TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Need your expert feedback for 9 night itinerary

Hi All -
I'm pretty new here. Looking for itinerary suggestions for our upcoming 10 day bareboat charter of BVI. We are 2 families of 4 adults, 4 teenagers each. First time to BVI! Arriving in STT on June 24th. We have chartered a Lagoon 450 from BVIYC from 6/24 - 7/4. The first and last night of our charter will be a sleep aboard at BVIYC's dock in Joma Marina - Road Town. So, we have about 9 days and 8 nights to work with. How does this look for a loose itinerary? Of course, we know we need to remain flexible, but I want a basic plan in place before we get there.

Sat 6/24: Arrive at BVIYC 4pm and sleep at BVIYC dock
Sun 6/25: Norman Island
Mon 6/26: Cooper Island
Tue 6/27: Virgin Gorda (Leverick Bay)
Wed 6/28: Virgin Gorda (Bitter End Yacht Club Marina or Saba Rock Marina)
Thu 6/29: Anegada (one night or two?)
Fri 6/30: Scrub Island or Marina Cay
Sat 7/1: Cane Garden Bay or JVD????
Sun 7/2: Peter Island (Great Harbor)
Mon 7/3: Return to Road Town BVIYC sleep aboard
Tue 7/4: 7am ferry to STT/Depart STT 1pm

If two nights are recommended in Anegada, where would you recommend dropping a night elsewhere? Would you put Anegada before VG so we can be at Leverick on a Friday night for the BBQ? I'm confused about the whole western part of this itinerary. Haven't done enough reading about the options on JVD or Little JVD. Any suggestions for best place to spend one night in that area? Or should we skip Anegada in favor of more time around western Tortola and JVD area. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

How many people are on the boat?

The itinerary looks ok. Don't hesitates to mix it up and stay longer if you like a place. Also stay on top of the weather. If it's poor, you might not want to go to anegada.

I personally would do Sat. at JVD, and then Sunday at CGB and go to the Elm. Great music and BBQ.

I love BVI Yacht charters and their sleep aboard. We always walk to the Sports Club for dinner and stop by Riteway on the way back for last provisions (produce, bread and such). We are all about Jost and North Sound and will spend 2 days on each Island. What we have done from BVIYC is leave at 10 AM after briefings and go toward Jost first. It's downwind, you get to shake out the sails and then lunch onboard while anchored off Sandy Cay or Sandy Spit. Then we stay in Jost a couple of days; Little Jost, bubbly pool, Bee Line, Foxys and White Bay. Next we go to CGB for sunset and dinner and start working toward North Sound the next morning. We stay there a couple of days and then start working down the channel. We have done Anegada in a day. Leave early, be there by lunch and then leave by 2-3 the next day to be back in North Sound. We found a rental truck that charged us noon-2PM as 1 day. We have always ended in Norman: the Indians around noon, then pick up a ball in the bight and dingy to the caves and drinks at Willy T's is great final day for us. Then I get up at daylight and try to be at the BVIYC fuel dock first by 7AM. We just got back from our 7th trip and had a group like yours. PM me if I can help further.

NGAWolf, how long did it take you to go from Norman Island back to BVIYC?

Freedom, last year we motored in on a Mahe 36 to BVIYC in about an hour. Last Sunday, we motored from the Bight to Dream Yacht Charters in Hodges Creek on a Lagoon 52 in a hour as well. Left at good light ~6 and got there by 7. I was glad we left early too. We got the last vacant spot at the fuel dock. 10 minutes behind us were 2 more boats hovering around the fuel dock waiting for a spot. We had plenty of time as our flight out of STT was at 4, but it's nice not to have to rush with packing, checkout, last showers and the like. I always wake up at daylight anyway and this has worked for us everytime so far.

Warren - There are 8 of us total. 4 adults and 4 teenagers. I'm now thinking of putting Peter Island first and Norman Island last. I think we will skip Anegada so we can spend two nights each on VG and JVD. Thanks for your feedback!

