Traveltalkonline.com Forums


BVI Cruise Schedule TTOL Sponsors BVI Travel Calendar
Forum Statistics
Forums39
Topics38,432
Posts310,084
Members26,538
Most Online2,218
Jan 21st, 2020
Top Posters(30 Days)
RonDon 115
pat 42
jazzgal 40
Todd 40
Member Spotlight
Angelface
Angelface
Washington, DC/SXM
Posts: 1,144
Joined: July 2002
Show All Member Profiles 
Today's Birthdays
ecco, OceanDrop, vincent
Who's Online Now
39 registered members (sugarae, eightzerobits, Cap’n Rog, SXMScubaman, tradewinds, CaribbeanCanadians, sxm2001, JandIrene, ChiTownHarry, jrw, RickinAtlanta, SXMbeacher, mark37, charlie, SXMBND, GeorgeC1, pl3, SeaLady29, Kennys, Kevin_B, Beansbbq, Kiles41, ColoBoater, Halcyon, Zanshin, Kathleen, bailau, 12 invisible), 980 guests, and 59 spiders.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Trip Report- January 22nd-31st #120372
02/08/2017 02:01 PM
02/08/2017 02:01 PM
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
JlarsBVI Offline OP
Traveler
JlarsBVI  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
Seven of our group flew to STT and took a ferry over to Tortola and the other two flew on Inter Caribbean Airways to Tortola. No one had any problems and with a free bag and a $90.00 each way ticket price on Inter Caribbean Airways, I think that is the way to go!

My mom and I being the planners we are did lots of meal prep at home over Christmas. It also helps that my dad is a cattle rancher so we have access to some awesome meat! They declared everything and did not have to pay anything, so that was another plus! Took many notes from people on here. Did taco meat, hamburgers, chicken, and steaks.

We chartered Karisma (Lagoon 440) with BVI Yacht Charters. Unfortunately, this catamaran was not up to par with every other charter we have done with BVI Yacht Charters. They cleaned the catamaran again and tried to fix a few things before we left, including the trim on the interior stairs that was coming off on several stairs. I could just see someone tripping and having an accident after a few too many painkillers. I do admire that they tried to fix things and make it the best as possible.

We had three in our group that scuba dive several times through Dive BVI and really had a great experience with them. Something we did find out is that the majority of groceries and alcohol had the best price at the Riteway. We usually shop at One Mart and get our alcohol at Caribbean Cellars. For the things we wanted to drink, Riteway was 15% cheaper! We will be heading there next time for sure. We got several fish at the Fishing Complex and they were awesome.

After our sleep aboard, we headed off to Cooper Island. We love snorkeling there, happy hour, and several really loved the rum bar. It was a great first day for all the newbies.
The next day we sailed over to Leverick Bay where we had reserved a slip with Nick and a rental car. All was great and how it should be. Leroy on the dock was very helpful. We absolutely LOVED exploring Virgin Gorda by car. My dad used to be a truck driver and handling the manual transmission on all of those steep hills was a breeze for him. Loved all the lookout spots, walking around Spanish Town and picking up those that scuba dive, the Copper Mines, and The Baths. We got to The Baths at around 3:30pm and there were literally eight other people there. We are going to do it this was from now on. We made the loop and stopped at Hog Heaven. We LOVED it up there. The view was incredible and you could see Anegada and The North Sound below. In my opinion, this bar had the best painkillers of anywhere we stopped on the trip as well. We all pretended that we could see Obama below. We finished up to get back to the dock before 7:00pm when Leroy said they closed, but they closed early so we made other arrangements for ice. We will definitely be back!

Early morning sail to Anegada was next and it was a smooth and easy sail. We got there early and Dean was waiting for us. We loaded in the open truck dropped him off and then started our journey. One thing we noticed is there has been a lot of work done since we were last there. There is a nice platform to observe the flamingos, at the Conch Island area there is a covered area with information and details, and the road to the North of the island is finished. Great improvements! We stopped Flash of Beauty, Loblolly (our captain loves the conch stew here), and Cow Wreck. Not many people at all and it was a great day. We only snorkeled at Flash of Beauty because the current/swells made it very hard. Always one of my favorite snorkeling spots though.

