Sailing in the British Virgin Islands

June 7 to 14, 2005 - Trip Notes

A few notes to myself and anyone else who might be interested. This was our third bareboat charter in BVI. The last one was in June 1995.

Ed Hamilton & Co.

I have used Ed Hamilton to book every charter to BVI and The Grenadines and remain a loyal fan.

The Moorings

The largest fleet, the biggest base, the largest staff. Easy to see why they are King of the BVI. We rented a 'classic' boat, which means older and cheaper than their regular boats. Our Beneteau 332 monohull was a great boat for two people. A little slow and rolled a bit in the swells, but easy to handle. We really wanted a cat, but the smallest was 38 feet and more than twice the cost.

The Baths

We started with an aggressive first day plan trying to make The Baths and then to Gorda Sound. With a late start fixing a couple minor boat problems, we did not get to the Baths until 1:00, which turned out okay, since people start leaving the day moorings about that time. This is one of the 'must see' snorkeling stops. WIth not enough time to beat up to Gorda Sound, we took the easy one hour broad reach over to Trellis Bay.

The Last Resort

Always known for nightly entertainment and the resident donkey, The Last Resort now has GREAT food. Asian theme with Caribbean flair.

How to Point

Okay, I said these are notes to myself. My problem with making progress to windward in a 15 knot breeze is that topping lift keeps the main too full. Solution: Fold back the bimini, then let off the topping lift (with the sail up of course).

Sabra Rock

This tiny rock next to Bitter End used to be a tavern with a big sign that said BAR and the best you could get to eat was a great burger. Now it's a full resort with a sign that says RESTAURANT, plus a hotel and marina. The food was pricey and fair, but no worse than the buffet next door at Bitter End.

Your $25 mooring fee included up to 250 gallons of water and a free bag of ice. They also have a free ferry that will take you anywhere in Gorda Sound.

Anegada Part I

My #1 goal for this trip was to sail to Anegada. The Moorings now have an office at the Shell Gas Dock at Bitter End. They hold Anegada briefings twice a day. Excellent presentation, however the 'all clear' weather forecast was way off. A tropical depression southwest of us sent heavy thunderstorms overnight followed by a day of showers and storms. We decided to take the day off and just relax in Gorda Sound.

Moorings Flotilla

That afternoon, a Moorings Flotilla pulled into Bitter End. See there website for details. We would have tried this if the dates worked out. It's a great opportunity for some extra support for someone doing their first charter without a skipper, or a bigger boat such as a cat, or if you just want quick service to replace that annoying little boat problem that always happens.

Anegada Part II

So with improving weather and a whole flotilla to sail with, we went off to Anegada, an easy 2 hour beam reach in 10 knots of wind. In a word, AWESOME. The reef has the best snorkeling I can remember since the Blue Hole. Lobster dinner at Neptune's Treasure was terrific.

The Longest Day to Jost Van Dyk

The effects of the Tropical Depression are truly gone, as are the white caps, as we take our 33 mile sail from Anegada to Jost Van Dyk. Seven hours later, we are securely anchored in White Bay. The Soggy Dollar Bar is hopping on Sunday afternoon with locals from nearby islands including St. Thomas and St. John. We had our obligatory Painkiller.

Painkiller

A cookbook in the Pusser's Rum Store says that the Soggy Dollar Bar recipe is 2 oz Bacardi 151, 2 oz. Pineapple Juice, 2 oz. Orange Juice and a splash of Coco Lopez, with fresh ground nutmeg. The Soggy Dollar Bar used Pusser's and their 'secret mix'.

Green Cay

My second goal was to spend two days on Jost, including a snorkeling stop at Green Cay. Next trip.

The Bight at Norman Island

Our last day and still very little wind. We motor past West End and the start of the Narrows. Then we had a delightful sail upwind for a few hours, but made little progress against the current. Finally we motored to the Caves at Norman Island, the other 'must-see' snorkeling stop. The broad reach back to Road Town was very slow... one to two knots. Eventually we motored in and checked into our air-conditioned room right at The Moorings Base.

Dinner at Mango 'N Lime was okay. Lunch at Mariner's Inn was good.