I am kind of new on TTOL, but I thought I would share my trip with you all. Enjoy

01/05/08. Last day of the trip, we just pulled in the marina in Road Town with our 07 Beneteau 46. It was a great boat for the 5 of us. After we emptied out the boat we noticed a really nice Lagoon 440. We all went to check it out and wow. This thing was huge. So much space inside and outside. Loved the fly bridge. Two weeks later the boat was ours for next New Years. Sometimes at the end of April we booked our flights. Didn't use AA this time. JFK - SJU we booked Jet Blue, SJU - EIS we did Cape Air. About $900 each person for both flights. Then from that day until we left it took forever.

Thursday, Dec 25th

Opened a few presents, ate a lot of food. Went to the movies and so Marley & Me. Great dog movie, then ate some more. Around 9 pm left for JFK. Our Jet Blue flight left @ 11:59pm. The airport was empty and the short lines moved very fast. We decided to do a red eye so we could get to the islands early. I always feel that you loose the whole day when you leave in the morning. Flight sucked. Even though we paid an extra $20 to get the seats with the extra leg room, it was very uncomfortable. Plus the TV's had no reception on that side of the Atlantic. Landed in San Juan at 4:45 am, went to the Cape Air counter to check in for their first flight of the day at 6:30am.

Friday, Dec 26th

45 min flight and we landed at Beef. It was very early so there were no lines. Plus with such a small plane, the bags came up very quickly. Our van was outside of the airport waiting for the 5 of us. We were a crew of five. Three guys and two girls. A 33 year old, a 32, 28, 26 & a 21 year old. Got to the marina in Road Town around 8 am. It was great. We had so much time. We were scheduled to do a sleep aboard that night. We had all day to get ready. In the previous trips we have done so much rushing around so this time we were going to relax. The boat was almost ready, just a few minor details. The only thing that didn't work was the GPS. Oh well, I have gotten to know the area very well, so we didn't care for it. Just a small map was fine. It was so nice to feel the warm sun. We live just outside of NYC and as most of you know it has been very cold here. Left our stuff on the boat and took the dinghy to Marina Cay for some breakfast. Then went to the supermarket, loaded on food and lots of drinks Around noon we took a cab to Nanny Cay to get our 17' dinghy that we had rented for the week. Very expensive, but worth every penny. This thing was brand new and it had a 90 hp motor in the back. Drove it back to Road Town, then did the briefing with the charter company then just relaxed and went to sleep.

Saturday, Dec 27th

Woke up early, picked up some snorkel gear and around 8 am we took off for Norman Island. It was my first time driving a catamaran. It was very easy to pull it out of the slip and maneuver around the marina. Out in the open water it felt different from a mono hull. With huge swells and a lot of wind it took us about 1 hour to motor to the Bight. Driving this thing from the fly bridge was a piece of cake. I could easily see the mooring balls and everyting around the boat. We picked one up close the Pirates Bight (Billy Bones). Because of the high winds we thought that closer to the shore would be the calmest. We went over for lunch to the Pirates Bight and had some delicious lunch. After lunch we got on our Speed Boat (17' dinghy) and went to the caves. After the caves we went to the Indians. With this thing we got around so fast, it was amazing. Inside of the bay, this dingy hit 40 mph. Out on the open water we would average around 30 mph. With so much time to spare and with so much speed, we took the dingy to the south shore of Peter Island. We did Peter Island last year, but we never checked out the south shore. From pictures that I had seen on line it seemed like it would be nice. After we got there we didn't find much. A small beach with no one there and two big yachts parked in the front. One of them was very big. How big? Check out this link: http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=princess-mariana-1290 . With the current behind us we flew back to the Bight. The Bight was very crowded. All the balls were taken and there were a lot of people anchored. It was the crudest that I have ever seen. Swam around the boat then went back to the Pirates Bight for dinner. Had some good food, tons of drinks, and met some great people from London. Later, we headed for Willy T's to celebrate our friends birthday. Here we ran into some friends from our town that were sailing around the same week. Great time, more drinks and a lot of loud music. We ended up staying until the end. I think that was around 3:30 am Most of you know how much it rains in the BVI's and yes.. it poured while we drove back to our boat. Then I don't remember if it rained for the rest of the night. I passed out

Sunday, Dec 28th

We got up early, made some delicious coffee then took off for Caneel Bay. Huge swells and winds between 25-30kn. We had to clear customs so we stopped in Sopers Hole. Hadn't been there since 02. It was very crowded, tight and with the high wind it felt very dangerous. Because we got there early, we were able to pick up a ball. After we cleared we left for Caneel Bay. About 1 hour later we pick up a ball in front of Honeymoon Beach. We had planned to spend 2 nights here. I know most of you will say why go to the USVI's, but I have always had a great time in St. John. Plus the beaches on the northern shore are beautiful. Some of our friends we staying and the Caneel Bay Resort so we got to see them later that night. Took our dinghy to Cruz Bay, checked in with the Customs and went to get some breakfast at Jake's. Back to the boat, relaxed, drank, swam around. Later on we took the dingy to the resort. There we were able to watch some week 17 NFL games. Saw the Jets loose to Miami, the Patriots not make the playoffs and the Chargers spank the Broncos.

