Conch Charters Ltd
Road Town - Tortola - British Virgin Islands
No. of Boats: 46
Monohulls: 36
Multihulls: 10
Website: www.conchcharters.com
Phone: 284-494-4868
Email: cruising@conchcharters.com
Monohulls: 36
Multihulls: 10
Website: www.conchcharters.com
Phone: 284-494-4868
Email: cruising@conchcharters.com
Conch Charters Ltd Location
Total of 10 reviews
Rating
8
Submission date:
12/31/06 | Charter
date: June 2005
Submitted by: Andrew | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Submitted by: Andrew | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Great people, reasonable price
These guys focus on service and pricing, and do very well in both! The boats are a bit older than some of the other companies, but are well maintained and allow them to charge less than others. The best part, the people - they really took care of my group.
Rating
7
Submission date:
2/4/07 | Charter
date: April 2006
Submitted by: Zach | From: United States
Type of sailor: Experienced skipper (1-5 years) | Age: 41 - 50
Submitted by: Zach | From: United States
Type of sailor: Experienced skipper (1-5 years) | Age: 41 - 50
Good for second-tier companies
Easier on the wallet than the first tier companies, though boats are older. The people are friendly, service was responsive in my phone conversations to get everything set up.
The boats are older than the first-tier, but if you use the money for drinks, you won't notice!
The boats are older than the first-tier, but if you use the money for drinks, you won't notice!
Rating
9
Submission date:
2/4/07 | Charter
date: May 2006
Submitted by: Samuel | From: United States
Type of sailor: Experienced skipper (1-5 years) | Age: 51 - 60
Submitted by: Samuel | From: United States
Type of sailor: Experienced skipper (1-5 years) | Age: 51 - 60
Would repeat with them
Went with Conch for a week-long charter on the advice of several bulletin boards. We had an awesome time, would highly recommend this company to anyone who cares about their pocketbook.
We will definately go back again.
We will definately go back again.
Rating
7
Submission date:
4/30/07 | Charter
date: June 2005
Submitted by: Eric | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Experienced skipper (1-5 years) | Age: 61 - 70
Submitted by: Eric | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Experienced skipper (1-5 years) | Age: 61 - 70
Good boat, 1 minor problem
Took a 38 footer - can't remember the name, but sails and rigging were good with no problems during the trip. We had one issue with the head in one of the cabins, the toilet leaked when flushed. Never having this problem before, I did not know how to fix, and tried to no avail. Will use them again, friendly people and pricing was decent. Would give the boat a good examination next time - including flushing the heads..
Rating
8
Submission date:
3/9/09 | Charter
date: November 2005
Submitted by: David | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Submitted by: David | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Excellent staff, solid cruising boats
Both ourselves and several of our friends have chartered from Conch Charters. Great value. THey pride themselves on having bvoats that are solid cruising boats. On our last charter we had a 1997 Jenneau 37. This was an older boat but was great on the water including handling 8 foot waves. The boat had one problem that the cabin liner in the aft cabin came loose during the cruise and no amount of duct tape could fix the problem. This boat is no longer in their fleet.
Rating
9
Submission date:
12/26/09 | Charter
date: February 2008
Submitted by: al | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Submitted by: al | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Value and service
Brian and Cindy are great owners and operators. I've sailed with them for about 30 years. If you think that folks don't have problems with moorings boats think again, or listen to the vhf in the islands. They offer the best value for the money in Tortola, and if there's a problem they have always solved it.
Rating
2
Submission date:
2/24/10 | Charter
date: February 2010
Submitted by: Lynn | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Submitted by: Lynn | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Easy to please but not this time...
We just returned from a trip in which we chartered bareboat through Conch and I have the following to say about our experience with them. The boat was about what we expected however it was not really very inviting. For example, we had pillows that were about 100 years old that stank to high heaven along with tissue paper sheets that also stunk. Housekeeping was generally very poor-dirty cutlery and utensils, etc. Had to give the place a scrub down, but unfortunately had to live with the bedding the whole trip. Two heads would not stop stinking. We could overlook all of this with the right concern from the operators however Customer service was dismal. Phone calls not returned in general. When we did get a voice, there was basically no answer to our query on equipment that would not stop beeping or missing integral equipment.
