One of the delights of sailing into a new port is discovering a beach bar where yachtsmen can meet, tell stories, watch a sunset, and just enjoy being on the water and away from civilization.
We’ve noticed, also, that around the world these bars tend to have a great sense of humor, and refuse to take life too seriously. Many put up funny signs or paintings, or allow customers to do so. We thought we’d show you a few of our favorites – please add yours!
Each one of the 27 people who went on our BVI Charter said that it was either the best or one of the best holidays they’d ever had. The variety the BVI offers, the comfortable catamarans, the superb beaches, and the freedom of a charter combined to create lifelong memories for everyone. The BVI proved once again why it is the world’s top yacht charter destination.
Although it worked out well, it wasn’t without its risks and stresses. Some conclusions about family and group chartering are the following:
– Kids will love it, but you have to plan for them and brief them properly. Beach toys, cards, electronic games, videos, guidebooks all are indispensable. And teach them to snorkel before they arrive in the BVI.
– Don’t skimp on the boat size or amenities. Little things like an ice maker, flush toilets, and fully equipped kitchens make a huge difference. The added cost will get lost in the increased enjoyment of the trip.
– The BVI is not cheap, especially the food, there’s no way around it. There are plenty of ways of making the trip more cost effective, but do be aware that the BVI is not a low cost holiday destination and budget accordingly.
– Unless you know all the islands and have sailed there before, we strongly recommend a Skipper. He’ll take so much of the planning and worry out of the trip. Trying to keep children and family happy while also concentrating on the day’s itinerary doesn’t leave a lot of time to relax and enjoy!
– Plan a basic itinerary before the trip, and communicate it to everyone. There’s nothing more stressful than trying to get multiple groups and captains to agree on a destination and agenda for the day. Of course it can be adjusted (we had a 5 minute nightly meeting to confirm the plan for the following day), but starting with a blank sheet of paper each day is asking for trouble.
– Have a group meeting before you leave. We had everyone over and did a thorough briefing on the trip 3 weeks prior to departure. Items discussed were travel plans, safety rules for the kids, provisioning, general itinerary, and, importantly, how to make a pina colada. Some of our European Friends also had to learn who Jimmy Buffet was (yes, hard to believe).
– Finally, plan your trip with like minded people who like to have fun, are flexible and aren’t looking for all of the creature comforts of a 5 star hotel. Even though our catamarans were comfortable, they are not a floating resort. People who are used to boats understand that weather can be bad, things may break, and changes of plans will inevitably occur. If you don’t think they will be happy on a boat for a week, put them in a resort such as the Bitter End and meet them along the way!!
The last two days of our charter were spent on Jost Van Dyke, with a quick stop on marvellous Sandy Spit – the glorious deserted island ringed with an excellent sandy beach and offering some nice coral snorkeling. The main events on Jost were to be Saturday night at Foxy’s and Sunday all day at the Soggy Dollar Bar, just around the corner.
Foxy’s, to be honest, was disappointing. We had geared the whole party up for a great party on Saturday, and had been building up Foxy’s throughout the trip (based on previous visits there). But, even though it was a Saturday night and probably 60 boats were anchored in the harbor, there was no atmosphere at Foxy’s and almost no people. By 9pm, there were maybe 20 people in the place, and the recorded music was certainly not begging anyone to hit the dance floor. Disappointed, we headed back to our cats and had our own parties!
We certainly did not have the same fate at the Soggy Dollar Bar! White Bay has a gorgeous beach, just as nice and clean as Deadmans Bay, Peter Island. And the Soggy Dollar bar was everything you’d want it to be – relaxed, with great beach food (we all had Cheeseburgers in Paradise), magic Painkillers, uplifting Caribbean music, and plenty of happy people arriving and partying throughout the day. We rafted 3 of our cats together and anchored them 20 feet from the beach, so everyone could swim to shore whenever they desired. It’s hard to imagine how we could have spent a better day at the beach.
In the evening all of the crowds left, leaving just our boats and 2 others in the Bay. We helped close down the bar, bought our obligatory t-shirts, and then had a group dinner on our rafted boats. The Soggy Dollar Bar is also a hotel, with elegant evening candlelight dining, but kids are not allowed.
Our suggestion is that perhaps it would have been better to spend two nights in peaceful and beautiful White Bay, and just take a quick taxi over to check out if there was any action at Foxy’s.
The sail to Anegada, which took only 2 1/2 hours, was simple – one tack is all that’s required because you’re sailing north with a predominantly easterly wind. Instead of mooring with most of the other boats, our captain Alex suggested that we moor at the western side of Pomato Point. This is a great anchorage if you want to truly have the beach and water to yourselves – there was literally no one else but us moored there, and the only establishment was a small hotel that will be happy to make you a pina colada if you’re in need. You can walk the beach to the lobster restaurants (we enjoyed the Lobster Trap) – it takes about 15 minutes. Or cabs are available via the radio.
The beach here really is fantastic – clean, white with small pink specks, seemingly endless. The closer you get to the western point of Anegada, the more fine it becomes, until you’re almost walking in a light powder. And the nicest thing is, that there’s virtually no one on it, as can be seen by this picture taken early-afternoon.
What to do on Anegada? There are really only a few things, all enjoyable. Hang out on the beach, watch the sunset, eat fresh grilled lobster, go snorkeling, experiment with Rum drinks. To this we added “make a bonfire and have a party on the beach”, which was highly successful!
We set sail from Cam Bay across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Virgin Gorda and its main event, the Baths. This unique rock formation, which looks like a huge truck has just dumped many enormous boulders on a beach, was caused when volcanic eruptions deposited granite that eroded into piles of boulders on the beach. This type of formation is found only in the Seychelles and Virgin Gorda.
The Baths is a must visit for virtually everyone, but especially for families with children. The boulders that form a series of caves, grottos and pools, create endless possibilities for exploring, playing and snorkeling. The waters are calm and sheltered, so even the most novice snorkeler can enjoy the spectacle. Your children will invent games on the spot, and will most likely be entertained for hours.
One warning – hordes of tourists descend upon the baths between 10 am and 3 pm most every day. Many arrive from large cruise ships. The trails at the baths are very narrow, and you will find yourself in the middle of a “tourist jam” if you time your visit wrong. We strongly recommend that you either arrive quite early in the day, or just be more relaxed about it and arrive at 2 or 3. You will enjoy it a lot more, as the Baths is a peaceful place best experienced when you’re not bumping into other visitors.
Top of the Baths
The “Top of the Baths” is a gem of a restaurant, with a free, freshwater pool, a varied lunch menu, and refreshing drinks. It’s just a short walk up and unmarked path, but well worth it! The view north toward tortola is stunning – you could look at it all day long.
There are also some shops for beachwear and t-shirts and the Mad Dog restaurant, famous for great sandwiches.
