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USVI charter options (no passport required)

What are the USVI Boat Charter Options?

  • We can go snorkeling/sightseeing to the Cays north of St. John and other places that cannot or cannot easily be reached by car/foot/swimming.  For example: Mermaids chair, Whisling Cay, Congo, Mingo, Lovango, Xmas cove, Waterlemon, Tektike, Booby Rock and more.
  • You can swim in hike up reef bay to the waterfall and petroglyphs (easy 20min hike up from water vs. full day hike down and up from centerline if you do it by car)

As for food options there is Pizza Pi, the Pizza Boat (re-opening in November), the new restaurant on Lovango Cay (re-opening December 20th) and Lime Out (has already re-opened on October 5). Lime Out is only included in the full day trip. Pizza Pi and Lovango are included in half day or 3/4 day as well. Lovango requires reservation for lunch table and mooring which you can reserve online here. You can also pre-order food at North Shore Deli and pickup it up before your charter, they are right across from where we start the trip.

We start the trip at National Park Dock near Mongoose Junction. Usually 9:00 am for full day, 10:00 am for half or 3/4 day and 4:45 for sunset cruise but other times can be arranged.

We have a cooler and water and ice on board and you are welcome to bring your own drinks and snacks.

Everything always depends on wind and ocean, sometimes there are big north swells and the north is rough but the south is calm as a lake so a great day to snorkel the southern spots and swim in at reef bay which can be rough on other days it is the other way around, Captain Steve has been doing these charters for many years and will help you choose the best places to go for the day.

unset-cruise-powerboat-charter-stjohn

Sunset Cruise 390$ including captain and fuel

Visit Pizza Pi the pizza boat, enjoy your pizza while watching the sunset or jump in for a snorkel at Christmas Cove or bring your picnic or food from North Shore Deli or Sam and Jacks to enjoy while cruising into the sunset. The price is for the whole boat up to 6 people, including captain and fuel. We have a couple's special for only 2 people which is 350$. Please put "couples special" into notes field when booking and price will be adjusted.

Half day USVI 690$ including captain and fuel

Best of North or South Shore incl. Pizza Pi the pizza boat and Cays north of St. John (snorkeling and sightseeing) or you can hike up Reef Bay.

half-day-trip-reef-bay-hike-waterfalls

3/4 day USVI 790$ including captain and fuel

Best of North and South Shore incl. pizza pi the pizza boat and/or Lovango and cays north of St. John (snorkeling and sightseeing)  if you want, you can also hike up Reef Bay (for waterfall and petroglyphs), it is a short swim to shore and then an easy 20min hike up (compared to the full day hike up and down from centerline)

snorkeling-whisling-cay-stjohn

Full Day USVI 890$ including captain and fuel & Limeout

All around St. John (North Shore and South Shore Spots) incl. stop at Lime Out which is on the Coral Bay side of island. This charter is not recommended on a very rough day. If you have booked this and there is a big swell / strong winds making the ocean very rough you can always change it to 3/4 day.

day-trip-to-lime-out-stjohn-usvi

 

reef-bay-hike-petroglyphs-stjohn-usvi

half-day-boat-trip-stjohn-usvi

Add (inshore) fishing option to any charter for 150$

Our most popular option is the 3/4 day as you don't have to clear customs and pay customs fees (like when going to BVI) so you don't really need a full day unless you want to go to lime out which is a very long way.

Pizza Pi and Lime Out

If you would like to visit Pizza Pi the Pizza Boat or Lime Out on your charter please check their website and facebook pages for latest opening days, right now Lime Out is set to have their current "last day" on 8/15 or 8/22 and re-open is 10/5 or 10/12.

Alternatively you can grab some snacks for your charter for example from North Shore Deli (across from National Park Dock) or Sam and Jacks at upper level Starfish.

Open for paddleboard deliveries

We have also paddleboard deliveries  but will not be giving lessons or renting snorkel gear for now. We thank our customers for their continued support during these difficult times and can't wait to head back to Jost with y'all

Changes due to Covid:

  • Please sanitize your hands upon entering the boat we should have hand sanitizer on board.
    Captain Steve is fully vaccinated but we still have to adhere to local guidelines requiring masks whenever within 6feet of someone not in your household
  • We are NOT providing snorkel gear we don't think these are times to share breathing equipment even with careful disinfection a risk remains esp. for the crew cleaning it.
  • You are however welcome to borrow fins.
  • For payment the captain can run the final charge on the card you used for deposit if you would like to use different card please pay online with the PAY NOW link in the booking invoice.

