BVI Cruising - where oh where to go???

[tjfmmaes]

I am chartering a boat in the BVIs in the middle of March for a week and want to use our limited time there in the best possible way. I have looked through the cruising guides and most of the anchorages look great - it makes it very hard to choose. Does anyone have any particular favorites/do's/don'ts/tips that could help me out?

Thanks a lot

 

[sailbadthesinner]

i am happy to by a cruising guide to the BVIs and act as your guide.
apparently the soggy dollar bar is very popular or naff depending on your take

or is that the USVI's?

Ok brain let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer.

 

[AndrewB]

If you skip Anegada it is not too difficult to get around most of BVI within a week. Two spots not to miss: the 'Baths' on Virgin Gorda for exploring and snorkling during the day, 'Foxy's' on Jost van Dyke for a good evening out. Anchorages off both.

 

[ruthhobson]

We enjoyed the food at the Loose Mongoose on Beef Island (very nice BBQ night and a "Famoose Chocolate Brownie") But not the prettiest anchorage if that is important, we did see lots of turtles there one afternoon. Just round the corner (if I remember rightly) good snorkelling at Monkey Point. Also had a very good night at Billy Bones, Norman Island. Also went to Sidneys Peace and Love - worth it for the novelty of an honesty bar, but don't go out of your way.

But apart from that we enjoyed everywhere we went.

Ruth

 

[Guest]

Suggest you poke your nose into Soper's Hole...always makes me laugh

You must spend an evening in The Last Resort (Trellis Bay, Beef Island)...roast beef and Yorkshire pud, hilarious cabaret by mental ex-pat Englander, singing dogs and a performing donkey.

Foxy's on Jost van Dyke excellent, but get there early evening because very busy later

The Baths on Virgin Gorda are amazing, but not a good overnight anchorage

Forget Anagada...flat, uninteresting, and miles away from the others

Gorda Sound, on the north side of Virgin Gorda offers many anchorages depending on weather...Leverick Bay and Bitter End are both nice.

 

[wishbone]

Visit deserted, Sandy Cay, get there at early morning and have a walk around and a swim, Bounty chocolate time! Drop the hook wherever possible it will save you twenty dollars a time, not on the reefs though!! Depending how fit you are there are some good coconut trees to climb, that’s if your into coconut juice! (didn’t fall off once) honest. Plenty of sun cream, I missed my big toe! Ouch! Watch out for sharks! They will come at you with a big white grin! Take plenty of money.All in all we had a great fortnight.

Have a nice day!
Wishbone

 

[alan_d]

Billy Bones is no more - it's changed hands and been renamed "Pirates". Had a reasonable meal there last November. At that time there was some building work going on ashore on Norman Island, so the ambiance may be about to change.

Alan

 

[tcm]

Re: BVI 1 week Cruising encl

Agree with others, one or two of them gave me info before i went a few times. For just 1 week, I'd do it like this...

Is it a sunsail hol? I bet it is. On arrival, don’t muck about in boat, just dump stuff and march off to the bar/restaurant. Everyone else mucks around in boat, then turns up to restaurant which can’t cope, then slow food and your body clock says it’s midnight even tho it’s 7pm.

First day is Saturday. Get a bit of crusing briefing, get info from the boat briefing, breaksfast on board or at bar , do a load of shopping at ample hamper (you need punch cocktail in tins, and rum) get snorkels, ice, and set off to peter island. Probably at least 11ish by now. No rush though. Have a look at the bay to the north of peter island and if calm you can stay there. Otherwise, pick up a buoy in the harbour of peter island (no anchoring allowed) and go ashore in dinghy. Then a golf cart will take you to the beach club, a massive 200 metre walk. Lunch here, sandacastles, lovely views, all nice and smart. Peter island is a pricey place, but the best start to a carib hol. If you have shirt and tie there ‘s a poncy restaurant, but we didn’t do that. Good to come here when your clothes are not too wrecked. Quite reasonable to stay at PI for first night, winding down after tough flight yesterday. Hammocks on beach. A diagram of the constellations would be very useful, I bet, but damnit I always forget.

