British Virgin Islands. Who been there?

[2Driver]

Heard lots of good things about the place. Looking to take the family diving and do all around beach and outdoor stuff.

Hotel, boat charter, ideas.

 

[Ziggy]

DaytonaBabe went there a year and a half ago...pretty sure she wants to go again.

 

[Motor Boater]

Yes! It's fucking awesome!! We stayed for a week in St. John and did some boat trips through the BVI. My next big vacation will be sailboat through the BVI.

 

[Wavemaker]

Have been twice. Lots to see. Great diving, some good bars and hotels. Great scenery.

 

[jet496]

You gotta visit the Soggy Dollar Bar & Foxy's on Jost Van Dyke for some Pain Killers (those are drinks not vicodins) & maybe meet Foxy (it' a dude, so don't get too excited...he's awesome). True paradise!

 

[drejustice]

We are going for our 1st time this late spring. Looking forward to it based on a some good friends past trips.

Soggy dollar and Foxy's is on the itn.

 

[240Hallett]

Check out the "Boating in Paradise" thread. Charter a boat.

 

[Tooms22]

You gotta visit the Soggy Dollar Bar & Foxy's on Jost Van Dyke for some Pain Killers (those are drinks not vicodins) & maybe meet Foxy (it' a dude, so don't get too excited...he's awesome). True paradise!

In 2010, I went with 6 total families on 3 boats. In 2014, I went with my girlfriend and we island hopped by ferry. It is my favorite tropical vacation spot. Places to see: Soggy Dollar, Foxys, Corsairs, Bubbly Pool, Bomba Shack, Bananakeet, Willy T, The Indians, Pussers, The Baths, The North Sound, Cane Garden Bay, Bitter End, B-line Bar.

I can't wait to plan my next trip there. I need to try and convince a bunch of friends to rent catamarans. That's the best way to do it.

 

[530RL]

Check out the "Boating in Paradise" thread. Charter a boat.

Mel has it dialed in. Moorings.

http://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/showthread.php?96568-Boating-in-Paradise&highlight=boating+paradise

 

[DaytonaBabe]

We'll be there again in 121 days.

When are you going and what are your plans? Charter, resort, etc?

 

[DaytonaBabe]

Mel has it dialed in. Moorings.

http://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/showthread.php?96568-Boating-in-Paradise&highlight=boating+paradise

This year were using Marine Max. Their boats are newer and have wifi and a water maker[emoji106]

http://www.marinemaxvacations.com/yachts/power-catamarans/

 

[Tooms22]

This year were using Marine Max. Their boats are newer and have wifi and water makers[emoji106]

What are the requirements for captaining your own power cat?

 

[DaytonaBabe]

What are the requirements for captaining your own power cat?

It's shocking how little experience they require to take a $500k + yacht out for a week. From my understanding, if you own a powerboat, you are good to go. I've copied the resume link below, but I will point out that my brother is our capitan and doesn't own a boat of his own. 6 years ago, when he first started bareboat chartering, he was qualified through lots of experience with his friend's boat. He's an absolute pro now and could capitan a catamaran with his eyes closed. I know it also helps to have boating people like us aboard to help with catching the mooring ball, docking, etc. They put every capitan (and first mate) through "skipper school" the morning before you leave. There are some idiots out there, trust me, but if you know boats, you'll probably be fine.

Here's the resume link: http://www.moorings.com/node/add/resume-resumep

And here's some entertainment (sailboat, not powercat) from someone who got WAAAAY over his head... just makes you cringe... this was on Anegada, an incredible place

[video=youtube;wxg30c6z00E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxg30c6z00E[/video]

 

[jet496]

They let me skipper my own boat, no requirements that I remember, other than saying I can do it. Ours was a 25 footer and not a Cat. We cruised from St Johns, Jost Van Dyke and one other island that I can't remember the name.

 

[Tooms22]

I found these while I was cleaning the garage last night. I'm going to slap them on my toolbox when I get home tonight.

