TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands May Itinerary ...thoughts..comments most welcome

Hi...finally getting back and on the water! We have been blessed to have been there twice before with friends who sailed and took care of the planning. This trip its our turn with 2 other couples who have never sailed/experienced the BVI before. We hope to give them a little bit of the land and water experience. We are on a 44ft cat out of BVIYC with a captain. We are trying to do as good a job as our friends did with thinking of everything and planning wonderful trips for us. They have been there about 20 times so it was a little easier for them <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />
We arrive in STT on AA @ 3:30 catching the first ferry we can for a sleep aboard that night. Hoping to have enough time to provision food/booze and grab a bite to eat that night. Get it out of the way and let the relaxing start in the am.
Is that realistic? We could get the food in the morning but will need booze for that night. Looks like liquor stores close @ 5 ~ can we grab what we need for the night in STT and bring a bottle or 2 with us? What do you suggest? (We will be having RW deliver water/heavy stuff that night) Do they sell booze in the airport?
Current route we are thinking
S ~ Cooper
Sun ~ Bitter end on a slip or Saba mooring. Will let others/capt decide. Slip is nice to be able to easily get on shore.
MON ~ get to Leverick early/ rent a car explore/Hog Heaven lunch and hopefully the Beans show. ?? Re: Baths, go by road or stop on Sunday on our way to BE from Cooper?
TUE ~ Anegada ~ Cow Wreck and maybe hunt for the pile of conch shells.
WED ~ JVD..usual spots in White Bay. Is the bubbly pool worth it in May? Any easy way to get to the new bar on Little Jost?
TH ~ CGB ~ rent a car/Smugglers/Bomba and Bananakeet
F ~ thinking stay in CBG for a lazy last beach /boat/ bar hop night. This could be a flex day with Scrub or MC maybe.
Few comments:
We had thought about doing BE / Anegada/ Leverick as a switch up and not 2 nights in the same area but we loose the Beans show and I think VG is busier on Sundays with the locals off ~ Savannah Bay.

We also could move Cooper to our last night but my impression was that CGB has good music on Friday...little more fun for a last night.

We will leave it to the capt to suggest spots to stop along the way at to snorkle

We fly out [email]Sunday@4:40[/email] and our last night is on St John.
We asked and could be dropped off in St John if we get a capt that can go to the US. While that gives us more time on Sat on St John and maybe a fun Friday night in the Hurricane Hole area I am not sure that we want to give up part of our last day on Friday doing the whole customs thing. Thoughts? Also, if they were going to let us get off in St John I am wondering if there is any advantage with the ferry to see if we can get off the boat in WE.
Our hope for our last day on St John is to get there about 1 ~ grab a jeep and drive around the island...but that is subject to our ambition level.

Thanks for any comments!

My opinion - the more you provision ahead of time the better. We took the suggestion of another on this forum and had everything delivered to the boat. Brought down frozen meat (vacuum sealed) - paid $10 duty. Used Riteway, Caribbean Cellars and Tico's - for food and booze. CC and Tico's emailed me ahead of time with items that were out of stock - gave me time to decide if we wanted something else. Riteway will not substitute. Arrived to base at 4pm and everything was onboard and items in the fridge. I found this very helpful. Saved us time after a long travel day.

rigirly

Regarding the Baths: if you rent a car at Leverick and drive don't forget the boat's paper's that let you get past the Ranger station at the Top of the Baths for no charge, otherwise you pay per person the enter from the top. If you go by boat you will have to snorkle in, as Devil's Bay, the Baths, and Spring Bay are all roped off to keep dinghies out. I'd rent the car. You can go exploring by taking one road through Spanish Town going, and the high road coming back and get a look at the island. We are at Spring Bay for three weeks in May. Can't wait... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/circle.gif" alt="" />

We arrive May 20 th ...Hope to meet you both if our times work.

I agree about renting a car. VG is easy to get around and the baths by car much less of a hassle. the swim in can be difficult for weak swimmers depending on weather and swell.

Have fun planning

I heard a rumor that Michael Beans ends his seasonal performance around the time that you arrive.

awesome...yes...would love to meet up with anyone there in May if paths cross. We are planning on bringing most of our meals on board precooked and vac sealed..(Tacos,pulled pork,beef sands etc...quick and easy)

I think the trip to the grocery store will be rather light...snacks, fruits etc that we may want to hand pick. We plan on one meal a day on shore.

