Ultimate Luxury Chartering:
Trips Log: Yacht Wonderful, British Virgin Islands
By Tab Hauser tab@tabhauser.com
A "Wonderful" Sunset
There are a few ways to see the beauty of the many islands that compose the British Virgin Islands. One way is to be a passenger on a sailboat that can take 12 to 30 passengers. Another way is to “bare” boat it. Another words, charter your own boat, bring on board provisions and sail or motor it yourself. To do this you need some nautical experience. The other way is to charter a boat with a captain and crew and let them do all the work. There are many sizes of watercraft one can charter with a crew. On this trip we booked what may be considered the Queen of the sailing feet. The following is my trips log for the week.
My group of 6 boarded the yacht Wonderful in Tortola in Nanny Cay early on the afternoon of our departure. Our first impressions walking on board were nothing short of amazing. This yacht is 73 feet long and 40 feet wide. After the crew and captain helped us with luggage we were offered cocktails followed by delicious Mediterranean lunch and a briefing about the boat. After lunch our group did some last minute shopping at the marina, took a dip in the ocean at Nanny Cay Beach and re-boarded for the start of our cruise.
With a good breeze from the northeast the sails were raised and we headed to scenic Little Harbor on Peter Island. The short trip across the Sir Francis Drake Channel gave us an initial flare for what was ahead. Two of us loved sitting on the port and starboard bow seats feeling the waves and mist as we bobbed up and down in the gentle waves.
First Afternoon Under Sail With Jillian Mincer and Ray Warner On The Bow
At 4:30 we dropped anchor in Little Harbor. After a brief history lesson on the bay we were taken via dinghy and pointed to stairs that led us to an abandoned house and complex. From there it was through the woods and down to the beach and back to the boat. When boarding we were handed an ice cold “painkiller” to cool off. A painkiller has Pusser’s rum, Coco Lopez, OJ, Pineapple, fresh nutmeg and “a lot of love” according to the first mate John who prepared it. After our refreshing cocktail the crew handed each of us a swimming noodle so we could float around the bay before dinner in the clear comfortable tropical waters.
Dinner was served at 7PM (at our request). Our first course was a sautéed cube of candied pecan crusted goat cheese on a salad on a fresh bed of bib lettuce. The second course was a home made manicotti crepe in tomato vodka sauce. The house (or yacht) wine served that evening was a fine 2001 Ruffino Chianti Classico Reserva. For desert we were all presented with blackberry soufflés. After dinner we retired to the aft deck where lounge chairs were set up. Here we enjoyed coffee, tea, after dinner drinks and good conversation in the pleasant light breeze. After today’s sail, float, hike and meal we knew we were in a “wonderful” experience for the rest of the week.
Our first day started out with a breakfast of parsley and parmesan cheese scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon and fresh fruit along with strong coffee and English breakfast tea. This was followed by a 9:30 plunge overboard while the crew cleaned up and got ready to sail on ward. At 11 AM we weighed anchor with the intent to dive and snorkel the Indians but changed it to Benures Bay on Norman Island.
This late morning’s dive (and snorkel for 2 of our members) started at Benures Bay and finished at Soldier’s Bay. Our profile was 48 minutes with a maximum depth 58 feet. (Our average depth was 35’.) John briefed us on the sight an advised us that just about all the fish the BVI’s are known for can be found at Benures Bay. Besides the usual tropical fish we were treated to a spotted manta ray with a 6 foot wing span that glided by us. This was followed by a large pair of tarpons that must have been over 5 feet long.
Spotted Eagle Ray Grouper Getting Cleaned
For our safety stop we dove the shallow area of the reef keeping at 15 feet and meeting up with the snorkelers and Wonderful that rounded the point to get us. Getting out of the water was easy as the crew took our gear from the water, broke it down and gave it a rinse. We just climbed up the swim ladder used the warm water shower at the top of the steps to rinse ourselves and our dive skins and 2mm wet suit off. All dive gear was provided by the crew except for the skins and computers.
