TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands RIB range

Need some help with a possible RIB adventure. My wife and I will be in Tortola for ten days January 2020. We have always thoroughly enjoyed renting a boat and doing a little exploring on our own. Can't beat pulling up to a beach and being the only couple!
It appears Island Time BVI will rent RIB's out of Road Town, East End and West End.
Is a RIB acceptable to venture to another island from one of these locations? Of course depending on weather conditions.
And what island/s would be within these launch points?
TIA

What size RIB?

Ribs under 12’ are usually for use as a tender and are really not suitable for island hopping, although you can but it will be wet and slow.
If possible get something in the 18’ foot range if available.

January can be some of the roughest weather. There are very few days I would consider crossing the SFD Channel in our 17’ Whaler. If the Christmas winds are bad, the dive boats won’t even go out some days. A Contender, say 21’, would be a better choice.

If I were to rent one to do a "little" Island hopping (assuming a small Rib) I would rent out of East End. That gives you Tortola, Beef, Scrub, Marina Cay, Camano,Little Camano and Guana. Plenty of places to see, eat, drink, and snorkel. Weather depending those could be all done in a small rib. Bring extra fuel or gas up at Marina Cay.

I agree staying within the boundaries of the the East End isles would be a nice day trip, there’s enough little private beaches you could pull up to for lunch and snorkeling. 👍

Thanks to all!
We will plan on a East End journey in a larger RIB, weather permitting.

Just a suggestion don't go around Beef Island from East end but go under the QE bridge. That gets you to where you want to be quicker and less open water.

Going under the bridge requires very good knowledge of that area, or a very slow ride with someone hanging off the bow. I know more than one person who has replaced a prop after going through there.

I would suggest that you need to consider how much fuel you would consume and how much you can reasonably carry in a smaller RIB given the distance you want to travel and the fuel consumption rate women traveling at higher speeds in open water with wave, wind and current

The Ribs from Island Time can easily get you to Norman/Cooper/VG get the 17ft with the 90hp to cover these islands safely.