Road Harbour-Leverick

I'm a longtime BVI bareboater, but have never motored/sailed from RT-Leverick. We usually get going with the charter 12:30-1pm and just stop at Manchioneel or Marina Cay. We're going to try and make Leverick Bay the first stop next Friday so we can do the barbecue and get an early start to Anegada the next day. Does anyone have an idea about how long that's going to take? Don't want to get stuck with the sun going down. Also, I took a monohull through the pass between Anguilla Point and Mosquito many years ago but haven't done that shortcut in many moons. I frequently see cats going in and out through there, but just wanted to make sure there haven't been any significant changes to that pass since the storm. Thanks for the help.

I would certainly ask your charter boat company if they will allow you to use that passage - I use it with appropriate private vessels but I will not take a charter boat through if the company has it red lined.

Depends on if you are sailing or motoring. And if you are sailing what wind direction you have. But having said that it should be somewhere around three to four hours.

I would not take a mono through that passage - it is for sure red-lined by charter companies. Depending on your mono, I would say 3.5 - 4 hours. You can always reserve a slip but if you arrive past 5pm, the dock guys may be gone. Not a biggie if you call and get your slip number on the way.

17 trips sailing the BVI.......

We follow procedures. Time en route from Machioneel Bay, Cooper Island, ( 3 plus hours since we sail it, not motor , Time can vary with wind direction and wind speed...and sail plan. Last may, we only tacked once. Usually it is more.

Passage to Leverick, Good stuff, we love sailing, and we always navigate into Virgin Gorda Sound, thru the pass keeping Colquhoun Reef to starboard. We use coastal piloting and use the in place navaids for navigation.
Also, we follow the advised procedure to motor thru the pass. We keep the main up, with the jib rolled in. Once in the lee of Virgin Gorda we drop the main, and prepare to moor or dock at Leverick ..

We leave Norman and the Willy T early , early morning, and stop at the indians and pelican for snorkeling and breakfast. Some times we head over to
Cooper for the first night, and hold off on the Willy T for our last hoot em up, before returning the vessel . Norman to Leverick is a pretty long sail...maybe 5 hrs. Again, that time can vary either side.

Yes , Leverick is a long sail, depends on tacks, the wind direction and speed. You can estimate your time using DR track lines. If you motor, no need to tack, same thing. Time, speed, distance and direction. No worries.

We depart early from the Indians, or Cooper and never had a problem with picking up a mooring at Leverick. As the OP does, we always work it out to
be in Leverick for the friday night jump up, bbq, band, dancing and the mocko jumbies. Actually, we try to arrive a Leverick the night before the jump up. Then spend an extra day or so there, for fun and frolic.

Just FYI, present time at Leverick, on this last trip may 2019, we were concerned about getting a mooring due the the boaty balls . So , for a few bucks more
We reserved a slip in the marina. ( Jenneau 36i,) No worries, no dinking back an forth several times. easy for ice, fresh water, provisions, swimming pool, bar, happy hour, restaurant, , showers ashore, Taxi to the baths, etc.,
Fuel was available, but not needed as we sail every passage, with generally good winds . ( note....turned out there were FCFS moorings available at Leverick when we arrived. ) But the slip made live pretty easy.

However, we do follow procedures and NEVER in a mono hull made the passage between Mosquito Island , and Anguilla Point. There is a reef , and shallows with
a very narrow passage. I see catamarns going thru there,, but I also see catamarans at full speed going over the reef at Canegarden Bay, instead of using the marked pass.
Then they come roaring over the reef, into the CGB , wake rocking, thru the mooring field that is full of boats. Yep,

Over the years, we have seen smaller monohulls and cats go thru the narrow passage between Anguilla and Mosquito Rock, They maybe beat us by 15 plus minutes.....
Also, at your chart breifing, the staff member of the charter company will usually mark your chart with a big X, and advise you not to go thru there.

Depending on the wind and waves, you can do a mix of motoring and sailing, to have some fun while still getting there fairly quickly. Leaving Road Harbour, you can motor into the wind, roughly in the direction of the Baths. Then raise sail and turn more north, passing Colison Point and heading toward Mountain Point. Once you pass Mountain Point, you can start motoring again and follow the coast of Mosquito Island.

If you find that you're early and want to enjoy some more sailing, then rather than hugging Mosquito Island under power, you can keep sailing northward to line up with the entrance to Gorda Sound. On the other hand, if you do stay close to Mosquito Island, I suggest that you avoid the temptation to make a tight turn around Mosquito Rock. That would put you right next to Colquhoun Reef for its entire length, and anything that goes wrong (e.g. engine failure) could land you on the reef before you have time to react.

If you start to execute this plan and realize that it's later than you'd like, you have the option of popping into Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour for the night.

Dan