Being famished lunch was served once we were settled. Today’s we were served a sandwich made from fresh on board baked roasted garlic focaccia bread with smoked ham & basil Havarti in between. It was served with callaloo soup topped with crème fresh and roasted red peppers. Calloloo is a green vegetable grown locally.
O Our next stop after lunch was to the other side of Norman Island to see the three caves. These caves are reportedly the same ones that
R Robert Louis Stevens wrote about in the book Treasure Island. This area a must stop in the BVI’s to snorkel. The smallest cave furthest
w west allows you to swim inside it and see its tall ceiling and far end opening. The middle cave only allows you to swim up to the entrance.
In this cave a scene was filmed for the 2004 movie Pirates of the Caribbean where 2 pirates dressed up like woman and go in and out of
the cave. It is also the place where a fisherman sitting on a rock in 1910 fell through on buried treasure.
C Caves on Norman Island Spying a Gaff Rigged Schooner From Entrance
I
On The Inside of 2 Of the Caves
The last cave we saw allowed us to swim in for about 30 to 40 feet. Here it got dark and was fun to be in. From this last cave we snorkeled over submerged boulders near the point to see many fish.
At 4PM we weighed anchor and motored 10 minutes around the bay to the Bight. The rest of the afternoon was napping, reading, and taking the small dinghy for rides in the bay. During a round of “plumtinis” we were told of the Bight and the steel hulled schooner anchored near us called the William Thorntan. (also known as the Willy T. that can be found at www.williamthornton.com.)
The William Thorntan View of The Wonderful While Snorkeling
Mr. William Thorntan was born on Jost Van Dyke in 1759. His claim to fame was being the architect of the U.S. Capital building in Washington D.C. The floating William Thornton shall we say is a bar with a “lively” reputation. Boaters come via dinghy and tie up to their dedicated dock attached to the boat. The front half of the boat serves pub grub. The stern area has two levels with the bar below and a covered deck above. The deck above is used for two things. One is to enjoy the breeze and view as well getaway from the lower bar area if it is crowded. The other thing it used for is jumping off. At the William Thornton it is actively encouraged by the staff for female patrons to jump naked off the second level to get a much coveted William Thornton T shirt. While anchored near by we witnessed 2 shirts awarded in a couple hours. I was told first hand that naked ladies jumping off this boat is just one of the milder things that can happen during the high season here. If you are moored with a family in the Bight I would recommend finding a spot on the other side of the bay and go to the family friendly Pirates Bar Restaurant on the beach.
Nap Time for Ray In the Fast Dinghy
Dinner was at 7:30 tonight. Our first course this evening was Apple jerk encrusted chicken served on a smashed plantain pancake
and mango kiwi-salsa with a red peppered jelly sauce. The main course was poached lobster in garlic lemon butter served with a cup
of Thai green curry. The side dish was coconut rice with asparagus and eggplant. The curry sauce went perfect when poured over
the lobster. Desert was boat made mango sorbet layered between cinnamon pancakes with star anise maple syrup. After dinner
we took the big dinghy with Capt Warren and Chef Elizabeth to the Willy T for a couple of rounds of drinks. Unfortunately between
the rains that evening and the light turn out, the crowd was pretty tame and no T shirts were awarded that night.
Poached Lobster with Thai Curry On The Side John’s Table Art
The next day we weighed anchor and set sail to Trellis Bay next to the airport. This was a sad day as one couple we were traveling with got bad news on the boats cell phone and had to head home. The good thing about the British Virgin Island’s is as remote as you are, you can get home easy and quickly. Trellis Bay has a few shops that include a small market, a good place for coffee as well as a store to buy local crafts. After lunch the dinghy took us and our friend’s luggage to the dock where we had iced vanilla lattes and did a little shopping in the artists store. After wishing our friends good bye we motored several minutes across the channel to Marina Cay. Here we took the dinghy for our afternoon dive at Diamond Reef. Diamond Reed was a pleasant 40 foot dive with good visibility due to a slow current running between the islands. We stayed down for about 45 minutes and enjoyed swimming over the different corals and fish. After our dive we cleaned up and took a stroll on Marina Cay’s 8 acre island. We were hoping to connect to the net at Pusser’s Bar but the system was down. After dinner the crew opened up the hot tub. The hot tub built into the bow is enough to hold two people comfortably or 4 that are very, very friendly.