 

[Hot for Teacher]

In 2010, I went with 6 total families on 3 boats. In 2014, I went with my girlfriend and we island hopped by ferry. It is my favorite tropical vacation spot. Places to see: Soggy Dollar, Foxys, Corsairs, Bubbly Pool, Bomba Shack, Bananakeet, Willy T, The Indians, Pussers, The Baths, The North Sound, Cane Garden Bay, Bitter End, B-line Bar.

I can't wait to plan my next trip there. I need to try and convince a bunch of friends to rent catamarans. That's the best way to do it.

The best way to see it for sure!! We rented the power cats.... Awesome trip

 

[DaveH]

been there 4 times.

2x in hotels, and 2x on bare boat charter sailing. was the best vacation EVER and i have been to a lot of cool places.

chartering a boat is WAY MORE FUN...........

make SURE to visit.........

the baths on virgin gorda
foxy's on jost van dyke
green and sandy cay
pirates byte floating bar norman island
the indians and the caves

and i could go on...............

 

[BajaMike]

I've been to the BVI 3 times, twice on a 50' sailboat chartered from Moorings and Sunsail and once at a resort. It's my favorite place on earth.

If you don't sail, they have nice power cats you can charter with some power boat experience. A 40 or 50 foot boat will sleep 3 or 4 couples but I wouldn't want more than 2 couples per boat. The cost will not be much more than a nice resort. You can moor at most resorts and have full resort privileges (Peter Island is the best but expensive, Bitter End Yacht club is nice and good for families).








http://www.moorings.com/vacation-options/powerboat-charter




http://www.sunsail.com/?gclid=CKCs8s2VjMsCFQ-oaQod3ysHIA&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Tooms22]

I've been to the BVI 3 times, twice on a 50' sailboat chartered from Moorings and Sunsail and once at a resort. It's my favorite place on earth.

If you don't sail, they have nice power cats you can charter with some power boat experience. A 40 or 50 foot boat will sleep 3 or 4 couples but I wouldn't want more than 2 couples per boat. The cost will not be much more than a nice resort. You can moor at most resorts and have full resort privileges (Peter Island is the best but expensive, Bitter End Yacht club is nice and good for families).



http://www.moorings.com/vacation-options/powerboat-charter




http://www.sunsail.com/?gclid=CKCs8s2VjMsCFQ-oaQod3ysHIA&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'm starting to come around on the idea of doing the bare boat thing but the shallow areas have me a little nervous. I remember our captain being super nervous heading into the North Sound of Virgin Gorda. He was also telling us how shallow it gets heading into Anegada. Do the sailing catamarans have a way deeper draft than the power cats?

 

[mbrown2]

I'm starting to come around on the idea of doing the bare boat thing but the shallow areas have me a little nervous. I remember our captain being super nervous heading into the North Sound of Virgin Gorda. He was also telling us how shallow it gets heading into Anegada. Do the sailing catamarans have a way deeper draft than the power cats?

I have been once and skippered our 48' Power Cat. I completed their online resume with my boating experience that includes 10' all the way to 50' houseboats ....did not list any yacht stuff. I assumed I would use the captain they offer to get me in and out of the marina where things are pretty tight. Things changed as they did not have any Captains at the time and so I took it out and brought it back in and skippered it right back to the gas dock without any assistance...it is tight traffic and a 270 degree spin to side tie at the gas dock (it was awesome!). My crew was on all 4 corners of the cat and the key is slow and patient. Out in the open it is a breeze, it is shallow in some of the mooring spots, White Beach, Trestle Bay, and North Sound /Virgin Gorda but it has everything on GPS mapped and marked and you just compare this with your secondary depth gauge and it works.

I can't wait to go back....we had 9 on a boat and it was not too many; we travel well together. Mel provided me most of the details to get ready.

