First of several newbie questions!

We are very much looking forward to our second BVI charter this summer. Last charter had a skipper and chef - this time skipper only. We are spending our first three days on Cooper Island and then heading to Road Town to board our charter. We have 3 nights aboard with just me, DH, 3 kids (12, 13, 14). On the 4th day we are picking up my sister, her DH and 3 kids (12, 13, 15). Two quick questions to start our planning.

1. Should we head up to Anegada for 2 of our first nights? If so, where should we go the first night? I would love to try to do Leverick for the Friday night BBQ but will that be too ambitious? We did not go to Anegada on our first trip.

2. Where should we pick up my sister and her crew? They fly into STT and land (on a Monday) at 12:35. My thought is have them get on the 2:30 ferry from CA (if it is running?) and have them taxi from Road Town to Trellis Bay - pick them up there. Then work our way down - starting in North Sound. End with our last day at JVD, Sandy Cay. Go thru BVI customs at Soper's Hole and then get dropped at Cruz Bay, STJ (next 10 days will be on island here).

Thoughts? Our plan is breakfast and lunch aboard with most dinners ashore. Thanks in advance!

Did you tell the charter operator you will have that many aboard with a hired captain? I also would not put any agenda together with a paid master. Many of those guys have a set routine that will be hard to break and they should have more local knowledge than any of us. If there are a few places you want to see make that known early. Otherwise sit back and enjoy the ride.

You could consider checking out from JVD instead of Sopers, unless someone needs to catch the ferry from Sopers. If everyone is going to be on the boat to St John you could consider a few days on the boat there too. Some very nice areas there.
We go to the snorkeling sites and gear everything around that so after 1 trip up to Anegada, it's not even on the list anymore.

I agree with StormJib on the hired skippers routine, I know you paid for the boat, and probably paid dearly, but don't put him/her under the pressure of an itinerary. They'll be flexible enough for you to lay out a plan, but plans will change, sometimes due to weather or swell, sometimes due to boat trouble, or possibly your guests missed flights and ferries. You should be ready and willing to go with the flow. It's the islands mon, enjoy.

In regards to the hired skipper comments, I think it depends. Did you charter a captained boat or did you just charter a boat and add a captain? If you are just hiring a captain to handle the boat for you, then you can set the schedule and agenda. If you are chartering a "crewed" (captain only in this case) boat, then that may be a little different, but you should still be able to set the agenda, just know that weather can always change things.

Charter knows we are a group of 10. Plenty of room for us all.

We chartered a boat and are hiring a skipper independently. Our itinerary will be very flexible (we ended up altering our itinerary last trip because the kids wanted to watch the world cup soccer game at BEYC - one of the most memorable nights for them!)

We are just trying to decide if Anegada is a good idea for our 3 days alone - or not worth it. We won't need to worry about flights or ferries because we will be coming from Cooper Island. Also need to determine where the best place to pick up the rest of our "crew" for our last 6 days on the boat.

JVD makes sense for checking out of BVI's! - Thx Subaqua

We will all be going to STJ for 10 days so we don't really want to spend any days around there on the boat. We have been several times and have our routine set for then

I would like to have some idea of where we will be going so we can provision properly as well.

Planning this has been a blast so far. We know what we want to do again and what we can skip this time around but need a little direction with the best way to do it all.

One key difference to consider with a family is Anegada is a location where you park in a large anchorage. Ride the dinghy to a dock and then rent a car, truck, taxi or other form of remote third world transport to travel across the island to one of the beach bars to go to the beach. Dinner is off one of the docks in the anchorage. The time, hassle, and distance between the boat and beach bars is not for everyone. I would not waste my time with Anegada unless you have exhausted the rest of the BVI/USVI and have become bored with them. While you will find many large Leverick Fans here. The lack of shade and too much bare concrete for our taste keeps us away from Leverick in favor of BEYC, Peter Island, and JVD. Again the captain should be able to size up you crew and I would follow his or her guidance for each day.

Is the captain an experienced local sailor??