Jillian at Trellis Bay With Hat of Fans Hot Tub On The Bow
On our third day at 10AM we left the dock at Marina Cay with winds at on our port side. We sailed towards leeward coast of Virgin Gorda where we kayaked around other boats, swam at the pretty beach, lunched and lounged at Savannah Bay. Later in the afternoon we powered over to Mountain Point which is on the NW tip of Virgin Gorda for our dive and anchorage for the night. Our dive at Mountain Point was via two dinghies launched from the Wonderful. Our profile for today was 55 minutes with a maximum dive of 30’. Our average depth was about 20’. Here we saw mostly soft corals and small fish.
Savannah Bay, Virgin Gorda
View From Mountain Point At Dusk
Day four started out by motoring 15 minutes from Mountain Point to Leverick Bay, North Sound, Virgin Gorda for some supplies and a quick internet check. From there it was full sails and a straight tack to Anegada. Our speed showed 9.8 knots with a 25 knot wind pushing us along in calm seas. Lunch was served just before we anchored off Pomato Point. From here it was to the fast dinghy for a ride to the Anegada Reef Hotel where we hired an open truck with bench seats to haul us 15 minutes over to Loblolly Beach. Loblolly Beach is a snorkeling beach. Here the reef is just inside from 1 – 2 foot wave breaks. In the winter this beach is sometimes used by surfers. It is rated as “expert or kamikaze” by www.wannasurf.com . At 5:30 we were back on the bumpy road to get to our dinghy and boat. After dropping Sandy, Maureen and Mike off, Captain Warren and Chef Elizabeth and I being avid photographers stayed aboard the dinghy and went back to the beach to photograph a flock of pelicans flying and diving near from us.
Tonight after a quick cocktail both crew and guests took the small dinghy 100 yards to the Pomato Point Restaurant. This evening the Ehrlich’s and ourselves invited the crew out for dinner. Besides having some of best beaches in the Caribbean, Anegada is known for its lobster dinners which come from the waters near by. Pomato Point Restaurant is a small place with a nice sea breeze going between the front and back doors. There are a dozen tables here but that night we were the only guests. The specialty of the house is lobster and ribs or what I call a “swim and squeal” meal. The lobster eaters were served 1 ½ lobsters that were expertly grilled and split in half. This 2 ½ pound portion filled the large plate. This came with drawn butter and a perfectly backed potato. The ribs were slowed cooked and then grilled. The meat was flavorful and came off the bone with no effort. For desert try the house made Key Lime Pie. After dinner all 8 of us cozied up on the small inflatable for the ride back to the Wonderful with Capt Warren motoring us under the large yacht between the twin hulls just for the fun of it.
Anegada Lobster Dinner Crew Readying Tender At Pomato Point
The next morning we weighed anchor at 9:15 at Pomato Point to a light drizzle and motored over to the moorings off the Anegada Reef Hotel. Rather than have breakfast on board, Warren recommended we eat at Pam’s Bakery at Setting Point. Here we had homemade muffins, cinnamon rolls and egg and sausage sandwiches. After breakfast and a little shopping at the store by the hotel it was back on board to make our way to our dive sight this morning.
