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Thanksgiving BVI:

This is kind of a followup to "November Travel" thread:

Searching bareboat prices and airfare > I'm not seeing a "lot of deals" (I presume not as many flights) - alas, it is a Holliday.

I presume everything will be open (American Holliday only?)

Weather the same in late November as early November?

Thanks, rrs

Thanksgiving is a somewhat busy week so the charter boat companies and airlines won’t discount as much. It will be a slightly cooler than earlier in the month. Might also have a bit more wind and the chances of a North swell start increasing.

Agree with George 100%. We've been going Thanksgiving almost every year since about 2008. Great time to go.

I have had a couple of truly amazing Thanksgiving feasts at The Sugar Mill in Apple Bay..they make it a very special night.I hope to be doing it again this year..

We were in St. John this past Thanksgiving for the week, and the weather was more cloudy and rainy than we have experienced in other months of the year in the BVI/USVI. The locals said the trades typically come in later in the month around Thanksgiving (before, during or after) and it dries out. I have no idea if this is true, but the weather did clear out the week after we left.

Regarding the activity on the island, it was much less crowded than we expected given the price of the flights. We were wondering if the BVI was more crowded, so I'm a little surprised that St. John was slow based on what is being said here. Overall, we may not visit in November again given the weather uncertainty, but only because we have other options in drier months. If we didn't have other options, I wouldn't hesitate to go in November again.

I have typically sailed in March but switched to the week just before Thanksgiving in 2022 and will do so again this year. Found it to be much less crowded and the weather was great. No problem getting mooring balls or reservations at restaurants. Prices for everything were outrageous but I think that problem is here to stay. No ground swells. the only downside for us is the fact that it's the end of hurricane season so we bought travel insurance. I have always liked going to the BVI in March as it gives me something to look forward to all winter - but everything in boating is a compromise, right?

The "Christmas winds" typically pick back up in early/mid December, which typically means brisker Northerly winds, less humidity, clearer skies and less frequent rain showers, etc. I believe this weather pattern tends to hold pretty firm through February, maybe even in to March.

We have to remember, obviously, that Thanksgiving is only an American holiday. Charter pricing and flight pricing from the states is likely to be higher around this time due to that, but I would expect things would be more of what you would expect for a typical "shoulder season" in the anchorages and on shore. I don't think this is a common time for Euro's or Canadians to get to the BVI.

Late November is tail end of hurricane season, pretty low, but not zero risk. The waters are also still warm, but you have breeze and it's not as hot and less mosquito's. Every time of year is a great time to go, as noted above, no matter your date, there are tradeoffs of cost, crowding, weather patterns, etc. Even if you pick just the right time of year, there is always still a chance it rains all week.

Living back in MD, I had the same thinking. Go to BVI in Feb-March-April to give yourself hope and something to look forward to as a reward for surviving winter. Since we moved to FL, that's no longer a problem.