Itinerary #2

Sample 7 Night British Virgin Islands Itinerary
 
Your holiday will begin and we will meet you from Beef Island airport and the British Virgin Islands await!. The first stop on your BVI sailing itinerary is an easy reach to The Bight at Norman Island. Stop off at "The Caves" for a leisurely snorkel in our warm Caribbean waters or sail on for lunch in "The Bight". *
 
Norman Island and The Caves, became famous as the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's Caribbean novel, "Treasure Island". See Map of Norman, Peter & Cooper Island (right).
 

By the time you reach Norman Island, chances are your crew will be ready to visit the William Thornton Floating Bar & Restaurant. The "Willy - T" serves lunch from 12:00 pm until 3:00 pm. Dinner is served from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. and the bar is open from 11:30 am, until the last man standing quits ... or the bartender turfs him out!
 
A sailing landmark in the British Virgin Islands, the William Thornton offers good fun, great food, and wonderful staff. Forewarned is forearmed, so keep your kids out of the Willy -T bar once things start rocking if you'd rather they didn't discover what a body shot (islands syle) is! Anchor in The Bight or pick up a mooring ball. Have a great evening and wind down from your flight! Tomorrow you'll be sailing the British Virgin Islands!
 
BVI Itinerary - Day 2
Ah Paradise! The sun is rising, the frigate birds are soaring overhead and hopefully you didn't overdo it at the Willy -T last night. You are ready to start your British Virgin Islands sailing adventure!
 

The "Indians" provide a great snorkelling and scuba site just a stone's throw away! If you're not up to physical stuff yet, proceed to Peter Island and save the Indians for your last day of sailing.
 
At Peter Island, set your anchor at Dead Man's Bay. Enjoy a lovely swim at this world class beach or partake in a sumptuous buffet lunch at the beach bar. Its expensive by some standards, but well worth it if you bring a healthy appetite! Their deserts are a gastronomic delight!
 
Grab your snorkel gear and check out the sea grass beds right below your yacht. With any luck, you will spot a sea turtle or two, lazily snacking on the sea grass. Turtles are harmless and easily spooked by curious humans, so please keep your distance and let them dine in peace.
 
Despite what some (misguided) sailors may have you believe, Salt Island is fun to investigate. There's a natural salt pond located inland and a very tiny settlement of British Virgin Islanders who used to collect sea salt. Unfortunately, the last remaining resident, Norwell Durant, passed away in 2004.
 
Salt island, BVI is home to the Wreck of the Rhone and is a favourite dive site. The Rhone was a British Royal Mail steamship which foundered during a hurricane in the BVI in 1867. The British Virgin Islands and the Rhone were made famous in 1977 as the location for the movie, "The Deep". This is an interesting wreck and much of the Rhone can still be clearly identified. For the evening, we sail to Cooper Island
 
Charter Day 3 - Virgin Gorda, The Baths & Gorda Sound
 
One of the most awesome sights to behold when sailing the British Virgin Islands are "The Baths" at the southern tip of Virgin Gorda. There are conflicting theories as to how these incredible rock formations came to be. Some say The Baths resulted from a meteor shower, others credit volcanic activity. There appears to be some evidence of lava flows which could have happened centuries after a meteor shower ...

 
O.K., so The Baths are just a pile of "really big rocks" on a beach ... but when sailing up to them, you'll understand. They really are simply magnificent!
 
Snorkelling is pretty good at The Baths too. There are marvelous Elkhorn coral formations and plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. Don't let the ground swells bother you. Just let the water move you back and forth and "don't fight the flow". Let it help take you where you want to go. Time your movements to coincide with the swells to make headway.* Done correctly, you won't be swept into the rocks and will only have to make minor course adjustments, using your fins. Watch how the fish do it, then copy them. Keep an eye on your buddy and pay attention to your surroundings.
 
*ONLY strong swimmers and experienced snorkellers should attempt to explore the reefs at The Baths when the swells are up. Even then, be very careful! DO NOT attempt to take your dinghy into the beach area! (Dinghy docks are provided). If you have only one day to see The Baths during your sailing vacation and that one day window is not quite perfect, proceed to Spanish Town at Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour and take a taxi to The Baths. From shore, you will be gratified to see why you made that choice. The swells can be deceptive when sailing, but from the beach, you'll see a more.
 
When sailing to Gorda Sound in the afternoon, you will find several restaurants and beach bars to enjoy. If you need supplies, Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour and the Bitter End Yacht Club cater to the boating community, offering provisioning, fuel, water and ice.
 
BVI Charter Day 4 - Gorda Sound, Beef Island & Marina Cay
 
Spend a day in the North Sound, swimming and enjoying the surroundings, (the island is gorgeous), go snorkelling or scuba diving, use a Hobbie Cat at the Bitter End Yacht Club and have fun terrorizing your neighbours. You may want to enjoy lunch on your boat or visit any of the nearby restaurants. (They are all very nice). In the afternoon, set sail for either Trellis Bay, Beef Island or Marina Cay, south east of Great Camanoe and west of Virgin Gorda. Trellis Bay is a protected harbour and home of "The Last Resort" restaurant and cabaret owned by BVI legend, Tony Snell. Dinner at The Last Resort is quite enjoyable (particularly the roast beef) and the after dinner show is very amusing. For a less active evening, Pusser's is located at Marina Cay, offering typical dishes.
 
BVI Charter Day 5 - Guana Island, Tortola or Jost Van Dyke
 

Set sail for the incomparable Monkey Point at Guana Island. Enjoy a leisurely day at the beach, pack a picnic lunch and take advantage of some of the best snorkelling in the BVI. This is a really fabulous spot and a MUST SEE!
 
In the afternoon, sailing to Cane Garden Bay, Tortola or White Bay, Jost Van Dyke presents a difficult choice for your party. Jost Van Dyke offers several places to enjoy fresh seafood and the lobster is incredible ... but then again, Quito's jerk shrimp and seafood pasta dishes are pretty tempting as well! Of course, there is also a choice between Quito Rymer (pronounced Keytoe) and Foxy Callwood of Foxy's Bar & Restaurant in regards to entertainment. Decisions, decisions! Maybe you should let the weather (and swells) make the choice for you.
 
BVI Charter Day 6 - Sandy Spit, Green Cay & Soper's Hole
 
In the morning,we head over to Sandy Cay or Sandy Spit and Green Cay for more great snorkelling and basking in the fabulous BVI sunshine. In the early afternoon sail for Soper's Hole, Tortola. Sailing into Soper's Hole, you will find Pusser's Landing and the Jolly Roger Restaurant. Both are interesting places with good food. If you choose the Jolly Roger, tell Lou that "Liane sent you". It may be worth a free drink ... at least its worth a try! Now you are faced with yet another decision. Do you want to stay at Soper's Hole for the evening or do you want to keep sailing to Norman or Peter Island and spend the night in the Bight or Little Harbour?
 

If staying in Soper's Hole, dine at either the Jolly Roger, Pusser's Landing or Frenchman's Cay Hotel. Both the Jolly Roger and Pusser's often have great BBQ and live entertainment. In the morning, head back to the charter base to return your boat.
OR ... proceed to The Bight and either dine on the boat, visit Pirate's Bight Restaurant on shore or return to the Willy-T for another blast. If you missed them at the beginning of your BVI sailing vacation, get up early for a beautiful snorkel at The Indians.
OR ... set sail for Little Harbour, Peter Island for a truly lovely dinner out. (Gentlemen, remember to brush off your jacket and tie and ladies, you'll need to dress accordingly. No jeans or bare midriff's please).