Monday, Dec 29th

This day we took our 17' dinghy to Great Harbour, St Thomas. There we met up with some friends that were staying at the Ritz. This place was very nice. Had lunch, lots of drinks, used the pool. raided the spa for some nice showers. Then took a ride to Red Hook for some smokes. Dinghy back to our boat in Caneel Bay. We noticed that there weren't that many boats there. For dinner we went to High Tide in Cruz Bay. Had some delicious angel hair with chicken parm. Dinghy back from Cruz Bay to Caneel Bay in the dark. Not a big deal. Just took it a little slow in the dark. Last year we did it with the smaller dinghy at it wasn't a problem. I noticed that the number of boats at Caneel Bay for both nights was a lot smaller then last year. Last year, there weren't enough ball.

Monday, Dec 30th

Woke up early as usual. The winds had died down and the seas were very calm. Put the sails up but we weren't moving that fast. So we decided to motor to Jost Van Dyke. About 1 hour later we made a pass by Great Harbour. It was crowded and it didn't look very appealing. We headed for Little Harbour where we were able to pick up at Sindey's. A lot of balls available there. Our plan was to spend 2 nights here, Including New Years. Got on our big dingy and headed for Great Harbour. Cleared customs than went to get breakfast at A&B Snack Bar. This place didn't look that good, but I have to say that they had the best egg. We had some bacon and some toast. I wouldn't order anything else from there. Walked around for a bit, then got on our speed boat and headed for Sandy Cay. Dropped anchor and relaxed on the beach for a while. After about 2 hours we headed for White Bay. Place was packed. Went to Soggy Dollar Bar just in time for lunch. They were serving some delicious cheeseburgers. After lunch we all had a LOT of drinks. The 21 year old girl passed out on the beach. Rookie. Just a little before sunset we took the dinghy back to the boat. Dinner on the boat , then headed to Foxy's for some more drinks. Stayed and partied until last call. Surprisingly last call was on the early side. Around 1am we took the dinghy back from Great Harbour to Little Harbour. Again, we took it easy and went slow. It was very dark, but using the dinghy it saved us $50 each way.

Tuesday, Dec 31st

This day we woke up on the early side. We decided to kind of do the same things that we did the day before. Why not? Same place for breakfast, Sandy Cay, then made a pass by Sandy Spit. After that we stopped at Foxy's Taboo. There we parked our dinghy and walked to the bubbly pool. Kind of tricky to get there, but someone gave us good directions, so we had no problem finding it. Checked it out for a bit, then we headed for White Bay. There we had lunch at the Soggy Dollar and had a few more drinks. We took it easy on the drinks so we could save some room for the New Years party. Dinghy back to Little Harbour. Again, I noticed that the harbour wasn't that crowded. Last years there boats anchored left and right. After we showered we went over to Sindey's for dinner. The open bar situation there is great. You go behind the counter and you make your own drink. You make it as big as you want and as strong as you want, just make sure you write it down. It was funny because my crew didn't know about it and they thought that I was crazy sneaking behind the bar and making drinks for them. After a delicious dinner, we took the dinghy to Great Harbour. The Harbour was crowded, but again, not as many big yachts as the previous years. Trying to make our way to Foxy's dock, our propeller gets stuck on a line. Someone had decided to run a lsecond line to the shore to keep their boat from spinning around and they had it marked it with a galon emptied water bottle. What a f%#ing idiot. Even though there was pleanty of light in the area, it was impossible to see it. I shut the motor off immidiatelly and we raised it up. We were able to get loose right away. No abvious damage and she started right up. I got a little nervous and after seeing how jammed the dock at Foxy's was I thought that we were going to have a rough night. We were able pull our dinghy all the way up to the dock and we were able tie it up & lock it. After that it was party all night long. The bands were great, lots of drinking. Met up with friends that were sailing around just like us. Saw our friends that were staying at Caneel Bay & The Ritz in St. Thomas. Saw our friends who has a place in Tortola. She was going to camp out for the night with her friends at White Bay. Ran into Ron Dennis. I watch a lot of car racing ( Formula 1) and Ron is the boss for the Mclaren-Mercedes Team. Ran into Foxy again. We were there until the 4 am. Great great time. Some of the locals had told us to go to Trellis Bay for New Years, but I am glad we went to Foxy's. When we got back to the dock, our dinghy was untied, but the lock was holding it in place. Not sure if someone had tried to still it or what...

