TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Feeding the Captains...

I recently posted a question on Facebook on one of the BVI pages and was subsequently keel hauled by the respondents to the point where I removed the post.

I had seen a post by the B-Line Bar on LJVD that said a Captain eats for free with 5 or more meals purchased, being that there will be 6 of us sailing this October-November with a captain I simply asked if anyone knew of any other places in the BVI that offered such a promotion. Jeeez, you'd think I was Scrooge per the reactions I received. "If I had to ask then I shouldn't be visiting the BVI" "If you can't afford it don't come" "Do you feel good about taking money from the hard working people of the BVI..." Ouch!

If I was overstepping my boundaries my bad, I was just curious if there were any other restaurants that did such a thing. I was told in no uncertain terms (by the posters on Hatebook not by the B-Line Beach Bar) that the offer was meant for the captains only to bring their boats and guests and NOT for the guests to be using it to save some $$$.

Any thoughts?

The advert is meant for Charter Captains that visit weekly with different guests, not bareboaters.

Never knew it was limited...been told captain eats free numerous times when given a menu while tying up to and on a mooring ball over the years. We've never cashed in on it though. I did always think that if a restaurant owned the ball, they should wave the fee if you eat dinner there. Seems like smart business...getting bodies in...

It's absolutely mean for hired charter captains. I think I may have answered on Facebook, but I know Banana's in Cane makes the same offer. Paid captain bringing 5 or more guests gets a free meal. Incidentally, they make the same offer for taxi drivers.

It sounds like you are hiring a captain, if that is the case, yes, there are other places that have that same offer. We always bareboat, but I know I have seen signs, menu's, etc that indicate the captain eats free. Now if I could only remember which restaurants...LOL

I would think your hired captain would know which ones.

One I know, Harris's in Little Harbor, JVD

Sounds okay for 1 boat but 20 boats and you are losing $600 a night thats $120,000.00 over the season, but for special days like Xmas New Years when special menus are on then it will be okay.

...if you assume those 20 boats were already going to eat at your restaurant. What if only 5 of those boats were going to eat at your joint, but now 10 do? I'd think we're spending a tad more than $30 a person at dinner.

On my very first visit to BVI, the one place i HAD to go was Sidney's Peace & Love as I had seen my cousin's 35mm slides of this place.

I anchored in Little Harbor and dinged in to shore. Met by none other than Sidney who welcomed me, inviting me to eat at his place and loudly pointed out to me "Captain eats free". Now it was very obvious I was not a "hired captain".

Obviously this policy is up to each establishment as to whether they offer "free" (in exchange for 5-8 paid meals, plus alcohol).

I have seen free mooring with dinner vs free drink with mooring ball vs other promotions. (Cooper Island Beach Club has it posted for free rum drink with mooring ball receipt).

Small reward for bringing in larger groups. If a business offers it, graciously accept. If they decline to offer it/ or offer has stipulations that do not apply to you, then enjoy at your choice.

Shiloh, I saw that exchange on Facebook, and thought the responses were rude and pretty harsh. If a business decides to offer a promotion to draw in customers, it’s either worth it or it’s not. Not sure why it matters if the captain is paid or not. It’s either worth it to attract more customers, or you don’t care if they go elsewhere.

Some places in the BVI seem to feel they are “owed” your patronage, rather than they need to earn it. Or that competition is a bad thing. Kind of hard to understand.

What was the BVI facebook group called BTW?

The money you want to save on pays for Live Bands and Entertainment as I can only speak to my place, and out of 20 balls in season probably 15 will be coming in nightly, I do intend to make them included in NYE and Xmas Day menus when they are most needed. We also take care of of charter captains and crew very well. Even a few TTOL members who have become friends. Perhaps a free mooring with dinner for TTOL members, what do you think Carol?

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Perhaps a free mooring with dinner for TTOL members, what do you think Carol?[/quote]


How do you poll the TTOL audience?

Yeah or Nay?

Peter, If I were one of your competitors, who seem to have only a fraction of customers that you have, I would definitely give a free ball and/or "captain eat free" to a large Cat booking a dinner for 6-8 people.

When I was running charters in BVI, initially I ate/drank free almost everywhere. That changed as the number of professional crew increased, I started in 1989. Sidney's was always a free meal for me and any captain, even bareboat. Some places quietly asked me if the guests were paying or if I was buying my meal. When guests were paying they paid for my meal. When I was buying my own, the invoice was zero and we went through the credit card motion. Most guests buy the professional captain dinner so the Captain eats free isn't applied very often. I was always a cheap date and never ordered Lobster or other high priced options, but have see other Captains do so.

Harris's still offers either a free mooring ball or a free round of bushwhackers if you stay on her ball and come in for dinner.

So, similar topic, is the Drinking Man's Guide dead? Haven't seen any new issues since before Irma. Does anyone still use the old copied if they still have places they haven't been?

We went to Quitos in May. We had 6 people for dinner.

The restaurant comped my meal because i was the captain.(not hired professional)

I didn't know this, The waitress said she had a nice surprise for me when she handed me my check

She said it was policy for the captain to dine for free.

Julians son is doing a new version

Certainly a great way to get repeat business.

I received a free lobster dinner at Sidney's Peace & Love two weeks ago. We had a party of four.

I am not and have never been a hired professional Captain.

Just got back from a week bare boating. Before we left, my friend reminded me of the Drinking Man's Guide and I threw my copy in my bag (purchased in 2009). I actually brought it out a few times during our cruise and the reactions were priceless. I only had a few unused slots remaining, one of them at Foxy's for a born here ale... the bartender laughed, explained how Irma destroyed their brew kit/station and then gave me a different bottled beer (which I paid for :-)). In Anegada, we ate at Neptune's Treasure and they laughed but honored the free bottle of wine. Bottom line, it was more of a laugh and story for us (and the bar tenders) BUT they are generally accepting them... just be ready from some confused looks and a little shock that you managed to keep the book dry and in once piece after sailing with it multiple times. Also, there is no expiration (as my friend pointed out).

That's so cool! I still have mine from 2002!

We have a 2014 book. No issues or laughter when we used it last month.

We had no issues using it at foxys.

Sorry, I guess I wasn’t clear when I originally posted. We do have a hired captain that will sail the 6 of us around. I totally understand that any discount wouldn’t apply to a bareboat charter where one individual just happens to be the “captain”. I was just curious about locations that comped a meal to the “hired captains” We’ll just use his recommendations when we come down in October/November.