Self Portrait At Anegada Walking down to Loblobby Beach
With calm seas today we dove the 264 foot Chikuzen in 70 feet of water 5.5 miles north Great Camanoe Island. The story goes that in 1981 this “past its life” Japanese fishing refrigeration vessel was at St. Martin and was asked to leave when a hurricane was coming in the area as an effort to protect other boats. According to Lonely Planet’s Diving and Snorkeling the Virgin Islands, the owners of this old ship set it on fire and hoped it would sink in the hurricane. What happened was that it burned for a while but floated ahead of the storm into Sir Frances Drake Channel literally on a path with Marina Cay. The first mate on the Wonderful advised us that at the time the ship was sighted there was a wedding going on at Marina Cay in which some of attendees were salvagers and people who could save the reef at Marina Cay. The group connected the lines to a tow boat but under the strain one of the lines snapped and shot back at the boat cutting the legs off of a person on it. At that point the group simply dragged it to open water where it sank with its port side up. On our dive we swam around the boat twice. The first time was at 70 feet where we saw many fish including a shark underneath and in one of
the openings. The second time we circled wreck was on top of it at 40 feet. Here we saw the many different corals adhering to its hull as well as schools of grunts and tangs. Hovering above the wreck and near the line going to the mooring ball were large schools of barracuda. We really enjoyed this dive in what seemed to be the middle of know where. If you go do not penetrate the wreck as refrigeration pipes are over the place inside. The Chikuzen is a great example of how an artificial reef can stimulate all different types of marine life. After getting on board we were treated to chicken fajitas, corn and bean salad, guacamole, cheese, tomatoes and hot sauces.
S Sandra and Micheal Ehrlich with Tab and Maureen Hauser at the Chikuzen, BVI’s
A Shy File Fish Near the Wreck Ladder to Chikuzen Top Deck
From the Chikuzen we headed to the north side of Tortola because Warren wanted the protection of the island from the next tropical wave coming in. He elected Elizabeth Beach for over night anchorage. This is a very pretty beach with soft white sand and boulders in the water on the west side and a cave on the east side. Maureen, Mike and I boarded the kayaks and paddled down to Lamberts Bay and back around the boulders that separated the two beaches. (Sandy elected to read and nap on board.) From the beach we snorkeled the submerged boulders we paddled over earlier seeing many fish. One one boulder we spotted a 5 inch long green sea slug and a bristle worm (both poisonous to touch). After our snorkeling we were back on the kayaks to see the cave on the opposite side of the beach. While the cave is narrow, you can go back about 15 feet only if the seas are calm.
Sunset and Crème Brule At Elizabeth Beach, Tortola
It was back to the Wonderful at 5PM where we were met with the cocktail of the day. Today’s concoction was a smooth cranberry colada with a little 8 year old rum floated on it. (to cut the sweetness of the drink down of course). After two of these and a brief nap we were served dinner at 8PM. We started with beets carpaccio decorated with tasty glazes. The main course was a pretty plated “gourmet” Thanks-Giving dinner. This included a blend of sweet and Yukon mashed potatoes on the bottom with the next layer being shredded beats and squash topped with perfectly roasted sliced turkey breast. The dish has two crispy thin potato wedges on top for decoration as well as a garnish of waffle potato crisps and grape tomatoes. There was a further decoration of traditional gravy on the plate with more gravy served on the side if desired. The desert was crème Brule. John recommendation of a Simi sauvignon blanc from the yachts “cellars” was an excellent choice
After dinner we sat on the stern and watched the lightening storms on the horizon. From there we went top side to lounge chairs in the breeze. This only encouraged all four of us to fall into a deep sleep with only the stars above us. The last thing I remember was Mike pointing out a satellite crossing directly above us at 9:05 in the clear sky and thinking I would see it again in 90 minutes. The next thing I remember was that it was two hours later and Mike and Sandy were gone. Warren told us the next day he came up to see if we needed anything only to find all four of us in sound a sleep There is nothing better than falling a sleep under the stars with a nice breeze to keep you comfortable.
On our next to last day we motored around the corner and back to Trellis Bay on Beef Island for some last minute supplies before going to Cooper Island. Here we picked up a mooring ball and got on the radio with the Cooper Island Resort to have 2 orders of conch fritters ready for us. Sandy, Mike and I swam the short distance to the beach to get our fritters. Lunch on board was two delicious homemade pizzas made by Elizabeth. I have to be honest and say after eating a few golf ball size conch fritters at the beach I had planned on passing up on lunch. It was the smell and presentation of the made from scratch yacht baked pizza that overcame my sense of restraint grabbing two small squares.
