About Tom Virden

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BVI Crewed Catamaran 7 Day Itinerary – Day 4 – Virgin Gorda to Anegada

The North Sound Virgin Gorda is well protected by islands and reefs, so there are few waves there, making it ideal for water sports. Alex brought out the armada after breakfast, and we spent the morning waterskiing, paddle boarding, wind surfing and kayaking around the beautiful bay. Then after lunch, a one tack sail up to Anegada, which take a bit over an hour in the fresh trade winds.

Watersports in North Sound Virgin Gorda

As mentioned, Souls Calling has a full complement of great water toys, which are a treat for everyone, especially the kids. We spent the entire morning paddle boarding, tubing, water skiing, kayaking, and just hanging out in his large float behind the boat. Alex drove expertly, and got everyone up on skis. Needless to say, we all were happy and a bit tired by lunchtime.

The Sail to Anegada

The constant and predictable trade winds make for an easy, single tack open water sail up to Anegada, which takes a bit over an hour sailing at 8 – 9 knots. Leaving the Bitter End Yacht Club, you pass by Necker Island, the exclusive island that is owned by Richard Branson and was hit by lightning in 2012 and is in the process of rebuilding.

Anegada

Anegada is dramatically different from all the other islands in the BVI chain. It is entirely coral, as opposed to volcanic, and so very flat with little vegetation.

Anegada is known for it’s flock of flamingos, which you can see from a bus on a trip to Loblolly Bay, snorkeling on its reefs, long white beaches, and fresh caught grilled lobster dinners. The island is one of our favorite stops in the BVI, although some people find it a bit remote and quiet for their liking.

You’re also nearly guaranteed to get a beautiful sunset from your mooring.

We took the dingy ashore and had an excellent lobster dinner – there are 5 restaurants that are happy to serve you. It’s a good idea, however, to call ahead for reservations so you’re not disappointed.

Tomorrow – Flamingos, Loblolly Bay, and Sailing to Little Jost Van Dyke, and bonfire on the beach.

Click here to see this BVI itinerary all in one page.

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓

BVI Crewed Catamaran 7 Day Itinerary – Day 3 – Wreck of the Rhone, The Baths and the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda

Day three has two world famous stops – the Wreck of the Rhone and “the Baths”, and then a nice sail up Virgin Gorda to the beautifully protected North Sound, home of the Bitter End Yacht Club.

We spent too much time the previous day to snorkel at the Wreck of the Rhone, so after breakfast we headed directly to it, going south to the far end of Salt Island. There are several mooring balls at the Wreck of the Rhone (no anchoring, it’s a national park!).

The Wreck of the Rhone

Immediately upon diving in you see a huge sunken ship stretching out into the depths, most obviously the huge propeller and the long drive shaft. A stunning sight!

Here’s what it looks like when diving through the propeller area:

We then set sail for the famous “Baths”, an amazing rock formation at the southwestern tip of Virgin Gorda. We anchored just off of the beautiful beach at Spring Bay, had lunch, and then took the dinghy over to Devils Bay Beach.

The Baths

The Baths is a collection of granite boulders as large as 40 feet in diameter that look as if they’ve been dumped by a huge truck. The were formed when molten lava cooled slowly and formed a hard crystalline granite layer. Shrinkage and cracking formed blocks, which are visiable today because the softer rock has worn away.

There is a nice path with steps and handrails through the rocks of the Baths. Best to do the hike early or late in the day, as it can get hot and crowded – spoiling your ability to just enjoy nature. Kids will also love swimming in the pools around the rocks.

After enjoying the baths, the beaches, and a nice climb up to the bar/restaurant above called “top of the Baths” where you can get a refreshing drink or lunch, we headed up Virgin Gorda on the way to the Bitter End. This beautiful coastline has some of the most exclusive beaches and homes in the world – several movie stars call it have houses along the route.

The Bitter End Yacht Club

The North Sound at Virgin Gorda is well protected by islands and reefs, making it an ideal bay to anchor for the night. Upon entering, you will see the triangular roofs of the bungalows, as well as many moored yachts throughout the sound. You can also see Leverick Bay on the right and the famous Necker Island (owned by Richard Branson) on the left as you approach.

You’ll nearly always get a great sunset at the Bitter End!

Tomorrow – north to Anegada, Loblolly Bay and Grilled Lobsters for Dinner!.

Click here to see this BVI itinerary all in one page.

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓

BVI Crewed Catamaran 7 Day Itinerary – Day 2 – Norman Island to Peter and Cooper Islands

Day 2 started with a short motor to “the Indians” – a row of rocks protruding out of the water that resemble an indian headdress, then a sail to Peter Island for lunch and watersports in beautiful Deadmans Bay, then a second sail to Cooper Island to spend the night at the Haulover. Here is our track:

Snorkeling at “the Indians”

You can find great snorkeling at the Indians, swimming between the protruding rocks and looking into the depths. It is a very popular destination, with easy access to mooring balls. You are only allowed to stay there for an hour, so that others can partake in the activity. Jump in, swim around, enjoy!

Deadmans Bay, Peter Island

After snorkeling, we raised sails and headed to Peter Island – generally a one tack sail up the Sir Francis Drake channel. Deadmans bay is owned by the Peter Island Resort, but charterers are allowed to use the beach to enjoy it’s beauty. There are also some beautiful hikes with superb views if you are interested in hiking or jogging.

Deadmans Bay is a great place to pull out all the water toys and beach toys. We waterskied, boogy boarded and spent a lot of time paddle boarding. There are sea turtles in the bay, which are fun to spot and follow while on a paddle board.

