Is there an alternative path?

[higgs]

Leaving for the BVI on Tuesday. I have been there twice before and have visited all the "gotta see" spots. It is a great place, but if it were up to me I could charter elsewhere. A friend, who has never chartered and whose wife is scared to death about the BVI, asked us to serve as guides. I figure they have to see the Bight,the Baths, the North Sound and Jost Van dyke, all places I have been to before. I have also been to Garden, Sophers, Trellis, Fog Hats Bay, the Dogs. I would like to see something new. I am not sure the other couple will be up to the trip to Anagada, so beyond that anyone have some "unkown" suggestions.

 

[higgs]

Leaving for the BVI on Tuesday. I have been there twice before and have visited all the "gotta see" spots. It is a great place, but if it were up to me I could charter elsewhere. A friend, who has never chartered and whose wife is scared to death about the BVI, asked us to serve as guides. I figure they have to see the Bight,the Baths, the North Sound and Jost Van dyke, all places I have been to before. I have also been to Garden, Sophers, Trellis, Fog Hats Bay, the Dogs. I would like to see something new. I am not sure the other couple will be up to the trip to Anagada, so beyond that anyone have some "unkown" suggestions.

 

[Ross]

Higgs , I have only visited the "islands" once

so take this for what ever it may be worth. We (Nancy and I) have no interest in the tourist places so we stopped a taxi driver/owner and asked him to be our guide for the day. To take us to the villages where the working people lived, to the state parks, to all of the out of the way places. So for a hundred bucks he gave us a tour of the island and we saw places that not one tourist in a hundred ever gets to see. We were with him from just after breakfast until supper time. I have spent a hundred bucks lots of times but I remember that day from about twenty years ago.

 

[Ross]

Higgs , I have only visited the "islands" once

so take this for what ever it may be worth. We (Nancy and I) have no interest in the tourist places so we stopped a taxi driver/owner and asked him to be our guide for the day. To take us to the villages where the working people lived, to the state parks, to all of the out of the way places. So for a hundred bucks he gave us a tour of the island and we saw places that not one tourist in a hundred ever gets to see. We were with him from just after breakfast until supper time. I have spent a hundred bucks lots of times but I remember that day from about twenty years ago.

 

[Paul Akers]

Do Anegada...

But be sure to have the lobster dinner (Steak as alternative). Most boats are now equipped with GPS these days. Skip Anagada Reefs Hotel (gone downhill in recent years since Lowell died in a tragic accident) and go to Potter's by the sea next door.Stop at Marina Cay (across from Trellis Bay) and The Bitter End (North Sound). Pussser's on North Sound is nice, too! I guess you will have to treat your guests well. These places, and others you mentioned, will do it!P.S. I like Ross' idea. That's the kind of thing that I like to do, also!

 

[Paul Akers]

Do Anegada...

But be sure to have the lobster dinner (Steak as alternative). Most boats are now equipped with GPS these days. Skip Anagada Reefs Hotel (gone downhill in recent years since Lowell died in a tragic accident) and go to Potter's by the sea next door.Stop at Marina Cay (across from Trellis Bay) and The Bitter End (North Sound). Pussser's on North Sound is nice, too! I guess you will have to treat your guests well. These places, and others you mentioned, will do it!P.S. I like Ross' idea. That's the kind of thing that I like to do, also!

 

[Stu Jackson]

Cooper Island Beach Club

and the Wreck of the Rhone.But why "is [she] scared to death about the BVI..."??? Some answers to that might help. Scared of the water, or the company???

 

[Stu Jackson]

Cooper Island Beach Club

and the Wreck of the Rhone.But why "is [she] scared to death about the BVI..."??? Some answers to that might help. Scared of the water, or the company???

 

[Manny]

Higgs, maybe I'll see you

We are heading down on Saturday morning to the BVI's for a week. I don't even know where we are going, my wife booked the trip All I know is we are sailing on the Arabella for a week or so. I'll be watching this thread with interest.Manny

 

[Manny]

Higgs, maybe I'll see you

We are heading down on Saturday morning to the BVI's for a week. I don't even know where we are going, my wife booked the trip All I know is we are sailing on the Arabella for a week or so. I'll be watching this thread with interest.Manny

 

[walmsleyc]

Just got back

Just got back from there and had the best time. We spent Christmas in the BVIs and never have I snorkled so much and see so much aquatic life.Take a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wombom/sets/72157603681563339/Chris

 

[walmsleyc]

Just got back

Just got back from there and had the best time. We spent Christmas in the BVIs and never have I snorkled so much and see so much aquatic life.Take a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wombom/sets/72157603681563339/Chris

 

[Stillraining]

Chris

Thanks for sharing your pictures. I have never experienced a barefoot charter or any charter for that matter.  I did not look thru them all, but what was up with the two groundings? One I can visulize as bad planning of anchorage but the other looks like they sailed right up on the beach? Also how did you like the cat?

 

[Stillraining]

Chris

Thanks for sharing your pictures. I have never experienced a barefoot charter or any charter for that matter.  I did not look thru them all, but what was up with the two groundings? One I can visulize as bad planning of anchorage but the other looks like they sailed right up on the beach? Also how did you like the cat?