Online Booking: Book your unforgettable day in USVI waters here:

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Sunset Cruise – Powerboat Charter

Sunsets on St. John are spectacular. In winter months, the skies at sunset glow with the most spectacular hues, blooming with pinks, reds and oranges. In summer months, the whole sky can be lit up in orange.

sunset-cruise-stjohn

The fabulous St. John sunsets are even more beautiful from the water. Imagine sitting on the boat, sipping a cold drink and seeing the sun drop into the water or behind the rock. If you get really lucky, you might even see the famous green flash. The green flash are optical phenomena that appear on the horizon, usually the ocean, just after the Sun rises or sets. It is a flash of green light that lasts for about a second or two. Sometimes (rarely) the green flash can resemble a green ray shooting up from the sunset (or sunrise) point. Green flashes occur because the atmosphere can cause the light from the sun to separate out into different colors.

rockhoppin-sunset-cruise

Go on a sunset cruise from Cruz Bay, St. John

Our sunset cruise typically leaves around 4:45 PM and returns to Cruz Bay after sunset (little after 7 in summer). We cruise along the North Shore beaches.
The price is 390$ for the whole boat up to 6 people (including fuel). We have a couples special which is 350$ if it is only 2 of you.
It is in USVI waters only (since customs offices closes at 5pm). We provide water and ice. You can bring your own food and drink or grab something from North Shore Deli (which is right across from where we start the trip) - call to pre-order and everything will be waiting for you. During season we can also stop at Pizza Pi the Pizza boat, always a great hit with the kids (Pizza Pi is usually open from November to end July)

Sunset Cruise Video

Ready to go?

Book your unforgettable St. John sunset cruise here

You can use the calendar below to directly make a booking (select date and hit book now). Not sure yet? Then you can also send us a Booking Enquiry with this form or email rockhoppinusvi(at)gmail.com or text 340-514-5527.


Online Booking

Select your date and pay a 150$ deposit. The rest is due on day of charter (after trip, cash, card or cheque). All prices include captain and fuel. Not included: BVI customs/mooring fees and gratuity

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St. John, USVI Covid-19 Update: Re-opening July 1st, USVI trips only

JULY 9 UPDATE: Big news from today's press conference : negative Covid-19 test required for all states that have positivity rate of 10% or more (data based on John Hopkins University). Effective July 15th. Test can be up to 5 days old and is required for age 15+. Current list of states: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas. If no negative test is presented, self quarantine for 14 days or test upon arrival and quarantine until test negative. Antibody test max 4 month old works too. Effective immediately all bars have to close. No alcohol sold after 11pm. Restaurants can continue to serve drinks but no counter service. Beaches close 4pm on weekends and holidays. #stjohn #usvi #stjohnusvi #covid19

For latest official updates, check out https://www.facebook.com/GovernmentHouseUSVI/

For update on St. John and USVI Covid19 case numbers head over to this page: https://www.facebook.com/virginislandsDOH/

The BVI are still closed for day trips until September 1st but we would love to show you a great time in USVI waters on 1/2 day, 3/4 day or full day St. John or a take you for a sunset cruise. The sunsets have been truly amazing recently. On another note the new Zozo's H20 on Lovango, USVI which had briefly opened before Covid-19 is and remains closed.

  • We will not be providing snorkel gear, we don't think these are the times to share breathing equipment even with careful desinfection some risk remains
  • We will not be doing shared trips, private charters only

unset-cruise-powerboat-charter-stjohn

Sunset Cruise 290$ including captain and fuel

Visit Pizza Pi the pizza boat, enjoy your pizza while watching the sunset or jump in for a snorkel at Chrismas Cove

Half day USVI 490$ including captain and fuel

Best of North or South Shore incl. pizza pi the pizza boat and cays north of st. john (snorkeling and sightseeing) or you can hike up Reef Bay.

