After "Manx Mist" passed its final inspection, I flew down to BVI to pick it up, joined shortly afterwards by my first "crew" - youngest daughter Jenny - and the sailing life started. We had chartered in BVI many times before, so the waters were familiar, and it continues to be a great place to cruise despite the ever-increasing number of charter boats and decreasing anchorages.
Jenny and I visited all our favourite spots - White Bay on JVD, Leverick on Virgin Gorda, Willie T's in the Bight at Norman Island, and, of course, the great beaches of Anegada. Caught a couple of squalls on the sailing to Anegada. And made lots of friends along the way.
A tanned Jenny left, to return to work in Toronto. To be replaced by my old sailing partner, Vic Weeks, from my hometown of Gosport, UK. Joined shortly afterwards by Calgary buddy, Richard Blakemore. Richard only stayed a few days, but swiftly picked up sailing skills. He also doggedly insisted on making a cost donation - which ended up being allocated towards the dinghy purchase, and resulted in the dinghy being named "Little Richard".Another cruise around BVI, and some excellent sailing in strong breezes, before Richard headed back off to Calgary.
Vic and I cruised around some more, and then first mate Hil arrived for her first stay aboard our boat. It was a short overlap, before we had to anchor again in Trellis Bay, alongside BVI's airport, to drop Vic off for his return flight to the UK.Hil and I continued to cruise around BVI, with more time back at Virgin Gorda, over to Anegada, and JVD, before leaving the boat in the capable hands of Walter at MMS/Penns in East End Bay and heading back to Calgary for December/Christmas and a blast of winter.
Sailing in the BVI
The British Virgin Islands are a sailing dream area. Blessed with warm waters, steady trade winds, and an abundance of sheltered anchorages. They are, however, exceedingly popular and Tortola is home to an abundance of charter fleets - Sunsail/Moorings being the largest. Most of these boats go in bareboat service, and to accommodate the numbers, and the range of proficiency of the skippers, the anchorages have been largely converted to mooring balls. True anchorages are hard to find - even the once remote Anegada is now mainly mooring balls - but the mooring balls are fortunately maintained in good shape.
There are still a few nice locations which charter boats avoid, or are excluded, due to reef navigation issues or they are a little "secret" - Savannah bay on Virgin Gorda, Money Bay on Norman Island, Key Bay on Peter Island.
Otherwise, it's race for a mooring ball - I've seen yachts full speed through busy anchorages, trying to beat each other to the last ball. At peak season times in the popular spots, you need to be moored up by early pm or you're out of luck. Similarly, it's a challenge to find a free National Park ball at the popular locations like the Baths, or Monkey Pt.
Despite the amount of traffic, BVI is still a great place to sail. It has some of the best snorkeling left in the islands - Monkey Pt, the Indians, Cistern Pt, and the reef at Marina Cay are all superb, and Flash of Beauty on Anegada on a good day is hard to beat.
And it has lovely anchorages/moorings, with either superb beaches or great beach bars or both - White Bay and the Soggy Dollar, Willie T's in the bight, Deadmans Bay on Peter Island, Foxy's Taboo and the Bubbly pool.
