TravelTalkOnline Forums Thread Like Summary - Your Best Advice For Rookies

We have owned a 32’ Beneteau for 31 years and have cruised the Chesapeake Bay extensively, and are looking forward to our first charter and our first visit to the BVI. We have been lurking here for the past 6 months to gain as much info as we can before we head down in January, and it’s obvious the members of this forum are a tremendous resource that have already added great value to our trip.

So, what are the two or three things you would offer to someone like us that are important to know, or something we might not have considered?

A friend who had just returned a few months ago told us to “bring twice the money, and half the clothes”. We laughed, of course, but there’s experience and truth in that comment.

I’m grateful for any contributions you can offer.

That's a good duration to take in the BVI while leaving Anegada for next time, cause there WILL be a next time!

I'd advise you not to make the full moon party a priority because it forces you to be in a certain spot at a certain time, which can affect the day before and after. Because:

Weather (and/or north swell) will likely pin you down for a couple of days. The best spots to hunker down are North Sound and The Bight. From the North Sound, via taxi, you can explore the rest of the island and particularly The Baths, which SHOULD be a priority to see on a non-cruise ship day. Also there are lots of other places in the North Sound: Leverick, Saba, BEYC, Prickly Pear, beach activities, snorkeling...

When you pick up a mooring, have two people on the bow. One has a boathook and snags the pennant and hands the eye to the second person and then gets out of there. The second person immediately runs the end of a dockline, which the other end is already cleated, through the eye and hand over hands it to quickly bring the eye close to the cleat and cleats it (on the same side of the boat). Now you are secure and you can run the other dockline around and back and ease them both off, all while the wind is blowing the bow around. For the helmsman, line up on the mooring and slowly approach, making a lot of last minute course changes usually doesn't work. Bail out and circle around, everyone watching will see you know what you're doing. This entire procedure should be done with no yelling, all you need to hear is "Made!" when the first line is secure.

The main rule after pleasant greetings as mentioned above is don't be in a hurry and don't have a schedule...Island time!😊

One important thing besides the already listed ones is this: greet all of the citizens of the BVI that you encounter with a "Hello, how are you today!" This is the friendly icebreaker and will get you quick service, advice, help or whatever you need. Case in point: at one restaurant in Roadtown, Tortola we greeted the person up front, greeted our waitress, thanked them for seating us and giving us menu's. At the same time another couple from an unidentified place treated the staff like servants. We got our order placed, drinks served, dinner served, dessert and left and all the while no one went to the other couples table. No menu, water glass, nothing. So be nice and friendly to one and all and enjoy. And don't forget your sunscreen...lol

To me you seem to be in the same situation that my wife and I were in only it was the early 70's for us. We loved the bay, but the BVI was our new adventure. It is not possible to see everything on the first trip to the BVI. Don't try, relax. It will be the best sailing you have had. The water can be 40 feet deep and you can see the bottom. Can't do that on the bay. Get a Guide Book for the BVI and check it for info. You will be fine as long as you are on Island Time.

We are on day 8 and having a blast. The swell has been significant all week, so we chose our moorings carefully as recommended. Staying put for a second day in Great Harbor on Jost, waiting out predicted wave detail of 8’ with 5 second period, and occasional 10’, before heading to Soper’s tomorrow then Roadtown, and home.

Wish I had thought to bring my own binoculars. Quality of the ones provided are pretty low. Glad I brought a sailing multitool. It has helped with a few small repairs on board. They gave us a small kit, but items we needed were broken or missing in some cases.

Folks everywhere have been a joy. Lots of laughs and kindness everywhere we go.

To be honest, we’re a little disappointed in the condition of the boat. Wear and tear is pretty reasonable, but some of the minor equipment is not functional, like the autopilot remote, digital chain counter, remote vhf, cockpit lighting, etc. Important stuff works, but things like a water tank with a crack that can only hold about 50% of its capacity is annoying. Also, had about 3-4” of hairy growth on the waterline and rudders. Managed to scrub most of it off myself while moored at BEYC.

Fantastic suggestions to bring handheld VHF, and Nav gear. Both were necessary. The boat had dual Raymarine chartplotters at helms, but the location and angle made them very hard to see due to glare and sun washout. One of my best purchases was NV Charts 12.1 chartbook that came with access to a chart plotting app and 5 licenses, we’ve been primarily using our phones with excellent results. We’ve made great use of headlamps and flashlights on the tender, another fantastic suggestion, and can confirm almost none of the tenders, often comically overloaded, have any kind of lighting.

So again, to all the experienced contributors who took time to reply in this thread, we want to express our sincere thanks. You guys have saved our bacon in several cases.