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High Season AndyPIT 1 hour ago Hello All,
Been a while since our last charter... I used to just grab Owner's time from Moorings, and Sunsail but it looks like the best time for Family to do a sailing vacation this year is after Christmas... other than Conch, I don't know much about 2nd/3rd tier companies. Has anyone used BVI Yacht Charters before? Any other recommendations for a monohaul?

-Other questions... looks like things have changed at Leverick and Scrub as far as TTOL deals... do the dock masters or mgrs monitor this site anymore? I see Nick left ;( he was awesome).

I've been trying to catch up a bit on new after my hiatus!

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Azul Maho RonDon 6 hours ago Has anyone eaten here and can give a review? Located at Sonesta Ocean Point Rhine Rd.

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Top 10 defunct BVI Eateries ggffrr11 9 hours ago These are in no particular order. Feel free to add to the list:

Fat Hog Bob's
Spaghetti Junction - original location
Last Resort (more for Tony Snell than the food)
Rudy's "all you can eat" lobster Buffet - Jost
Jolly Roger - West End
Fat Virgin's Cafe - North Sound - cheap and good view of Harbor
YCCS - $$$

What was the name of the restaurant up the hill behind RiteWay Grocery / Road Town?

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Calmos mahokid 9 hours ago Wanting to try somewhere new, casual and recommended, we made a reservation for Calmos.

We were warmly greated by the bartenders as we walked by and then shown to a table just several feet from the beach looking over to the twinkling lights of Anguilla.
I wondered if my "brother" over there was looking back at me.

The restaurant was doing a brisk business unlike some of the others.
All staff seemed very happy!!!

While the online menu gave us a few ideas, the true finds came off the chalkboard of specials.

My wife started out with a nice portion of wahoo ceviche while I started with the gnocchi off the menu in a blue cheese sauce with spinach.

Off the chalkboard we choose a huge tuna tar tar with fries and a seabass and shrimp duo over risotto.

Both dishes were very good.

Too full for dessert as we both only enjoyed half our entrees.

Service was attentive throughout.

It was comical to watch 6 guys drinking just above the water wondering how long they had been there.
One guy dropped his phone only to have it hanging inches from falling into the water below.
Maybe half an hour later it falls again but this time into the shallow water below. It was relieved after about 5 minutes of searching.

The beach infront of Calmos is completely gone exposing rocks where three line of beach chairs would have been from years ago.

There is a cute boutique in front of the restaurant selling
C'est la vie apparel, the motto for the restaurant.

Loose translation, it is what it is sort of describes the restaurant.

Come in, have fun and enjoy some friendly service and good food.

Thanks to all who recommended Calmos and return trip will be in the future.

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"Dolly".. Manpot 14 hours ago ...will be the name of this wave if it becomes a named storm...

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Storm brewing off Africa TJTrippe 16 hours ago Cyclocanes has spaghetti models, many of which head towards SXM +/- North/South.

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Great day at Friar’s Beach BarbyandLeo Yesterday at 09:46 PM Last night we had a wonderful evening with Mahokid and his lovely wife. It’s so nice to meet fellow travelers and TTOL members. Our casual get together was amazing…the drinks, charcuterie board, pizza and dessert were outstanding. Thanks for the invite!

Today we decided on driving to Friar’s Beach, which we stayed close by 2 years ago. It is one of my favorite beaches on the island, so calm and family oriented. Of course, the downfall are the potholes to get to it. I may be crazy but I found that there were less of them this year, an easier drive. After enjoying a few hours there, headed back “home” to have a home cooked meal..

Tonight after dinner we plan on taking a walk around Orient Village and maybe an after dinner drink somewhere. We’ve been enjoying our favorite island at our “slow” travel pace.

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Meeting new friends mahokid Yesterday at 08:16 PM Another beautiful day poolside but keeping an eye on what is coming across.

We had planned a not fancy dinner to break up the fine dinning and we were fortunate to have the presence of Barby and Leo who ate staying close by.

We enjoyed their company and long conversations.
I must admit the Lychee martinis were well balanced and delicious using the recipe from Nobu.

