Little Background – This was my 5th trip to the BVI’s. The first 3 were land based. I was the guest on a privately owned boat a year prior where I “learned” how to do it. This was my first charter where I was the captain. my girlfriend (Hope) was the first mate. I read countless trip reports prior to my trip and I hope this one will help others also.
Day 1.
The early morning flight from Atlanta to STT nonstop was smooth with no hassles. Even though we were both really excited for the trip, we were able to sleep for most of the flight awaking to see the beautiful scenery that is the VI’s. We were chartering with the Moorings and you can prepay to for the Cab from Airport->Ferry Trip->Cab to Moorings. This made it very convenient and I would do it again. We made our way to the ferry dock and a nice sign informed us that our ferry wasn’t running today and we were going to be moved to one that left later. In this case, later was 2 more hours. Everyone tells you to get ready for “island time” and, and we were put to the test on early on this trip. We sat at the bar and had a bite and a few drinks while waiting for the ferry. By the time we boarded, made it through the West End, and finally to Road Town it was already dark while we were going through customs. Spotting our cab driver holding a sign with my last name, we hopped in and rode to the Moorings base.
We arrived so late that the Moorings desk was in “After Hours” mode. The lone guy at the desk seemed like he wasn’t expecting to help very much at that hour. We checked in and he showed us to our boat. For this trip, the boat was a 37ft power cat. The boat had not been given a name yet, so she was titled “Hull #4”. (worst boat name ever?)
Even though it was late and we were tired, we made our way to Rite Way and stocked up. The new Rite Way is fairly comparable to a supermarket in the states, but maybe a notch or two below the normal conveniences. We had brought some good steaks from home, and I would do that again, as the selection was not that good at Rite Way. After stowing all the provisions we ate at the Restaurant on the Moorings base. I wouldn’t call it great, kind of overpriced for what you got, but I wouldn’t call it bad either. Thoroughly tired from the activities of the day we made it back to the boat and got some much needed sleep.
Day 2
We woke up early and we explored around Moorings base a little bit. We found a great French Deli up the street, this place was a gold mine. They have an outstanding gourmet selection of cheeses, meats, breads, deserts, olives, you name it. I would recommend getting this type of food here and saving Rite way for all the rest. We rented our cell phone, stocked up on some last minute needs, and greeted the man with our preordered alcohol delivery. I did a quick chart briefing to make sure I was up to speed with all the do’s and don’ts, then met the Moorings Staff for our Boat Briefing. She went over all the specifics regarding the engines, generator, AC, Gas, etc. Definitely helps to pay attention here, there’s a lot to remember and feeling comfortable with the boat workings makes it for an enjoyable and safe voyage. The dingy engine wouldn’t lift up easily enough, so we waited until they were able to swap it out for us.
Eager to get going we pushed off from the dock, utilizing the Moorings staff to help pull away safely. We set the course for Norman Island and made a stop at the Indians. The winds were fairly strong (a trend during the entire trip, more on that later), and we made our first attempt at picking up a mooring ball. It was my girlfriends first time doing anything like this, and this probably wasn’t the best conditions to make our first attempt. The seas were very rough and the winds were pushing me all over. She finally got a hold of the ball, but the boat pole ended up in the water. The nice boat next to us got in their dingy and retrieved it for us. After a few more minutes of wrestling with Mother Nature we were successful and secured a mooring. A little embarrassed from the first attempt, I encouraged her that they all wouldn’t be that hard and it would get easier. We hopped in and did some snorkeling and relaxed a little on the boat.
Eager to get out of the wind, we headed towards the Bight on Norman and found calmer water and air. No problem securing a ball now, our confidence grew in our abilities. We took the dingy over to The Caves and did some more snorkeling. The snorkeling is very good in that area, and if I had to do it again would probably skip The Indians and just head straight to Norman. I got a new waterproof camera and got the first of many great shots. Having an underwater camera is amazing for a trip like this. Not only for the underwater shots, but also the piece of mind of always being around the water, in the dingy etc.