According to website, Beans last show for the season is May 3. We'll be arriving May 5.

You may find that dropping you off in St John might be to hard depending on when they require the boat back at that dock. If it's 10 AM it's not going to work. If it's noon it will work but be busy. You will have to clear out of the BVI and then clear into the USVI at Cruz. The skipper will then need to clear back into the BVI. With the travel distances it's a lot to do in a morning. Much easier to catch the ferry at west end. You can leave your last anchorage at a later time and enjoy a late breakfast at west end before the ferry ride to St Johns.
G

Follow-up question on doing the Baths by water... Is there anywhere to drop folks off on shore in the dink (even if requires a little onshore hike for them to get to the main area), and then the last person swims in? Or is everything literally roped off from Spring to Devil's? Is a drop-off at Stoney (south of Devil's around the corner) an option?

There is no place to drop folks off by dinghy from Devil's Bay through Spring Bay, and, despite what some people think, no access to the Baths from Spring Bay without hiking up to the main road and hiking that to the top of the Baths. This are is all roped off. If you take a dinghy to Stony Bay your body will wash up on shore in about a week. Stony Bay is the through passage between Sir Francis Drake calm channel, and the Atlantic. Strong current, high sea's, no calm sandy beach's. There is a reason it is called Stony Bay...lot's of rock and washed up coral. Go to Leverick or VG Yacht Harbor and rent a vehicle or take a cab. And, you ask, how do I know? Hmm, something like 28 trips down to de ilon's... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

I was in the water in Devil's Bay a few weeks ago when some folks paddled a dinghy into shore. The water was exceptionally calm, so it was easy for a couple of them to hop out and pull it up onto the beach, where the rest disembarked.

I don't know if they were violating any rules by doing this (and if so, where one would learn about those rules). Certainly in rougher conditions it would be dangerous both to those in the dinghy and to swimmers in the water.

In the past I've seen people dinghy in using the motor, with lots of swimmers in the vicinity. That's unacceptable IMHO. Now that the beaches are roped off it would be a little tougher to do (but not impossible if you're determined to be stupid).

Dan <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />

Many thanks, Charlie!

Rigirly: Great advise! LOL...though the beverage shopping is actually something I look forward to going to do in person <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" /> Its kinda like a kid in a candy store experience. Hoping to find Blue Chair Bay rum there ~ but think its only in the US
Who put all your things away before you got there? I was under the assumption we needed to be there to sign for the deliveries.

Thanks for the info on the Baths. I thought I read someplace about going by car now being the best option.

Bummed about missing Beans! Was thinking if there is a way to end out trip at Leverick for the Friday BBQ but think our CGB may be a better option since we want to get to St John early the next day.

Otherwise the route look good to you guys?
We are on BVIYC Sundowner 44 Helia that week. Say hi if you see us. I will be the short blonde with the big smile on her face


Thanks

I've seen a couple flavors of Blue Chair here. You'll be able to find it...

Jason...do you recall you saw it? I love that rum! The white is awesome and the banana cream....ohhh lala

I tried that once. The BVI park guys yelled at me. Politely I might add. Was told you can NOT take a dingy - even if you paddle it - beyond the ropes.

I think Bitter End to Anegada and back to Leverick is a good idea -- Anegada tends to get more packed on Tuesdays since that is the typical route of most charters. Better chance of a quieter day there on a Monday. Otherwise, your plan looks pretty good. What are your dates? Beans does wrap in early May for the season.

Myett's is serving it, but I think it was for sale at Tico. I'll look next time I'm in the store.

Jason ~ thank you! I love the white and have a small addiction to the banana cream. Now he has Key Lime cream out..oh my. Appreciate you looking for me!

Bridget ~ We arrive F/May 19 for our sleep aboard and return the boat on S/5/27. Do you think it will be a bit quieter there in general than and may not matter what day we do Anegada for less crowds?

You will just miss Poker Run! Beans will for sure be done so no need to plan around that. It's actually been fairly busy the last couple of years we were down in May but not crazy -- I will tell you that we avoided Anegada on the Tuesday after Poker Run last May because there was a 15-boat Moorings/Sunsail flotilla heading over....PASS....and for your Jost question re: Bee Line Beach Bar - you'll need to stop at Diamond Cay and can dinghy over there easily from there. Other than that, not really an option.