3/4 day USVI 590$ including captain and fuel

best of North and South Shore incl. pizza pi the pizza boat and cays north of st. john (snorkeling and sightseeing)  if you want you can also hike up Reef Bay (for waterfall and petroglyphs) easy 20min hike

Full Day USVI 790$ including captain and fuel

All around St. John incl. stop at Lime Out which is on the Coral Bay side of island

reef-bay-hike-petroglyphs-stjohn-usvi

half-day-boat-trip-stjohn-usvi

add (inshore) fishing option to any charter for 100$

Our most popular option is the 3/4 day as you don't have to clear customs and pay customs fees (like when going to BVI) so you don't really need a full day unless you want to go to lime out which is a very long way.

On the 3/4 you can do all the key sights on North and South Shore and if you want you can also hike up Reef Bay (for waterfall and petroglyphs) easy 20min hike and stop at Pizza Pi the Pizza Boat.
Fully day going all around the island / visiting lime out is  is always pending weather on a very rough day this is not recommended.

Pizza Pi and Lime Out

If you would like to visit Pizza Pi the Pizza Boat or Lime Out on your charter please check their website and facebook pages for latest opening days

Alternatively you can grab some snacks for your charter for example from North Shore Deli (across from National Park Dock) or

Open for paddleboard deliveries

We have resumed paddleboard deliveries on June 1st but will not be giving lessons or renting snorkel gear for now. We thank our customers for their continued support during these difficult times and can't wait to head back to Jost with y'all

Changes due to Covid:

  • Please sanitize your hands upon entering the boat we should have hand sanitizer on board
  • We might have to wear masks when approaching Pizza Pi I will double check with them what their latest requirements are but please bring them just in case.
  • You will NOT be required to wear mask on board but please practice social distancing from captain and do not sit on the seat right next to him there are plenty of other seats on the boat.
  • We are NOT providing snorkel gear we don't think these are times to share breathing equipment even with careful disinfection a risk remains esp. for the crew cleaning it.
  • You are however welcome to borrow fins.
  • For payment the captain can run the final charge on the card you used for deposit if you would like to use different card please pay online with the PAY NOW link in the booking invoice.

Online Booking: Book your unforgettable day in USVI waters here:

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T-Shirt Fundraiser

It is quiet here on St. John, with all beaches and trails closed, all non-essential businesses ordered to close and villas and hotels not allowed to take on any new guests. So far only 2 confirmed cased on St. John but quite a few on St. Thomas.

We can still go fishing and caught a very nice Wahoo last weekend

Other than that we are catching up on projects around the house and after avoiding the phone and computer for some time are now catching up with work there too and found the time to design some new t-shirts.

Had to cancel your trip to St. John? Missing the island? Wear a piece of clothing that shows your love for the island at home and support your favorite charter business during these difficult times by ordering one of our new shirts (available until April 30th).

Lots of new styles and colors and we now also have kids tees and kids long sleeves!

We have two new designs with lots of styles to choose from. Unsure which one? The captain's recommendation is the triblend T-Shirt, it is a very light, super soft fabric that dries very quickly.

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Classic Rockhoppin' T-Shirt

features our logo on the front and a map of the virgin islands on back together with a checkbox style list where you can check of the islands you visited. They are available as Women's Racerback, Premium Long Sleeve, Premium Unisex T-Shirt, Tri-blend shirt (very soft, fast drying fabric) as well Youth Tee and Youth Long Sleeve, available in lots of colors. Check them out here:

https://www.bonfire.com/rockhoppin2020/

Fishing T-Shirt

features our logo on the front and a fishing design on the back, after all our boat is called "Wahoo Wa". They are available as Women's Racerback, Premium Long Sleeve, Classic Unisex, Tri-blend (very soft, fast drying fabric), 3/4 Baseball Tee, Women's slim fit T, V-Neck Unisex, Youth Unisex, Youth Long Sleeve as well Youth Tee and Youth Long Sleeve, available in lots of colors. Check them out here:

https://www.bonfire.com/rockhoppin-fish/

rockhoppin-captain-shirt

Prefer the good old "I'm the captain" design? That is available here:

https://www.bonfire.com/rockhoppincaptain/

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Private Charter from St. John to ZoZo’s H20 on Lovango Cay

There's a new destination in USVI waters, no passport needed and no horrendous BVI customs fees. Lovango has always been a great snorkeling stop on our USVI charters but now you can also get some amazing food there. This is phase 1 of their opening and they will later be opening a beach club and resort as well.

