North South Yacht Vacations
Inner Harbor Marina - Tortola - British Virgin Islands
No. of Boats: 27
Monohulls: 22
Multihulls: 5
Website: www.nsyv.com
Phone: 905-822-9146
Email: northsouth@nsyv.com
Monohulls: 22
Multihulls: 5
Website: www.nsyv.com
Phone: 905-822-9146
Email: northsouth@nsyv.com
North South Yacht Vacations Location
Total of 4 reviews
Rating
5
Submission date:
12/31/06 | Charter
date: September 2006
Submitted by: Chass | From: United States
Type of sailor: Novice skipper (0-1 years) | Age: 41 - 50
Submitted by: Chass | From: United States
Type of sailor: Novice skipper (0-1 years) | Age: 41 - 50
Mediocre
Went with them trying to save a couple of dollars but came away less satisfied that I would have hoped. The crew at the Company were fine, but was not thrilled with the boat - fridge smelled and having not been adequately cleaned from the previous group and in general the boat was worn. The BVI was fun though, Fall is a great time of year to go.
Rating
2
Submission date:
5/29/08 | Charter
date: April 2008
Submitted by: Tom | From: United States
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 41 - 50
Submitted by: Tom | From: United States
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 41 - 50
Boat unprepared
We chose N/S like many others to save a few $$. Up front, the team (Sheila) showed some flexibility in allowing us to changes dates/times and sleep aboard. When we arrived, the boat appeared well used (!) but clean. On departure day, it took the N/S team until mid afternoon to install the main and get the engines to work. We still had to take the boat over to fuel, during which time the port engine overheated. A couple hours later, they pulled the thermostat on the engine and just said "Add water every day"! By the end of the charter, we found this band-aid solution applied to all maintenance. The main sail had been purchased used from another charter company and they used spray paint (!) to cover the logo on the sail!!! Every batten on the main popped out the first time we used it. The prop fell off the port engine (which over-heated anyway). There wasn't a fully working hatch on the boat. The main batteries were shot. In general, the boat should never have left the dock. And despite several calls and notices, they did not have dock space for us upon our return and we had to unload via dingy. Finally, to top it off, they had the gaul to charge us for maintenance items!!! Do not rent from this company unless you enjoy working on boats for vacation!
Rating
1
Submission date:
8/26/09 | Charter
date: December 2007
Submitted by: George | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 61 - 70
Submitted by: George | From: Canada
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 61 - 70
Avoid NSYV at any price
I have bareboat chartered over the past 20 years numerous times, both in the British Virgin Islands and other cruising grounds. Without exception all these charter vacations have been wonderful experiences. That does not mean they were perfect. Usually there was a breakdown of one type or another. However every company I have ever chartered from did their utmost best to cheerfully deal with whatever technical issue came my way with plenty of apologies for the inconvenience.
Last year however I made the gross error of booking a charter with North South Yacht Vacations (NSYV).Instead of a holiday in paradise, it turned out to be a most disappointing and frustrating BVI charter experience. Out of the 10 day total charter there were really only 3 days of stress free and enjoyable vacation i.e. no breakdowns or waiting for repairs to be done.
I have documented all the breakdowns and complaints about lackluster service in a Charter log. This log was the basis for extended email and telephone discussions with Mr. Brian Rose, the owner of NSYV, however in the end he became so insulting and irrational, that I have stopped communicating with him.
Here is a summary of the more serious complaints I have about NSYV:
- The most serious complaint I have is re the Reverse Engine Failure towards the end of the charter. After our departure NSYV found that it was due to a broken keyway in the flange that connects the engine transmission with the propeller shaft. In his usual way the owner initially blamed it on my heavy handedness on the gear shifter. After I explained that I was an experienced sailor and know better that slamming the gear lever around, they looked for another root cause. A diver was sent down and he found that the strut was bent. Now the owner claims that I caused the bent strut. It is well known that given the location of the strut between the rudder and the keel. That it is impossible to bend the strut through a collision or any other mishap. A collision should also show some collateral damage none of which NSYV have been able to demonstrate. I consulted an industry expert in Toronto Canada and he suggested that a bent strut is usually the result of a boat hauling operation, where the aft sling is misplaced and the strut carries half the weight of the boat while it is being lifted. Despite all this logic and lack of collision evidence the owner is adamant that I caused the bent strut and is withholding $2323 from my $2500 security deposit to pay for the repair cost. (No written estimates, just a bunch of numbers pulled out of the air).
