TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Trellis Bay Full Moon Party

I am starting to plan the itinerary for our first ever charter in October. I’ll have many questions for the group, but I’ll start with one. Is it realistic to tie up to the dock at Scrub Island and get over to the Full Moon Party in Trellis Bay for a few hours? Or would it be more wise to simply grab a mooring in Trellis? Thanks!

If you can take a ferry across to Trellis then it’s fine.
To
Do it
On a dinghy is very risky because the cut between the islands gets very nasty if the winds are blowing and the ferry’s going through most probably won’t see you even if you have a flashlight.

I can't imagine that they'd let you tie up to the dock for a few hours on FMP night. What would you do afterwards? As a charter boat, you're not going to be allowed to go and pickup a ball over at Marina Cay afterwards, because it'll be dark.

Getting a slip at Scrub and using their ferry is the way to go.

In 2015, I let the FMP govern my whole itinerary. I wish that I had not. IMO, it wasn't worth it. The FMP experience was, meh.

We did the same as dayhiker for an FMP in 2016. It was a great time but think it was one and done for us IMHO. Trellis bay is still a mess with boats on the shore as of Oct. We had dinner at Last Resort in 16 so they had a ball for us...now they are gone. There were a lot of drunk people and a lot of boats in a very small space and the balls were taken fairly quickly. I would strongly encourage you to get a slip at Scrub and take the ferry...

We are using the FMP in Feb and May to go to Anegada. What we have found is although we have met some really great people through the years the best "party" is hanging out with your own crew...

In fact we are usually the 1st boat of Moorings in October when the base reopens as it is less crowded. I think this year we will actually go out Oct 2nd or 3rd to let things open back up. Far and away October is my favorite time to go (assuming no hurricanes) so you will have a blast. I wish I found this group a lot earlier as it would have been a lot easier learning the lessons through others then through my own mistakes...

Thank you all. You confirmed what I was looking for. The plan will be to get a slip at Scrub for the day/night, use the pool and other facilities and then take the ferry across for the FMP (learning acronyms here too!).

Any idea how late the ferry runs? And how often? And how many people it fits? We will likely have two boats and 12-14 people.

Also, how much does it cost for the night? Is their still a discount for TTOL users? How do I make a reservation?

Thanks again!

I don't think Scub Island offers any discounts. Even with me showing them their TTOL advertisement(Pre Irma), Scrub would still not honor their discount. After much gashing of teeth, I finally received it by email correspondence.

With that said, we really enjoyed their pool/ pool bar and outside restaurant. Their ferry generally runs late in evening(9Pm?-11Pm?) so would not be surprised if it does not run after midnight on FMP nights

The first time my wife and I sailed in the BVI - I think it was May of '95 - Trellis was a hopping place. So many boats anchored that you could just about walk across the bay without getting wet. The Last Resort was a charming spot with live entertainment and a buffet dinner with a packed house. Including a donkey that would poke it's head in through the top half of the dutch door! It was a fun place. Those were the days!

didnt the donkey die about 4-5 years ago?

OP, here are the rates....

https://www.scrubisland.com/marina/

Scrub is a really fun place to hang out...enjoy the FMP

There were several donkeys over the years..."Chocolate" anyone?

Wasnt that the last one? Is Last resort going to open back up someday?

We would keep it simple

Call ahead and reserve a slip at Scrub, or get there early and pick up a mooring at Marina Cay. We are not big fans of mooring at trellis.

The dock banger goes from trellis to Marina cay , to Scrub r/t on a constant schedule. TheY call it a ferry, and it actually has grown from a dock banger to an official ferry.

This next trip # 17 for sailing the BVI.,,,Coming from Leverick, would probably get a slip for a couple of days at SCRUB.... take the dock banger to Trellis for the full moon party, but also spend some time at SCRUB hiking, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, swimming, enjoying the beaches, and partying.

Then, since we enjoy Marina Cay as well, after a couple or so days at Scrub, motor over and pick up a mooring at Marina Cay, snorkel / swim to the beach, enjoy the sunshine, have a painkiller, make a reservation for dinner at marina cay, under the tent.

Also, we would dink ashore early if the hill top bar is open with live music and dancing, and then walk down to dinner under the tent.

Drop off the next morning, motor thru the Camanoe Passage to Monkey Point, Guana Island, for some great snorkeling and then sail to Jost. First to Diamond Cay, Foxys Taboo, and next door to Little Jost for the B-Line Bar.

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As I recall, there were two or three Chocolates, a Vanilla, and I think the last one was Strawberry. I was told by the Snells' good friend and longtime employee, Phillip, that the last one met his demise during a donkey-napping attempt. My memory of the details is fuzzy. I know that Jessica and Jeremy (Tony and Jackie's kids) have both faced serious health issues. Subleasing the place was a bust, but Jessica and Ben's return most recently was a success. Since the place was all but destroyed during Irma, I doubt that either of the Snell kids will have the energy to rebuild. But that's just speculation.

I remember the days when the kids were little and running around the island with abandon. Tony was his usual eccentric self. There were dogs everywhere, and of course, Chocolate - who would be happy to drink a beer if you bought him one. Phillip constantly breathed new life into the generator to keep Tony's show going, and Jackie held the whole wacky crew together. I miss those days.

I remember Vanilla. There was a monkey there for a while. That thing scared the crap out of me. I was walking past a small tree and that monkey jumped on my back. He was a really cool monkey, just scared me. We heard that monkey was on a boat, but he kept jumping off and they would have to drop sails and go back and get him. They decided he couldn't live on the boat any longer.

Is the resort fee per person or for the entire crew?

KF Quinn

It is easier to grab a mooring in Trellis though they fill up early (ie before noon) the day of the FMP and sometimes the day before (at least during high season). There may be fewer attendees for your October timeline.

That being said, we've put into Scrub a couple times on sailing trips and the showers, infinity pool, water slide and general resort atmosphere is a nice change from being on a mooring ball or at anchor.

It would be a 40-45 min dinghy ride (maybe longer) from Scrub to TB and you'll get soaked if there is any kind of chop. We took our dinghy from Marina Cay once and it was a long & wet experience on a windy night.

When I was last at Scrub in 2017, the last ferry was around 11:15 - 11:30 PM and people were lined up early to make sure they got on it. People were butting in line and after a FMP, many were fueled up enough for words to be exchanged and things got pretty heated. I recall our group being the last ones on that last ferry and we had waited 25 min in line (therefore missing out on some of the onshore party). I don't know what happened to those who didn't get on or if the resort scheduled another run. Again this might not be an issue in October.

D