If I'm rehashing a tired old topic, please forgive me. But I'm curious to hear from some of you old salts about favorite, less-traveled anchorages. We try to get down once a year, but it seems like we've always got one or more first-timers aboard, which means we end up hitting the usual hot spots over and over again. Returned on March 9 from a charter with CYOA and had, as always, a marvelous time. Of course, since we had 4 rookies, that meant sticking to the tried and true favorites. But as we are now looking to book a trip in the late Fall or early Winter, the whole crew are BVI veterans. And that means, thank goodness, I can skip the Baths for the first time in 15 years!

So, to the extend you care to share, I'd love to get some suggestions on less populated overnight anchorages. This year, for instance, we spent a night at Little Lameshur on St. John. 2 other boats. No lights. No noise. Exquisite. Funny thing is that it always occurs to me when I peruse my charts of the USVI and BVI that there ought to be dozens of great anchorages. But there really aren't. Winds and seas are picky forces indeed. Still, I'm sure there are overnights off the beaten path that would be worth a visit. And if I'm being honest, I've gotten lazy, too. In the old days, there weren't moorings anywhere, and when they did start popping up, we avoided them. Now, the convenience has been like a drug and dropping an anchor has slipped into memory. Shoot, my kids don't even know the drill. So as you weigh in, I'm assuming some of your suggestions will mean going old-school. Frankly, it will do us good.

Shifty