Our next trip we will likely take the 58' and sail it....I told everyone take a sailing course!.... You can motor the sailboats too and they go about as fast as the power cats....Motor cats top out at 10-11kts, Sail Cats can sail about 8-10 without much wind, and can motor about 8-9knts....get some wind and they can move!...

Before that we will try to get a smaller 4 day trip and stay on land in Tortola, rent a 30' center console for 4 days and hit different islands daily and chart the next big boat trip....there is so much to see/do, I want a small fast boat to see everything as if I was ripping around Havasu. Also, next time will likely upgrade to a 14-17' dingy that carry many....so you can moor your yacht in White Beach JVD and then rip around to the bubbling pool on North JVD...or Sandy Cay.

Let me know if you have any questions..we rented through The Moorings. It was probably the best vacation ever being a boater and I plan to go rent their boats in Greek Isles, Italy or Croatia in the coming years.

The most important thing is your crew. Our nine travel together frequently and know how get along in tight quarters and how to work as a team. This means everyone knowing their job...who releases the holding tanks when out to sea and secures them when mooring, who takes in the dingy when you are getting ready to moor or dock, who picks up the mooring ball line, who checks the panel and generator prior to bed time and who secures the dingy prior to de-embarking/or coming back from shore. Our crew had plenty of boating experience so it was second nature by end of the first day but it is key to get all that clear from the get go.

 

[DaveH]

I'm starting to come around on the idea of doing the bare boat thing but the shallow areas have me a little nervous. I remember our captain being super nervous heading into the North Sound of Virgin Gorda. He was also telling us how shallow it gets heading into Anegada. Do the sailing catamarans have a way deeper draft than the power cats?

its no big deal. the charter company will give you a chart and extensive briefing on areas to stay away from. but if you are a boater...you wont have any issues.

the north sound of virgin gorda that you refer to...there is a shallow pass that short cuts to the harbor. yeah it gets shallow, but i sailed a 40 cat through there no problem.

two couples per boat is ideal and you better know them well. seen a fist fight break out on the deck of a boat in the harbor........

 

[2Driver]

Thanks everyone. I think I've learned more here than googling for 2 hours.

Man, not sure which way to go but the boat deal sounds great. Maybe 4 days on boat and 4 days on a resort? Its just the wife kid and I. Having a captain would be nice.

 

[McKay]

I'm taking off from Miami right now. Will be landing there in 3 hours. Starting our charter on Wednesday for a week.

 

[Tooms22]

Thanks everyone. I think I've learned more here than googling for 2 hours.

Man, not sure which way to go but the boat deal sounds great. Maybe 4 days on boat and 4 days on a resort? Its just the wife kid and I. Having a captain would be nice.

I agree with everyone else... the boat is the way to go. There are multiple islands you have to go to in order to get the full experience. When I went without a boat, I went on a snorkeling excursion one day that hit the Indians, Willy T, and the Norman Caves. I rented a dinghy on Jost Van Dyke so I could go to White Bay, Sandy Spit, Bubbly Pool, B line bar, and Garner Bay. Then I rented a dinghy in the North Sound of Virgin Gorda so we could see everything in that area.

That trip was pretty fast paced because we were in and out of hotels on every island so we could see everything. With a boat you can relax while you cruising from place to place. If you need some time off the boat, you can just stay on a island for the entire day.

 

[DaytonaBabe]

I'm taking off from Miami right now. Will be landing there in 3 hours. Starting our charter on Wednesday for a week.

Have fun!! Post pics! :thumbsup:thumbsup




[video=youtube;uzS_EWWAV-Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzS_EWWAV-Y[/video]

 

[BajaMike]

I'm starting to come around on the idea of doing the bare boat thing but the shallow areas have me a little nervous. I remember our captain being super nervous heading into the North Sound of Virgin Gorda. He was also telling us how shallow it gets heading into Anegada. Do the sailing catamarans have a way deeper draft than the power cats?

I never had a problem with the depth. For one thing the water is so clear, you can see how deep it is, plus with GPS and depth sounders, its not a problem.