Yummy Conch Fritters Ducking Under This Huge Catamaran
After lunch we motored a few minutes away from the beach to dive Cistern Rock. Our profile today was 54 minutes at 37 feet. At this site we saw many soft corals along with some hard coral. On swimming around the reef we saw what looked like freshly shucked clam shells around a hole. Sure enough in a small hole we saw part of a large octopus. If it did not look like the leftovers from a local clam bar we would have missed the sighting. Cistern Rock’s other highlights included 2 turtles in the area. I did a video of an 18” turtle that was more than happy to stay near the camera. This dive had plenty of fish including some of the largest squirrel fish I have ever seen. The swim back from the far side of the large rock was a little tough because of the current. Here we kicked with the light surges by timing the swaying the fans.
Friendly Sea Turtle Spotted Drum Fish
After our dive the Wonderful motored 15 minutes to Salt Island. We stopped briefly to take a picture of the rock formations at the end of the island that looked like a lion resting in the sun. Anchor was dropped in Salt Bay. Salt Island is owned by the Crown. We were told that one man is allowed to live here by permission of the Queen at a rent of one pound of salt per year because he is a decedent of the original British people that settled the island. This was because of the kindness the people on the island showed in recovering any personal effects of the RMS Rhone and sending them back to Queen to dispense to the victim’s families. It was here we also learned the story of how the RMS Rhone wrecked nearby. Before taking the dinghy to the island the crew advised the four of us take a couple of red stripe beers with us to be used as barter for any shells or salt the old man may want to sell us. When we landed on the beach we surveyed a few structures and a home in various stages of disrepair. There was no one home on this small beach but there were also half a dozen chickens and a big beautiful Rhode Island red rooster taking charge of them. By looking at the fresh tracks of a hand cart that went to the dock it seemed we missed the old man by no more than a half a day. After walking past the structures we strolled over to the other side of the island keeping the salt pound on our left. After a few minutes we reached a rocky white beach with small waves crunching on them. From here it was back the Wonderful where we floated off the stern on our noodles before heading to the showers. This evening after a late swim I made the evenings cocktail of Myer’s Rum, Coconut Rum and mango nectar with lime.
5PM at Salt Cay
Tonight was our last dinner on board and we were celebrating Sandy and Mike’s 20th anniversary. Our first course was seared tuna served with a Champaign. The main course was a perfectly grilled filet mignon sitting on a bed of scalloped potatoes, topped with a parmesan crouton and small mushrooms. The wine for the tonight was brought from home in honor of Sandy and Mike’s 20th anniversary. This was a 20 year old Chateau LaTour that was at its peak. Desert was homemade swan shaped cream puffs. As an after dinner drink we had Mike and Sandy’s 1994 Insignia from Napa Valley while sitting in the breeze on the bow watching the lights of Tortola. All in all, another great day followed by a great meal and wines.
For our last day it was rise and shine at 8AM where we motored around the corner to a mooring over the wreck of the RMS Rhone. Normally the Rhone is a two tank dive but due to time and tanks, we did it in one dive. This is an amazing wreck to see. From our mooring line we dropped to 80 feet and swam around the bow. From there we made our way past the middle section where you can swim through a safe section of the hull. Past here we saw the crows nest and an open section with a giant wrench rusted right into its holder. John led the group to port hole that was outside cabin 26. Of the few survivors from the RMS Rhone, one was a guest in cabin 26. All guests in times of emergency back then were locked into their cabins to stay out of the crew’s way. When the RMS Rhone broke apart during the storm, cabin 26 split in half allowing the lucky man in it to escape and swim ashore. John had us rub the brass port hole for good luck. In fact, this is the only clean and shiny part of the ship due to so many people rubbing their fingers here. The latter part of the dive was in around 30 feet of water. Here you can swim in through the stern that held the propeller shaft and ended up at propeller that sits side ways. From the shallow stern area we ascended to 15 feet doing our safety stop by swimming back to the Wonderful. Our dive profile for the RMS Rhone was 73 feet at 54 minutes
Michael Ehrlich On Bow of RMS Rhone Heading Back to Tortola
(coming soon under water video of the RMS Rhone)
Immediately after the dive it was showers and breakfast followed by a slow sail across
Sir Francis Drake Channel. With winds from behind at about 20 knots filling the genoa we
had a comfortable 1 hour sail ride back to Nanny Cay. As a boat owner I asked to pilot
the Wonderful this morning. It was a bit of thrill when I was allowed to take the wheel
when we got close to and into Nanny Cay channel. She responds beautifully in tight areas.
