Cooper Island pros/cons

Hey Folks!

After multiple US/BVI charters (with different crews) we are inclined to explore some different islands this trip....and someone mentioned Cooper as one we had not visited. Thoughts on pros and cons for a Cooper Island overnight stop?

Thanks

Great snorkeling, happy hour & food.

2nd favorite happy hour
Dolphins usually seen
Great sunset
decent snorkeling very close

We generally make Cooper our last night out stop. Easy to get back to base the next day, great time at happy hour, very good restaurant for dinner, and sitting there watching Tortola shutting down at night is just about perfect.

Rolly in a North swell.
Great snorkelling and restaurant.!

The only con is that it can sometimes be rolly. We've never really had an issue with that, more just the boat moving around and going over the mooring ball so you hear the ball bang on the hull sometimes.

Agree with' let's go sailing'. Great restaurant, reservations essential plus they do two sittings. However we have had the worst night ever here, so check weather forecast. Rocking and rolling all night long on a mono, not my idea of a good nights sleep. The mooring field tends to fill very quickly, often full by 2pm, so have an alternative in mind.

Pros - great happy hour drinks and munchies, awesome sunset, good snorkeling and outstanding Marina TV watching boats racing in at 1600 hrs for the last mooring ball.
Cons - being THAT GUY arriving for a 1600 hrs for the last ball (we try and get there by noon to enjoy a swim, snorkel and a few hours in our hammock resting up for happy hour). Really rolly in a north swell

Good snorkeling at Cistern Point, nice restaurant and a laid back beach with the only people there generally being from the resort and from moored boats. Great rum bar too with several different rum flights to try and/or tasty and creative mixed concoctions. If conditions aren't too bad and you are confident in your dinghy you can take it over and explore Salt Island (bring a handheld VHF with you of course). We took the dink all the way to the Rhone on our last trip and it was nice not having to stop there with the big boat. Also, Cooper is a great jumping off point for getting to The Baths the next morning before the masses. Wake up at sunrise, slip the mooring line off and motor over while the rest of the crew is sleeping.

You've been made aware of the issue if there is a North swell. As other have said, do get there early or you'll likely find yourself in a race with three other boats for the last mooring ball - which you'll discover is missing it's pendant when you get to it. Anchoring isn't good at Cooper and most charter companies don't allow it there.

Matt

As usual, I have a different experience from most:

Okay food, slow, surly service, too few moorings for the number of people who want to be there & we've had maybe ONE night there that wasn't uncomfortably rolly. Every time we go there it's because I've said, "we haven't been to Cooper in a while, let's go there!" and when we leave I think, "that was just not worth it".

I haven't snorkeled there but if it's that good I might be willing to overlook the other things on a super-duper-extra calm night.

Definitely go ashore as soon as you get there and make your meal reservation...we've been shutout of eating there twice as both seatings were already full.

We go for the first seating as the kitchen can fall apart part-way through service. The food is under-seasoned and over sweetened and they do not put salt & pepper on the table (ask when you get seated). But, the food is very pretty and well presented and ingredients are quality. We prefer to have apps at the bar and cocktails, then pop by the rum bar.

Cheers, RickG

Love Cooper for many reasons. Cistern Point, the Sunsets, etc...Can get rolly, yes. And this last trip- last week- we pulled in at 1045 on a Monday morning and got the ONLY available mooring. And it was not because of late stayers either. There was a little bit of turnover through the morning and afternoon, but really not much at all. We called in for dinner reservation before 11AM and were told they only had 8PM available and that we got the last available table. So the crowds thing...

I really like Cooper and have moored there on the first day out for all five of my bareboat charters. The food has been consistently excellent, the service friendly and attentive and the facilities fine. Great views as well. I have consistently read about potentially rolly nights there but I have never had that problem personally. I did experience the current pushing our boat over the ball once but honestly it was not that bad. We make it out first stop so that we can get there early, enjoy a swim/snorkel, have a nice lunch, take a nap and then enjoy the "show" at 4:00pm when the fight for the remaining balls hits full speed. The view of Tortola at night is pretty spectacular as well. As long as you get there early you are sure to enjoy!

Thanks! Great ideas....we'll likely give it a look if the N swell is not up.

I am also planning on making Cooper our first stop on our trip two relevant questions
1) if we are in a Cat, do we need to be worried about where the swell is coming from? most posts mentioning uncomfortable nights were in monohulls
2) is it worth taking a trip over to the wreck of the Rhone for snorkeling before heading to Cooper? Or is this mainly a dive site?

We snorkel the Rhone when the swell is down and the water is clear. The shallow end, where the propeller is, is easy to see and the anchor is in shallow water too.

Cheers, RickG