After a little book reading and some good hoers’ d’avores, we headed for our first trip to the Willy T. This place is defiantly “special”. The bar tender is very good at what he does (selling lots of drinks), and in short time the boat goes from fun to crazy to bonkers. After thoroughly partaking in all the festivities, we focused and made it back to our boat. We planned to cook some of those steaks we brought, but we were not “feeling it” and just wanted to go to bed.
Day 3
Waking after the evening on the Willy T was an experience. My girlfriend was having a harder time then I was and she informed me she would not be able to do the scuba diving trip we had scheduled for the day. I called to cancel and they were understanding and told us to give them a call later in the trip if we wanted to reschedule later in the trip. We headed out towards Cooper and while I was battling the high winds and rough seas, my girlfriend was battling waves of nausea, regretting staying so long at The Willy T. We pulled into Copper and grabbed a ball with minimal issues. Hope just wanted to lie down, so I took the dingy over to Cistern Point for some snorkeling. The underwater landscape is great over here, and the best of the trip so far, and I took a lot of great photos with the underwater camera.
I chased the pelicans around on the dingy for a while, and enjoyed myself ashore checking out the Cooper Island Beach Club. We had planned to eat at the restaurant at the club, but Hope needed the entire day to recover and be back to normal. We did make the steaks on the grill, but I was having a hard time dealing with the wind and getting it to light. The gas grill on the roof of the 37ft power cat isn’t very user friendly, especially in the wind. I ended up having to finish them off on a pan in the kitchen, and finally got down to enjoying dinner. (with no alcohol) The views of the sunset from Cooper are amazing and read a good book into the night.
Day 4
Waking up early I watched the sun rise (I watched the sun rise most mornings, and it became a routine soul-satisfying ritual throughout the trip), and we got an early start for The Baths. The ride there was great, as the wind was very light this early in the morning. The view to the east side of the passing islands is a contrast from the inside view when sailing the BVI’s, as it is all water and no land as far as the eye can see. I picture being able to set sail due east and not see another land mass till I hit Africa. Next time, I plan on sailing the course that way, as I think it would be neat to be “out on the edge” like that.
We grabbed a ball at the edge of the National Park and prepared for the trip ashore. You can’t take the dingys ashore here, so I dropped Hope off on the beach, took the dingy back to the boat and swam back in and met her. We started in to the entrance to ”devils trail” and thoroughly explored the caves and rocks. Some of the formations are amazing and the way the light shines in on the “grotto” section makes for some amazing pictures. Your “reward” for making it all the way to the end is a picture perfect landscape, and you won’t forget swimming in the crystal clear blue water.
We headed back to the boat and made our way up to the North Sound of Virgin Gorda. About a 1/3 of the way there I felt the boat feel like it got a little sluggish, and I soon found out that one of the engines wasn’t running. I also started to smell fuel, and was mildly concerned. We phone into the Moorings base and the instructed us to meet a representative on a mooring ball at The Bitter End Yacht Club. With the wind picking up again, we limped in with one engine, and I was adapting to the steering difference with only one side pushing us along. The mechanic was very friendly and quickly diagnosed that a fuel line had broken and was spilling gas in the engine compartment. He needed to have the part sent on the next ferry over from Tortola, and told us it would be a few hours. If we were going to be stranded this is one of the better places to “waste” a few hours. We got in the dingy and explored the entire North Sound. We started at Biras Creek, and made our way all the way over to Leverick. We stopped along the way at a little stretch of deserted beach, got out and explored and got some great photos.
We went back to the boat and went ashore and had lunch at the bar at BEY. It was good and it was nice to have a meal we didn’t have to prepare ourselves. By the time we got back to the boat he had the part installed and was getting the engine cleaned up. We had dock reservations at Leverick for the Friday night BBQ, so we headed across the bay and pulled into our reserved slip. Nick and Monica weren’t there so we didn’t get to experience the customer service that has become famous around TTOL. Leverick is a great place to stock and re-provision. The market has just enough of everything you need, including vegetables, fresh meat, and bread. We wandered around and did a little shopping, then made our way to the boat to get ready for the Jumby dinner. The buffet was great, lots of selection, good quality, and a wonderful setting. We were fairly tired by this time, and we couldn’t stay awake for the entire performance, so we retired back to the boat a little early.