There is one channel into North Sound on Virgin Gorda that is shallow at low tide, I have only taken that in a dingy or center console (see the narrow channel on the map below). There is another deep channel going in about 3 miles away.....no problem.





I've been sailing all my life, but I motored a lot. I go straight to where I want to go, don't tack back and forth all day to get somewhere. When I brought the boat back the last time, the guy said I used almost the whole tank of diesel (in 10 days), and he said he never had seen so much used before on a sail boat.
No navigation is necessary, the next island you want to go to is usually within sight. And they give you good charts with all the places to stay away from and where all the good moorings and anchorages are. Maneuvering the boats in the harbors is easy, especially the cats (much easier than any houseboat). All the resorts have moorings for $5 to $10 per day, and they usually pick up your trash regularly, and you will have full resort privileges at the beaches, pools, bars and restaurants. You can anchor for free at lots of islands, but you better know how to anchor properly (not like anchoring in Havasu).

Winter is the high cost time, and you will meet a lot of Brits and Frenchies.

May to August is almost half price for the boats. Avoid the last half of August to November because of the hurricanes and daily storms.

Also, I would get a hotel room for the day you arrive (Moorings has one right in their harbor) and you can load your boat the night before. They have a nice commissary on the grounds where you can buy all your food and liquor is cheap (no taxes). Get a room the day you leave also if you can, because you will be tired (and its a long flight back to the west coast).

Don't hesitate, just go if you can.

 

[240Hallett]

Agree on info from BajaMike:thumbsup. The week that we were there on a sailboat we "sailed" for about 4 hours, the rest was motoring. If you charter with marinemax you can stay on the boat in the harbor the night you arrive for a fee. Works out good because you can do your orientation and provisioning then instead of day 1 of your charter. You leave the dock earlier in the day. Rent a power cat!!

 

[mbrown2]

Agree on info from BajaMike:thumbsup. The week that we were there on a sailboat we "sailed" for about 4 hours, the rest was motoring. If you charter with marinemax you can stay on the boat in the harbor the night you arrive for a fee. Works out good because you can do your orientation and provisioning then instead of day 1 of your charter. You leave the dock earlier in the day. Rent a power cat!!

That is a cool deal to be able to stay on the boat the night before.... that would save a lot of time as taking a boat mid day and loading provisions puts you out of the dock at 2-3pm after all said and done...Lose a good part of the day in port.

 

[DaytonaBabe]

Agree on info from BajaMike:thumbsup. The week that we were there on a sailboat we "sailed" for about 4 hours, the rest was motoring. If you charter with marinemax you can stay on the boat in the harbor the night you arrive for a fee. Works out good because you can do your orientation and provisioning then instead of day 1 of your charter. You leave the dock earlier in the day. Rent a power cat!!

Yep - Moorings does this as well. Nice to get "moved in" that night. We unpacked and stowed all of our provisioning the night before. We had to do the skipper school the morning of our Day 1, but after that we were on our way. [emoji106]

 

[2Driver]

So can you find a place to moor without a bunch of boats or is it musical chairs every night with a sea of rental boat folks?

 

[mbrown2]

So can you find a place to moor without a bunch of boats or is it musical chairs every night with a sea of rental boat folks?

Depending on the week and the season the good spots can fill up. Try and travel island to island early to get a mooring ball...IE: get to the next spot prior to 2pm....that said we only had to anchor twice....At Norman Island as we got there around 4 on our first day and white beach JVD as we got there around 3 and there are not that many mooring balls right in front of Soggy Dollar bar ....we just anchored outside the mooring balls and boat did not move all night.

 

[BajaMike]

So can you find a place to moor without a bunch of boats or is it musical chairs every night with a sea of rental boat folks?

There is no problem getting a mooring, at least in the spring and summer when I always go (its not like Catalina). You pay a little for a mooring, but you know you have a safe and secure spot all night. You can anchor for free at hundreds of small harbors, protected beaches, and uninhabited islands.....long as you know how to anchor. You have worry about dragging an anchor at night and ending up on the beach......anchor properly and it's no worry.

