I understand the BVIs get really busy in July with families- how is June? Is there a date that it gets hard to get mooring balls etc! Thank you for the help!

We go in mid/late-June, and the usual places get busy from a ball oerspective-Cooper, JVD Great Harbor and Anegada. I would plan on BB at these harbors, or get there very early. Reservations required at Cooper, Coco Maya and in Anegada.

Sorry to thread bomb, but appreciate the info here. Haven't been since December of 2015, and obviously lots has changed. On that trip, I had my back seize up bad from a bulging disc and required back surgery, so haven't been around here for quite a while. Is there really any time of year other than peak hurricane season when the anchorages aren't crowded? We're working on a late April/early May trip for next year to celebrate my wife's 40th.

What does BB stand for? I get that it's some sort of mooring ball reservation facility. How prevalent is that nowadays? Also, what happens if for instance you reserve a ball on Anegada, but then decide to stay an extra night? Out of luck? Or, can you reserve for two nights and then cancel if you decide to leave that morning?

Having been in both months, I would say that June is worse than July in terms of crowds. As soon as the schools start letting out (i.e. Memorial Day), there is a significant uptick in families on charter. That has certainly been the case for us over the last 10 years. I have found that it tends to be a bit slower after the July 4th weekend, when compared to June.

As CarolinaSailor mentions, certain anchorages will almost necessitate use of BoatyBall. You can add Trellis Bay on the night of a full moon party to the list of busy anchorages, although BoatyBall will not be a solution there.

Even though June can be busy, it has not been busy on par with peak season (at least in my experience). Most other anchorages will have plenty of FCFS moorings available....even later into the afternoon. The water is warm, the wind is usually consistent, and the days are a bit longer. All of these are pluses in my book. Most all of the restaurants are still open and operating in June, as well. For these reasons, early June has been our favorite time to visit. If the crowds really get "bad", we seek out the less traveled spots (White Bay, Guana, Little Harbor JVD, Benures, Great Harbor on Peter) and never have had a problem.

Hope you enjoy your time!! We will be down 6/4 - 6/14 aboard "Anna Belle" out of TMM.

Late July hosts the Puerto Ricans for Christmas in July and it can get VERY busy. Are you comfortable anchoring? Summer can lend itself to some sublime anchoring conditions. We are here now and are anchoring most spots (Anegada, Sandy Spit JVD, other secret spots) - probably won’t use a mooring ball the entire 2 week trip except for our first night at BEYC (we were diving with Sunchaser in the morning).