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ZoZo's H20 on Lovango

has just opened for business earlier this month it is located on the beautiful and tranquil Lovango Cay a short, scenic boat ride from Cruz Bay, St. John. Come for lunch. Come for dinner. Come enjoy a piece of paradise. Create memories that will last a lifetime. OPEN DAILY 11 A.M. - 6 P.M. Check out their mouth watering menu below.

GRILLED SHRIMP BRUSCHETTA    /    $19
ROASTED PEPPER APRICOT CASHEW CHUTNEY, CALABRIAN CHILIES, BASIL OIL
ALASKAN KING CRAB POKE    /    $21
JALAPENO AVOCADO MOUSSE, HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, WATERMELON RADISH, CUCUMBER, WATERCRESS, LEMON CHIVE VINAIGRETTE
CALAMARI    /    $17
FRIED CRISPY, CORNMEAL CRUST, SWEETIE DROP PEPPERS, BANANA PEPPER GASTRIQUE
PIG AND CHEESE    /    $21
IMPORTED BURRATA, AURICCHIO, ’NDUJA TOAST, SWEET SOPRESSATA, PANCHETTA ONION JAM, PEPPERONATA, CRISPY PORK RINDS
FALAFEL PLATTER    /    $19
LEMON CUCUMBER YOGURT, BARREL FETA, GRILLED PITA, ROASTED TOMATO SICILIAN OLIVE SALAD
SEARED SCALLOP CAESAR    /    $26
SUGARCANE SKEWER, TOBIKO CAVIAR, ROMAINE, PARMESAN CRISP, WHITE ANCHOVY FILETS
WATERMELON SALAD    /    $18
FENNEL, PINEAPPLE, ARUGULA, TOASTED PISTACHIOS, GOAT CHEESE, FRESH MINT, TAHITIAN VANILLA BASIL VINAIGRETTE
MEDITERRANEAN GRAIN BOWL    /    $19
FARRO, ROASTED EGGPLANT CAPONATA, CAPERS, PINE NUTS, AVOCADO, CURRANTS, FRESH MINT, ZESTY CHIANTI VINAIGRETTE
1/2 LB. BURGER    /    $19
TOASTED SWEET HAWAIIAN ROLL, AGED CHEDDAR, HOUSE PICKLES AND SPICY MAYO
MAHI MAHI BLT    /    $23
APPLEWOOD-SMOKED BACON, HEIRLOOM TOMATO, LOCAL ARUGULA, SAUCE GRIBICHE
TUNA BAHN MI    /    $23
SEARED TUNA, PICKLED DAIKON & CARROTS, CUCUMBER, FRESH CILANTRO, TOASTED SESAME AIOLI, HOLY JALAPENO SAUCE
MUFFULETTA    /    $24
SWEET SOPRESSATA, CAPICOLA, MORTADELLA, PROVOLONE, WATERCRESS, OLIVE & PEPPER GIARDINIERA, FRIED OYSTERS, CAJUN REMOULADE
1/2 JERK CHICKEN    /    $34
MOLASSES RUB, BRAISED GANDULES, SAFFRON RICE, LEMON CUCUMBER YOGURT
GRILLED SWORDFISH    /    $36
CITRUS MARINADE, SUNDRIED TOMATO BBQ, TOASTED ORZO SALAD, CHARRED BRUSSELS SPROUTS, MANGO CHILI GLAZE
SEAFOOD FRA DIAVOLO    /    $38
HALF CARIBBEAN LOBSTER TAIL, CALAMARI, SHRIMP, BLACK MUSSELS, FETTUCCINE, SPICY ROASTED TOMATO BRODO
ZOZO'S SURF AND TURF     /    $36
ROSEMARY-CRUSTED PORK TENDERLOIN, RUM-GLAZED LOBSTER RISOTTO, FIRECRACKER SHRIMP, SWEET SAFFRON BUTTER

zozo-h20-lovango

For parties of six or greater Zozo's accepts reservations up to 30 days in advance, please email Manager@zozoslovango.com or call 860-450-6649 with name, preferred date and time, good contact phone number and number in your party.