You can anchor on a lot of deserted island beaches and run around naked all day if you want, or go to the various popular beach front bars and have great music, food and dancing all night.....take your pick.

 

[2Driver]

Settled on some things but still struggling with scheduling arrival and departures.

We settled on Bareboat style powercat with Marinemax vacation. Once you look into it, and if you are a boater, its a no brainer.

We are still wrrestling with the whole flight itinerary BS and possible places to stay for one night should we not be able to make the transition right on and off the boat, which could be a crap shoot. What works best in/out bound for you?

 

[Taboma]

Did the Moorings bareboat sailboat charter back in 90', best vacation ever !! We booked a room at a small cozy motel within walking distance of the Mooring's docks in Road Town Tortola. We actually hung out for two days prior to picking up the boat.

My wife and I went out on a dive boat one day while our non-diver friends did some island tour. Enjoyed the local flavor of the town for dinner and some relaxing by the pool. Next day took a cab over to Soper's Hole (West End) and took the ferry over to St. Thomas and had a ball enjoying the duty free shopping. Returned to Soper's Hole and dined at the Capt. Morgan restaurant on the harbor. Next morning got the boat and hit the local store and provisioned the boat --- then by noon we were sailing away.

I also liked the fact we got to know the dive shop guides, so we ended up radioing them one afternoon from one of our mooring locations and they picked us up the next morning for a dive in that area. We had our own snorkling gear but didn't have to travel with the rest of our gear.

Upon returning and dropping off the boat, spent that night in the same hotel, not stressed, a good nights sleep and ready to fly out the next day.

Enjoy !!! Oh and we discovered that at least that July when we were there, the Brits don't celebrate the 4th of July holiday

 

[DaytonaBabe]

Settled on some things but still struggling with scheduling arrival and departures.

We settled on Bareboat style powercat with Marinemax vacation. Once you look into it, and if you are a boater, its a no brainer.

We are still wrrestling with the whole flight itinerary BS and possible places to stay for one night should we not be able to make the transition right on and off the boat, which could be a crap shoot. What works best in/out bound for you?

We always fly American Airlines. It's a long flight, so we go 1st class. We fly from Phx to Dallas to San Juan. We overnight in San Juan at the Embassy Suites. It's not the greatest place but it is super close to the airport, has clean rooms and has a nice breakfast - good enough for a few hours of rest. We wake up the next morning and grab our flight to Tortola. Last time we were on Cape Air, but this year we are on Seaborne. We pay the extra to stay the first night on the boat the day we arrive.

If you have enough people, it becomes reasonable to charter your own flight.

Staying overnight in San Juan isn't ideal, but redeye flights aren't good for us, so that's what we have to do.

The last night we stay at Scrub Island. It's close to the airport (and you get one last boat ride in that gorgeous water before getting on the plane). We get an early afternoon flight and we're home by the late evening.

Not sure if that helps...

 

[2Driver]

Thanks

Right now it looks best to leave phx at 830am get to st thomas at 8:30 pm via Miami ( american airlines) Spend the night by airport at a beach hotel then hit the first ferry to Tortola

Coming home i think we can make a 1:30 out of STT if we get the boat back in time catch the ferry etc

Am I missing something? Not sure about the Miami connection. Probably try to do all carry on. Shorts and flip flops

 

[Singleton]

Thanks

Right now it looks best to leave phx at 830am get to st thomas at 8:30 pm via Miami ( american airlines) Spend the night by airport at a beach hotel then hit the first ferry to Tortola

Coming home i think we can make a 1:30 out of STT if we get the boat back in time catch the ferry etc

Am I missing something? Not sure about the Miami connection. Probably try to do all carry on. Shorts and flip flops

Give yourself plenty of time to clear customs in Miami. If you go that way. Or get your global entry before leaving. Global entry reduces custom times by over 50%.

