BVI Cruising Guide

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R

r. gallagher

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Mar 18, 2007
86
Hunter 28.5 cedar creek lake, tx
My wife and I are thinking about chartering bareboat or flotilla in the BVI next year. I want to get a good cruising guide beforehand. I did a google search and got over whelmed at the options.

Any first hand knowledge on a great guide?

Thanks,

Robert
 
Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Chris Doyle's Cruising Guide

Be aware that everyone buys the guide(s) and end up going to the same place you are going. Which isn't a bad idea for a newbie. I'll never forget the plaintive wail of the skippers wife on the VHF at 0100 as daddy worked a dragging anchor off Cooper Island! He didn't read the guide! Good luck and enjoy.
 
W

Winkfish

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Jul 28, 2010
914
Boston Whaler Montauk New Orleans
Check with the charterer, but most charter companies will have a cruising guide, probably that same one, included as part of the boat inventory, so maybe not necessary for you to buy one. My wife and I did, though, and we enjoyed looking beforehand to plan and dream before we got there.
 
Ron20324

Ron20324

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Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Strange, I just hung up from Sunsail about my charter after the first of the year when I got your post. "Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands" cover ALL the virgins. Published by "Cruising Guide Publications, Inc". Cruising guides.com. You might find it at West? It is 6 x 10, spiral bound.
 
PrincessoftheLake

PrincessoftheLake

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Jun 9, 2004
963
Hunter 40.5 Bayfield, WI
Ron20324 said:
Strange, I just hung up from Sunsail about my charter after the first of the year when I got your post. "Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands" cover ALL the virgins. Published by "Cruising Guide Publications, Inc". Cruising guides.com. You might find it at West? It is 6 x 10, spiral bound.
Click to expand
For my last two trips to the BVI's I used the guide Ron mentions. It was excellent and very helpful. I liked to have my own before the trip as it helped me plan. There is also an excellent site called www.traveltalkonline.com which has a forum for people chartering in the BVI.
 
Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Ron20324 said:
Strange, I just hung up from Sunsail about my charter after the first of the year when I got your post. "Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands" cover ALL the virgins. Published by "Cruising Guide Publications, Inc". Cruising guides.com. You might find it at West? It is 6 x 10, spiral bound.
Click to expand
Follow my link, you can buy it online. BTW Chris Doyle lives down in the Windwards and keeps a site Doyleguides that has the latest updates, GPS files, pirate sitings and volcano schedules :eek:.

The most important thing you can do is dig up the cruise ship schedules for the BVI and plan your itinerary to avoid their landing. You and 1,200 chubby cruise ship tourists can render Jost Van Dyke as an entirely different experience.
 
Jared1048

Jared1048

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Apr 19, 2011
456
Hunter 31 Seattle
We are going to be in the BVI a week from tomorrow. Booked through sunsail, Beneteau 38' :D :D Weather is currently forecasting thunderstorms though...

We have a stack of books but are probably just going to wing it and see where the wind takes us. We only have a couple of spots we want to really see. I dont like having a schedule on a vacation.

Not really on subject but I had to say something. First trip and super excited!
 
higgs

higgs

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Aug 24, 2005
3,704
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
I used Norman and Nancy Scott's guide and felt, after 3 trips, it gave us a good overview of the area. I don't like an itinerary, but I do like to know where the stops are that are going to interest my family and I. For example, we are not crazy about the upscale places like Land's End and could easily live without that stop. We love Fog hat's Bay, however and without some sort of cruising guide you won't know what you are getting into.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
22,982
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
I agree with Higgs. The first time we went, in 1986, we researched all we could, and I remember (gee, me remember? :)) that we read and I recall (again! :)) getting the guide from the boat charterer ahead of time. We ate that stuff up.

But we went to the Bitter End and thought it to be "too much" and that was so looong ago that it might even seem "quaint" by today's standards.

We ended up finding stuff we liked, so when we went back, we maximized the sailing, and went back to places we liked. Leverick Bay is a lot more "laid back" than Bitter End. Monkey Point no one goes to but the snorkeling is great. Marina Key and Trellis Bay, for us, just "ain't what they used to be." We return to Cooper Island Beach Club, YVD, Cane Garden Bay, Cooper...

The first time, ya wanna see it all. Later return trips you go back to what you like, hang on the hook for a day, and we love to take longer sails between stops, and stop over longer.

First timers have a completely different approach, but you can't really see it all.

Go with the flow. We did, even on our first trip when we got caught by Xmas Winds in Leinster bay for two days.

Even then, boy, did we have fun (the rum held out!).

Enjoy, but don't over think it.

Oh, and back then, in '86, we actually managed to get around without GPS and an autopilot.

Can you imagine...
 
higgs

higgs

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Aug 24, 2005
3,704
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
We finally did Belize and that will be our next charter. It is not touristed like the BVI, natives are friendlier, and anchorages much more secluded.
 
D

Ducati

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Nov 19, 2008
380
Boatless Boatless Annapolis
Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands + Suggestions

We've been there a few times and just love it there.

We purchase the Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands before we headed down there and found that every Sunsail boat also have one onboard. It is a very thorough document. Pick up a set of your own charts too so you can get a feel for the cruising grounds before you get there. My biggest surprise about the BVI's is that the entire sailing are is really not that big.

Our suggestions:

The Sir Francis Drake Channel should be sailed downwind from east to west because there is a 2-3kt current. The charter boats are under canvased and you will otherwise have to motor if you go the other way.