Sunday. Destination is Bitter end, virgin gorda, descent distance upwind. Don’t go to spanish town, sounds fab, nice marina but otherwise awful. For lunch, you can stop off at the Baths, if you must for snorkelling but beware if swells, cos it can bounce around a lot. Do not stay here overnight. Lunch on board. Personally, I think thr Baths is okish but just a bunch of rocks, there’s no Baths really, but at least you’ve done it. Don’t take dinghy in cos you can’t land it, and always busy with daytrippers. Upwind to Monkey Rock and then go in, don’t go the other shortcut through. Soon on port side on is um prickly pear island (I think) anyway, just as you turn a left towards saba rock, ½ mile before sabarock right there is a beach bar, anchor off, at which you can sit on chairs on beach just in the sea and take The Caribbean Photo – and this the shot they use for all carib hols. Bitter End is the resort with marina, good for afternoon drinks, and fine for a bit of internet upstairs. Watch the sunset from the beach with a drink. Then Saba Rock for dinner.

Monday woosh downwind all the way on north side of BVI praps goosewinging 2-3 hours to Green Cay nice beach for a short stop, then move on to White bay at jost van dyke for lunch, careful on entrance there’s reefs, find Soggy Dollar Bay, where they invented Painkillers. Dreamy beach, rated one of the top 10 in the world. Before dusk, go to Great Bay, and anchor for the night. Eat on board or at Foxy’s BUT if You think Foxys is a bit tired (I do) try Aladins (something like that) further along in the middle of the beach, looks manky but decent food.

Tuesday. Up early to watch pelican divebombing for fish. Stock up a bit, you can buy ice at the Ice Shop ashore. This nice lady in a blue dress (always a blue dress) runs a shed with massive ice machines. Doesn’t look like it though from the outside. Walk inland up the strret 200 metres, taking the trolley lying about on the shore. Laid back shops here and there. Then off to Sopers Hole for lucnh stop. Can anchor here, or just take a buouy. Supermarket here, not very super but ok. Pussers for afternnon drinks. Then sail off again to norman island, praps motor to get out of the narrow funnel gap. Snorkel at norman island on the point to south of the main bay. Billy bomnes is indeed no more, the lease ran out, Book dinner at the Willie Thornton ship bit weird, but quite fun.

Wednesday: You could get up early and do some more snorkelling at same place on norman island, like jumping in an aquarium, before everyone else turns up. Fro a short stop, choose from nanny cay (busy marina, but intersting options for looking at other boats, other charter companies etc) or Peter island again cos it’s very good, or indeed not bad at Hodges creek the starting point– tellem you’re going out a gain, have a swim in the pool and watch telly at the bar over lunch. You get free ice. After lunch, go to off round to trellis bay, and take a buoy, going to Last Resort for dinner. You may be able to stay up for the mad ex-pat’s cabaret, or maybe not.

Thursday. Breaksfast first at trellis Bay cyber café, a sort of shed with outdoor furntiure, they do ace breakfast, and also internetiness. Sail out to perhaps short stop at Marina Cay, on the way to Cooper island. Take a buoy at Cooper island, and then take dinghy up to the rocks for more snorkelling. Lunch onboard or at Cooper Island resort, actually just a caff. Laze on board, taking as long as poss 4:30 setoff is about latest really before going back into hodges creek just a fast 1hour reach. On arrival, a sunsail guy wil board the boat. Lettim take control, watch and learn how his 8hrs a day moving boats around gets good accuracy at close quarters. But the sunsail staff sit you all down and do an interminable debrief, so use this time to pack and book dinner cos it’s suddenly busy.

 

[tjfmmaes]

All of you, thanks a lot for all the information. I am sure it will make for a great week.

Thomas

 

[Davydine]

I would say Snorkelling over the wreck of the Rhone is a must. Very interesting. We went twice although first time was quite early and we were the only ones there. Quite a spooky atmosphere....

The Sunsail guys at Hodges creek recommended the Full Moon party and Bomba's Surf Shack, but it didn't sound like my cup of tea if you catch my drift...

We had a great evenings entertainment with a self styled Pirate / One man Band on Marina Cay, also Willi T's on Norman Island is to be recommended Ask about the Shot Ski, the Body Shot and how you can get a free T Shirt.

The Soggy Dollar Bar is a must, but also try Gertrudes a little way along the beach.

Agree with others that Spanish town is not that hot.

Enjoy!!!