Roatan to Utila

Thanks so much for all of the help so far on this board.

I am wondering if anyone knows any other way to get from Roatan to Utila besides with Captain Vern. Are there others with boats who make any sort of trip across? Where would find such people precisely? We don't have much time in the Bay Islands and we'd like to sneak in one dive from Utlia before we have to return home.....so we would be looking to get from Roatan to Utila next Tuesday (February 16th). There are two of us. I'd rather not pay $50 each to go a rather short distance (and then take 4 hours sailing it). I'm wondering if there are other options.

By the way -- is there any particular reason that no business has set up shop doing a regular ferry from one island to the other? Is there really not much demand to get from one to the other?

Imo you really just need to choose. The diving is great both places and you have very little to gain and time to lose trying to do both.

You always give good information, hope, but that doesn't really answer the question.

You're right - sorry!

Periodically someone offers trips across but they tend to be expensive - $100 might be the best you can do. Ask at the bars where you see the most tourists - the tenders are usually knowledgeable about that sort of thing.

There really isn't much demand because most people either have longer to visit and can spend a week or more each, or just choose one. When we've had 2 or 3 weeks to split between them, we haven't minded taking the ferry to La Ceiba and on to the other one. Used to be there were more flights to Utila but since it's more of a budget travelers' haven, not much demand for that, either.

Imo if you have less than a week, you can have a blast on either but are diluting your pleasure by trying to do both (and you are really unlikely to see a whaleshark with just a dive or 2). My philosophy is, whatever I miss one trip is an excuse to return. Better start planning your next trip now!

Have a great trip, whatever you decide, and I hope you'll tell us all about it.

Capt'n Vern is the only regularly scheduled direct boat between the islands, and is pretty comparable in pricing to taking the two ferries, and I'd say would be a more enjoyable trip, as long as the seas aren't too rough. You can also arrange a small charter flight, I think the rate is $220 for up to three people. Speed boats sometimes go over- if you find some other people that are interested in making the trip, you might be able to work out an okay price, but if it's just two of you, it would be pretty pricey.

We took Capt. Vern last May and it's really well worth it! He's great and he even turned the boat around to get us because we were waiting at the wrong stop. Well worth the $50. We are headed to Roatan this weekend, if we make it out of the snow we've gotten and will probably hook up with him.