Hello good people of TTOL,
It is 19 days to wheels up for my 3rd bareboat BVI charter!!! This time, my family of 3, another sailing family of 4 and another friend will sail for 10 days from Hodges Creek on a 48 ft mono, starting 6/28. Only constraint is that my wife is going back home 7/1 on a 9:30 AM flight from Beef Island. I figure to keep stress low, we should stay close by the night before, ie Trellis, Scrub or Marina Cay. I've never been to Trellis bay or Scrub. Have been to Marina Cay and snorkeled the reef there. Is Trellis a good place to spend an afternoon, evening and overnight on a mooring? Looks like fun and we'll have 3 18 y.o.'s who might enjoy the variety of shops. Would you swim or snorkel right in Trellis Bay or is there too much sewage from the businesses and charter boats? Which would you pick, Trellis, Scrub or Marina Cay? Any favorite restaurants at either? If we don't stay in Trellis Bay can we motor right up to the ferry dock or some other dock to drop my wife off or should we grab a ball and dinghy her and her luggage ashore?

Thanks for your thoughts!

There will be many divided opinions here as lots of people have their own preference. Mine is for Trellis Bay, for which I will probably get some flack. It is a quiet, secure mooring field (don't get caught on the reef at the Trellis end of Bellamy Cay, aka Last Resort) . I frequently swim in the water, which although it is not teaming with fish life due to the frequency of various ferries etc, is clean. I have never had a stomach upset and there are frequently turtles and even dolphin. The clarity of the water is generally excellent. It is close to the 'village' of Trellis Bay and da la Mongoose has good food and drinks, as does Last Resort, either of which your kids will enjoy. So convenient for the airport without a long dinghy ride or relying on a ferry.
As I say, others will chime in and certainly suggest Scrub. If you like that sort of thing, fine. I don't come to BVI for that type of place/experience, but each to their own.

I agree with Sue. Trellis is a cool place to spend an afternoon. We may be spending the night there in a few weeks before we pick up crew there.

I was hoping that the free shuttle between Trellis and Scrub/Marina might help you out, but with a 9:30 AM departure from EIS, that's a no-go. The free water shuttle doesn't start early enough.

Staying on a ball at Marina Cay for the overnight is doable, you just have to move the boat early AM to Trellis, pick up a ball, and dingy in to the dingy dock with her luggage. There is a dock there for that purpose, as opposed to the Ferry dock for the Scrub/Marina Cay shuttle and the NS Express ferry.

Trellis is secure and easy. I'd take a ball on the outside rather than close in, just to have more air through the boat overnight. Trellis has always been swimmable, the beach is very pleasant with some shade in places, and the shops and food are fun. It is an easy and close walk to EIS, hardly worth a taxi, but you can also arrange that, too.
http://www.bvivacation.com/transportation/tortola-taxi-fares-rates.php#.V1gdNCFX-ic.

Given the AM flight time, you can be out of Trellis and on your way to your next destination with the better part of a whole day in front of you.

Actually it's not teaming with many intricate reef fish but it's loaded with Rays,Turtles and super sized Cudas

And, speaking from experience, lots of Remoras <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

Last time I was at Trellis, needed ATM and quick walk to terminal from dingy dock. I would pick up a ball the night before. Dingy in, carry luggage over, Kiss her goodbye and continue to next paradise

Thank you all. Trellis it is. That just the kind of first hand practical information that makes this forum so great...And there is actually agreement on this one! Maybe I should stop reading replies before the dissenters chime in?

Peter

Did it last Saturday . Dropped off our kids and picked up Stoney in the morning . Convenient and a cool place to hang . We always enjoy it . We ate at last resort ... I enjoyed but our early 20s kids probably would have enjoyed loose mongoose or something ashore . A bit higher end cuisine for them
Enjoy