We sailed to Marina Cay next as the divers had to be at Scrub Island for their next dive. We explored the island, had some drinks, and enjoyed a nice quiet day. Several of us went over by Great Camanoe, tied up to the line, and snorkeled a bit. Some great underwater life there. A couple in our party tried to get in the dingy the way of the woman did in the video that has was shared here several times. One in our party could not do it, but one person did it on his first pass! He just held on, ducked his head, and kicked back. There was even a couple there in their dingy who witnessed it. Later that night we saw some big power yachts and we decided it was Obama again.
We were planning on going to Cane Garden Bay the next day, but last time we were there, the swells were so rough it was miserable. It did not look like it would be a fun night so we went over to Diamond Cay. I LOVE this anchorage. It is so beautiful and peaceful. We hiked over to the Bubbly Pool and there was yellow tape still up from the accident that happened a few weeks ago but a taxi truck drove through them all to bring his passengers closer to the trail. Everyone enjoyed the bubble pool and because I am Mr. Safety, I made sure no one was up climbing on the rocks or boulders. We snorkeled and saw a couple rays. Several of us went over to the B-Line Beach Bar and the vibe was fun. Played some corn hole and had a great time.

Norman Island was next with a stop at The Indians. We were lucky enough to get there when another boat was leaving and grabbed their ball. This is the best snorkeling I have seen at The Indians. The water was so clear and the sun was shining. It was fun to see all the fish, rock formations, an eel, and some lobsters. It was a snorkeling highlight for sure. We went and grabbed a ball close to the Willie T and on that was close to the Southern shore. Several of us decided to go on the hike up the hill and the others wanted to stay at the bar, which is really looking good now. We hiked up to the helicopter pad and then saw two trails to the west. We took the one to the left and kept walking and hiking. Beautiful scenery and nature. We were not quite sure where it would take us but we saw some other hikers coming the other way lead by a tour guide by one of those small cruise ships. He told us to keep going and that it would take us back to the main trail. That was good to know! Next time we will take the right trail and make the loop, as it will not be as steep of hills to climb, so we will be going down more than a steep incline. If you like hiking and seeing the island this hike is worth it! We went to the Willie T and all the newbies had a great time. Two in our party jumped off three times! Most of us went back to the boat and then to bed, but three in our group wanted to keep partying it up so they were there until the late hours of the night.

Our last day we went to Peter Island. Last time we got a mooring ball on the west side next to the cliffs. We loved the snorkeling and the shell beach right there. After we experienced both of those this trip, we thought the wind and boat rolling was a little too much for us. We motored over to the East side of the mooring field and got a ball there. It was a great choice. Some of us decided to take the dingy to shore and take the trail over to the Peter Island Resort. This place is NICE. We walked around and the staff said we were welcome. We walked over to the beach, explored the dock, and walked around the premises. We got a couple drinks at the bar and decided to head back to the boat. We stopped and asked an employee at the desk about mooring balls and the dock. She said the mooring balls are $45.00 a night (their website says $65.00) and that you need to reserve them. She said you have access to the beach, bars, pool, and other limited areas of the resort. Our group thinks it would be a great stop for us on the last night next time.

While we were floating behind the catamaran this big boat came in and anchored in Great harbor. Its name was Venus and we found out it was the boat Steve Jobs commissioned and built. We took the dingy around to get a closer look. It was really neat.

We turned in the boat and had two rental cars waiting for us. We headed over to Sebastian’s on The Beach and we all thought it was a great step up from where we usually stay. Rooms were nicer than we are accustomed to down there and we had a suite overlooking the ocean. Sunday afternoon we went over to Soper’s Hole, had lunch, and shopped around at our favorite t-shirt shop. Sunday Night we drove over to Myett’s and had dinner and looked around since we didn’t get to stay there while on the boat. Monday we explored the island by car. Stopped in Road Town for a bit and we explored the new cruise ship terminal area. It is very nice and some neat shopping there. Made stops at Leverick Bay, Brewers Bay, and Cane Garden Bay.

