TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands BVI newbie questions, concerns, itinerary?

The rhone is still pretty cool to see snorkeling. Assuming not a lot has changed since 2016. We even had a friend who swam down to the stern and through the swim through by the prop and back up. Not something I'd recommend.

Ha! you guys are awesome. Anegada is back on the table. After all the variations and considerations I find myself coming back to almost exactly the itinerary from Rush early on this thread ...

Day 0: Miami-STT-ferry-Nanny Cay (last second provisioning, sleep on boat)
Day 1: Norman (check-out sail day, docking/mooring practice, unknown start and finish time)
2: Norman (snorkel Caves and Indians, hike, Pirate's and/or Willy-T's)
3: Sail a long close reach to Leverick or Blunder Bay (Saba, Bitter end)
4: Another day/night in the North Sound - rent a car/taxi at Leverick for Baths hike/snorkel, Coco Maya, MadDog's, Hog Heaven, Nail Bay, etc.
5: Sail to Anegada (weather/wife/Horizon-approval dependent!) Rent moke/truck. Cow Wreck/Tipsy's. Lobster dinner at Wonky Dog.
6: Sail to Marina Cay - Consider docking at marina for a refresher day/night, or get a ball at Marina Cay and snorkel Diamond Reef.
7***. Motor to Monkey point for a snorkel. Quiet night at White Bay Guana Island. Or Go to Cane Garden Bay.
8. Go to Diamond Cay/Little Jost (Sandy Spit, Bubbly Pool, Foxy's Taboo, B-line)
9. Great Harbor. Spend day at White Bay (Soggy Dollar), dinner in Great Harbor
10. Early sail back to base.

*** two cruise ships in RT day

Thinking Guana and Monkey Point should be impervious to the cruise ship crowds.

Variations:
Could move everything up a day if there is enough time to do the Day 2 Norman activities on Day 1.
Could Sail for Leverick on Day 2 and return to Norman on Day 9 for Indians etc and a shorter return to base on Day 10.
If Anegada is out, visit Eustatia/Oil Nut, spend another day in North Sound, or snorkel the Dogs and/or Sharkplaneo.

That's really packing it in huh!?! I'll be impressed if we get half of that list completed lol. So excited! Thanks for all the feedback!

A couple other things to consider…on the way from Leverick stop in the bond at Radas and next door at Gunnies . We love the local spots…also on Anegada consider Sherwin for an incredible adventure

Thanks I'll make a note about Gunnies.

Is Sherwin a guide out to the conch islands? I know that is supposed to be an incredible time (we are both marine scientists) and we would love to do it but this itinerary just has us in Anegada for 1 night. And we can't not go to Cow wreck and stand on the beach and soak that in. We are beach people.

Isn't a guided tour of any kind on Anegada something you can really only do with two nights? I don't see us arriving until just before lunch. Mooring, eat lunch, make the dinner reservation and get car/driver to beach, spend afternoon at beach, return to boat for clean up, go out to lobster dinner, sail out the next morning ... when do we do a tour?

Believe me, I've read every 'one night vs. two nights on Anegada' thread on this forum, but at this point just making it there for one night will be an accomplishment. Might have to leave the conch tour for next time. Or just decide to stay two nights if we all fall in love with the place!

Yes, you are right. Sherwin's tour is about 3 1/2 hours long out to conch island with some snorkelling. Rent a moke and explore the island on your own this trip. Gives you a great reason to return for two days. We usually get there by noon, use the first afternoon for a tour with Sherwin, and have a vehicle the second day to explore and see different beaches. Then do dinner at one of the local eateries.

Thanks CarolinaSailor (I first sailed a Hobie Cat spending summers on the Isle of Palms!). They say mokes are 4 person vehicles. We are 5: DW and I up front, kids (13, 11, 9) in the back. Will they rent a moke to us?

Nope. BVI legal rental limitation of 4 per moke for safety reasons. You can check as they do have larger vehicles. Definitely plan in advance (call them) to ensure something is available. Several rental companies on island.

L&H has an SUV - we rented it one day when our Moke would not start (last Moke - ugh!)

Guana only has 5 overnight balls. The one closest to Monkey Point is the best - the others are way to close together for my comfort. So beautiful there.