The beach is one of our favorites – with clean white sand, nice breakers to play in and beautiful views from all angles.

View from Peter Island Resort — View from the road above Peter Island Resort

The view of our catamaran at Deadmans Bay, Peter Island

Cooper Island

We pulled up anchor after a great day of watersports, beach games and hiking the trails of Peter Island, and headed to the Haulover at Cooper Island. If you’re looking for a less remote place to anchor for the night, you may want to anchor at the Cooper Island Resort nearby.

We passed the Wreck of the Rhone, a great diving area, but decided to see it tomorrow as it was getting late!

Sunset from the Haulover, Coopers Island — Sunset from the Haulover, Cooper Island

Screen-Shot-2013-04-20-at-16.19.52 — Approaching the Haulover, Cooper Island

Nearly any anchorage on the southern islands give you an amazing view of the sunset seen through Sir Francis Drake Channel.

Tomorrow – The Wreck of the Rhone then on to Virgin Gorda, The Baths and The Bitter End Resort

Click here to see this BVI itinerary all in one page.

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓

BVI Crewed Catamaran 7 Day Itinerary – Day 1 – Road Town to the Bight, Norman Island

The traditional first day out in the BVI is the short sail (8 miles/1 hour) to Norman Island to anchor in the Bight, do some snorkeling at “the Caves”, and maybe hit the famous Willy T’s floating bar. Day 1 is a chance to learn the boat, get your sea legs, and get into the BVI rhythm. So we of course did the same thing! Here is our route.

Setting Sail!

The Caves, Norman Island

A great first place to snorkel in the BVI is in “The Caves”, which are directly around the corner from the Bight, so they are the perfect first stop. We set sail around 3 pm and were snorkeling by 4:30. You can go quite deep into the Caves (you’ll need a waterproof flashlight) or just snorkel around the entrances as the fish are colorful and plentiful.

After about 45 minutes of snorkeling, we pulled up anchor and motored around the corner to anchor in the Bight, with about 50 other monohulls and catamarans!

The Bight, Norman Island

The Bight is a large, protected bay on the north side of Norman Island. There are plenty of mooring balls there, so there’s normally no need to drop anchor, and the Bight features two Bar/Restaurants – the Pirates Bight at the end of the Bay, which offers among other things a conch burger, and blows off a cannon daily at the beginning of happy hour. It has recently been remodeled and upgraded, but still has a rustic, eat with you feet in the sand, feel.

The Willy T Floating Bar and Restaurant

Willy T’s is definitely not for children or the light hearted. It’s famous for multiple people doing shooters by tipping up a water ski with 5 shot holders in it, and then dancing until the late hours. Two TV screens on either side of the bar show topless girls doing shooters and jumping off the boat. As mentioned, it’s not for children, but it’s a fun place where you can meet people and enjoy a fun night out from your boat!

Tomorrow – we sail to Peter Island, paddle board with turtles, and Cooper Island!.

Click here to see this BVI itinerary all in one page.

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓

Day By Day – The ideal BVI Crewed Catamaran Charter Itinerary aboard Soul’s Calling – Lagoon 500

We recently revisited the British Virgin Islands in order to update our itinerary suggestions and report on any interesting changes since our last visit. We can faithfully report that all of the things that make the BVI the leading sailing charter destination in the world are still there – the BVI has a timelessness that makes it a familiar place to come back to, even 25 years after our first visit.

This series of blog posts will take you day-by-day through a typical crewed caramaran charter in the BVI. We retraced our “counter clockwise” itinerary of the islands, starting with Norman, then to Peter, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke, and then back to Norman Island before the final sail back to Road Town. Here is our actual GPS plot of the itinerary.

A typical BVI Sailing Itinerary

Our Catamaran

We were aboard Soul’s Calling, a beautiful Lagoon 500 catamaran, captained by Alex Mulder. Soul’s Calling has 3 cabins, including a spacious Owners suite, and always gets high ratings and excellent testimonials. She has become one of Boatbooking’s favorite catamarans in the BVI.

Souls Calling - Lagoon 500 Crewed Catamaran — *Souls Calling* in Village Cay Port – a Lagoon 500 Crewed Catamaran

We were excited to see Alex again and meet his wife and the boat’s superb cook, Carla!

Arriving and Boarding

While it is possible to fly directly to Tortola, St Thomas in the USVI is often more convenient because it is served by more and larger planes. We took the Road Town Fast Ferry from Charlotte Amalie (the main port on St Thomas) for the scenic 1 hour cruise. The ferry costs $60 round trip per adult, $35 for children.

We began getting excited for our charter as St Johns, Jost Van Dyke and Tortola rolled into view from the deck of the ferry, and then cruised the south coast of Tortola until we pulled into the Ferry Building in Road Town. Warning – the BVI is a different country from the USVI, and there is quite a bit of tedious paperwork to fill out – a small price to pay to enter paradise!

The Road Town Ferry Building — Arriving at the Road Town Ferry Building

Souls Calling was waiting for us just a short walk from the Ferry Building in Village Cay, one of the many marinas in Road Town. Alex welcomed us, introduced us to Carla, and then gave us a safety briefing and discussed the rules of the boat. We were reminded never to bring sand onto the boat – it ruins the floors and scratches the fiberglass. Because of this, the boat is in immaculate condition.

After the briefing, we cracked open a bottle of champagne, unloaded our bags, and quickly departed!

Tomorrow’s post – The Bight, Willy T’s, the Caves and the Indians.

Click here to see this BVI itinerary all in one page.

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Tom Virden — No Comments ↓