receive bookings through TripAdvisor, Viator, Expedia, Booking.com, Marriott, and many other online travel platforms. Our trips are more expensive through these platforms, after paying the small convenience fee on our direct site you will save money by booking direct.
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“A rainy boat day is better than a rainy beach day.“
The rain will cool you down and the layer of clouds keeps the temperature comfortable.
Chances are it may rain at some point during the day, during the months of Aug – Oct.
WE will cancel or reschedule trips for the following reasons:
- Wind or sea conditions, make it unsafe to go out.
- Full day rain out.
- Convective activity (thunder and lightning) in the area or forecast to be in the area the majority of the day.
**If WE cancel a trip due to weather or any other reason YOU will receive a FULL REFUND OF YOUR DEPOSIT**
Notes for Weather Cancellations:
- CAPTAINS will make the final decision to GO or NOT GO
- Guests do NOT decide trip cancellations or delays .
- For example: You CAN NOT text us at 11:30pm and say you don’t want to go because you think it “may be raining” in the morning. Then, when it ends up being a beautiful morning, not be able to show up at the dock on time and demand a refund or an extension on your day.
- If there are weather concerns WE will touch base with guests to discuss options
- In most cases, weather forecasts in the Virgin Islands are not dependable.
- If you do not hear from us, the trip will depart, as scheduled, at the time on your confirmation email, reminder email and reminder text message.
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Many days we will operate multiple boats on the same itinerary. If you have booked with other friends or family’s, who are on a different reservation, and would like to be on the same boat, you need to contact us in advance and let us know.
Please send an email to: StormyPirates@gmail.com
Text or Call: (340) 775-7990
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All of our excursions are operated in the ocean. The waters around the Virgin Islands will have waves. On the North Side of the Islands is the Atlantic Ocean, on the South Side is the Caribbean Sea.
If you are prone to motion sickness, please plan ahead. We suggest the following proven remedies BEFORE going out on the water.
As always, please check with your doctor to see which option will be best for you:
- Dramamine or similar type of OTC motion sickness medicine can be taken the evening before your trip.
- Ask your doctor to prescribe Scopolamine patches, wear them at least 24 hours before your trip.
- SeaBands off Amazon, seabands work by applying pressure to the Nei Guan – an acupressure point on your inner wrist.
- DO NOT arrive for your trip hungover. There is no medicine that will stop motion sickness, if you are hungover.
If you are prone to motion sickness, we also suggest planning your boat day on the following boats. These boats will be most comfortable in these waters.
- Our 42′ Power Boats (Pirates Penny or Stormy Petrel) – Both of these boats were built for these waters. They are heavy, mono-haul style power boats that cut through the waves, rather than hobby-horse over them like a power catamaran style boat. The large diesel engine is located in the center of the vessel, in the bilge, which creates lateral stability in even the roughest conditions.
- Our Sailing Catamarans (SP1 & SP2) – Both of these boats were built for families and sailors crossing the oceans and sailing around the world. They were built for comfort and performance.
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For our International Trips to the British Virgin Islands, we need to have a picture of your passport at least 72 hours in advance or ASAP for BVI trips booked within a 72 hour of their departure. You can securely upload pictures of your passports when you sign your electronic waivers.
Our Captains must fill our an online application telling the British Virgin Islands Customs and Immigration about our arrival and who will be on board. We need your passport information to complete this online registration.
Our Captains must also notify the US Customs and Border Patrol in advance and let them know we will be arriving back in to US waters and who we will have on board.
Our Mates will also fill out all of the Customs and Immigrations forms for you. We do this in advance so they are legible and all the information is filled out correctly. If there is 1 number out of place, or something is illegible it can delay your check in time to the BVI an hour or more.
When all the forms are legible and filled out correctly check-in to the BVI is smooth and easy. That is why we will request pictures of your passports in advance.
If you don’t want to send us a photo of your passport, you will not be permitted to go on the International trip to the BVI.
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For private trips exploring the Virgin Islands we recommend Cruise Ship passengers take a taxi from their ship to Red Hook to save time and make the best of your boat day. All cruise ships dock on the South Western side of St. Thomas, but our private trips feature St. John and the surrounding islands on the Eastern side of the US Virgin Islands. The trade winds and currents in this area go from East to West, so the boat ride from your cruise ship to St. John can be very wet and rough and could take up to an hour or more.
A short and scenic 20 minute taxi ride from your ship will be more enjoyable and you will start your boat day in the protected waters of the Pillsbury Sound. If weather permits, and you have booked one of our power boats, we can drop you back off at your cruise ship at the end of your boat day for an additional $150. (this service is not offered with our sailing catamaran). The ride will be with the current and wind behind us, making for a much more comfortable ride along the beautiful southern Coast of St. Thomas. When you make your reservation, just let us know if you would like to add this additional service.
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The National Park service has stated construction on the National Park Dock in Cruz Bay. This is the dock where all charter boats from St.Thomas and St. John pick up their St. John guests. Unfortunately this closure is going to affect ALL DAY CHARTER boats because the dock area is going to be smaller and the Cruz Bay Port Authority is charging a fee of $1.00 per foot for pick up and drop off.Many day charters are passing the Cruz Bay Port Authority fee onto their St. John guests, but we are going to continue to pick our St. John guests up for free.We value all of our guests and appreciate your patience during this construction and we will NOT pass this additional fee on to you.