Got 8 in (and on)my 1965 Moke one day in Spain!

If I recall however you said they were all models who were probably 5’10” and 105 lbs! You can fit a lot of sticks in a Moke!

I usually take 7-8 college kids in June out on the boat...some thoughts IMHO

1) You could stay at one place for the whole time and they would have a blast...i always have to slow it down per their request and save some for later
2) I always ask them what they would do differently and they always say they wish they had more time
3) Last trip of 14 days-I asked If you had one more day where would you go back to (A Cane Garden Bay). One less day cut what (A Cooper Island)
4) Get noodles for snorkeling for floatation and visibility especially out on Anegada reef with Sherwin or Kelly
5) I like your idea of starting and ending at Norman for a quicker sail back...or 2 days in Anegada which you keep hearing lol
6) My son is a marine scientist and his favorite part is the day trip to Anegada reef (we use Kelly but either is fine)
7) Besides weather check your north swell if at certain spots (Guana, CGB) https://marine.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=amz715#.YpITtijMJ3j
8) At Monkey Point Guana have 1 person go in person to the dinghy line and check snorkeling conditions before everyone gets in, It can be hit or miss
9) After Wonky Dog head over to Potters for night life
10) Diamond Cay is great call...
11) Bring some pennants the kids can sign and post. We still have college flags at Cow Wreck from one of our kids trips

Hope you make it to Anegada...our first time I navigated up using Walkers chart and was very stressed because I knew we couldn't see it and didn't want to miss it...about 1/2 way up we looked back and realized we could see Gorda peak the whole way up...duh

Do you have Scotts Guide to cruising the BVI? I give that to the kids in advance with the itinerary so they can read about what you are going to do. I can also send you my expanded trip plan and essential items to bring for past years if you want

Have a great time

Cooper is a great place to visit during mid to low season (when they're open) for a couple or smaller party. They have always been very accommodating to us. Great drinks and the food has always been excellent. I do agree the mooring field is often back winded. I was literally up every hour trip before last. (It was still worth the visit!). As popular as they are, they are doing some things right. JMO

Sherwin is like an Anegada historian and has done a ton of fishing himself in the past. You would love love a trip with him given your backgrounds. I would try to make that happen ! He does morning and afternoon trips. The fresh conch and his special sauce were incredible.

****** Or just decide to stay two nights if we all fall in love with the place!******

MANY sailors do !!

Cooper and the CIBC are nice, but sunset from almost any other place is nice, too. After a bad night of back-winded mayhem in the mooring field, suffice to say there is NO MOORING FIELD worth that chaos at oh dark thirty. Sunrise from Cooper cannot settle that bill.

Having been in the BVI more than once, I'd beat feet to North Sound AFAP for first overnight, yes it is doable, but might not comfortable too stretch that far without experienced sailors aboard. Next day strike off for Anegada. At least 2 nights at Anegada, if for no other reason than that is kicking back and resetting your understanding and appreciation for yourself and those you care about. Some drift snorkeling somewhere @ Loblolly Bay, a Dinner at Wonky, some cocktails somewhere in between Flash of Beauty and the boat and a couple of close-hauled evenings in the cockpit with people you really like. That could be just the first 3 nights, and by this time of year, one can probably charter 10 days for the price of 7. Just ask nicely about it.

So, 3 nights down and you get to sail from Anegada to Cane Garden Bay. If there isn't a sea running, CGB is a perfectly wonderful LONG crescent beach mooring field. You'll find out about VI roosters and chickens, excellent food, seems like more than a mile of white sand for small and tall people, and yeah, a fuel dock with water. A couple nights there isn't in the boring column.

Itchy feet from there, cast off the mooring and just motor over to Jost. We like Little Harbor. Great Harbor is also awesome. Take a taxi to White Bay if you need to be entertained, taxi back to the boat, and make acquaintance with
Harris' Place for dinner . Take another night at Jost, just for the memories. Explore Great Harbor, and Foxy's before you leave. it's usually a sporty sail through the cut to the Bight @ Norman Island . We like taking a ball under Water Point ( to port) on the way in, because the no-stress snorkeling on that aspect of the bay is way more reliable than at the Indians or the Caves. That would be night 8, and next day might be a good time for " should we stay or go." If you go, go on past Cooper to Peter Island. Last night is traditional " shipwreck party" when you try to use up all the provisions you've opened, but not finished off. At that point, you are an hour forty five or thereabouts from any charter company dock, so get yourself queued up for the sad return.

