MIT BVI graduation trip

Does anyone know if the annual late May MIT MBA graduation trip is on this year?

If so, I would love to know the dates.

Thank you.

I think it’s usually the week leading into Memorial Day weekend. Last year our last night was their first night and we shared Great Harbor on Peter Island with them. That was the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

We will be there For 10 days in May, flying back to Chicago the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Is there someplace where I can get more details about this group’s itinerary?

My brother and I had some exposure to this group last year. Think of the ways in which the herd mentality would manifest among newly-minted MBAs and you'll have the picture. Best to avoid them.

We were there a couple years ago at the time they were and seemed to either follow them to an anchorage every day or be followed by them to an anchorage. Our experience was not bad with the group. Several were occasionally entertaining and they seemed to be doing what most people do in the islands.

I did get a little concerned that we would be without a mooring because of the number of boats but other than a little research on where we might have to drop a hook, their presence didn't alter my boat's plans.

I think they may have not all been together, splitting into more than one group, but couldn't be sure because the "MIT" flags were everywhere.

Smart young people having fun and celebrating a major accomplishment in their lives.

We were there May 20-30, 2016 and they were there. Someone on this group actually posted their itinerary, not sure where they got it. We spent our last night in Norman Island with them and my 22 & 24 year old kids didn't even want to venture near the Willie T. They were as described above, smart young people celebrating a huge accomplishment. We tried to stay away from the areas they were in just so that we were able to get mooring balls. They had 30 boats out there.

There is a website somewhere with all the details, or there certainly was last year...for some reason I can't seem to find it. Only an old one from years ago... 'MIT Sloane BVI trip'.

We were sailing at the same time they were down a few years back, we didn't have any issues at all. As others have said, just a bunch of young smart people blowing off steam and enjoying the islands. They were rowdy within themselves, plenty of grog flowing and loud country music blaring, but were polite and courteous around others (just our experience!). We had a fun day at Soggy Dollar with them and also at BEYC...and for the rest of the time (armed with their itinerary) just managed our own itinerary to avoid crossing over with them.

In our opinion they were a much higher calibre of hooligan than those you will find on 'The Yacht Week'!

As mentioned above we only spent one night sharing Great Harbor on Peter Island. It was our last and their first so you would think they would have been extra rowdy but it wasn’t. They had a party going on shore that didn’t bother us. In the morning half the boats were gone by the time we woke and we woke early to get back to Road Town. Outside of perhaps lack of available mooring balls in an anchorage and sheer numbers I don’t think there is anything to fear from this group ;-)

I'm glad you all did not have bad experiences sharing anchorages with this group. I and especially my brother saw enough from them to alter our itinerary to avoid them last year, and a very gracious, well-known BVI-based person shared his tale of woe with me when I mentioned them. So, if you cross paths with them I hope your experience is good, but I wouldn't chance it.

We were sitting at the Sandbox when they were in North Sound and watched one of them dragging their dinghy backwards until it filled up with water and we could just see the top of the motor sticking out of the water.

Tradewinds - i've personally seen far worse from other 'civilian' bareboaters! I can only speak from our personal experiences, but every year we see a lot of absolute f####ng clowns in command of vessels, it brings a tear to the eye (given that these vessels are owned by good people).

We saw no better or worse from the MIT crowd. Same old story.

...not defending them in any way shape or form, just our thoughts! In general I'm amazed at how many credit-card-captains are allowed to leave the dock...but also delighted at how many people, with limited sailing experience are able to come and enjoy these incredible islands.

I realise I contradict myself to an extent...

I was that age once and like to think I still am to my wife's dismay. Went to a big party school near the beach. I don't think I'd be worried. Invite them onboard for a drink. Maybe you can have contests to see who can calculate your fuel burn fastest or take apart your chart plotter and put it back together.