Here’s our condensed version of the trip report covering our bare boat charter from July 27 through August 8. From the Captain’s perspective!<br><br>Day 1 – A travel day. Left for the Hartford, CT airport at 4:30 am. After a stop in Philadelphia we arrived at St Thomas and caught the ferry to the West End of Tortola. For some reason the ferry stopped at Red Hook along the way but we finally made it to Nanny Cay and the Nanny Cay Resort and Marina.<br>Our crew of 7 checked in ($70 per single room, $100 for a double) and headed for the nearest watering hole (Peg Leg’s Landing). I checked-in with the office at Virgin Trader’s around 5:00 p.m. and arranged to meet with them at 8:30 am the next morning.<br>We checked out our boat, a 47.5’ Signature trawler, which was still being cleaned and were impressed with the condition and size. Virgin Trader’s let us board a couple of their other boats to take a look. We were impressed by the 52’ and 56’ yachts but happy with ours.<br>We all had dinner at Peg Leg’s where the entrées were adequate but not memorable.<br>We made it an early evening at Nanny Cay Resort (think of a lower tier Best Western, but certainly adequate).<br><br>Day 2 – I was up at 4:30 am anticipating the first day on the boat and reviewing how I was going to steer it out of the dock. Wife Pat and son Sean awoke at 6:30 am as Dad was making too much noise in the shower!<br>We headed out to breakfast on the dock at a small restaurant that opened at 7:00 am. Fortunately, there was a dive shop next door as Sean forgot dive mask and fins. <br>Met with Virgin Trader’s staff at 8:30 am for a detailed chart review followed by the boat checkout. Our motley crew joined us at around 9:00 am (evidently not everyone had an early night!).<br>Bobby’s Market finally showed up around 10:20 am for a 9:00 am delivery, however, they did call at 9:00 am to say they would be late. Provisions checked out fine and were of good quality. They delivered right to the boat. Took awhile to checkout and stow the provisions. I recommend bringing the original list and using it as a checklist. And although we went with the standard ‘Dinner’s Ashore’ provisioning from Bobby’s we ended up with tons of leftover provisions. I suggest doing your own provisioning at any of the local stores and adding to it during the charter as there are many places to re-stock.<br>Okay, now were ready to get underway. A few last questions about the boat to Johnny at Virgin Trader’s and he volunteers to come along with us out of the harbor in case we need advice on the boat’s handling. We’re glad to have his advice and help and welcome him aboard! One odd thing is that Virgin Trader’s never asked me to prove my proficiency in handling the boat. They said they reviewed my sailing resume and I should have no problem handling the boat (well, OK?). The boat handled like a dream with nothing unexpected and Johnny was picked up by dinghy as we cleared the break wall.<br>6-7 foot seas and a stiff 20-25 mph wind met us as we cleared the harbor. We found out later that a tropical wave was passing the islands and the sea state would hold for another 3 days.<br>We headed out to Norman Island and the Bight on beam seas that really did roll the 16-ton boat but nothing that it didn’t handle.<br>Arrived at the Bight, picked up a mooring ball and participated in the usual Billy Bones, Willy T stuff with some of us having far too many cocktails.<br><br>Day 3 – Left Norman Island around 9:30 am for Cooper Island. Seas and wind still high. We were hit with a downpour about a mile for Cooper’s Island that required us to switch to the lower helm station and reduce speed to an idle as we couldn’t see the island let alone the moorings!<br>Spent the day snorkeling from the back of the boat and going to shore. Dinner at the Cooper Island Beach Club was good, but again, not great. Cooper Island was attractive. Least attractive mooring was Soper’s Hole followed by the Bight.<br><br>Day 4 – Left Cooper’s Island for Marina Cay. Our plan was to stop at the Baths but the sea was far too high to attempt it. More snorkeling from the boat and in shore. Also visited the Pusser’s Store and was able to wash and dry a load of towels at their facility (Tip: don’t leave towels out on the deck to dry overnight as they end up wetter than when they started!).<br>Had dinner at Pusser’s. The menu at Pusser’s is like a Chile’s or Applebee’s with similar quality, nothing really memorable!<br><br>Day 5 – Off to North Sound and Leverick Bay. Wind and seas still high but getting better.<br>Arrived at Leverick Bay and picked up a mooring. Went into shore for some beach time and snorkeling. Made great use of the pool at Leverick’s and wanted to try some parasailing but, unfortunately, still too windy.<br>Had dinner at the Lighthouse, formerly a Pusser’s (Pusser’s Store is still there). Again, not much to say about the meal.<br>Our next day’s scheduled stop was Jost Van Dyke, however, we had much discussion about stopping at the Baths on the way. Our planned itinerary called for us to cruise along the north coast of Tortola and end up at Jost Van Dyke. Stopping at the Baths for a couple of hours and then shooting down Drake’s Channel would delay our arrival at Jost and Great Harbor. As we needed to anchor at Great Harbor (as opposed to picking up a mooring) we decided to skip the Baths.<br><br>Day 6 – Seas are getting better and we arrive at Jost Van Dyke at about noon. Not too many boats in Great Harbor and we’re able to anchor without problem (we did drag anchor later in the afternoon and repositioned without further trouble).<br>Jost Van Dyke was my favorite anchorage on the trip. It reminded me of the South Pacific. A short dirt/sand road with only a few buildings and lots of palms. Had a drink in each of the bars. Nothing going on at Foxy’s (he was on vacation). Several of the crew took a taxi to the Soggy Dollar Bar at White Bay. Lots of snorkeling from shore and time for a large sand castle on the beach at Great Harbor! A HUGE private yacht anchored out in Great Harbor complete with helicopter, etc.<br>Had by far the best meal of the trip at the Club Paradise. Patricia, who owns the place, serves drinks, cooks and serves. Mahi-Mahi was outstanding! While waiting for our meal we walked across the street with cocktails and sat on the beach. Just a great evening!<br><br>Day 7 – Off to Cane Garden Bay. Harbor channel is the best marked of our stops. Lots of swimming from the beach and water sports (water bikes, etc.). Weather has cleared and it’s blazingly hot with almost no breeze. Dinner at Rhymer’s. Grilled lobster was very good and the place almost empty. Several crew decide to take a cab to Roadtown after dinner for the local festival. Rest of crew sits on beach and then goes over to Quito’s.<br>Dinghy back from the boat at 12:30 am to pick-up the crew (FRS radios are invaluable on the trip).<br><br>Day 8 – Soper’s Hole. Not a highlight of the trip. We needed to spend the night here so we could get back to Nanny Cay early the next morning to do our boat check-in and catch our flight from St Thomas. Lot’s of shops and last minute shopping. Harbor is more commercial, no beaches and lots of oil in the water.<br><br>Day 9 – Back to Nanny Cay arriving at 8:15 am. Docking and check-in go smoothly. Virgin Trader’s sends a dinghy out with a staff member to help us dock. Wasn’t necessary, but there’s no real pleasure in docking a 16 ton vessel!<br><br>Overall Impressions – These are based only on our limited stops! Virgin Trader’s has to be one of the best chartering experiences one could have. Their staff is outstanding and accommodating! Taxi drivers in St Thomas are unnecessarily rude! Picking up mooring balls turned out to be easy and painless (approach them at idle speed). The islands were not as physically attractive as we anticipated, probably due to the relatively arid climate (again, only our opinion!). Waters were beautiful however. Meal prices are more expensive than they should be. Many locals in service occupations (restaurants, bars, etc.) seem, at best, disinterested in providing service. This certainly didn’t apply to all places we stopped!<br><br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Administrator on 8/8/01 02:47 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
