Warm greetings to everyone. We have had many CAT trips to the BVI. We have stayed at many places and we are discussing adding some new stops. We love Scrub Island, Saba Rock, Leverick, Bitter End, Cooper, Norman, Peter, etc.. We have never been to Oil Nut Bay, the restaurant Nova, Baras Creek - I am not sure we can reach those locations from a CAT? I believe you have to go up and around Prickly Pear Island from Saba to get to Oil Nut Bay? Are these worth the trip? Any adivce would be appreciated.
You certainly can visit the Oil Nut Bay Marina Village via catamaran. There is a well marked navigational channel between Saba Rock and BEYC that will lead you right to the Oil Nut Bay Marina where there are both mooring balls (FCFS, but we never fill up all the way) and dockage available. Dockage for the day is complimentary (just hail on Channel 16), and $2/foot right now if staying overnight (send an email to marina@oilnutbay.com if interested).
I attached an approach map for easier reference as well.
Additionally, the Oil Nut Bay Beach Club is kept private for homeowners and villa rental guests, but we do sell 15 day passes per day to the Beach Club to outside guests for $195/person for adults, and $95/person for kids under 13. Also, I'd happily give anyone a free tour of the Beach Club and or villas/suites if you just want to check it out.
Biras Creek is indeed open! I would recommend not going to the Terrace at sunset as the mosquitoes were truly horrific. I have heard good reviews about the $200/person, 12 course omakase experience. But have not yet gone myself
I have a controversial question about Oil Nut Bay. The Nova restaurant and marina are located in what I would call Deep Bay, not Oil Nut Bay. I have carefully navigated the channel and anchored in Oil Nut Bay inside the reef many times. It is a sand anchorage with great protection. Nothing but sand. The channel has markers all the way into Oil Nut Bay.
In reading the Oil Nut Bay company website it now states Anchoring Not Allowed to save the environment. I checked the BVI government website and actually called the Department of Fisheries. The bay is not legally restricted like a National Park area.
Is a resort allowed to prohibit anchoring offshore just because they want to?
They are not permitted to do that. They can’t even keep you from going on the beach up to the high water mark and enjoying it. Little Dix Bay likes to maintain that the entire bay there is private but it’s not. Years ago we went in there as a lunch stop and they almost immediately came out and told us to leave. We told them we were simple there for lunch and would leave in a few hours. The circled our boat throwing a big wake to keep us rocking like crazy in a monohull to force our exit. Sounds like Oil Nut Bay wants to be the next Little dix. Perhaps we should get a bunch of boats together off their beach and have a succession of boat parties!
I understand they have now placed swim bouys across the entrance, or a substantial distance out from the beach, with wires between to designate a ‘swim area’. There has been a lot of discussion from residents. Oil Nut Bay claim they want to protect their guests who are swimming out to the reef. Geez, that’s like setting a swim zone from any beach out to the protecting reef to keep boats out.
I would assume that Oil Nut Bay also bans their guests from swimming outside the designated and roped off swim area. Otherwise the excuse about the dangerous reef is disingenuous at best. I live on a lake. This is standard rich person’s syndrome. They bought a house on the lake so they own the water. Our lake is exploding with illegal no wake, no fishing and other buoys as people try and claim territory.