Then you turn in the boat, canvass the crew for next years dates, and prepare to do it all again.

Do 2 nights on Anegada and add in a trip with Sherwin. If you are going to sail all the way out there, might as well enjoy it. So that would be Day 5 and Day 6.

Then for Day 7 you can sail to Marina Cay and snorkel Diamond Reef. In the morning of 8, snorkel Monkey Point on your way to Jost

I am not sure I get the back winding comments. There are a couple of balls that might be to close together but if if boats were to touch it’s going to be a gentle tap. There are plenty of balls where it’s a non issue. I have spent a lot of nights there and always slept fine and never touched another boat.

George - with all the 50+ foot boats now in fleets it is getting tight. There are plenty of moorings fields I am less than comfortable with now and have been choosing to anchor more than less. Back winding also stinks as the darn ball bangs on the hulls all night and not even noise cancelling headphones help. Cooper, especially, just isn’t worth it. At least for us.

I posted this before but the solution to the ball banging on the hull is easy and also helps with swinging room at Cooper. Bring the ball pendant to one bow cleat and tie it off. Run the line from the other bow cleat directly to the ball and back. The ball is now trapped between the hulls and can’t reach either one to bang on the hull.

We tie directly to the ball in some fields to minimize banging (does the same thing your illustration does). We have found that it is too difficult to tie to the ball with Boaty Balls - only FCFS balls work. Regardless CIBC is not the place for us.

We have been coming down since 2011. Only place we have had issues with "bumping" was three times, all at Cooper. Every time was on windless nights where all the boats just drifted around how they pleased. The one time we had a "bump" and the close calls were all with our Cat and a Mono, the other two times were just "VERY" close calls. I noticed the monos did their own thing and the cats, theirs. Granted we were first on our Leopard 42 and now on our Leopard 45 and not a 50 or plus Cat that may have different issues. Seems all the cats pretty much remained in line with each other. We have never had that issue at Marina Key, Trellis, North Sound, Great Harbor, West End or Anegada.

It’s easy if you jump in the dinghy to run the second line.

Not that I'd ever want to wade into a 'How to Tie the Boat to a Mooring" debate (too much like the What's the Best Anchor or Best Point of Sail debates), but really? I need to launch the dinghy to hook up to a mooring ball "properly" now? All so the ball won't bang? If I thought the Catch the Mooring Ball show was entertaining before, I can't wait to see how having one line to the ball, then launching the dinghy to hook up line 2 goes - forget about the ensuing yelling between person at the helm and the dinghy. Or maybe I'll get impressed with the skill and grace of that yacht crew - but I wouldn't bet money on it.

And all this negates the fact that the bridle - the actual triangle formed by a proper bridle - is there to minimize the sailing that a catamaran (my primary boat) does when on a ball in a breeze. And the desire for a snubbing effect created by that shape (yeah, I know, that's what the painter is for some argue).

The goal is to get the ball smoothly, effectively, and securely. Having seen how my generally inexperienced crews do with the "traditional" techniques (which sometimes make me want to grab the ball by myself - and yes I can), I don't foresee any of them jumping in a dinghy to secure the second line. Nor do I see myself ever allowing it - given I am responsible for everyone's safety.

To each their own, obviously. But I am with MIDiver - there is not one of these bays that is so nice that if I don't like the setup that I won't go someplace else. YMMV

Keep Smiling!!!

Thank you- there is a cruise ship scheduled on June 9th during our trip- Where do we need to go to avoid them. this is probably my 10th charter and never have seen a cruise ship UGH!!
thanks so much

Tying the second line with the dinghy is not exactly hard and you do create a proper triangle. The only time it’s necessary is when there is either zero wind or where you might be backwinded. The dinghy is used for about 20 seconds to run the second line through the ball if the ball can’t be reached from the cross bar. Not sure why it would be entertaining to watch. The boat is already on the Mooring.

