Are you looking for a St. John dinghy rental? Then let me just say…do it! We had such a great time explore the north shore of St. John with some friends on dinghies. Here is the story and who we used.
It’s funny how amazing ideas happen over a couple large margaritas.
Castaway Crystal and I were looking for a dinner spot in Cruz Bay on St. John. It was a hard day of relaxing on Maho Bay beach watching the pelicans dive into bait balls. That sort of relaxation really works up an appetite and the perfect remedy was a big ass burrito.
We stroll into Margarita Phil’s and instantly run into two Castaways, Josh and Megan. Megan whipped us up a couple jumbo margaritas as we all started talking about the charms of St. John.
As we neared the bottom of that magical margarita, we were all talking about plans for the next day. Almost out of nowhere, Castaway Crystal said, “Why don’t we rent a dinghy?”
This was just about the best idea I had ever heard. We found out that Josh and Megan actually had a rare day off together the next day and an adventure started to take shape.
St. John Dinghy Rental Company
We did a little research and decided to rent a dinghy from Calypso VI (they are no longer doing dinghy rentals though, look into Cruz Bay Watersports).
For only $220 for a full day, you can be the captain of a 13ft. center console dinghy with a 50 horsepower engine and explore the stunning north shore of St. John in your own boat. Just typing that sentence gives me goosebumps!
The next day we all meet at the National Park Dock where the Calypso VI dinghies are located. We go though all the ins and outs of the boats, load up coolers and plan out our north shore destinations. You are allowed to go as far as Waterlemon Cay and all the bays between there and Cruz Bay.
St. John North Shore Beaches – Where We Went
It was Castaway Crystal and I in one dinghy and Josh and Megan in another. We idle out of Cruz Bay with our sights set first on Waterlemon Cay. Throttle down and off we went!
We snorkeled Waterlemon, shot video on Francis Bay, drank Blue Chair Bay Rum as we floated off Trunk Bay and also swam in for a few painkillers. Then finally we just grabbed a mooring at Honeymoon beach and sat there floating as we finished off our Caribs and listened to Soggy Dollar Radio. It was a day I’ll remember forever.
There’s nothing like being your own captain as you cruise over the blue waves of the Caribbean as stare back at the lush green mountains of St. John. You don’t need a captain license or tons of boating experience, just some common sense and be aware of what’s happening around you. If you can handle that, then you can see St. John from a totally unique point of view.
We spent 8 days on St. John this trip and dinghy day was one of the best. I highly recommend renting one and being a Caribbean captain for a day, there’s nothing like it. Man, I love margarita induced inspiration.
St. John Beaches
You’re going to want to beach hop on your dinghy, so here is a list of our favorite St. John beaches. You’ll be able to visit them all from Cruz Bay to Waterlemon Cay.
Cheers!
RumShopRyan
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We use all the companies listed here or on the resource page. By booking through these links, the small commission we earn helps us bring you more Caribbean content so that you can save money and have a better island vacation. Crystal and I greatly appreciate any support!
About the Author: RumShopRyan