I am sorry StormJib would not waste his/her time on Anegada. Last summer we took our children and grandchildren to Anegada in two shifts. For the first week it was a really rough ride, but once we arrived they loved the process of dinghying to the dock, renting a car, getting lost on the island, finding beaches and beach bars. We ate at Anegada Reef Hotel so were not surrounded by hordes, but instead were served by wonderful staff who cared that the children were indeed having a good trip. In addition, the dietary needs of a 4 year old who was not too sure of this whole boating thing were more than adequately met.
The best thing about the BVI is that there is something for everyone. Our grandchildren were aged 4 - 15 and Anegada was one of their favorite spots.

If you haven't been, go and try it. You won't know if you like it until you go.

If we don't go to Anegada this trip I am sure we will on another - just trying to determine if it makes sense to go there straight from Road Town with one stop our first night somewhere (thoughts?) and then spend two nights exploring Anegada.

We would then head back to Trellis Bay (or somewhere else?) to pick up the rest of our crew that will be sailing with us for the next six nights. We will NOT go to Anegada with them because there is plenty for them to see and do as this is their first BVI trip and one of the kids has T1 diabetes so we want to be near shore in case of an emergency.

Our captain will be an experienced sailor and know the waters but I would very much like to be sure our plans maximize both kid and adult fun. The captain of our last charter planned the entire 6 days/5 nights and did a decent job but there were definitely things I want to do differently this trip.

Not sure how long you'll be on the boat but Anegada doesn't have to be a two night stop. The sail really only takes about three hours so you could easily take off after the first night if it's not your thing. For us, one day on Anegada is enough, but I know others could spend their entire charter there. I do like the sail to Anegada and back - just set the sails, let a fishing line out and relax. If you are interested I'd say yes to Anegada and just stay flexible as to whether you stay one or two nights.

As far as making Leverick on the first night, it probably depends on how quickly you get off the dock. Pre-provisioning would help and having a captain might expedite the process if he is known by the charter company. Also, he MIGHT be able to take you through Mosquito Cut rather than all the way around to the Northern channel. That could trim almost an hour off the trip.

You not only need to GET to Anegada, you also need to get back FROM Anegada, and you have a specific time frame.

If you want to go for it, run it by the Captain in terms of weather and sea state. Consider first night in Marina Cay. Pussers is your dinner option there and it is definitely doable first night off the dock.

The sail from Marina Cay to Anegada is a little longer than the sail from North Sound, but you gain some significant time by NOT traveling to North Sound, which I don't consider to be a " first day off the dock" reality.

Remember, I said you need to come BACK from Anegada, too. Since you have to pick up the additional crew on the same day you LEAVE Anegada, you have to do the same sail BACK to Tortola. Trellis bay would make that an easy pick up, and it is literally " next door" to Marina Cay.

So, that then puts you at Trellis for the night of the pick-up. Your arriving guests won't make it to Trellis in time for you to go far, although perhaps you could get back to Marina Cay. You won't have daylight enough to make Peter Island.

Then, if I understand your plan, it is to sail to North Sound the next day ? If so, then Trellis and/ or Marina Cay are logical and ideal for the pick-up night.

Yes, it can be done if the weather co-operates in every respect. There truly is no way to make the decision before you get there.

So, I suggest you have an alternate plan in place, which could be the Bight at Norman the first day, with snorkeling at the Indians, Caves or Water Point, dinner at Pirates. Second day move around to the other side of Norman and take an anchor spot in Benures Bay, where there is absolutely NO shore service but totally amazing swimming and good snorkeling on the reef that protects the bay itself. Third day up to Peter Island, and then the next day it is a straight shot from Peter to Trellis for the pickup.


If the weather window for Anegada is closed early in your charter, and you plan to go to North Sound later, you may get a great chance to go with everybody onboard later. Personally, I would not make a judgment about taking first timers there, because it absolutely, to me and to many others, i s a magical place in the BVI and the 6 kids would have a complete and total blast. Food and cocktails are great on Anegada, so really no worry about missing other stuff. The downwind sail from Anegada takes you to the North Shore of Tortola and yes, to Jost, just as would a trip back down from North Sound.

As far as the T1 Db patient, Anegada has a NP on-island, so you aren't completely out of reach of medical care. If Seasickness becomes an issue, you'l likely find out about that on the sail to North Sound, and then getting land transportation to the clinic on Virgin Gorda will be another issue. Due diligence and caution are always necessary.

Whew, long winded way of saying, wait and see what the weather is like when you get there !