The wind was real strong again, and it made for a VERY rocky night in the slip. I felt like being in the slip allowed the boat rock a good bit more than when on a mooring. It’s almost like the mooring holds the boat from being able to move up and down, where the boat seems to rise and fall much easier when pulled into a slip. I would probably get a mooring next time if the weather was like this again. Overall, Leverick was a good experience.
Day 5
We were planning on going to Anegada today and I was real excited about it. I got to go there on my previous charter and fell in love with the place. The weather was great today and it was smooth sailing (motoring) all the way there. I used Walker’s directions to get there, THANKS WALKER!!!, and we cruised into a great mooring. There was only about 3-4 other boats in the harbor, and it was exciting to know that we would be 2 of just a handful of charter people on the island today.
I took the dingy ashore to make reservations at The Anegada Reef Hotel, and find Dean to pick up the Jeep we were renting. Ilion time on Anegada is probably the most intense of all the islands, so I sat for a while and enjoyed the view until I could get the dinner order in and Dean came to pick me up. Dean took me back to his place to get the jeep. It’s a wonderful experience when compared to renting car at an Airport in The States, very laid back to say the least. I headed back to the ARH and went to pick up Hope and packed up for a great day ashore.
We went to made our way Loblolly and found ourselves to be the only ones on the beach the entire day. I did a little snorkeling, but due to the high winds again, the water was very cloudy and not as good as I remembered it last time I was there. We took a long walk up the beach and found lots of neat shells and rocks. It was a great day at the beach and we headed back to the boat. I attempted to use the grill again, but the damn wind was making it so I had to wrestle with it to get the shrimp cooked. (this wind kept hindering a little bit of the fun each day, and was kind of an omen for things to come.) The wind was benefiting some kite boarders, as we watched them zig and zag across the harbor as the sun went down.
We had a great dinner at The ARH, both having ordered the lobster. There was a wedding there that night and it was nice to watch them all celebrating. The moon was full tonight and it lit up the harbor perfectly. We went back to the boat and I stayed up into the night reading a book by moonlight, just perfect. Perfect Island. Perfect Day.
Day 6
I woke up early to see the sun rise not too long after I saw the moon set. This was hands down the most beautiful sunrise landscape I have ever seen. Every minute or two the colors of it would change transforming the water color along with it. This is a morning (and day) I would not forget.
We ate breakfast and packed lunch and drinks for the day. We drove the jeep to a little hidden beach near the West End. We emerged from the brush and off of the barely visible vehicle path to see a picture perfect deserted beach that can only occur in Anegada. We set up our towels and I asked Hope to go to the water’s edge to take a picture. I reached into my backpack, took out a small box, and made my way to the water’s edge. I told her I loved her, got on one knee and asked her to marry me. Lucky for me she said yes and we popped bottle of strategically hidden champagne. We basked in the sun and in the glow of being newly engaged with not another soul to be seen.
We got back in the jeep and headed up to Cow Wreck Beach. I had not come here on my last trip so I was looking forward to it. It doesn’t get much better than the view from this bar and the view of the bar itself. We relaxed in the sun for a while, and enjoyed lunch at the bar. The wind was pretty strong, and when it started to blow the sand around we decided to head back to the jeep. We explored Anegada and drove around the island for a while, passing many free roaming cows, and other livestock. I dropped Hope off at the boat then made my way back to return the rental car.
I filled up with gas and headed back to Dean’s place to bring the Jeep back. When I arrived he wasn’t there, so I just parked it and left the keys there. Again, a stark difference than renting a car in the states. Now I started to work on a solution to get back to the boat. As I saw a few cars pass, I rationalized that hitchhiking on Anegada posed no danger you may normally associate with it. I spotted a pickup truck coming around the corner and I flagged them down. There were 2 men in the front, and a guy in the back sitting atop a bed full of coolers. They invited me to sit in the back, and it turned out to be some local lobster fisherman. I learned of the challenges and cost structure being an Anagada lobsterman, and now I had the “time I hitchhiked with the local Anegada lobster fisherman” story. They kindly dropped me off at the ARH and made my way back to the boat to get ready for dinner.
