TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Cooper Island? What is there to do?

This is our 6th time down there and we've never been to Cooper Island. Just looking for some information on the highlights and what there is to do.

Everyone has their own interests, but for us its a nice place to snorkel, paddleboard, rendezvous dive, have a meal and drinks. There is a rum bar. Nice place to watch the sunset too.

We have perfected the BVI experience. We can go for weeks without doing anything. Nothing. Nada. Maybe a conversation with the ol' bellybutton, but just doing absolutely nothing is great, although it is actually very hard work. But SOOOO worth it.

We are really getting good at doing nothing, couldn't agree more

Get there early and watch the battle for the last mooring ball.

If the seas are agreeable, take the dingy over to Salt and dive (snorkel) the Rhone. One year we left the dingy on the mooring ball and took the cat over. Some folks object to that practice but some people object to rainbows for whatever reason.

The rum bar is pretty cool. The snorkeling at Cistern Point has always been good for us and we usually see turtles in the mooring field. Lunch menu is good; dinner I'd skip. But like GlennA said above, it's a mad dash to mooring balls if you don't get there early.

If you do decide to leave your dinghy tied to a mooring ball by itself during one of Cooper's more "busy" days, then I might suggest two things. One > pay for the mooring ball and get a receipt. Two > leave your mother-in-law in the dinghy while you sail off. Be care though, she might cut her own deal once you sail away.

On our last trip, I half-jokingly told my wife we should show up early to JVD White Bay, grab a ball, then auction it off to boats that come by later - probably would earn enough for lunch ashore. We (the TTOL community) need to design a "will trade mooring ball for beer" pennant.

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

On our last trip to Cooper we were running around in the dinghy trying to find a mooring ball (rather than winding the big cat thru the mooring field). I was offering $50 + a bottle of rum. No takers <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> now I like Cooper...but not that much....<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

We usually make Cooper our last night stop. Spend the day on the beach, hit happy hour, then a good meal. But the highlite was taught to me years ago by Bill Hartzman - just sit there and watch Tortola shut down; lights going out, traffic slowing, beacon off at the airport. VERY relaxing last night.

When we stop at Cooper, we usually have dinner there. We always do some snorkeling and sometimes a dive. Last time we even did some swimming at the beach with our son while enjoying a bushwhacker.

What a great idea....love that....not surprised it came from Bill. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

Not surprised that came from Bill either as we did spend many a night there watching Tortola shutdown...that and the mad rush to get the last mooring ball. But I'm all for doing less is best! It's a learned behavior that after all these years, I'm learning. I'll try to get a trip report up soon.
mappy <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/pirate.gif" alt="" />

3pm at Cooper, doing mostly nothing! Several balls still open,
G

We motored over to Norman Isle in a 20-25 knot blow on our first day out during a Feb charter in 2015. We didn't get out of the charter base until noon time and had "that no mooring ball feeling" by the time we got to Norman. Sure enough, we entered the bite, made our rounds and found no empty mooring balls. As we exited the field, a man sitting at the helm of his moored monohull, yelled at us: "I'll give you this mooring ball for $200!" We smiled and made no reply. All the boats around him were doing more than a little bit of bouncing. We exited the bite, turned left into Privateer bay and anchored in calm water. As many boats as we saw coming and going, the man may have been able to sell his mooring ball.

As for Cooper, a man shared with me that he found the mooring field to be full at midday. So, he dinghied into the shore, went to the bar and asked the bar tender to point out which boats were just there for lunch. He, then, asked where the captains were/ asked one of them when they were leaving and was first in line for the mooring ball.

If scalping mooring balls becomes a thing I think we'll have to do our part to alleviate the overcrowding by not returning.

I think the whole mooring ball problems started when in the past - pre-mooring ball days - the charter companies were deluged with radio call from the bareboats asking for more anchors because they had already used up the ones on the boat after 2 or 3 nights.

I have both moored at cooper and stayed at the Beach Club. Simply, there is nothing to do there. However, if you want to do nothing it is a great place. You can do a little great snorkeling. You can relax at the beach, bar, restaurant, or your front porch. The big comfy chairs at the bars are to die for after sitting in a mono-hull cockpit for a few days. The food is spectacular, the sunsets are even better. It is a great place to go if you want quiet peaceful rest after days of loud beach bars.

The Rum Bar and Nano Brewery don't open until 2pm...FYI

On my first trip in 2010, our capt (a friend, not a paid Capt) said that he'd hiked up into Cooper in the '80's. We asked the bartender and he said no one tended the trails so they grew over.

Has anyone else hiked up there or know if anyone has tried to re-cut any trail?

Swim with the turtles and the rays along the grassy bottom.

We love Cooper. There is a good view of Tortola at night. Cistern Point had lots of fish two weeks ago - as well as a turtle. We had a nice lunch at a restaurant (Beach Club?) on shore as well.