Certainly every skipper, captain, master... is different. I can only imagine the eyes of the amateur charter boat once a year skippers who frequent TTOL having a crew member hop on the boat and handing him or her an itinerary(boat path) for a week. I suspect any professional mariner will not enjoy the __________________.... The reality is the better paid skippers will first try to make sure there are no surprises, anxiety, risk, worries, painted into a corner failures on his watch. I would review with the hired professional skipper what you most enjoyed on the last trip, what you want to avoid on this trip, and the things you must do like meet your sister. Then let the hired skipper plan the navigation for the week. In my opinion the biggest error many make is trying to "hit" or punch the list with too many spots or must say they were there events or locations. Since it has not come up. With all those kids I would try to make sure you have at least one stand up paddle board and one two man kayak(the bigger and more stable the better) on the boat. We have packed as many as 15 kids on a boat and found as long as we do not rush any of the Moms all goes well. In many cases long late leisurely big lunches ashore with simple dinner on the boat can work well too. No hassles, no hurry, no agenda. The boat moves downwind when everyone is ready for the boat to move again.

You could take a slip at Scrub Island and let the kids play in the pool and you can sip cocktails while waiting for your guests to take the free ferry over from Trellis Bay. We did that in October and it was so relaxing. It also gives your newbies a chance to be on the dock the first night and get used to the boat.

If you are curious about Anegada, you should go. I think going for a night is fine. You sail in the morning, arrive midday, explore the island for the afternoon, have a great dinner and take off the next morning. You'll leave wanting more which is not a bad thing!

I highly recommend renting scooters, especially with teenagers. They'll have a blast. I think officially they are supposed to be 16 to get one of their own though.

P.S. And just talk to your skipper and don't worry about everyone telling you what you should or shouldn't do or what is or isn't expected.

Thanks for the advice! We definitely will be talking to our skipper in detail about what we HOPE to accomplish on this trip with LOTS of flexibility built in based on weather, seas, attitudes and motivation while on total island time....

We are planning on first night at Marina Bay, moving onto Anegada for one or two nights with a sail to Trellis on Day 4 to pick up the rest of our crew. Plan subject to change <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I have looked at your web page stormster and we nearly chartered S/V Orion but the dates we needed were not exact and we opted for a larger Cat based on the size of our crew. We have Orion bookmarked and hope to sail her on another trip

It is never good judgement for a parent or group leader to ever put young people on anything like a scooter far from home and the healthcare they know. On Anegada the roads and not just unfamiliar they are terrible. Putting anyone on a scooter risks the safety of the young person and the trip for everyone else. Can they be fun sure. Can the immature and inexperienced created a real mess. You Bet! Double all that on Anegada or any remote place.

You are a long way from great orthopedic, spinal or brain specialists. Young (or not so young) folks on two wheels in totally unfamiliar environment with bad roads, lots of sand, cows, cars/taxis going too fast for those roads, rum,,are not ideal conditions to rent a scooter. A couple weeks ago our best friend's son had a freak bike accident on their property ..skull fracture, sub dural hematoma.. Referred immediately by ambulance to a pediatric neurosurgeon in a speciality center handling children problems only..to evacuate the hematoma. He's doing fine and seems none the worse for wear..indeed while recuperating suggested his Mom take his sister for a bike ride when she was arguing with him.

Anegada is not a great place to do the scooter thing imho..and there are some residents there that can confirm that to be the case. Have a great trip..

We rented scooter on Anegada two years ago and won't do it again. The problem we had was the sand we tried to ride to the Cow Wreck and took a spill in the soft sand no injuries other than a bruise on my leg and a new knowledge of motor scooters and sand don't mix. At least not for me.

Scooters were never going to happen with our crew - they are all 15 and under. Plus my mom had a rough moped crash while in Bermuda. It resulted in a terrible fungal infection. She made us all promise to never rent a moped, scooter, motorized bike on any island ever. That was 30 years ago and we are still keeping our promise.

We had a medical emergency in Anegada and I can say they were well set up to get us to help. Short version is that my wife had a heart issue in the anchorage. We called the Island Nurse from Potters' and he personally drove us to meet her. She had already had an aircraft in the air and brought us to the airport for the very short flight to Beef Island. We were met there by an ambulance and were at the hospital in what felt like 8 minutes. I think start to finish was about 1/2 hour. Not bad considering.