Sebastian’s was a nice location for those that took the ferry to St Thomas. It wasn’t as close to the airport for the few of us that flew out of EIS. We all loved the price of Intercaribbean Airways and the free bag. No concerns there and we would fly with them again. We might stay closer to the airport next time.

Two of us got the full-face snorkel mask and we loved them. The only time we had trouble was when the swell/surf at Anegada was rough, we had a hard time breathing from working so hard, and it got a little foggy. Every other time they were perfect.

Everyone loved the music on my iPod from the selections people recommended on here a while back. They thought it was perfect BVI sailing music. All the newbies kept saying they understand why we all love coming down here and they cannot wait to come again.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful information, insider tips, and advise. The group thought I was the perfect Cruise Director and it was all in fact from all the information on here. Till next time!

BVI Sponsors
Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: JlarsBVI] #120373
02/08/2017 02:47 PM
02/08/2017 02:47 PM
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 900
connecticut
N
nyoming Offline
Traveler
nyoming  Offline
Traveler
N
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 900
connecticut
Great trip report.
Wheels up in 7 days! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" />


life is not a dress rehearsal!!!!
jacki
Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: nyoming] #120374
02/08/2017 08:22 PM
02/08/2017 08:22 PM
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,113
Petoskey, MI
CottageGirl Offline
Traveler
CottageGirl  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,113
Petoskey, MI
Wonderful trip report - thanks for sharing!
How did you get to B-Line? Where were you anchored or moored?

Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: CottageGirl] #120375
02/08/2017 09:04 PM
02/08/2017 09:04 PM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,151
Ontario, Canada
warren460 Offline
Traveler
warren460  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,151
Ontario, Canada
To get to the b line, anchor or moor in diamond cay and dingy over. Is there another way?


Warren S/V Scuba Doo
Lagoon 50 (winner of best crewed yacht under 55 feet at the St. Thomas crewed yacht boat show).

https://www.cyabrochure.com/ebn/2307/pdyrX/6642/4///
Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: warren460] #120376
02/08/2017 09:47 PM
02/08/2017 09:47 PM
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,423
Miramichi NB Canada
Sandsailsun Offline
Traveler
Sandsailsun  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,423
Miramichi NB Canada
Thanks so much for the great report....really missing my winter BVI fix these days so reading about other people.s fun helps the DIF...not gonna make it down until May and it sure seems soooo far away .

Sounds like you had an awesome time


Kim

Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: Sandsailsun] #120377
02/08/2017 10:03 PM
02/08/2017 10:03 PM
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 5
Virginia
CharlieFoxtrot Offline
Traveler
CharlieFoxtrot  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 5
Virginia
Great report!Thank you! We are headed down in a few days and our loose itinerary is very similar so now looking into Peter Island which we hadn't considered before. Didn't know anything about the "shell beach". What is that all about?

Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: CharlieFoxtrot] #120378
02/08/2017 10:15 PM
02/08/2017 10:15 PM
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 933
Georgia & South Carolina
D
Deepcut Offline
Traveler
Deepcut  Offline
Traveler
D
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 933
Georgia & South Carolina
I saw where you had 2 rental cars waiting for you on return.... I am thinking rental car airport to Roadtown predeaprture and then on return.... lDid rental company deliver? Pickup vehicles? Which companies?