How to get to Zozo's H2O on Lovango

We can visit Zozo's H2O on any of our USVI trips, the half day, the 3/4 day or the full day. We do recommend doing it on the 3/4 day trip to allow enough time to explore other sights and snorkel.

zozos-h20-lovango-cay

Reserve your private charter to Zozo's H2O on Lovango

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2020 update

When was your last visit to St. John? Wondering what's up? Here is the latest

After a relatively uneventful hurricane season 2019 - except for a surprise visit of Hurricane Dorian - St. John is pretty much back to it's beautiful pre-Irmaria self. Dorian was supposed to be a tropical storm passing well over 100 miles away and ended up being a category 1 hurricane that went right over us. The forecast advisory only changed at 8am in the morning at by noon all hell was breaking loose. Thankfully Captain Steve had secured our 32FS Regulator really well "just in case" and everything stayed in place. We are very grateful for that since he had just given our boat a major makeover buffing out and repairing all the scratches and dents that remained from Irma.

DOWNTOWN CRUZ BAY

The key places that were still closed since Irmaria, Beach Bar and Joe's Rum Hut (now named Rum Hut with a slightly more upscale menu and look) have just re-opened so Cruz Bay town is pretty much like it was. Beautiful large Coconut Palm Trees have been planted along Cruz Bay beach and it looks great. Planting them was a major undertaking, check out the video here.

The wine shop Island Cork that carries more than 200 different wines now added a Bistro with great snacks it is a great place to unwind and have a terrific glass of wine with some fantastic treats.

The Parrot Club expects to reopen there within the next few weeks, and upscale dining venue  Waterfront Bistro has plans to reopen later this year.

Sushi Bar Umami is gone there now is a Tap & Still which some of you might now from Red Hook, St. Thomas.

The gravel parking lot by barge exit that had been closed for maintenance since October has also just re-opened and parking is currently free there (YAY!). There also is a new paid parking in the place where Lumberyard used to be that is the best / closest parking if you go on a charter for us unless you can snatch up one of the few free spaces by National Park Dock. If you are in that area, also check out the Eco Station St. John which offers recycling and refills for cleaners, shampoo etc a great approach to tackle the trash problem on our little island.

BEACHES AND RESORTS

The Westin is up and running and everything is looking great.

Caneel Bay Resort and Cinnamon Campground remain closed with no opening/rebuilding date. You can park at the former Caneel entrance and pay for a golf cart transfer to Honeymoon Beach or you can rent a paddleboard from us and paddle to the caneel beaches by paddleboard.

Concordia Eco Resort near Salt Pond has new owners and they are rebuilding.

A new bar has opened across the road from Maho ("Maho Crossroads"). Some love it others hate it, overall Maho is busier than before and parking can be a challenge. In return Cinnamon is very peaceful and quiet with ample parking now that there is no campground.

Yes, we are missing a lot of the beautiful Palmtrees at some beaches and sadly the National Park does not consider them "native species" so they are not replanting them. However a lot of the shrubs are gone so many beaches like hawksnest that were narrow before are now much wider.

2020 boating destinations

BVI

Everything for our main destinations in the BVIs is pretty much back to normal,  Corsairs at Great Harbour, Jost van Dyke (pictured below) has been completely rebuilt since the hurricanes and is looking great!

corsairs-jostvandyke-bvi-850

Foxy's Taboo (Diamond Cay, pictured below) has also been rebuilt and Pirate's on Norman Island is back open, Willy T. have moved back to Norman Island so aside from the ever increasing BVI customs fees (at the moment about 75-95$ per person) everything is like before or even better.

We can only imagine how bad the hurricanes and storm surge must have been on one of our favorite places, Anegada, as it is very low with almost zero elevation but you will not be able to tell, everything has been rebuilt and looks amazing and a lot of the big palm trees at Cow Wreck beach (pictured below) survived the storms.

 

USVI

Lime Out

The new Limeout floating taco bar that was located in the East End near Hanson Bay is closed due to permitting problems / deny of mooring permit at the location. It remains closed until further notice while they search for a better location. Abi's at Green Cay /STT is also closed and it does not look like they will be reopening.

day-trip-to-lime-out-stjohn-usvi

So for now Pizza Pi the pizza boat remains the only "bar stop" on the USVI trips. So the full day trip can be a pretty long day on the water as you are not leaving the boat except for snorkeling, so we have added a new USVI trip that is the 3/4 day St. John which is 6 hours and enough to bring you to the key sights on St. John in the North and South without going all around the island.

More to come...