 

[DaytonaBabe]

Can't remember if I have posted this before, and I'm too lazy to go back to look, but this can be a really helpful resource: http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=bvi

Just keep in mind when making your travel plans that everything is on island time and the ferries are notoriously late and unreliable.

 

[Tooms22]

Thanks

Right now it looks best to leave phx at 830am get to st thomas at 8:30 pm via Miami ( american airlines) Spend the night by airport at a beach hotel then hit the first ferry to Tortola

Coming home i think we can make a 1:30 out of STT if we get the boat back in time catch the ferry etc

Am I missing something? Not sure about the Miami connection. Probably try to do all carry on. Shorts and flip flops

Last time I went (2014) we took a red eye out of LAX 1130pm that went through DC and then got into St. Thomas around 12pm. We ate at a restaurant then took a 3pm-ish ferry through St. John and straight to Jost Van Dyke. We were in Jost Van Dyke around sunset. On the way out we stayed in St. Thomas the night before our flight. We didn't do a boat this trip.

The trip before that where we got a boat, we stayed in St. Thomas one night, then tortola, and then got on the boat. We did the reverse on the back end. That was a lot more relaxed. I guess it just depends on how well your crew can rush if you make the schedule real tight.

 

[mbrown2]

Thanks

Right now it looks best to leave phx at 830am get to st thomas at 8:30 pm via Miami ( american airlines) Spend the night by airport at a beach hotel then hit the first ferry to Tortola

Coming home i think we can make a 1:30 out of STT if we get the boat back in time catch the ferry etc

Am I missing something? Not sure about the Miami connection. Probably try to do all carry on. Shorts and flip flops

That would be cutting it close...assuming you get the boat back by 11am (we got back at noon)...you have do the inspection, fill up with gas and unload...from there you get the shuttle from moorings to ferry dock and it takes 30-40 minutes for the ferry....I can't imagine making a 1:30 flight...maybe a 3:30 or 4:30 flight....and then there are 8 and 9pm flights out of Miami to LAX...not sure about Phx.

 

[mbrown2]

All this talk of BVI got my interest peaked again....so during latter half of March they were running a 20% returning captain special off the Moorings Powercat, 51 and 39 footers....

So looks like we will be departing at the end of July on a 51' that is one of their newer boats so amenities and electronics should be the latest....can't wait and the price was significantly cheaper than when we rented the 47 last time during peak season and we are on the boat 7 days versus 6 prior...

 

[2Driver]

Yeah we ended up getting a beach hotel coming and going in st thomas. Way easier on the mind and if the one checked suitcase goes missing it's easier to catch up to us.

 

[240Hallett]

Give yourself a couple hours at the airport if you leave out of St Thomas. Customs is a fuckin zoo and they don't give a shit if you're going to miss your flight. Beef Island is way better but AA doesn't go there.

 

[Waterheater]

After reading all this I have to make this my number 1 vacation! It sounds like a great time. :thumbsup

 

[240Hallett]

After reading all this I have to make this my number 1 vacation! It sounds like a great time. :thumbsup

Do it!! You won't regret it.

 

[DaytonaBabe]

77 days...

 

[DaytonaBabe]

Your PSA of the day: What not to do when you are the captain of a 40' cat. The story, thus far, is that the captain was delivering the boat to the BVI from Antigua, lost power in one engine as well as the steering, and ran aground at Ginger Island. Ouch.


[video]https://www.facebook.com/corpsepounderamoderndaylovestory/videos/853441988134286/[/video]

 

[drejustice]

20 some days for us.

 

[DaytonaBabe]

2Driver - Looks like a pretty nice day in Cane Garden Bay today http://www.resortcams.com/webcams/cane-garden-bay/

Listening to http://www.soggydollarradio.com/ and starting to put together my provisioning list today :champagne: 48 days

 

[drejustice]

If you're on the fence about the bvi... Jump off the fence n go!!