Cane Garden Bay in early January

Greetings All. Headed down for a charter in early January with my wife and 4 kids. We've bypassed CGB on our last several trips, but are thinking our kids (now young adults and late teens) would love the energy there. Remembering that conditions can be dicey for the northern swells, what are the odds that we'll have a comfortable mooring in January?

Don't know the odds, but my first trip to the BVI's was in early Jan. We went to CGB and grabbed a ball. It was too rough to even eat lunch. We didn't even know there was a beach there...all we could see was waves hitting the shore. We left and went to little harbor. Ironically, I've seen never been to CGB.

In January there are days of flat calm and days of big surf..a depression coming down the East Coast will send us waves in a couple of days.Pretty easy to check and many websites.If there is a small swell tucking into the east end of CGB is quite comfortable..but not a fun place to be once the swells get much over 5 feet...

If you are down for a week the odds are very good you can find a timeframe for a great night in CGB. The North Swell is very well forecast 3 to 4 days out so there are no surprises. Watch the Swell forecast and pick your window to be there. You may find the entire week is just fine. It seems to me that overall there is a swell running about 25% of the time.
G

We sail for two weeks in January, this year will be year #4. The last two years we could not visit CGB at all during the trip. Three years ago we get a 4-5 day respite from the north swell. You'll need a Plan B. If you see no masts in the anchorage, that's a hint.

Cheers, RickG

Thanks to each of you. Great comments and very helpful.

Another thing you might check is the cruise ship schedule. Since the expansion of the cruise pier, and especially during the winter, vast hordes now descend on CGB. Some days there are 10K cruise passengers on Tortola, so if even 20% go to CGB, it is overrun. They generally leave by late afternoon, so you could still enjoy the evening.

As Yogi said, Nobody goes there anymore. To crowded. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

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Looks like "Coco Maya Tortola" AKA the old Paradise Club is further pushing the boundary onto the beach. Will be fun to see how that fares with a big north swell shore break!

Love CGB !!! So sad to hear about Paradise Club! Curious about new place. Still pizza? Fun funky vibe at night? Wings were not fried.... A PLUS!

Hear its going to be upmarket ala " Coco Maya" on Virgin Gorda..

We stayed at Light house villas a few years ago and loved it. Would stay there again. I do not recall any noise from the bars that kept us awake.

What we do is spend the day at CGB and then scoot over to Little Harbour JVD for lobsters and a smooth night. No matter how active the swells are, Little Harbour is always peaceful.

In 12 years of chartering and 2 years of having our own boat a 46 Grand Banks trawler, in the BVI we've never had a comfortable night on anchor or mooring in CGB. It's open to the north and the swells work there way around into the bay.

Plenty of "energy in the afternoon".

-PG

January is a great time of year!