Earlier in the day, a represenitive (head of marketing) from Whispering Pine persuaded us to dine with them, so we made our way there for dinner. Probably not the best choice for eating out at Anegada, but with a view and a setting that you can’t really complain. We retired to the boat for our last evening on Anegada, and rested up for another day in paradise. (or so I thought)
Day 7
We woke up one last time in Anegada and got ready to head out. I listened to the radio to get some weather updates, there were no warnings being issued so we made our way on out. The wind was as calm as it has ever been during the trip, and we were enjoying the easy ride back. About 1/3 of the way out the wind started picking up a good bit and the water was starting to get very rough. We were planning on making our way to Monkey Point, so I set course that way. The wind was blowing east to west, perpendicular to the direction we were going, resulting in the waves were coming at us from the side. It quickly picked up to some very strong sustained winds, with gusts up to 30-35 mph. Unable to deal with waves coming at us from the side, I changed course and headed due east with the wind directly at my back. This started to push the boat very strong from behind and sent it riding the waves very hard. This alerted Hope, and she was starting to get concerned. There was also no land anywhere in this direction, so already starting to feel slightly unsecure myself, I turned around and started back towards the east, still not towards land, but a little more stable headed into the wind. The waves were easily 8-10ft, and even higher when the wind was really gusting. Having been on enough boats to know that as long as I was hitting the waves head on, this boat would be able to take it. I felt reasonably safe, but Hope did not. The waves were relentless, and to make matters worse, the same engine that was giving us problems earlier cut out again. Knowing that it was important to stay calm and collected as the Captain, I didn’t voice any concern to Hope, but at the very least I started to run through the process of grabbing the cell phone, calling VISAR, and wondering exactly how that emergency life raft deployed. I wasn’t anticipating going through any of that, but better safe than sorry at this point. The loss of the engine made steering very difficult. I found myself going back and forth between being forced to head West and away from land when the waves were the largest, and sneaking in brief moments of going south towards Virgin Gorda when Mother Nature allowed it. Hope was literally on her knees and praying that we would make it out alive. She’s not very religious, but this moment seemed to call for it. Deep down, I knew that even though the waves had the appearance of being big, scary, and dangerous, and the boat was getting beat on, it still wasn’t too much for this 37ft power cat, (and 34 year old Captain). After about an hour of constant battling we started to make our way close enough to Virgin Gorda that the seas calmed down enough to feel safe again. My fiancé of less than 24 hours looked up from her kneeled praying position and asked, “are we going to make it”, I confidently replied that we were.
After the perilous journey we needed to relax, so we headed into the BEYC for a mooring ball. We ate lunch at the restaurant at the yacht club, and it was good. We chatted with some of the crew of a mega-yacht that was docked at Bitter End, stocked up at the store and headed back to the boat. We had dinner at the same restaurant. It was very busy and we had to wait a while for the table, so we had a few drinks at the bar. Dinner was very good, elegant for the islands, with fairly high prices. After the long day we headed back to the boat and retired for the evening.
Day 8
We decided to try to reschedule our scuba diving trip, and arranged for Scuba BVI meet us at Marina Cay for the afternoon. We had some time until then, so we continued our trip from yesterday over to Monkey Point. The engine was going back and forth from working and not, so I eventually just turned it off and decided to finish the trip with only one engine. We navigated a fun course through Beef Island, Camanoe, and Guana. We grabbed a ball at the very scenic Monkey Point mooring, and got ready to do some snorkeling. With high expectations for the site, I was thouroughly entertained with the underwater life here. There were schools of many different kinds of fish that I had not seen before. Where Cistern and Loblolly were limited to small groups of fish, Monkey Point had schools in the hundreds you swim with. My favorite snorkeling place of the trip.
