TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Deadman’s Dinghy Ride

Hello all, I’ve really enjoyed following this forum and educating myself through the diverse topics and input from everyone here. Looking forward to my group’s bareboat (two boats!) trip May 4-11. We are chartering two Helia 44’s from DYC at Scrub Island. I’m hoping that the additional boat in our group doesn’t create any logistical challenges...
Anyways, we’d like to head to Great Harbour Peter Island on our first day after sleepaboard, and we’d really like to visit Deadman’s Beach since it was our favorite stop in the past. I’m sure it won’t look the same as we remember it, but our idea is to moor over in Great Harbour and dinghy around to Deadman’s. Any advice on this being a good or bad idea? It doesn’t seem like it’d be a long or difficult ride, we’d just rather not anchor at Deadman’s. Also, I know there were a few moorings in Sprat Bay near the resort docks but haven’t seen any mention of those on the forums. I’d imagine they must be decommissioned for now.
Thanks in advance! Also, anything else to consider or keep in mind with regards to having two boats? We have never done a trip with a second boat.

Two boats means one thing..every day will be a two boat race!

Dinghy racing for sure! Or how about a dinghy jousting tournament?!?

Starting to sound like those amazing dinghy poker runs organised by Nick and Monzi in Leverick..boy do I miss them and those good times!

Those were some great times with great friends!

Depending on the wind and seas it could be a bumpy wet and slow ride in full dinghy.
I would anchor your boats there and enjoy the day then move over to Great Harbour for the evening.

Completely agree with sail445. Deadman’s is an easy daytime anchorage. Not worth the risk to dinghy all the way from Great Harbour.

Thanks for comments. I think we are just concerned about what time we will actually arrive to Peter Island that day. We didn’t want to push it and be pulling into Great Harbour too late just in case the balls all get taken. Should 3-4pm on a Sunday still be a safe bet?

It’s a long dinghy ride upwind going. Will be easier coming back. No real safety issues if the engine quits in the channel. I would just spend the night in Deadman’s bay.
G

Depending where you're moored in GH its roughly 1.5nm...so with fair weather its not too bad. A few regular dinghy trips we do with the right weather with comparison distances below:

Dinghy Trellis to MC 0.9
Dinghy North Sound to ONB 1.9
Dinghy GH to Soggs 1.2
Dinghy Bight to Indians 1.1
Dinghy GH to Deadmans 1.5

We always beached and secured our dinghy then walked through the trees around past Conrads house, around sprat bay and into the resort and onto deadmans beach for a stroll . Nice little easy hike . Have not been to Peter since Irma and Willy T arrival so not sure this is feasible any longer? Will be checking it out in a few weeks. April 14 th departure can't come soon enough ...still snowing here in my part of the world!!

I’ve gathered from a different thread in the past that hiking through the resort area is off limits but the beach itself is okay. There hasn’t been much, if any, feedback on conditions there, so I’m sure many of us would enjoy hearing how your visit goes. Really curious to see what it looks like now!

I can’t wait to make the usual island rounds . Been down a couple times post Irma but not sailing or on the water, except a ferry over to Anegada , since we lost Reef Song . Will post a trip report upon my return .

Sunday night is local night at Willie's so you might keep that in mind. The balls might be scarce until they all leave!

Just FYI....

We have had out board motor problems with dinghys.....with the Moorings, Sunsail, and Conch. We would not want to make a dink passage at sea. We also sail the BVI in May, and have been for 35 years. May
brings great sailing trade winds, 11 to 20, our of the NE, or south of NE. Wave and say Bye, Bye, if that dink motor becomes inoperative.

We would also suggest, day anchorage at Deadmans Bay , then motor over to Great Harbor and party down at the Will T with the vessel on a mooring..

We also have professionally lead flotlllas in the south pacific, and caribbean and coastal islands of so calif. . Suggest with two boats, establish your procedures. One boat will be the flotilla leader, and both boats will stay together. Or, each skipper
will chart his own course, and you may plan on meeting up, if winds, and hangovers , or extended time some place really great does not interfere. Have a procedure set , either way.

With no plan, it will be a goat rope, and not good relations between the crews can occur.

The skippers of the both vessels should be highly qualified and experienced as they are responsible not only for the vessel, but for each and every person on board. The OP, is on vacation as well, and up to him
if he wants to add in being group leader . One other thing is that the OP does not want to be worrying about the other vessel.

The flotillas that I lead, Tahiti, Tonga, The Windwards and the BVI as well as 10 to 12 boat training cruises SAILING newport bay to Two Harbors Catalina. ( the training cruise it was requrired to maintain group integrity.and
That was sailing from about 10am until near midnight...no motoring ).

For all flotillas . we had pre cruise meetings, chart meetings, etc, and usually what occured, on he international sailing vacatiions is that the very highly experienced skippers charted their own courses.
The fist timers to bare boat international sailing stayed with me for as long as they wished. But, they had to communicate their intentions.

There you go... just FYI.

Kim, we used to do the same same thing.

But, after we passed Conrad’s house we were looking across Sprat Bay and a guy in a red shirt came flying across the bay in a dinghy and wanted to know how we got there. He wanted us off the property and asked why we crossed the fence. He insisted we knocked down his fence, which we didn’t. It seemed to be several palettes maybe stood up on their sides. He was pretty rude and intimidating.

So be careful anywhere on Peter other than the shoreline in GH. They don’t seem to want people anywhere on the island right now.

Good to know..thanks Donna

When we we're down last, there is NO WAY you could walk across, a massive pileup of mangroves about 10 ft high. HiYa Kim.

Hi Robert , I am sure we will see that many many things have changed post Irma !!!