 

[higgs]

BVI

Our skittish guest has never spent this much time on a boat and the water frightens her. She's pretty cool, so I think she will be OK.Manny, I will look for the Arabella. We are aboard Dav N Joy, a Hunter 38.5.Ross, your idea might work for our last day. We are planning on spending our last night at base and taking a taxi to Trellis for the full moon party.

 

[higgs]

BVI

Our skittish guest has never spent this much time on a boat and the water frightens her. She's pretty cool, so I think she will be OK.Manny, I will look for the Arabella. We are aboard Dav N Joy, a Hunter 38.5.Ross, your idea might work for our last day. We are planning on spending our last night at base and taking a taxi to Trellis for the full moon party.

 

[Doug Burton]

Agreeing with still raining

You can kind of understand a charter having a bad day, strange anchorage, strange boat, not knowing tides, whatever. But 1 was flying a British flag so I would think they would have it together. Is there huge tide changes there?

 

[Doug Burton]

Agreeing with still raining

You can kind of understand a charter having a bad day, strange anchorage, strange boat, not knowing tides, whatever. But 1 was flying a British flag so I would think they would have it together. Is there huge tide changes there?

 

[walmsleyc]

Grounded boat!

Stillraining ...The grounding we observed was at the entrance to Spanish Town harbour (Virgin Gorda). We were anchored nearby, and watched the whole spectical from start to end. There is a clearly marked channel through a reef (3-4 pairs of red/greens), and once through, you cut hard right behind the reef and sneak into the very protected harbour. These people on their Sunsail ~40 ignored, or did not see (hard to imagine) the channel, went about 200' on the wrong side, and immediately ended up on the reef. The pictures are just of the one incident. We eventually hopped into the zodiac and came to offer help (and take more pictures up close).The challenge for them was that the waves were breaking right under them, and continuously flipping them from one side to the other, and thuse foiling various attempts at getting her off. A motor boat came to help, but simply broke the tow line 2-3 times. That was pretty scary to be anywhere near when that line blew! At one point, there were two zodiacs tied off their stern, and every time they rolled, the dinghies would get trapped under the hull at the stern, and then shoot out. It was mayhem for the captain and his crew (family?), and they really had to hold on for dear life to keep from being tossed in the drink.Eventually, they bounced there way to the inside of the reef, where, luckily, the channel into the harbour was. They apparently did not damage their rudder or prop in the process (or nothing to serious), and continued in under their own power. The bottom of their keel will be a mess!Even the normal route through the reef cut, and behind is pretty freaky. It is very close to the beach, and the water churns quite heavily once the waves have broken over the reef.Regarding the Cat (Bahia 47) ... it was big and roomy (5 kids and 5 adults), and was perfect for our uses. It was not that exciting to sail, and was a little sluggish and unresponsive, not a big surprise give its quite small rudders. Easy to handle under power with two engines though.If I were to really want to sail, I'd get a monohull, but with so many kids, and adults, we were really there to have some basic fun, swim, snorkel, etc, and the Cat was just fine. We would dine with 10 in the saloon, or on the back deck easily ... that's pretty impressive.Chris

 

[walmsleyc]

Grounded boat!

Stillraining ...The grounding we observed was at the entrance to Spanish Town harbour (Virgin Gorda). We were anchored nearby, and watched the whole spectical from start to end. There is a clearly marked channel through a reef (3-4 pairs of red/greens), and once through, you cut hard right behind the reef and sneak into the very protected harbour. These people on their Sunsail ~40 ignored, or did not see (hard to imagine) the channel, went about 200' on the wrong side, and immediately ended up on the reef. The pictures are just of the one incident. We eventually hopped into the zodiac and came to offer help (and take more pictures up close).The challenge for them was that the waves were breaking right under them, and continuously flipping them from one side to the other, and thuse foiling various attempts at getting her off. A motor boat came to help, but simply broke the tow line 2-3 times. That was pretty scary to be anywhere near when that line blew! At one point, there were two zodiacs tied off their stern, and every time they rolled, the dinghies would get trapped under the hull at the stern, and then shoot out. It was mayhem for the captain and his crew (family?), and they really had to hold on for dear life to keep from being tossed in the drink.Eventually, they bounced there way to the inside of the reef, where, luckily, the channel into the harbour was. They apparently did not damage their rudder or prop in the process (or nothing to serious), and continued in under their own power. The bottom of their keel will be a mess!Even the normal route through the reef cut, and behind is pretty freaky. It is very close to the beach, and the water churns quite heavily once the waves have broken over the reef.Regarding the Cat (Bahia 47) ... it was big and roomy (5 kids and 5 adults), and was perfect for our uses. It was not that exciting to sail, and was a little sluggish and unresponsive, not a big surprise give its quite small rudders. Easy to handle under power with two engines though.If I were to really want to sail, I'd get a monohull, but with so many kids, and adults, we were really there to have some basic fun, swim, snorkel, etc, and the Cat was just fine. We would dine with 10 in the saloon, or on the back deck easily ... that's pretty impressive.Chris