NGAWolf - I like your plan as it would allow us to be at Leverick on Friday for the BBQ I've heard so much about, but that would mean reversing the direction (clockwise) and I've read that we shouldn't do that being new to the area. We're pretty experienced sailors having owned 25' - 41' monohulls for 20+ years. But our sailing experience (area wise) is limited to the Channel Islands of Southern California. We're totally unfamiliar with sailing BVI. I'm thinking we need to stick with the counter-clockwise itinerary. I am going to take your idea of ending our trip with our final night at Norman though. Thank you! Would Peter Island be a good first night? I think we're removing Anegada so we'll have more time exploring the west end. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.

Well with 9 days/8 nights you have plenty of time to visit Anegada. I would absolutely NOT skip that, as it is such a different (and wonderful) experience. And it's not as far of a sail as you think maybe. Decent weather and winds required of course, but keep on your intention wish list.

Julie, Peter or Cooper would work great for a first night. I always try to get at least an hour sail in the first day to get familiar with how the boat will handle and then try to get the kids in the water ASAP. You could do that by anchoring in Deadmans Bay off Peter that afternoon and then spending the night at Great Harbour. Or you could pick up a ball at Cooper after the lunch crowd leaves and spend the night there. I would get there before 3 though, The mooring balls at Cooper fill up quick and there is no anchoring in that turtle grass. Snorkeling is very good and the sunsets are great. A night at Cooper also puts you close the the Baths. This being your first trip, I would put that on my must do list. If you get to the Baths early the next morning, you should have no trouble getting a mooring ball ahead of the day trip crowd that will start arriving ~ 9:30-10.

NGAWolf, thanks! We are sitting in The Bight right now. We'll either stay here or go over to Little Harbor for tonight. I have a 3:45 flight in St Thomas so I want to get back to BVI Charters early so I can be in St Thomas by noon, I think that is enough time

Warren I responded twice to your PM; however, each time it looks like it sends on my end, but then it's not showing up as sent. This time I copied it so I wouldn't have to re-write it. Are you getting my responses?

Sent you a PM.

So I made a big mistake in my original post. We are leaving on 6/24 on a red eye flight. We don't get in to BVIYC until Sun 6/25 at 4pm which means that night will be spent at their dock, not at Norman. This changes things. We now have 7 nights at various islands. Which overnights should we skip this time? Norman? Peter? A friend who went last year says 2 nights in VG, 2 nights in JVD/LJVD and fill in the remaining nights wherever we choose.

Sat 6/24: Travel Day LAX to STT (arrive 6/25 noon)
Sun 6/25: BVIYC Sleep Aboard
Mon 6/26: Cooper
Tues 6/27: VG BEYC
Weds 6/28: VG Leverick
Thurs 6/29: Scrub Island
Fri 6/30: LJVD
Sat 7/1: JVD
Sun 7/2: Peter or Norman (???)
Mon 7/3: BVIYC Sleep Aboard
Tue 7/4: 7am ferry/1pm flight

Does this look good?

Julie...I would skip Scrub and do Peter and Norman. At Peter I would dine at oceans beach club and on Norman dine at the newer restaurant. Have a great trip

If you're around Leverick that Wed. we'll look for you. Do you know the name of the boat? We will be land based on VG, but have found more than a few TTOLers on the docks of Leverick! Just for the record, I would skip Scrub and do Peter and Norman as well, FWIW. Have fun! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks everyone! I guess we were including Scrub because we were told that resort has a lot of amenities that the kids would enjoy.

The boat we'll be on is a brand new Lagoon 450 named Bruno. Say hi if you see us!

With kids, Scrub will be a good place to stop. Our son loves the pool and water slide! There's also a trampoline on the water. Then by their north beach there's a pool too.

Here's what I'd do re: Anegada.

Early in the morning after your first night on VG, check the weather toward Anegada. We love that we can call into Horizon for their advice as to whether or not to make the trip, maybe you can do the same for BVIYC.

If the weather is good, GO!

If the weather isn't good, try again the morning after your second night in VG. Don't feel you have to keep to your intended schedule.

I'd give up Peter for Anegada any trip.

The other option would be to visit LJVD as a day stop and overnight on JVD or the other way around. Or overnight at Cane Garden Bay.