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Haven't been to BVI's since 2019, so I have a few questions. Is the Willy T back at Norman or still in Great Harbor? Do TTOL members still get a deal at Leverick Bay dock? How is Trellis Bay mooring field? Is Porters still good for lobster. Have the Boaty Balls taken over are there regular balls?

Willy T is in Norman. They didn't seem to be serving food the evening we were there (probably for the best). It was what we expected, although I feel like it's not quite what it was pre-Irma. We were never huge fans anyway, but had a good time there with our group this trip. Pirate's food is fantastic, prices are sky high.

Not sure about TTOL deal at Leverick, but the place is in great shape, market there is nice, pool looked great a week ago when we were there. Recommend stopping by. Heard there was possibly some flooding there right after we left, so may want to check with them depending on when you are going.

I really don't want to knock Potter's. Sam is great and it's excellent for what it is, a great party. PLEASE do not get your lobster at Potter's. Highly recommend eating at Lobster Trap if you want the best lobster dinner anywhere in the world. Anegada Reef Hotel (next to Potter's) also has excellent lobster, etc, and I think was the consensus for the best conch fritters we had on our trip (we had conch fritters at nearly every stop - Pirates was the other top choice).

Not sure when you are going, but we only used Boaty Ball at Anegada (we reserved for the first night, but didn't need to, moved to a FCFS for the second night) and at Cooper, where we were unable to reserve a buoy, so we got there early (9am) and got a FCFS easily. FCFS were largely gone by noon, but one or two boats left later, so if you were on it and willing to circle and wait, you could have gotten a ball as late as ~2pm. I have to say, after experiencing BB, I hate it. Would rather go back to the old days of all FCFS. DO NOT fall for the "premier package" for BB, unless you are going at peak season like Christmas/New Years, etc. Even then, I think I'd still just plan to get to places like Anegada and Cooper early and don't think you really need it anywhere else. At Anegada, there was plenty of room to anchor as well.

Forget about staying in Trellis mooring field, if you want to be in that area, grab a ball or slip at Scrub instead. We spent our last night (after getting off the boat) at Scrub Island Resort and the place is great. If you've got kids or a range of ages on the boat, it's a great stop to break up the trip and stretch legs, etc. When we go back with our kids, it will be part of the plan for sure. I'm saying that as someone who has never been there before, at least not since I was a kid, which is ancient history. Highly recommend it as an option for the right group. We have also never really been into Trellis, though, so to each their own.

Thanks for the info

To join on the Trellis bay question - I’m going during the full moon next month, planning on T-bay being pretty busy, I hope to arrive early to try for trellis and Marina/scrub as back up spots for the night. Is there a ferry running from scrub island to trellis? If so, could that be a viable option for the full moon party? I’d rather not brave the dinghy across!

We grabbed a ball in Trellis a couple of weeks ago to meet a delivery from our charter company. Several of the balls we tried to pick up had shredded pendants, several near to shore were literally on top of each other (ball two feet off our stern in several cases). I would not return for an overnight.

Hmm…any other good full moon parties? 🤣

Trellis is 8 feet deep. Simply inspect the ball you tie up on. It’s fine for a overnight.

If you want to do the full moon party, Trellis is fine for a night (it's just not an anchorage I would personally choose for one of my nights of vacation), but I would still recommend grabbing a ball off Marina Cay or Scrub as the better option. There is a ferry and I believe you can arrange for late night pick up, although I believe there may be a cost for the late pickup, and there may be a cost regardless, which may or may not be free if you get a slip at Scrub or have a meal at Marina Cay - not sure on the specifics on that.

https://marina-cay.com/frequently-asked-questions/

https://www.scrubisland.com/location/

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Why’s trellis not a great anchorage? Bugs? Noise? Odorous? I’ve never been to a full moon party, and will have friends on board who lit up at the idea of the whole thing…so I’m pretty much planning on the night there, but why wouldn’t you?

The Full Moon party is fun and reason enough to stay in the Trellis anchorage. Just check the mooring line as some are chewed up. There is also some space to anchor.

Thanks Husker! I’ve always looked skeptically at the moorings I choose, seems like they all need a bit more skepticism lately…and seems if the last good spot’s taken we can head to marina cay and ferry easily…