After our charcuterie and some smoked salmon on blinnis, I picked up a couple of gourmet pizzas from bona mamma in the village.

While the toppings were very good, the crust left a bit to be desired.
I will say that the reheated leftovers for todays lunch seemed better.

As a special treat, Barbara and Leo made a wonderful end to the evening with desserts from Sebastian.

All four desserts rocked.

Thank you a nice evening!!!!

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Currency & ATMs calle313 Yesterday at 06:15 PM Hi!
Since it´s our first time visiting St. Martin (Orient Bay) I´m wondering if there are any ATMs nearby, or if we have to get up to Super-U to withdraw cash?
We are mainly paying with cards, but I understand that cash are useful for renting beach loungers and general tipping. Do taxi drivers normally accept credit cards?

Which currency is best to get, US dollars or Euro? I have seen the price listed in both US Dollars and Euros. Since the Dollar is nearly 20% cheaper then Euro, it would save some money paying in Dollars :-)
Is it common for restaurants and shops to accept both currencies? Is usually a conversion made, or is the price really the same in both currencies?

//Cheers!

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Drivers Car rental insurance posible problem. bran Yesterday at 03:50 PM The villa has thrown in a car for my length of stay as they usually do, but I am responsible for insurance and taxes which with liability and collision plus airport taxes etc. could amount to 30 bucks plus a day and for 18 days that adds up. As you know a few CC's cover the collision part although not the liability part, albeit I know one poster here always recs Hertz for that.(things though may have changed?) However, the agency only go through thrifty. I think it's best to just copy and paste what AI has to say about this, but recently been giving me some bad info, but you guys would know how to get around this and if my concerns are not applicable, but just forgotten how to do this correctly as never really thought about the possible consequences until now. Thx.

That package setup creates a classic loophole that rental companies and credit card benefits administrators love to make complicated. Because the base price of the car is "thrown in" or bundled into your villa rental, you aren't paying a traditional, itemized car rental fee on a credit card. This triggers a major rule for credit card coverage: To activate the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) on cards like the Amex Platinum or Citi Advantage, or Chase card you are almost always required to charge the "entire rental fee" to that specific card. If the base car rental cost is locked into a villa package you've already paid for, here is how the mechanics and the extra fees break down:

1. The Credit Card Coverage Trap (The "Free" Car Dilemma)The Rule: Credit card issuers require you to decline the rental company's CDW and charge the rental transaction to the card to validate the insurance. The Problem: If the base car rental is buried inside a villa package invoice, your credit card company may argue that you didn't technically "pay for the car rental" with the card, potentially invalidating their collision coverage if something happens to the vehicle.The Workaround: If you can get the villa property manager or rental agency to itemize the invoice—showing a distinct, separate charge for the car rental (even if it's heavily discounted or zeroed out) that you can put on your card—some card issuers will accept it. However, if it's a lump-sum package charge, relying strictly on the card's collision waiver gets legally murky.

2. Dealing with the Daily "Add-Ons" ($30/day)The rental agency is trying to claw back their money through mandatory or high-pressure daily fees (airport taxes, local collision waivers, miscellaneous surcharges) which often total around $30 a day.Collision/CDW Fees: If they are forcing you to take their collision coverage because your card can't cleanly cover a bundled vehicle, you have to weigh whether paying that daily fee is cheaper than risking a dispute. Third-Party Liability: Remember that even if you pay their $30/day fee, check the fine print to see if it covers liability (damage to others) or just collision (damage to the car). Many international agencies bundle basic third-party liability into the local rental laws, but pad the daily fees with high-priced collision damage waivers. How to Handle It at the Counter ask for an Itemized Breakdown: Ask the villa managers or the rental provider to separate the car portion onto a distinct receipt if possible, or clarify exactly what that $30/day entails. Beware of Mandatory Local Laws: Some international destinations legally require you to buy their local third-party liability insurance regardless of what credit cards you hold. If that's a legal mandate, your credit cards cannot override it. Weigh the Risk: If the bundled car means your Amex or Citi collision coverage won't technically apply because you didn't pay an explicit car rental charge, you may be forced to accept the agency's collision waiver to avoid being fully out-of-pocket if a scratch or dent happens.

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