Wes
s/v Sea Tiger (2022 Lagoon 46)
www.BareBoatBVI.com

Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: Deepcut] #120379
02/09/2017 09:15 AM
02/09/2017 09:15 AM
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,113
Petoskey, MI
CottageGirl Offline
Traveler
CottageGirl  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,113
Petoskey, MI
Thanks Warren! Might just have to add BLine to our itinerary now. :-)

Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: warren460] #120380
02/09/2017 12:26 PM
02/09/2017 12:26 PM
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
JlarsBVI Offline OP
Traveler
JlarsBVI  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
There is no other way but to swim if you don't dingy. Some pulled their's onto the beach, we snorkeled for a little just east of the bar and there was an older concrete dock there. There were four other dingys there so we tied up there, snorkeled, and then walked over a little path to the bar.

Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: Deepcut] #120381
02/09/2017 12:29 PM
02/09/2017 12:29 PM
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
JlarsBVI Offline OP
Traveler
JlarsBVI  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
It is just a little rocky beach where there is tons of sea glass, brainhead coral, holy stones, etc. It is really fun to walk along and to see some treasures. We only take one or two pieces to not make a big impact. We even found a baby/miniature conch shell. Last time we picked up trash as well because unfortunately a bit of trash washes up there.

Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: Deepcut] #120382
02/09/2017 12:34 PM
02/09/2017 12:34 PM
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
JlarsBVI Offline OP
Traveler
JlarsBVI  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
We used Aaron's Car Rental. I'm not sure the email but the phone number is 284-494-8917. Our group called when leaving St Thomas on the ferry and they were there with one car and took them to sign paper work (not far at all). So pre-charter we just had one car and we left it at BVI Yacht Charters. When we got back from the charter the two cars were there waiting and they came and signed paper work there on the picnic table. After the two days on the island, we left one car at Soper's Hole Ferry Terminal and one car at the airport. We had to pay an extra $20.00 to leave the car at the airport but it still saved us money.

Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: JlarsBVI] #120383
02/09/2017 06:52 PM
02/09/2017 06:52 PM
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 184
Minnesota
CaribSoul Offline
Traveler
CaribSoul  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 184
Minnesota
Great report! Thanks for sharing. Can I ask what you mean by "holy stones"?

Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: JlarsBVI] #120384
02/10/2017 08:27 AM
02/10/2017 08:27 AM
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 594
Michigan
I
IWIWSE Offline
Traveler
IWIWSE  Offline
Traveler
I
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 594
Michigan
Thanks so much for the trip report
Sounds like a real good time
Curious as to how you ended up with a vehicle
with manual transmission?
Was this one of the safari trucks?

Mike

Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: IWIWSE] #120385
02/10/2017 12:34 PM
02/10/2017 12:34 PM
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
JlarsBVI Offline OP
Traveler
JlarsBVI  Offline OP
Traveler
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 108
Holy Stones are rocks/coral that have a natural hole all the way through it by years of water/ocean eroding it. One in our group travels to Thailand a lot and he told us they represent good luck.

Regarding the manual transmission-Yes, we had a safari truck and it was the nicest one I have seen down there! It had a nice cover over the back of it and the seats were very nice. It was night and day difference compared to the trucks we used in Anegada smile

Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: JlarsBVI] #120386
02/10/2017 01:37 PM
02/10/2017 01:37 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,021
New Hampshire
map Offline
Traveler
map  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,021
New Hampshire
Loved the trip report .... it helps when you suffer from DIF!
Thanks for sharing! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

map <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />


~As you navigate through life, take time to play in the waves~
Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: JlarsBVI] #120387
02/12/2017 08:52 AM
02/12/2017 08:52 AM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,419
Bucks County, Pa.
toast Offline
Traveler
toast  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,419
Bucks County, Pa.
Great report thanks for sharing....now DIF set in <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />


Toast.......to Life; White Bay...heaven on earth.
Diane
Re: Trip Report- January 22nd-31st [Re: JlarsBVI] #120388
02/12/2017 01:03 PM
02/12/2017 01:03 PM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 285
Orlando, FL
mmchaplin Offline
Traveler
mmchaplin  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 285
Orlando, FL
Great report! Headed to BVIs next weekend for a sailing trip on Steppin Up and can't wait. We are repeat offenders.

Cheers!

Marcia


Cheers,

Marcia



Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.6.1