Top 3 Things To Do In St. John USVI
For anyone planning a trip to St. John USVI, here are our top three things to do on this magical little island and in the waters beyond.
Rent a Dinghy in St. John USVI And Head For The Best Beaches
St. John boat rental, no captain. That’s right: be your own captain while you cruise to the best beaches in the area. This is a great option for those who know their way around, or want an affordable way to explore the area. We recommend Wharfside Watersports as the best place to rent a boat without a captain in St. John. Dinghy rentals are the best option when it comes to DIY options,
Half day (3.5 hours starting at 10am or 2 pm) rentals run $195, and full day rentals (7 hours starting at 10am) are $249. There are a variety of dinghy rental options, such as Zodiacs or Medline 9.
Next step, point your newly rented boat over to the North Shore beaches (Caneel Bay beach, Trunk Bay beach, Honeymoon Beach, Cinnamon Bay beach), which are consistently ranked as the best beaches in the USVI. Hopefully you also rented some snorkeling gear to snorkel with the sea turtles at Maho Bay.
For the more adventurous, go to Waterlemon Cay or the mangroves at Hurricane Hole offers incredible snorkeling opportunities.
Navigating St. John USVI Waters By Rental Boat
Those who rent a boat and serve as their own captain need to either know how to navigate around St. John, or make sure to have a map of the area. Wharfside has this St. John USVI map on its website. Google Earth has mapped the USVI here and you can see a map of St. John on Google Maps here.
Scott Beach at Caneel photo by Island Roots Charters
Static maps without real time navigation capabilities can be difficult to use. Internet and cell signals can be spotty and unreliable in the U.S. Virgin Islands around St. John so it’s best to have back up maps, and / or downloadable maps to navigate the waters around St. John. Many rely on navigation apps for boaters like what Navionics offers for Iphones and Androids. Garmin also has downloadable charts for cruising the Caribbean / USVI.
Charter a Private Boat Charter From St. John USVI To The BVI
Jost Van Dyke photo by Island Roots Charters
For those who want the guidance of captain, the best thing to do is to charter a private charter boat. You can hit all of the best beaches, and if you want to go off of the beaten path a bit more, indulge in a private boat charter to the BVI with Island Roots.
The British Virgin Islands (BVI) marine border is only approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) from the northern coast of St. John, USVI, but there a multiple popular destinations that vary in distance. For example:
St. John USVI to Jost Van Dyke BVI:
Approx. 5 miles (8 km)
Travel time: ~15–20 minutes by boat.
St. John USVI to Tortola (West End) BVI
Approx. 6 miles (9.7 km)
Travel time: ~20–30 minutes by boat.
St. John USVI to Virgin Gorda (The Baths) BVI
Approx. 25 miles (40 km)
Travel time: ~1–1.5 hours by boat.
St. John USVI to Norman Island (The Bight) BVI
Approx. 12 miles (19 km)
Travel time: ~30–45 minutes by boat.
St. John USVI to Peter Island (Deadman’s Bay) BVI
Approx. 15 miles (24 km)
Travel time: ~45 minutes to 1 hour by boat.
For more ideas on things to do in and around St. John via charter boat, check out our Island Roots reviews blog, which highlights many of the activities that our guests have enjoyed.
Sail On The Kekoa Into The Sunset Around the Pilsbury Sound
The Kekoa is a 50 ft hand built wooden sailing catamaran charter boat that provides guests with views of the best sunsets in the USVI.
Its name arouses mystery and curiosity. For good reason, because it has one of the most fascinating origin stories, maybe of all such boats ever built. Brothers Ryan and Jameson, who grew up building forts as kids, challenged themselves as young adults to build the Kekoa as a dream project.
Then, in 2008, a group of buyers offered them the full asking price for this custom, one-of-a-kind boat. The buyers set off on a voyage to the Caribbean. However, just two days into their 10-day journey in December—the start of winter storm season—they found themselves battling 30 to 40-foot seas. The captain called Ryan and said they would need to abandon ship.
The crew was rescued by the Coast Guard, and the Kekoa was left adrift. Six days later, Ryan and Jameson, the original makers of Kekoa, who had been keeping an eye on its maiden voyage, embarked on a search for their lost boat. After 36 hours aboard a fishing boat, they successfully found Kekoa.
Unsure of what to do next, they decided to repurpose Kekoa into a charter boat offering tours in the USVI. With only $1,000 to their name, they started a new business and turned the Kekoa into a beloved local charter boat that offers special tours like a sunset cruise around Pilsbury Sound.
Pillsbury Sound is the body of water in the U.S. Virgin Islands that sits between St. Thomas and St. John. It was named after Rear Admiral John Elliott Pillsbury (U.S. Navy), who is renowned as one of the world's foremost geographers and an authority on the Gulf Stream.
Not only is the Pillsbury Sound a great spot for sunset sail charter cruises, but it is also home to a120 foot long Coast Guard Cutter, ‘Major General Rogers’, which was intentionally sunk 65ft deep in the 1980s to serve as an artificial reef.