As we got close to the docks I was under the watchful eye of Warren stand as I eased the boat
under sail and momentum with in 50 yards of the dock.
For me it was a great way to end a great week.
Back At Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola
The Wonderful:
We took an incredible trip on an incredible yacht. The Yacht Wonderful has plenty of room for 4 couples. What is nice is that one can always find a place to lie back with a good book or take a nap with out being in the way of others. When traveling between islands people would gravitate to the port and starboard bow seats. If some one was not on the bow when underway you would usually see them on one of the four padded reclining lounge chairs under partial shade right behind the helm area on the highest part of the boat. Below the helm was the salon which had a TV (connected to satellite and a DVD player with chairs in that area.) There were also tables and a desk on the other side of the saloon to plug in computers so we could down load and share photos at the end of the day. For people who need or want to stay in touch via email you should know you can buy a week on the BVI network for about $70. It is good in about 70% of the areas that were covered on the voyage. Free wireless internet is available in a few of the bays we were in. Next to the Salon was the dinning area where we took all our meals. We found the boats well varnished table had more than enough room to fit 8. This area was opened on 3 sides and protected from the sun or rain. On each side of the dining area was a couch where one can stretch out with a book or nap out of the sun. Above and to the side of the couch is a ledge that had a mattress which offered shade depending one which way the boat was facing.
Wonderful Aft Cabin Wonderful Forward Cabin
Accommodations on this yacht are very comfortable. There are 4 cabins. The two aft cabins are slightly larger than the forward cabins. The starboard aft cabin had a roomier head (nautical talk for bathroom.) and was almost 3 feet longer than the forward cabins. All cabins had their own heads with stand up showers, plasma TV with DVD / Sony play station. The beds were queen size. One of the cabins can be arranged to have the beds split into 2 singles. While there were TV’s on board, the evenings entertainment for us was dining and then sitting on the aft section on comfortable chairs looking at the stars, listening to music and chatting about the day we had and the day to come.
The Dinning Area Starboard Side Salon
C Chatting Starboard of Dining Area Afternoon Cocktails on The Aft Deck
(For specifics on the Yacht Wonderful in regards to engines, weight and the entire technical and safety features offered please go the web site listed below.)
Activities:
You can do as little or as much as you want on the Wonderful. We kept a busy schedule by choice. If you do not dive and want to be under sail most of a day, simply tell the crew. For us, our day time activities on the Wonderful included getting wet a lot. We would jump over board after breakfast, dive or swim at a beach mid day and then take a late afternoon float overboard with a noodle. If you do not dive and want to see the coral and marine life, there are plenty of excellent places to snorkel. Again, all you need to do us tell the captain what you want to do. On board there are two dinghies. One is the “sports car” model that will go up to 50 mph due to its big engine and stiff hull design. This one is used to shuttle guests around quickly and for going longer distances. It is also used for wake or knee boarding. The smaller dingy is an all rubber type with a 15 hp engine. It is free to use by the guests with out the crew to explore areas along the shore or to ferry yourselves to any beaches the Wonderful may be anchored off. There is also a fleet of 4 kayaks. We found these a fun way to visit a couple of beaches, explore the shore around them or just to use for exercise. If you are a hiker, the Wonderful can pull up to islands where you can climb up to the peaks for the view of the channel and small islands. There are fishing rods on the stern for those interested in trying their luck here.
