[shanbill]

We just returned from the BVI''s having chartered a 42'' Cat from Sunsail. We had chartered from Sunsail St. Martins and had a massive equipment failure which Sunsail was unable to repair. We lost two days of sailing as a result. We decided to give them another chance and felt comfortable doing so as they had just aquired SunYacht Charters, a well-managed outfit in Maya Cove. This time we lost a total of 3 days sailing due to multiple problems/failures of the boat''s equipment. Sunsail sent us out with the wrong size gypsy for the windlass (extremely hazardous). The starboard engine routinely failed even after the techs "fixed" the problem. Neither fuel nor water guages worked. Engine stop cable broke after the office had closed for the day and our attempts to contact the base went unanswered and we had to kill the engine with the fuel shutoff valve. To their credit, the Sunsail people in Tortola were all extremely helpful and courteous. However, Sunsail management, in response to our request to be reimbursed for our lost time, declined to compensate us. I would urge anyone considering Sunsail to look at other charter companies. Very, very frustrating and a wasted vacation! Please feel free to contact me with any questions concerning this outfit.