Hi Schwendy,

Thanks for your OP. I, for one, don't object to honest, direct feedback. Better to prepare for issues and get pleasantly surprised than expect the best and get disappointed. My opinion anyway.

I chartered a sloop with Sunsail from July 5th through the 12th (4th trip). One thing that made a difference for us was that we reserved with Dolphin Water Taxi, going from CA to RT. Yes, Dolphin is expensive ($750 for 5 people), BUT, the convenience and complete absence of stress was well worth the price. Besides not having to deal with mobs at the ferry terminal in CA, we arrived at customs in Road Town in between usual ferry landings. In other words, we were the only people in the customs office. Additionally, the captain handled all of the transactions; all we had to do was check our passports. We were literally out of there and at the Moorings dock in 25 minutes. I can't speak highly enough for doing it this way.

I think the Moorings base is struggling a bit to return to normal operations, but I experienced none of the headaches that you did. We did the evening captain's briefing. I agree that it's a waste of time for anyone whose already been there, but it's a formality, so best to get it over with. We did have a delay in the morning, waiting for our paddle boards, cooler, linens and towels. I'd say we got off the dock an hour later than I had hoped, but in the grand scheme of things and certainly compared to your experience, that was pretty good. So, leaving at 10:00, we arrived at Cooper in plenty of time to have a virtual pick of the litter on mooring balls.

We contemplated taking our dinghy to White Bay from Great Harbor. I watched one group attempt it, with water washing over the gunwales and spraying the occupants and immediately decided against it. The taxi ride was nice and dry. Soggy was fine, although the retail clerk could have been more pleasant. Hendo's was amazing. Regarding your comment about the price of things...we had dinner at Corsairs. I think they've done a pretty good job restoring the building and beefing it up against future mayhem. Vinnie, Pizza Dave and Kenny worked their butts off and definitely showed their appreciation for our business. Admittedly, $25 for a pizza is a steep price. Even Patsy's in New York City doesn't charge that much. That said, I can clearly understand why proprietors feel the need to charge more, at least for now. Recovering from that devastation takes its toll and it's hard for some of these folks to get back on their feet. So, for now, I can tolerate the up charges. Hopefully, things will settle a bit after the next season.

Ditto on the Willie T. I know people love it there (I actually did appreciate their service), but I escaped the frats a long time ago. My 26 year-old son was enjoying himself though, especially the naked women. Other than the college antics, my real concern is that what they're using as a replacement for a dinghy dock is downright scary, if not incredibly dangerous. It's some kind of combination of a skiff and a barge (right?), tied up to the port side, aft. It's a metal boat with flat, slippery surfaces and sharp edges. The goal is to tie up to it, climb aboard somehow and then take a giant step off the stern to get onto the deck of the T. Getting aboard the T when sober and agile is a challenge, but not unusually demanding. But after negotiating the arrangement when I exited the T for the peace and serenity of my boat's cockpit, I couldn't help but wonder how that feat would be accomplished at night, when patrons are falling down drunk and senseless. I'm surprised no one's been seriously injured yet. I like Peter Island as my last night's stop, as it's a short cruise back to the Moorings base, but I have to admit, from now on, I'll only be observing the T from afar.

Anyway, gray and rainy here in Massachusetts too. Good day to plan our next trip to the BVI.