We made our way over to Marina Cay for our Scuba Dive trip and the wind started to pick up again and made for another difficult time picking up a ball. We had lunch at the restaurant at Marina Cay and enjoyed the view from the open air vista. You could see the construction of the new resort at Scrub Island, and it looked like it is going to be very nice. The boat met us for our private scuba trip. Hope was a little nervous, but the instructor was very good, and she calmed her down. The dive was great. We saw many sting rays, hiding in the sand, and “flying” through the water. The guide was very informative and had an underwater etch-a-sketch to inform us of the different underwater creatures.
After the dive, we decided to head back towards the Moorings base so we could wake up in the morning and be at the dock ready to go. The wind was really picking up again, and the engine died again, and this time started emitting a good bit of smoke. I took it slow into the dock, and did my best to pull it in with only one engine.
We started the packing/cleaning process and gathered up the unconsumed food and drink. We utilized the nice showers at the Moorings base and it felt good to be able to “stretch out” in the shower.
We took a cab to Capriccio del Mar and I inhaled my bowl of Pasta and my Fiancé’s also. The food was very good, I would defiantly eat there again. We made our way back to the boat and retired for the evening.
Day 9
We woke up and did the boat debriefing, I told them of the engine troubles and they diagnosed the problem and let me know that it wasn’t anything I did wrong. We ate breakfast at the outdoor area near the Sunsail boats. I headed back to the French Deli and got a few sandwiches for the ride back. The cab took us to the Ferry dock and we went through the planes, trains, and automobile, (and Ferry), ride back to Atlanta.
The trip was amazing, and I’m hooked on the BVI’s. I find myself planning the next trip and replaying the memories over and over in my head.
Overall Thoughts:
Moorings – The problems with the boat engines were a hassle, but they were very good about fixing them when they occurred. I don’t specifically fault them for it, and I would use them again. The base provides you with everything you need, and other than the engine trouble the boat was in great shape and functioned great.
Flexible Schedule – Everyone says to make an itinerary to give you some direction, but be prepared to change it, and they are right. Planning is good, but many factors like weather, boat issues, and just not wanting to leave a certain place end up making the schedule you made inevitably change. In the end it doesn’t really matter, paradise is all around you in the BVI’s.
“Half the Clothes, Twice the Money” – Dead on accurate. I could travel with a bathing suit, shorts, and a few T-shirts and not need anything else. I told my girlfriend this before we left, and after the trip she agreed that there is no need to bring anything more than the essentials. As far as twice the money, also true. I would take a $100 bill every time I left the boat and I magically would never return with it. The trip can be done on a budget if needed, but when you’re on vacation you end up rationalizing that its money well spent.
Underwater Camera – Such a good idea. I had a blast getting underwater photos and videos, and the piece mind being around water all the time was an added convenience.
Power Cat 37 – Overall we really enjoyed the boat. It was plenty of room for only 2 people, and adding another couple wouldn’t be crowded at all. The upper deck was great to navigate from and enjoy relaxing up there. The kitchen was well equipped and the fridge/freezer worked great. The showers were much larger than expected and actually quite comfortable considering we were on a boat. The fuel consumption was not bad at all and I was surprised at how little we used. If I had to be critical of anything, the grill wasn’t very user friendly, and it would have been better to be able to use it more. The actual sleeping area was fairly tight, but I was usually asleep before my head hit the pillow anyway, so you hardly noticed.
Bitter End – I know Leverick is a favorite on this board and BEYC tends to get some bad vibes sent it’s way, but I actually disagreed on this trip. For me, the setting of being on a mooring in front of Bitter End can’t be beat. It’s well protected, and the scenery is some of the best in the BVI’s. I also often hear bad things about the service and food at Bitter End, and I didn’t experience this at all. I would return here again.
Anegada – This place is magical. There is literally no other place like it. You either “get” this place or you don’t. The pristine deserted beaches are unmatched. The restaurants are perfect for where they are, and being one of just a handful of people on the island truly takes you away. I will always have the memory of getting engaged on a deserted beach. When I dream of going away, I dream of Anegada.
TTOL – The amount of knowledge contained on the site is amazing. When telling friends about the trip they often ask, “how do you know where to go? what to do? Where to eat?” etc. The answer is TTOL. Many thanks to everyone who contributes on here. I was able to confidently navigate myself from island to island and I never felt “lost”.