A longer version of the story is in my Trip Report:
http://traveltalkonline.com/forums/showf...amp;Search=true

I understand that in a real emergency 1/2 hour is way too long but my point is that they do have a plan.

oh boy...scooters on Anegada! Last year I was there with five girlfriends who all love Cow Wreck and this trip we thought it would super fun to drive scooters out there. I was brave when we rented the scooters ( I had never been on one or driven one but it looked fun!) I was scared but hey! I can do this!!

We drove out to Cow Wreck and had a blast! We floated with our drinks and we played darts and pool and had a few more lovely cocktails. When it was time to leave I should have said no as I had a few drinks but reason and good sense are in short supply when good cocktails are on board. We put our helmets on and took to the road. There is so much sand on the road out and I got stuck in soft sand and went down. I am so happy I didn't land on the rebar on the side of the road ( ready for the concrete road to be poured) and went down slow. I got a very ugly bruise that lasted about a year!

So next time on Anegada, I won't be taking a scooter! My friends can enjoy the ride but I am fine with the taxi taking me out there! such as it is a cab <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

You should be able to comfortably make Leverick Bay on Day 1. It's only 18 nm from Roadtown and should take about 2.5 hours. If you're off the dock by 3:30 pm, you're still there 45 minutes before sunset. If you get to North Sound by early afternoon, you could anchor/moor at Prickly Pear island for some beach time and swimming before repositioning to Leverick Bay. Kids will also like the pool at Leverick. Might as well stay at the dock at Leverick using the TTOL special of $35 with bag of ice and water fill.

For Day 2 & 3, I highly recommend a visit to Anegada. We've taken kids in that age group - they enjoyed the 'adventure' of the sail over the horizon, riding the bench seats in the back of the rental pickup, visiting the Anegada iguana sanctuary, beachcombing and snorkeling (if seas are settled) at Flash of Beauty, hanging out at the beach & pool at Anegada Beach Club, lobster dinner on the beach (many restaurants choices), limbo dancing in the sand at Potters.

On Monday, it's only a 20 nm sail from Anegada to Trellis Bay. In the morning dinghy over to Pam's Bakery at Neptune's Treasure for some fresh baked goods such as banana bread, drop off the rental vehicle (or simply arrange to leave it at Anegada Reef Hotel with the keys under the mat), then enjoy a leisurely sail. If seas are settled, make a stop at Great Dog or George Dog for lunch & snorkel or continue directly to Cam Bay and anchor for the afternoon behind the reef, have lunch and snorkel. In the late afternoon, head to Trellis Bay to meet your crew.

Another alternative on Day 4 would be to spend the afternoon and night at the dock at Scrub Island. The summer marina rate is only $2/ft plus 17% service charge. The kids (and likely the adults) will enjoy the two-level pool, waterslide, and hot tub. Your guests can take the Scrub Island ferry from Trellis Bay (10 minute trip, departs 45 minutes after the hour until 10:45 pm). This also allows you and your new guests to take nice long showers ashore, and to start you next leg in the morning with full water tanks ($0.35/gallon).

We stayed at Scrub last year while picking up and dropping off guests and it worked out very well. Didn't have to worry about the timing of their flight or getting their luggage into and out of the dinghy and instead we were able to just hang out by the pool and wait for them to step off the ferry. Easy-peasy. A lot of people seem to have a problem with Scrub for one reason or another, but I have always found it to be a nice stop on our charters. We typically go during off season so the slip fee isn't crazy expensive - at least not until we add our tab for drinks and dinner. Sometime Scrub even offers a TTOL rate to make it even less expensive, but they seem to be pulling back from that. Never hurts to ask though.

And I have to also agree with the above, a slip at Leverick for the night is a must - no reason not to if you are going to be in the North Sound. If you make the reservation it will be there waiting for you on that first night even if you don't get there until sunset.

I think parents are capable of accessing their own kids' abilities. We've rented several times on Anegada and our teenager showed responsible, competent behavior. It was a positive experience that we plan to do again.

Some would say taking your kids on a sailboat, in the ocean, where water is over their head and weather can come up at any time is also irresponsible.

Stormy