We have the same issue for our upcoming trip in June...The Disney Fantasy is in port one day ...I looked at their day-trip options and they will be all over. There is one place they will not be though...ANEGADA. We chose Anegada for the day that the ship was in port so we could stay far away. :-)

Safe travels!

Pretty cheeky of y'all to come on a first-timers thread and joke about the "Catch the Mooring Ball Show" :P hopefully we won't be the ones providing you with entertainment every afternoon!

Lot of good suggestions here, thanks to all. bailau I would be interested to see your lists.

Went over the itinerary with the wife and kids yesterday. Lots of excitement. Wife eye-rolled a bit with Anegada coming back into the plans, but got no rejection. But she was WTH when I told her we probably couldn't have time for the conch tour, a valid point, so my guess is we go for to Anegada for two nights or not at all. I think a lot will be clearer after the sail from Norman's to Leverick on Day 3. If the wind is right for a nice leisurely reach on a single tack, I know I'll have a much easier time getting my crew excited about a second relatively long sail than if going up the SFDC involves a lot of tacking and bashing, where I may be the only one smiling. If that happens, the backup plan may be pulling into Marina Cay or Scrub Island on Day 3 and adjusting itinerary accordingly. But who knows - the charter boat is going to be so much bigger and more comfortable but also a lot slower than the boat we are used to.


I checked with Leverick's and Jumbie's BBQ runs through June but we probably wont' be there on Friday. Thought we'd catch Michael Beans but he just finished the season.


Jason's link tells you the days cruise ships are in Roadtown. There's a Celebrity cruise when you are there, same as us two weeks later. Go to the BVI excursions web page for Celebrity and they show trips to scuba the Rhone, snorkel Caves/Indians, the Baths, Jost Van Dyke, in addition to some overland trips on Tortola including Cane Garden Bay.

Exactly! Maybe we'll see you there!

I became a fan of timing directly to ball (especially Boatyball due to it's higher profile) especially at Cooper island due to it's notorious backwinding, putting boats at risk of minor bumping each other. Also the aggravating noise from ball hitting hulls.

I would not use this technique if significant weather is forecasted.

The technique is very simple. First grab ball in usual manner and then move the lines to the mooring itself. I have done it alone in dinghy and have also had mermaids jump in.

Cruise ships are really no big deal...not hard to avoid where they will be and schedule around them

OP I PM'ed you my email

It's an easy point of sail to Anegada, whether you go from North Sound, or from Marina Cay/Scrub. Same time frame either way. Be sure of your heading so you don't miss.

Like Deepcut we tie to ball in traditional manner and then take dinghy out to rerun lines one at a time to ball. Works well except that some of the Boaty Balls just don’t have enough room for two ropes to do a direct tie to the ball - depends on the ball.

Do the mermaids help you too? I never get that kind of help

Deepcut must be a mermaid whisperer.

I’m probably wrong, but isn’t Deepcut your husband?

If you are asking me, no I can’t claim him. 😎

We enjoy heading out as a family on kayaks and paddleboards. We live on a canal and have a two person kayak and 3 paddleboards for our five. But that's a lot of space on deck as well as a large chunk of change. We usually take no more than one when we go sailing on our tri, and there is plenty of room to tie it down on the nets. What is the right number of paddleboards/kayaks for a 41' monohull? Assuming they get tied to the lifelines? How often are conditions right for using them (i.e. wind is calm enough for kids not to get blown away)?

I am thinking one or two paddleboards, or a single kayak. The price for a paddleboard for a week is about the same price as buying an inflatable on amazon. Any experience with checking one of these in luggage and bringing it back home afterwards? I can tell you that inflating that thing and getting it stowed away on our first night is not something I would look forward to, but seems doable.

Many people like paddle boarding, but my preference is a two-person kayak, which is more stable if the wind picks up or in the wake of a boat.

June 9 is a two cruise ship day with 7,000 visitors. The Baths, Brewer's, CGB and maybe Smugglers will be packed. I have not seen many excursions at Diamond Reef, so you might try that. Then consider anchoring overnight in Lee Bay.

Oil Nut marina rents kayaks now. Just in case you were stopping there. Our last trip they even told us if the weather was calm we could take them to BEYC or Saba and then they would send someone to pick us up. Sounded so fun but sadly they shut down with a covid outbreak the week were supposed to do it.