Yacht Charter Blog

BVI itnerary suggestion

BVI sailing plan:

DAY 1: Sail to Coopers Island. Just a short hop from where you pick up your charter boat. There is great snorkelling around the small island near the moorings. Dinner on board or at the restaurant on shore. (There is only one). Get there as early as you can because the moorings get taken up and it is not a very good place to anchor due the swinging currents and winds

Day 2: Sail to the Baths on Virgin Gorda. Don’t miss the trail through the rocks. There is good snorkelling all around the Baths. Mooring are usually available and free. This is not usually a good place to spend the night because of the rolling. Spend the night at Virgin Gorda harbour. Something like $40 per night. Have dinner at the Rock Café. Call and book an outside table. You can walk but it is about a mile from the marina. Taxis are always available. Great Italian cuisine.

Day 3 &4. Sail to the North Sound and moor off the Bitter End Yacht club. Eat at Saba Rock Resort. They have an excellent Carvery. Free ferry is available from the Bitter End dock. We don’t recommend the buffet at Bitter End. Not worth the price. The Bitter End Steak house is very good but expensive. You can lounge on the Bitter End’s beach for free. Drinks and food will be brought to your sun bed if you want.

Day 5. Sail to Trellis Bay. Lots of moorings available. Eat at the Loose Mongoose. Very casual little beach place.

Day 6. Sail to Marina Cay (only about mile or two). Be sure to have a “Pain Killer” sun down (6:00 PM) drink at the bar on top of the hill. Pussers restaurant is a good place to eat. Beach facilities are free and the snorkelling is not bad.

Day 7. Sail to Monkey Point. About 5 miles or so. Make sure you get good directions, as there are a lot of reefs around but is not a problem if you follow the recommended route. Have lunch on board and Snorkel at Monkey point. This is one of the best snorkelling spots in all the Islands. Swim right up against the rocks in the little bay where the boats are moored. Then sail on to Cane Garden Bay, Tortolla, for the night mooring. There are several restaurants on the beach. None remarkable. Sometimes there is good night life and sometimes it is dead. Worth giving it a try.

Day 8. Sail across to Green Cay on the east end of Jost van Dyke. Great place for pictures on an idyllic desert isle. There is pretty good snorkelling on the reef off the beach.
After spending the day here sail to Great (or may be Grand) Bay Jost van Dyke (about an hours sail) and anchor off. There are no moorings here. This can be a tricky place to anchor, as the holding is not always good. If you have them put out two anchors for the night. Foxeys is by far the best place to be and if you happen to be there on a Friday or Saturday night the BBQ is one of the best you will ever have. Good entertainment and lots of dancing.

Day 9. If the sea is calm take the dingy around to White Bay and spend some time a Soggy Dollar Bar on the beach. Other wise take a Taxi from Foxeys. I would not recommend that you try to anchor in White Bay. It is very small and shallow with lots of reef around. Also Ivan’s bar at the other end of the Beach is unique. Ivan may be home for lunch but one of the customers is usually designated to collect the money for the drinks for him. Sail across to Sopers Hole on the West end of Tortolla. Eat at Pussers or Captian’s Table, or something like that. I can’t remember the exact name but you will see it on the left when you enter the bay.

Day 10. Sail to Linsters Bay on St. John. This is only a couple of miles from Sopers Hole. This is a great place to snorkel and the moorings are free. Eat on board, as there are no restaurants available.

Day 11. Sail to The Bight on Norman Island. Dinner at The Pirate and drinks and late night dancing on board the Willy T. You can eat on the Willy T (formal name the William T. Thornton) if you wish. Definitely casual. We have had some great nights here. You can stop off at the Indians for snorkelling on the way in here or you can do it the next day on the way out. Also good snorkelling at the caves, which is just at the right hand entrance of the Bight.

Day 12. Sail to Road Town, Tortolla. You can anchor off outside the harbour but it is sometimes rolly but has good holding. Otherwise go in and take a berth at Marina Cay. You need to radio ahead and reserve a berth. Plan on getting there at about noon otherwise they may be full up. Dinner at Spaghetti Junction or a fresh lobster at the Captains Corner.

Day 13. Sail to Salt Island and snorkel over the sunken ship. Return to Fat Hog Cay to return to boat.

 by

David Jackson

Tips for Menorca

With only a 2 hour flight from the UK, Menorca is a great short haul destination. Just over 100 miles to sail around the islands coastline with picturesque bays and anchorages, but keep an eye on the chart as some parts of the coast have rocks a couple of hundred meters off shore.

Planning your route may be determined by the weather prior to your arrival. If there has been heavy winds for a few days then this can create a big swell, so choose which direction you go round carefully.

As I went out of season, berths in Marinas and Harbours were plentiful but I would suggest if you were going in peak season, then get in early.

I would suggest to visit the local villages and towns as apposed to the newly developed “urbanisations” which seem to be largely populated by British, plus you will get much better food.

If you planning to visit Ciutadella (which has been there for around 3,000 years!) then make sure your mooring is secure as the wash from the ferries going at 10 knots makes it a little uncomfortable.