We had made arrangements a long time ago for a day trip with Ezra and Erin of<br>Persistence Charters. Theirs was far and away the best response and proposed itinerary<br>from a host ot others to whom I wrote. When we arrived on Island I called to confirm the<br>date they had set aside to be told the motor was “broke” and it was a question of when<br>parts might be available. There was a half hearted apology but it was a disappoining<br>experience. We decided to take a trip on the Patouche ll. Took the 8AM Ferry to<br>Roadtown and walked about 200 yds or so to their office and dock and it was a fine day.<br>Much has been written about Patouche on the forum so I won’t go into detail except to<br>say we had a beautiful sail and our hosts Joe and Julie were just as accommodating as<br>they could be. We stopped at The Caves and another spot off Norman Island for snorkels<br>and then also at Peter Island. Lunch was a salad and a great Quiche Lorraine. We were<br>the only ones on the boat that day so it was very relaxing and we had plenty of room to<br>spread out. Bitter End has a “Day at Bitter End” program--for those that are not aware. If<br>you have wheels, you drive to Gun Creek and take the ferry which runs to Bitter End<br>every hour on the half hour and is complimentery. When you arrive, you check in at the<br>reception desk and for $36 per person you get to go for a snorkel on their snorkel<br>boat-morning or afternoon trip-your choice--you could probably do both if you wanted as<br>nobody checks for coupons. You get lunch including a large all you can eat salad bar and<br>an entree plus their famous “Rum Grog” , a coupon for a fresh water shower for after<br>your snorkel trip and also one of their 16oz Sounder Tropical Drinks. All gratuities are<br>included and you can use the facilites of the resort all day--Beach Lounges and Pool etc.<br>Then you take the ferry back to Gun Creek at your leisure any hour on the hour. It’s a<br>great value for a full days excursion. One day while we were about on the Island, Neil ran<br>into a fellow and was talking about going to Anegada for the day which he and the boys<br>wanted to do. The chap he was talking to turned out to be a “trip” operator and made<br>arrangements to take the 3 guys on Friday, the 26th, our last day there. Said to be at Gun<br>Creek at 8:30 and he would drop them off and pick them up and they were on their own<br>on the Island. The gentleman’s name was Bennu Farrington of Island Connections. I took<br>the guys and we were at the dock at 8:20AM. We waited until almost 9AM when it<br>became apparent that he was a “no show”. When we got back to the Villa Beth was upset<br>as she knew they had been looking forward to going so she called the guy. Turns out he<br>forgot and then said he had been out on a fishing trip the night before until midnight and<br>he didn’t think the weather was going to be so good. On the ferry to Trellis Bay the next<br>morning we spoke with a lady who had taken an excursion and tour to Anageda with an<br>operator named Captain Dave and she raved about her day and it was only $20 more per<br>person than just the “drop off” trip that never materialized. We didn’t remember seeing<br>that trip advertised. Still to come--doing Devil’s Bay and The Baths and Long<br>Bay from land - the road construction progress-and our take on the Nail Bay Area<br>compared to the Villas at Mahoe Bay and finally--4 days on Tortola at the Lambert Beach Resort <br><br><br>UPDATE----<br><br>In my report I chronicled an event which left my son-in-law and 2 grandsons waiting on<br>the dock for a trip to Anageda which never transpired. I assumed this happened due to<br>indifference to a commitment or a total lack of responsibility on the part of the Excursion<br>Operators. I have learned since my post that this was not the case and the information<br>comes to me from a very reliable source. It turns out that this organization formed by 2<br>hard working and enthusiastic entrepreneurs a few years ago has earned the support and<br>respect of many locals as well as the visitors they serve. So what happened? They forgot<br>the appointment-pure and simple. It is my understanding they feel very bad and<br>embarrassed concerning what happened. Since the assumptions upon which the incident<br>was reported turned out to be wrong and since most of us over a period of years despite<br>the best of intentions have been guilty of the same thing-I know I have-I thought it<br>appropriate to fill those of you who read the report in on “the rest of the story”. We have<br>decided that on our next visit to VG we will go out of our way to book an excursion with<br>Bennu and Andy of Island Excursions and hope that you will too and report your<br>experience here on the forum. <br><br><br>