From our experience, Sopers Hole has the best provisions plus you can buy your Pussers rum there. (3 bottles for $45.00)

If you can navigate, go to Anegada. I could have stayed there the entire week. Chill out at Cow Wreck Beach.

Willy-T's at Norman Island is alot of fun and can sometimes get out of hand but we loved it.

One last thing. Don't assume your Sunsail boat will be totally flawless. Go though everything before you leave the dock. We had a few mechanical issues, the two heads leaked and smelled like piss, chartplotter was on the fritz and the rigging was not properly maintained and the topping lift broke.

Cheers
 
R

r. gallagher

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Mar 18, 2007
86
Hunter 28.5 cedar creek lake, tx
wow.....thanks for all the responses. Thaks Princess and Gunni for the links. I visited with a friend that is currently sailing around Honduras and he recommedned getting the guide prioe just so we had a chance to get informed before we go. Plus, he knows how I love to read and re-read anything to do with the caribbean and sailboats. We are not all hopped about the "bar" scene and really just want enjoy the sailing and sunsets.

Thanks again.
 
F

FlbkRoxie

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Jan 8, 2011
77
Macgregor 26S San Diego
We are leaving for the BVI in 9 days. Can't wait! We also got the 2012 edition of "The Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands", mentioned earlier, and particularily like the Planning Chart (map) which is included with the book. We made a sail plan, since this is our first trip, and put all the way points into our navigation software on our iPad so we can use them as we island hop.
Another good map is "Franko's Map of the British Virgin Islands" which has a ton of information on diving and snorkeling spots, national parks, services, and much more, all in one fold up map. We also got his "Fishwatcher's Field Guide", which is a laminated and waterproof colored chart, that we can take with us when we snorkel to identify the fish. Have fun planning and dreaming!
 
Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
BVI Cruise Ship Schedule

Between 4,000 and 6,000 tourists will be disembarking at the Road Town pier today and tomorrow. Alot of them will load buses and travel over the hill to sun themselves and feed in Cane Garden Bay. Better days to be on or around Tortola would be the 5th and or the 12th when only a few hundred come ashore. Pick dates for visiting the the other islands or you will be standing in line during your vacation.
 
Jared1048

Jared1048

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Apr 19, 2011
456
Hunter 31 Seattle
If your going to the Bitter End Yacht club I would advise going around to the "top" entrance and not take the narrow passage on the west side. The cruising guide we had said it was shallow but was a little misleading. You cannot get through here with a draft of 5ft (don't ask me how I found out).

Do: Jost Van dyke, Monkey point, copper island, Pusser's bay for cheap rum and bring dive gear for all the impromptu dive sites that are not marked. Everywhere I dove was amazing.
 
WayneH

WayneH

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Jan 22, 2008
1,087
Tartan 37 287 Pensacola, FL
When we went to Grand Cayman (flew, dangit), We studied the cruise ship schedule beforehand and stayed away from the real touristy places on days when 3 or 4 ships were scheduled. Once we settled into our waterfront rental, we found out the local TV station even broadcasts the next day's schedule. That way, if you're involved in the tourist trade you know you're gonna have a crappy day. And if you're not involved, you know to stay the hell out of town.

As tourists, the wife and I try real hard to tread lightly. "Please" and "Thank you" and "Do you want that in USD or local money?"

The local eateries can be pot luck. We had a fantastic meal from a 6X6 kitchen with outside seating and nearly inedible food from a nearby sit down diner. (I'm kinda partial to "hole-in-the-wall" places as it seems they concentrate on food, not ambiance.

TAKE PICTURES!!!!!!! When it's cold and rainy outside back home, they will warm you up.
 
FourPoints

FourPoints

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Apr 8, 2010
1,606
Frers 33 41426 Westport, CT
Anyone going to the BVI should pick up a copy of this book for dive and snorkeling sites
http://www.diveguidebvi.com/ it's a great little book put together by the local dive operators (and available at most of the local dive shops too), so it's full of all the little secrets that you won't find in most of the cruising guides. I highly recomend the Dogs, Great Dog in particular.

2 years ago today as a matter of fact, I bought the very first copy sold just up the beack from the cooper island beach club, the day before it's grand opening.
 
FourPoints

FourPoints

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Apr 8, 2010
1,606
Frers 33 41426 Westport, CT
Jared1048 said:
If your going to the Bitter End Yacht club I would advise going around to the "top" entrance and not take the narrow passage on the west side. The cruising guide we had said it was shallow but was a little misleading. You cannot get through here with a draft of 5ft (don't ask me how I found out).

Do: Jost Van dyke, Monkey point, copper island, Pusser's bay for cheap rum and bring dive gear for all the impromptu dive sites that are not marked. Everywhere I dove was amazing.
Click to expand

+1 for all this, the west entrance is off limits to most charters.

Also a great source of cheap rum, and any last minute provisions you need is the Rite Way just down the street from Conch and TMM. Picked up a real nice bottle of Mount Gay (reserve maybe? I forget) that sells here for $50-60, for $12!
 
PrincessoftheLake

PrincessoftheLake

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Jun 9, 2004
963
Hunter 40.5 Bayfield, WI
Oh man, reading all these posts gives me a bad case of island fever-I so want to go back to the BVI's but I just can't afford it this year. Can I hitch a ride in someone's duffle bag? I can stand a watch and I know my way around the galley and I promise to not drink all the rum.
 
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