- As the log details we were on 2 boats. The first a Catalina36 broke down beyond the repair capabilities of NSYV after one day and we were transferred to a really derelict Beneteau35. Both boats we were on were in poor state of maintenance asking for breakdowns. The owner thinks it was quite normal for hatches to leak, cockroaches to be resident etc.
- NSYV has taken cost management to a new level in the charter industry. You are supposed to bring your own toilet paper, matches etc. A 10 year old dog eared cruising guide is defended with “what’s the problem?” Twice they tried to send us off with an empty water tank.
- The base manager has a customer attitude issue.
- The competency level of the base technical staff is low to intermediate. They don’t know anything about their own boats, have no tools or spare parts, don’t know the difference between ATF and engine diesel oil. One of the fellows was outright rude when I tried to help him with some electrical trouble shooting and he had to admit he came without a basic instrument like a Digital Voltmeter
- Communications with the base are difficult. There is no decent VHF system and the landline is hardly ever answered. Leaving messages does not work. Promises to call back never happen.
- Twice a promised chase boat call never happened. No apologies. Just a surprise comment that we stayed with the boat instead of drinking our bad luck away at Foxy’s.
- The owner consistently tries to blame the charterer for the breakdowns. In his opinion motor sailing in light airs causes the engine electrics to fail.
Last year however I made the gross error of booking a charter with North South Yacht Vacations (NSYV).Instead of a holiday in paradise, it turned out to be a most disappointing and frustrating BVI charter experience. Out of the 10 day total charter there were really only 3 days of stress free and enjoyable vacation i.e. no breakdowns or waiting for repairs to be done.
I have documented all the breakdowns and complaints about lackluster service in a Charter log. This log was the basis for extended email and telephone discussions with Mr. Brian Rose, the owner of NSYV, however in the end he became so insulting and irrational, that I have stopped communicating with him.
Here is a summary of the more serious complaints I have about NSYV:
- The most serious complaint I have is re the Reverse Engine Failure towards the end of the charter. After our departure NSYV found that it was due to a broken keyway in the flange that connects the engine transmission with the propeller shaft. In his usual way the owner initially blamed it on my heavy handedness on the gear shifter. After I explained that I was an experienced sailor and know better that slamming the gear lever around, they looked for another root cause. A diver was sent down and he found that the strut was bent. Now the owner claims that I caused the bent strut. It is well known that given the location of the strut between the rudder and the keel. That it is impossible to bend the strut through a collision or any other mishap. A collision should also show some collateral damage none of which NSYV have been able to demonstrate. I consulted an industry expert in Toronto Canada and he suggested that a bent strut is usually the result of a boat hauling operation, where the aft sling is misplaced and the strut carries half the weight of the boat while it is being lifted. Despite all this logic and lack of collision evidence the owner is adamant that I caused the bent strut and is withholding $2323 from my $2500 security deposit to pay for the repair cost. (No written estimates, just a bunch of numbers pulled out of the air).
- As the log details we were on 2 boats. The first a Catalina36 broke down beyond the repair capabilities of NSYV after one day and we were transferred to a really derelict Beneteau35. Both boats we were on were in poor state of maintenance asking for breakdowns. The owner thinks it was quite normal for hatches to leak, cockroaches to be resident etc.
- NSYV has taken cost management to a new level in the charter industry. You are supposed to bring your own toilet paper, matches etc. A 10 year old dog eared cruising guide is defended with “what’s the problem?” Twice they tried to send us off with an empty water tank.
- The base manager has a customer attitude issue.
- The competency level of the base technical staff is low to intermediate. They don’t know anything about their own boats, have no tools or spare parts, don’t know the difference between ATF and engine diesel oil. One of the fellows was outright rude when I tried to help him with some electrical trouble shooting and he had to admit he came without a basic instrument like a Digital Voltmeter
- Communications with the base are difficult. There is no decent VHF system and the landline is hardly ever answered. Leaving messages does not work. Promises to call back never happen.
- Twice a promised chase boat call never happened. No apologies. Just a surprise comment that we stayed with the boat instead of drinking our bad luck away at Foxy’s.
- The owner consistently tries to blame the charterer for the breakdowns. In his opinion motor sailing in light airs causes the engine electrics to fail.
Rating
8
Submission date:
10/12/09 | Charter
date: January 2003
Submitted by: Bill | From: United States
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 61 - 70
Submitted by: Bill | From: United States
Type of sailor: Ancient Mariner (5+ years) | Age: 61 - 70
Great vacation
I have sailed in the BVI for over 12 years and have chartered from at least 5 different companies. While North South does not offer the newest boats, they are a great value for the money spent. Also the staff are very friendly and helpful. As a sailor I really do not care if I have air conditioning or lots of AC power. I go to the BVI to sail!