TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands BVI - summer vs winter

I've been to the BVI approx 12 times over the years - always in the summer months. I'm headed back this January for the first trip in the winter. Any suggestions on route / wind differences? Other general thoughts would be appreciated!

It will be cooler by 4 or 5 degrees..air and water..a little more crowded..you may have to deal with north swells and Christmas winds out of the north..still heaven!

We've sailed in January for the last couple of years. Last year we had back to back weeks of 25+ knot winds and of almost no wind. We had planned on a counterclockwise itinerary the windy week, but ended up heading to Jost (Great Harbor, Little Harbor & Diamond Cay) and Cane Garden Bay instead. I could have slogged up wind, but we had some newby crew mates that were uncomfortable even when we were fully reefed.

Cheers, RickG

I've always done a clockwise route in the summer - what's recommended in the winter?

For those who have been in the winter months, do you normally go clockwise or counter-clockwise?

Beerman, sound familiar?

You go where the winds take you each time you go! Plan everything but where you go each day until you wake up that day is my advice.

If you want to include Anegada in your trip, go counter-clockwise, maybe Marina Cay, North Sound (taxi to Baths), Anegada, JVD, Norman. If no Anegada, then you can shoot around back and forth in SFDChannel to see the sights in any order and jog over to JVD whenever. Figure a day or two per week being hunkered down in a place like North Sound or Norman when the weather pipes up. You'll see some beautiful and famous yachts and mega yachts at that time of year too btw.

as always, your experience and flexibility will guide you. We have been increasingly taking the "anti-social" route. Favoring the south side, instead of the channel, staying on the south side of norman, cooper, gorda. taking the sail off to Anegada from JVD. cleaner winds. Less "interactions with commerce".

much easier to sail with less laundry

The winds are not different enough season to season to alter the traditional CC route. If you have a specific reason to go the other way then do it. Otherwise the best and easiest sail will be CC.