We still managed to have an absolutely FANTASTIC time and learned to overlook or live with this aspect, but the salt on the wound was when we returned to Conch. First, they quickly closed shop and left us without water for the night. However not before sticking it to us as follows: We had run over the whaler line prior to returning. Line was cleanly severed however they called it prop wrap and quickly put through our $1500 Damage deposit. Just a tad slimy. I know this company started out with a Canadian couple who were know to 'care', however, perhaps they've grown tired of the business or are entrusting the wrong staff. We paid this company an extra $250 to sleep on board before our flights and the first thing we saw upon arriving home was an email complaining that we didn't do the dishes (with no water?).
Anyway, there are lots and lots of options out there (my husband has had plenty of previous good experience with Moorings) and I'd suggest if you are looking for a good deal, but still want to savor your hard earned vacation, find a company with a personal touch. I could add a lot to this review, but I think I've said enough.
Have a great trip!
We still managed to have an absolutely FANTASTIC time and learned to overlook or live with this aspect, but the salt on the wound was when we returned to Conch. First, they quickly closed shop and left us without water for the night. However not before sticking it to us as follows: We had run over the whaler line prior to returning. Line was cleanly severed however they called it prop wrap and quickly put through our $1500 Damage deposit. Just a tad slimy. I know this company started out with a Canadian couple who were know to 'care', however, perhaps they've grown tired of the business or are entrusting the wrong staff. We paid this company an extra $250 to sleep on board before our flights and the first thing we saw upon arriving home was an email complaining that we didn't do the dishes (with no water?).
Anyway, there are lots and lots of options out there (my husband has had plenty of previous good experience with Moorings) and I'd suggest if you are looking for a good deal, but still want to savor your hard earned vacation, find a company with a personal touch. I could add a lot to this review, but I think I've said enough.
Have a great trip!
Rating
1
Submission date:
3/6/10 | Charter
date: February 2010
Submitted by: Courtnay Welsch | From: United States
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Submitted by: Courtnay Welsch | From: United States
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Do Not Recommend Conch Charters
We just returned from a bareboat charter trip in BVI and although we had read some bad reviews of this company we decided to take a chance to save some money. All I can say is that was a mistake! All this banter on review sites (which seems suspiciously biased - perhaps owners/friends) about this company providing personalized, great service is, I'm sorry to say, just not the case.
We felt like another annoying set of 'tourists' to them. The boat was lacking in so many ways, I don't even know where to start, and perhaps I won't start, but let’s just say that they absolutely cannot be doing a thorough check of the boats between customers. Something as important as a First Aid kit, however, I must report on... We had a member of our group obtain a large bleeding gash on the leg. The first aid kit consisted of three band aids, a mess of rusted out tweezers, and a few packets of some expired gel. Absolutely no large bandaging, tape, or other bare necessities of a basic first aid kit. We resorted to using a towel while we had to take a day to go in to get some proper supplies.
The fridge and freezer did not charge up at all and were basically useless. If we'd known how much food we'd have to throw out, we would have chosen to eat in restaurants. The boat also had this smell about it that is hard to describe but a bit like a really old motel. I don't think it had ever been given a really thorough cleaning. There was garbage left all around garbage bins on ground that was some unrecognizable food that had grown to be part of the floor in the cupboard. (Maybe this was the smell)
The 'caring' staff could give a rat’s whisker when we mention any of this. The attitude of the staff on return of the boat was 'get out and let us find the damage we can ding you with' - not the caring friendly attitude that some posters have stated.
I guess if you've used this company year after year, you wouldn't know any better or otherwise as far as service, and perhaps you also (I hope) do get special treatment.
All in all, our family does NOT recommend this charter company.
We felt like another annoying set of 'tourists' to them. The boat was lacking in so many ways, I don't even know where to start, and perhaps I won't start, but let’s just say that they absolutely cannot be doing a thorough check of the boats between customers. Something as important as a First Aid kit, however, I must report on... We had a member of our group obtain a large bleeding gash on the leg. The first aid kit consisted of three band aids, a mess of rusted out tweezers, and a few packets of some expired gel. Absolutely no large bandaging, tape, or other bare necessities of a basic first aid kit. We resorted to using a towel while we had to take a day to go in to get some proper supplies.