New USVI destinations are however in the works among others a new resort/restaurant on Lovango Cay as well as a floating lounge in Pillsbury Sound.

Lovango Resort and Beach Club

New destination on Lovango is opening this week (Feb 2, 2020)

zozo-h20-lovango

Phase 1

ZoZo's H2O Restaurant (opening Feb 2020)

Casual dining at the water’s edge, this is the perfect lunch, full-day or dinner excursion. Lunch and early dinner served daily from 11am-6pm

This is a possible stop on our 3/4 day or full day St. John trip.

Phase 2

The Lovango Beach Club (opening December 2020)

The first of its type in the USVI! The Beach Club will provide restaurant services, an exotic beach destination with services:

Beach facilities, water sports, beach games, large oceanfront swimming pool, cabanas, changing facilities with locker rooms and showers for boaters

Daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal memberships

Phase 3

The Lovango Resort & Beach Club (opening December 2021)

An island resort community with discretely-located accommodations. Your home away from home is designed to maximize your privacy with spectacular views. The resort will include attention to wellness and picturesque wedding venues. Hotel guests may enjoy all the benefits of the Beach Club.

This stunning resort will be fully self-sustainable providing its own solar and wind power for electricity and a reverse osmosis plant for all of its fresh water needs.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE

Follow us on facebook.com/rockhoppin or instagram.com/rockhoppin_charters for updates.

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Pizza Pi re-opening for 2019/2020 season

Mark your calendars, the iconic Pizza Pi boat that serves fresh pizza made on the boat is re-opening for the second season under new ownership.

They have done a complete interior overhaul. These changes will allow them to increase capacity and dramatically reduce wait times. The changes include:

    • Installation of new 20kw generator to support additional capacity.

    • Installation of an additional oven that will increase pizza producing capacity by ~65%.

    • Complete redesign of galley and forecastle for increased refrigeration, storage and overall greater efficiency.

    • Improved space for displaying and storing merchandise.

    • Installation of new sound system with Wakeboard and JL speakers.

Where is the Pizza Boat?

The Pizza Boat is at Christmas Cove off Little St. James. There is great snorkeling nearby or when go there for dinner on a sunset cruise.

How to book a Trip to Pizza Pi

We can visit Pizza Pi within the following trips

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We are open for business and St. John is ready for visitors

It has been a rough ride being hit by 2 category 5 hurricanes within 2 weeks in September 2017 and we are finally back online with high speed internet via a satellite dish we mounted on our roof terrace. The fiber optic cables for DSL and TV are still down in January 2018, 4 month past hurricane.

The maximum gust measured on St. John (before meter blew away) was 277mp/h (!) and the highest sustained windspeed was 207 mp/h, the highest sustained windspeed ever recorded anywhere in the world! These are numbers from local meters that were blown away in the storm so they are not part of the official recordings or statistics. In the official statistics, Hurricane Irma and Maria rank 2nd and 8th in the list of the strongest ever recorded Atlantic Hurricanes.

Our house, boat and paddleboards faired pretty well and sustained only minor damages considering the incredible wind speeds. We towed our 32 FS Regulator Powerboat out of the water and had it on a trailer in the boat yard, Captain Steve secured the trailer with sandscrews, straps, chains etc. to the ground and trees and yes, it stayed in place (some trailers were tipped over or went down the hill backwards).

The boat was hit by flying debris like pieces of roofing and rain that was pushed through any cracks with 200mp/h damaged some of the electronics like sonar depth/fish finder but it’s otherwise fine. A total of 450 boats were destroyed on St. John alone so we were very lucky. We have had only about 5 charters since the storm and are  currently performing some maintenance resuming charters February 1st.

Apologies if you emailed us and did not hear back we did not have internet for months and some messages might have been lost due to mailbox full or accidently deleted when going through 65.000 unread emails with a lot of them being spam. Please re-send your message and we will get back to you asap.

Is St. John ready for visitors past Hurricane?

We would say definitely yes, if you can live without cable tv and don’t mind little inconveniences like missing some missing street signs. Over 90% of the houses have power now. The Westin and Caneel Bay will remain closed until 2019 but there are lots of villas and apartments that survived the storm and are available for rent. All grocery stores are open, there is plenty of food and produce.

