By Cathy B. and Family
2011 |
Review of our charter through Virgin Island Sailing and BVI Yacht Charters:
Our first contact with VIS was wonderful! Joann Higgins provided prompt and courteous attention to every detail. She helped us select the perfect sailing vessel – Isle Dance II, a 50’ Beneteau. The paperwork was very comprehensive and easy to understand. The inclusion of the Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands and chart was really helpful. We were planned a possible itinerary (and spent a lot of time “dreaming”) for the trip, months ahead of time! |
On this trip was my husband, my two children (ages 8 & 11), my parents, and my best friend from childhood! We had plenty of room on this spacious yacht! We invited a couple others, but they made the MISTAKE of a lifetime and did not join us! We called them “SUCKAS” throughout the vacation, hence the above photo on the beach!
We chose the sleep aboard option on our first night of arrival. We were met, on time, at the Beef Island airport, by a courteous driver.
Although the charter company was closed for the evening, we located our yacht with ease and settled in for the evening.
The following morning, we met the dock hands, and received our boat and chart briefings from the capable BVI staff, and took delivery of our provisions from Bobby’s Marketplace. |
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I rented a wifi-adapter (from Renport), thinking that I would need to stay “connected” with my office. However, I only bothered to check email a couple of times, so that was probably not necessary. It was easy to forget the “real world” and simply enjoy being in one the prettiest places in the world.
Kids Snorkling |
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Our first night was spent at The Bight on Norman Island. Then, we headed to The Indians for some great snorkeling! The moorings fill up quickly, so get in early if possible.
Second night, we went to Ginger Island and found a wonderful anchorage – we were the only boat there, and had a great time exploring the shell beach and rock formations via dinghy.
The next day, we headed to The Baths, but had to detour to Trellis Bay back on Tortola, to meet someone from the charter company to replace a circuit board due to our batteries not charging properly. |
BVI Yacht Charters’ service was excellent. We spent the night in Trellis Bay and had a blast at The Full Moon Party! They had a fabulous buffet ($25/ticket) that included delicious barbequed goat ribs (who knew they were so tasty!), seafood, and all the fixins. They lit spectacular bonfires!
Then, we headed to The Baths. You have to leave the dinghy at a mooring a swim a short distance to the beach. I could really have used a dry bag that day to carry a camera and cash for the beachside bar.
But, we did pack a cooler and had that waiting on the dinghy after our exploration of the island and caves. We found it to be a little crowded for our taste and recommend getting there very early in the day or later in the afternoon. |
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Family Car |
Our next anchorage was Monkey Point on Guana Island! Fantastic snorkeling! Once again, we were the only boat there for the night! The adjacent White Bay beach was amazing, white powder sand! I’ve told many a friend that it was the best beach I’ve ever laid my toes on! Each day seemed to get better than the last!
I’ve included a photo of my best friend and I being towed in the dinghy. One of our favorite jokes during the trip was that if anyone got too wild or hard to deal with, they had to ride in the dinghy. It was actually a lot of fun back there!
Our next two nights were spent on Jost Van Dyke! Great party atmosphere at Foxy’s and the Soggy Dollar! The Painkillers were flowing! We ordered lobsters one night and barbequed burgers the second night. And, laughed into the wee hours!
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We turned in the boat with no issues – again, great service at BVI Yacht Charters. Then, we spent the day and night at Marina Cay. Our villa there had gorgeous views and the meals at Pusser’s restaurant were delicious! This island is very convenient to the airport -- we departed the ferry and walked to the airport. We were all very sad to leave such a beautiful place!
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Our experience was incredible! Our children had such a great time snorkeling and saw numerous sea turtles, sting rays and amazing fish -- even a couple of small sharks!
Way better than going to an aquarium. The sunrises and sunsets were awe-inspiring! The memories will last a lifetime! |
What we learned for our next trip?
Nine days is not long enough – it will have to be at least 14 days next time! |
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Don’t over-pack! I did not wear at least four outfits that I brought, and lugging the stuff home is no fun! Also, don’t over-provision!
We wound up giving away a lot of food…but, needed to purchase additional beer along the way! |
We can hardly wait to charter again and definitely recommend Virgin Island Sailing and BVI Yacht Charters!
Note: Cathy B. and family chartered Beneteau 50.4 "Isle Dance" in April 2011 with BVI Yacht Charters. The adventure was booked through Virgin Island Sailing LTD. We can't wait for these great people to come back!
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