Wednesday, Jan 1st

Woke up early again. Today we had to travel a long away. All the way to the Bitter End. We were very lucky. The North Sounds was as calm as a lake. Winds were as high as 3.3kn and as low as 1.1kn. Pedal to the the metal, we passed by Sandy Cay and we could see Cane Garden Bay. No stopping there. Have heared to many bad things about it. Even our charter company advised us to stay away. I guess I wont be going there until I hear that thing are better. I don't need any headaches. With waters this calm this drive was very relaxing. We did last year and it was brutal. For the first time we even used the auto pilot (lazy)...Passed Monkey Pt, drove between Little Camanoe & Great Camanoe. Passed Marina Cay to the left, Trellis Bay to the right and set corse for the Baths. Not everyone had been there, so it was a must. As excpected all the balls were taken. Started heading towards Spanish Town, and no balls out there either. So we decided to bag it and come back the followingday with our big dinghy. Set course towards the Bitter End and we finally arrive there at about 11:30am. We did about 26NM in about 4 hrs. Not bad and that includes a detour by the Baths. Went for lunch at the pub, then took the dinghy around. We even went behind Saba Rock to the Eustatia Sounds. We took it all the way to the end. Lots of reefs there. I was very surprised to see a couple of sail boats anchored back there. We even went to Deep Bay. Also went to check out Leverick Bay. For dinner we went to the Bitter End Resort. We were very tired from the previous night, so we all went to bed on the early side. I have to say, that with the seas so calm and very light wind, I slept very well. I wasn't worried about any boats getting loose. ( I did read FINN's Trip Report later on and I saw the part about the loose boat. Nice job handleing that situation mate).

Thursday Jan 2.

Another early start to a beatifull day. The reason that I was allways getting up early is because back in 01 during my first visit to the BVI's, I would sleep in and wake up at 1 in the afternoon. So I got to miss most part of the days. So since then, I told myself that I would wake up early everyday and get as such done as possible. Anyways, today our plan was to go to the Baths. Got on our 17' dinghy and headed to Little Dix Bay. It took us only 15 minutes to get there. At Little Dix bay we visited some friends that were staying there. Had a huge breakfast at their restaurnat, laid on the beach, then we all got on the dinghy and headed for the Baths. Now it was 8 of us on it and this thing was still going strong. From Little Dix Bay to the Baths was less then 10 minutes. When we got there we did what everyone else does there, walked around, swam and snorkeld. The waves were a bit high, so it was a little tricky to get in. After about an hour and a half there, we headed back. Dropped off our friends at Little Dix and set course for the Bitter End. We went straight to the Pub for some lunch. I have to say that after all the food and the drinks that I had during this trip, I didn't gain a pound. I am on the heavy side (215) so I was a little nervous. More swimming around the boat and more relaxing. For dinner we went to Saba Rock. This year Saba Rock was dead, and the food wasn't that good. I am still camparing things to last year where the bar was pumping and the mooring field was packed. Both night the mooring field wasn't that crowded and there were a few numbers of slips available. After dinner we took our own party back to our boat until late.

Friday, Jan 3rd.

This was our last day in the BVI's. It allways seems like time goes by so fast here. This morning, my friends and I went to check out Biras Creek. Went for a little walk around and found a little horse farm. After everyone else got up, we went to the Bitter End Resort for some breakfast. At about 10am we set course for Road Town. Huge swells again and high winds. I think it was about 16NM to Road Town and it took us about 2.5 hrs. We pulled in, did the whole check out thing and left for the airport. It was only 3pm and our flight with Cape wasn't untill 7pm. We tried to get early flight but, no luck. Everything was booked. This was one of the only times that I got nervous, cause our flight for New York was schedueled to leave San Juan at 8:50pm. I really cut it close. For the few hours that we had to kill, we decided to check Cyber Cafe in Trellis Bay. I got myself a nice chicked rotti, and by the time I was finished it was time to walk back to the airport. Our flight to San Juan was delayed, but only 15 mins. On this flight i was counting every minute of it. I really didn't want to miss the connection and get stuck in San Juan. The NY flight was also delayed, but only by a few minutes. Landed at JFK at about midnight. The best thing about it was that we had a full day in the BVI's and we still had the next day home(Sunday) to relax and catch up ( watch football).



I think this was one of our best trips yet. The weather was fantastic. The Lagoon 440 was an awesome boat. The 17' dinghy was worth every penny. We were very mobile with it and it was very comfortable and safe. It also saved us a few dollars because we didn't have to take cabs, especially at Jost. For us our itinerary worked great. Spending 2 nights at each place was very relaxing. We didn't feel like we were rushing around. I have been to the BVI's 3 times now and I am due to go to Anegada. I will have to make it happen for the next trip. Also I would like to go there during the low season, when the days are longer and the prices are much cheaper. As far as the last part goes, I think the prices have to come down. Just as I pointed out during my report, there were a lot less boats out there. I hope you find this report helpfull.

Enjoy.