Dining, Beverages and Service:
A couple of weeks before you board the Yacht Wonderful the crew sends you a preference sheet via email or fax. This sheet asks you what your likes and dislikes are for food, liquor and soft drinks. They also ask about medical problems and food allergies. . Maureen and I filled in the sheet advising them of her allergies to seafood and certain fresh herbs. I asked for a specific bottle of aged 8 year old rum and some good vodka and a case of Ting. After filling it out Chef Elizabeth called to confirm what Maureen can not eat but also understood that it was OK to cook anything for the rest of us. The chef was very attentive to details in this manner. At each meal when presented with our dishes. Maureen was usually given hers first so not to confuse her meal with the others. The rest of us had similar dishes but with the herbs we liked. Each meal on board was made from scratch. Breakfast was a full meal with fresh cut up fruit. We asked one morning to skip the full breakfast and go light. Rather than just toast, our chef made the most delicious white chocolate scones served with our fresh fruit.
Chef Elizabeth Details in John place settings
The service during our voyage was first rate. Warren, John, Rachel and Elizabeth were very attentive. John knew that I liked English breakfast tea in the morning and usually handed me a cup first thing morning before asking for it. The same first class service was done when Rachel would hand us a towel and then the cocktail of the evening when coming out of water after our late afternoon swim. With Elizabeth’s dinners, it was like going out to a top quality restaurant each night. The captain and crew did everything to make us feel special and spoiled during the week. Captain Warren not dealing with issues involving the boat was also attentive as well as a good photographer. He had an excellent knack for playing the best music during the day and evening. In fact we joked on how we would like to buy the sound track for the entire cruise.
C Capt. Warren East and The Wonderful John and Rochelle Yoxal
What To Pack:
Packing is easy on this kind of trip. If you keep it casual and light weight with an emphasis on bathing suits you will do fine. In fact next time I would consider carry on luggage due to the airlines losing it for half a day. We literally woke up, put on bathing suits and never changed until dinner. Make sure you pack any medicines you think you will need. We took medication for seasickness such as the patch and pills but never used them. Sea sickness was not a problem as you are pretty much protected from open water due to the proximity of the islands. To keep us away from any offshore wind the captain would always make sure the boat was on the leeward side to ensure a calm tranquil night. Each night the boat sat flat in the water with feeling of rocking. We had a two tropical waves come in but you would never know it based on where were anchored.
Getting Here:
The best way to arrive is through Puerto Rico. There are 10 flights a day to Beef Island from San Juan on at least 3 different airlines. American Airlines is one I would consider avoiding due poor service on misplaced luggage and people literally not caring at AA.
In order not to worry about any flight delays on departure day from Nanny Cay our group flew a day in advance to Tortola. We then rented an SUV from Dede’s Car Rental. James M. Pickering, the owner will do anything he can to make your stay easy. He arranged to have the car at the airport for us. Allowed us to drop it off at Marina Cay and then had one at Marina Cay waiting for us when we got back from our cruise. His email address for advanced reservations is dedescarrental@surfbvi.com. The hotel we picked for the night before the cruise and the night after was Sebastian’s On the Beach. They are located on the west side of island and only 10 minutes away from Nancy Cay. We picked this hotel because it is on the water and is only a few minutes from one of my favorite beaches called Smuggler’s Cove. Dinner on arrival was at the Jolly Roger’s at the West End. They offer an upscale and local style menu that was excellent. Our dinner when we got back to the Tortola was at the up scale Sugar Mill. After visiting Tortola twice in last year I can say both of those places are our favorite on the high end.
The Yacht Wonderful charters 12 noon on departure until 12 noon on arrival day. It is easy to go directly home the last day of your cruise and make one of many flights to San Juan. On last day of the cruise, The Wonderful simply pulls up to Trellis Bay by the airport in the morning and ferry’s you and luggage onto the dock for the short walk to the terminal.
If you have any questions on the Yacht Wonderful or the BVI’s feel free to email me at tabh@hascorelays.com
Tab Hauser Taking Notes Aboard the Yacht Wonderful With Cocktail In Hand
Tern trying to steal a fish from pelican by stepping on its head first, then body and finally giving up
THE END