The fridge and freezer did not charge up at all and were basically useless. If we'd known how much food we'd have to throw out, we would have chosen to eat in restaurants. The boat also had this smell about it that is hard to describe but a bit like a really old motel. I don't think it had ever been given a really thorough cleaning. There was garbage left all around garbage bins on ground that was some unrecognizable food that had grown to be part of the floor in the cupboard. (Maybe this was the smell)
The 'caring' staff could give a rat’s whisker when we mention any of this. The attitude of the staff on return of the boat was 'get out and let us find the damage we can ding you with' - not the caring friendly attitude that some posters have stated.
I guess if you've used this company year after year, you wouldn't know any better or otherwise as far as service, and perhaps you also (I hope) do get special treatment.
All in all, our family does NOT recommend this charter company.
Rating
1
Submission date:
3/6/10 | Charter
date: February 2010
Submitted by: Lynn | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Submitted by: Lynn | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 51 - 60
Past the 'best before' date
Bad experience overall with Conch unfortunately. Ruined our vacation. Boat not well kept...smelly beds, smelly cabinets. Heads not working properly. Boat missing integral equipment and staff not really caring. There are many posts on this company that are positive and I suspect have interests in the company, so just be cautious about what you read.
Rating
2
Submission date:
4/5/10 | Charter
date: December 2009
Submitted by: White | From: United States
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 31 - 40
Submitted by: White | From: United States
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 31 - 40
Ok Company but bad communication and problem handling
Being as objective as possible, I think they are reasonably priced, their staff is very friendly and helpful and their boats are ok, however, their communication sucks and so does the customer service. I had a good vacation with them but also have some issues:
Communication was bad from the start: They didn't seem very organized and would take a lot of time to reply to emails. Sometimes I would have to send a 2nd or 3rd email before getting a reply. I recommend calling them instead.
I also got to see how they handle damages since I chipped 5 inches off one of the Cat keels...
They took my deposit and said they would keep in touch... I dropped emails from time to time to ask about the progress but would get no replies...
After 5 1/2 weeks, they repaired the boat, but it took them another 5 1/2 weeks before sending me an invoice. As expected, they had conveniently fixed the numbers to take all my security deposit. They charged me $240 for 4 hours to deliver the boat to the boat yard and back!! (note that a skipper gets paid $150/day!!), also note that the boatyard is 2.5 miles away and there is also a closer boatyard, TMS boatyard is in Road town and could also haul out & repair the specific cat because I contacted them to inquire. They also charged $270 for a gallon of paint to cover a 5 inch chip! The other expenses for haul out and repair seemed reasonable; however, they also sent me the wrong repair receipts which mentioned repairs to dingy davits, etc??? These guys aren't very organized as I've mentioned. When I called to inquire about the costs, they told me they were actually charging me less coz they didn't include managerial costs and diver photography. There is some logic to the arguments they made about the costs, but from my point of view, I feel I've been jacked! Especially due to all the bad organization and communication.
Communication was bad from the start: They didn't seem very organized and would take a lot of time to reply to emails. Sometimes I would have to send a 2nd or 3rd email before getting a reply. I recommend calling them instead.
I also got to see how they handle damages since I chipped 5 inches off one of the Cat keels...
They took my deposit and said they would keep in touch... I dropped emails from time to time to ask about the progress but would get no replies...
After 5 1/2 weeks, they repaired the boat, but it took them another 5 1/2 weeks before sending me an invoice. As expected, they had conveniently fixed the numbers to take all my security deposit. They charged me $240 for 4 hours to deliver the boat to the boat yard and back!! (note that a skipper gets paid $150/day!!), also note that the boatyard is 2.5 miles away and there is also a closer boatyard, TMS boatyard is in Road town and could also haul out & repair the specific cat because I contacted them to inquire. They also charged $270 for a gallon of paint to cover a 5 inch chip! The other expenses for haul out and repair seemed reasonable; however, they also sent me the wrong repair receipts which mentioned repairs to dingy davits, etc??? These guys aren't very organized as I've mentioned. When I called to inquire about the costs, they told me they were actually charging me less coz they didn't include managerial costs and diver photography. There is some logic to the arguments they made about the costs, but from my point of view, I feel I've been jacked! Especially due to all the bad organization and communication.