A lot of restaurants were destroyed but there are enough bars and restaurants open for a fun night out. All hiking trails and beaches are open and the water is clear and has been declared safe to swim. Some of the beaches are actually nicer than before (wider due to sand deposited by storm and downed shrubs) and there are actually some new beaches that have appeared since the storm  (due to sand deposits or places previously unaccessible due to vegetation). Everything is quiet and relaxed there is no struggle to find a parking space at beach and everybody is happy for any visitor showing up. The only place a little more crowded than before is the Starfish market parking its always full, lots of locals go there to conduct there business on the public wifi.

Repeat visitors will enjoy re-discovering their island, finding new beaches, driftwood sculptures on the beach and having different views from the hiking trails. I know a lot of you have helped with donations etc. but the best thing you can do for St. John is to come back and spend lots of money at the local businesses

As for our friends in the BVI they were hit pretty bad by the storm as well, but a few places have reopened so no matter if you want to go to Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Norman Island or Jost each place will have at least one bar or restaurant open. If you prefer to stay local, Pizza Pi and Abi are open as well.

 

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Indians, Caves, Aquarium – BVI Snorkeling Trip from St. John

While it is possible to incorporate some snorkeling into our day trip to Jost van Dyke, most of the prime BVI snorkeling spots are near Norman Island and part of our Norman Island Day Trip. There are no houses or beachgoers nearby so the water is super nice and clear.

The Indians

The Indians are an amazing deep water snorkel and are constantly named among the top 5 BVI snorkeling spots. They lie just north of The Bight at Norman Island and about half way between the easternmost tip of St. John, USVI and the westernmost tip of Peter Island. Four rocky pinnacles rise straight up, about 100' from the ocean floor. Approximately 50' of that is above water. There are lots of blue tangs, parrotfish, cow fish, damsel fish, sergeant majors, jacks, queen angels, wrasse, trunk fish, eels and if you're lucky, you might spot a queen trigger fish.

The Caves

Norman Island is a well-known destination for cruisers and other tourists because of 3 water-level caves at the base of cliffs just outside the western edge of The Bight. The are ideal for snorkeling.

Note: Different from the other spots, both Caves and Indians charge a 20$ mooring fee which has to be paid upon checkin into the BVIs.  These fees can be avoided by going to free spots like the Aquarium but if you don't mind the fee and want to snorkel the Indians and Caves, we can of course go there, just let the Captain know before check-in to the BVI so that he can pay the fees (fees can be paid with credit card).

The Aquarium

is another great but lesser know snorkeling spot which you will most likely have to yourself. The advantage over Indians is that you don't have to pay a mooring fee. The water is super nice and clear and calm and you will see lots of good stuff. From there it's a very quick ride over to Pirate's Bight where you can have some great lunch at "Pirate's" or "The Club"

From there you can head over to Jost van Dyke for some "Painkillers" at infamous Soggy Dollar Bar or take the route along the South Shore of St. John for more snorkeling (Tektike, Booby Rock) or fishing (Norman Island and Fishing Charter)


Ready to go?

Book your Day Trip from St. John to Norman Island here

You can use the calendar below to directly make a booking (select date and hit book now). Not sure yet? Then you can also send us a Booking Enquiry with this form or via email to rockhoppinusvi(at)gmail.com


Online Booking

Or the form below to to make a booking. Select your date and pay a 150$ deposit. The rest is due on day of charter (after trip, cash, card or cheque). All prices include captain and fuel. Not included: BVI customs/mooring fees and gratuity

 

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Pizza Pi is closing for season July 29th

PiZZA Pi the Pizza boat off xmas cove will be serving their last pizzas of the season on July 29.  They will celebrate with a "Christmas in July" party.  Please join them with your best Caribbean Santa costumes & music.  They will be open regular hours of 11a-6pm and will do our best to eat & drink the boat dry so come early if you want dibs on a full menu.  They plan to reopen December 2, 2017

Ready to snatch up the last Pizza?

Just check out the happy faces in these photos: https://www.facebook.com/rockhoppin/photos/?tab=album&album_id=424506084421760 and https://www.facebook.com/rockhoppin/photos/?tab=album&album_id=400231126849256

Book your sunset cruise to Pizza Pi here or stop there during a day trip:

How does it work? Select your date and pay a 150$ deposit. The rest is due on day of charter (after trip, cash, card or cheque). All prices include captain and fuel. Not included: BVI customs/mooring fees and gratuity

 

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