The British Virgin Islands were once a pirate hideaway. But now they’re a perfect cruising ground for everything from chartered powercats to classic superyachts.
For me the best part of boating is visiting new places, especially those where a boat is the only means of access. The challenge of successfully navigating there and discovering places that most people only ever see on maps is what cruising is all about. As my wife has a big birthday coming up, I really wanted to push the boat out, so to speak, and do something that creates a lasting memory for both of us.
I considered chartering a large vessel of 80ft or more and spending a few days with family somewhere in the Caribbean. However, in my experience a large yacht doesn’t offer much in the way of participation, it’s more about being a pampered guest, which isn’t my idea of boating. A bare boat charter, on the other hand, is more enticing, especially somewhere special.
Cocktail hour at Norman’s Bight. Photo: Elliott Maurice
Charter choice
After much research I settled on the British Virgin Islands. With line of sight navigation and short passages between islands, this would be relatively easy for me to manage single-handed as well as more relaxing for my wife. And with minimal tides to worry about and plenty of safe, well-managed anchorages, there should be plenty of places to overnight.
Given the limited boating experience of our guests, I felt a three-cabin powercat would be ideal. I looked at both The Moorings and Marinemax but as the latter offer a discount for existing boat customers (I bought a Saxdor from them), and their own brand of Aquila luxury catamarans, it was enough to swing it for me.
The cost for a three-cabin Aquila 443 for mid-April worked out at around $16,000 for the week, including airport transfers but not flights, fuel and provisioning. With just my sister in-law Lea and her husband Tom as guests, we had the huge full beam master and our guests had a choice of the two hull cabins, leaving one spare for stowage.
All three cabins have their own staircase leading down from the saloon. Photo: Elliott Maurice
As it turned out, I think a third couple may have proved a little cramped onboard but with two couples the 443 proved wonderfully spacious and extremely comfortable.
Being based in Miami, when the day of our charter arrived it was only a two-and-a-half-hour flight to Tortola on a ‘puddle-jumper’, so by noon we were at the Marinemax base in Nanny Cay. Just 30 minutes later we were on board Painted Sky, our boat for the week. It looked immaculate and came fuelled and ready to go – even the towels were folded into animal shapes on the beds!
The boat was very well presented. Photo: Elliott Maurice
The boat briefing with experienced Marinemax captain, Allysha, took about an hour, with clear explanations of all the boat’s systems including the watermaker and safety equipment and a chance to discuss our planned itinerary. Allysha also advised that a storm was due to hit the area on Monday so expect some squally conditions over the next couple of days and keep a weather eye until Tuesday.
The Marinemax base is very tight and crammed with boats, so a captain helps take you off the dock. As soon as we were ready to go, Allysha deftly helmed our 22-foot-wide powercat out of its slip and into the main channel before being plucked off onto a waiting tender. The boat was now my responsibility.
Photo: Elliott Maurice
Pirates of the Caribbean
Our first stop for the night was Norman Island, where we were planning to drop anchor in The Bight, a secluded bay just inside of Treasure Point. This is as close as it gets to an authentic pirate hideout.
Powering up the twin Volvo D4, it soon became apparent that the displacement Aquila had rather different handling characteristics to my Saxdor – it felt like a lumbering whale by comparison, but it was also supremely capable at slicing through chop and unlike a trawler yacht there was almost no roll.
Lumbering up to 10 knots – the boat’s ideal cruising speed – everyone settled into the flybridge seating for the 45-minute crossing to our anchorage for the night. With the huge sound system pumping out Bob Marley and Tom’s signature rum punch doing the rounds, my guests couldn’t have been any happier.
Dropping anchor in the clear blue waters of the BVI. Photo: Elliott Maurice
Arriving at The Bight, a sheltered cove on Norman Island and the home of Willie T’s, the famous Pirate Bar Boat, the first real challenge for my new crew was upon us. With no mooring buoys available, it was time to get to grips with the boat’s ground tackle.
I talked Tom and my wife Kristin through my planned approach into the wind and explained how to use the electric windlass. Everything went smoothly and the anchor bit first time. Once I’d established that we were holding firm, it was time for my first cocktail of the day, making full use of the galley’s fold-out counter and cockpit bar stools that rapidly became our favourite spot for evening drinks.
Suitably refreshed, Tom and I dropped the tender and we all hopped aboard for dinner at the small Tiki bar/restaurant on the beach. My first attempt at teaching Tom the dark art of starting a pull-start 2-stroke outboard proved futile but I managed to get it going and assured him that once he had the knack it was like riding a bike.
Deep Bay in Virgin Gorda is a well protected anchorage. Photo: Elliott Maurice
After beaching the tender, one of the local bar staff explained that there was no menu or price list, you just pay a flat fee of $30 per person and help yourself. It took a while coming but eventually we received our dinner and with rain clouds now threatening we beat a hasty retreat back to the boat.
Switching on the blue underwater lights revealed a plethora of marine life for our evening entertainment. Unlike the Bahamas, where reef and nurse sharks can prove a little intimidating to the uninitiated, here you’re more likely to catch a glimpse of Mahi-Mahi (dolphin fish) and sea turtles.
Tom, with his rented fishing gear, couldn’t wait to drop a line overboard, while Kristin and Lea rustled up some nachos smothered with melted cheese and sour cream to accompany another jug of Tom’s excellent rum punch and provide a fitting end to our first day.
Tucking into Pain Killer rum cocktails on Willie T’s top deck. Photo: Elliott Maurice
Of course, unlike my soundly sleeping guests, a night at anchor in squally conditions doesn’t come without a couple of unscheduled wake-up calls for the captain.
Feeling the boat swing a full 180 degrees and the bow dip had me out on the foredeck in a windy, tropical downpour at 3am and again at 5am to check the anchor and secure the tangled bridle to stop it tapping against the forepeak. To my surprise no one even acknowledged these happenings in the morning.
Rum Punch
With this in mind, the impending storm needed attention and after checking the radar forecast, it appeared that the 60-mile stretch of the BVIs was not only going to be covered with clouds but the Western side was looking slightly cyclonic.
The most sheltered spot appeared to be Deep Bay on the Eastern End of Virgin Gorda. We had planned to visit this on Day 3 but I decided to pull this forward. It’s possible to book a mooring buoy here via a website called Boaty Ball on a first come, first serve basis, meaning a 7am wake-up call to secure a comfortable night stop.
Willie T’s famous floating bar is on most charterers’ bucket lists. Photo: Elliott Maurice
Fortunately, with Tom already preparing sausages and bacon on the flybridge BBQ, this wasn’t much of a hardship. Being only 20 miles as the crow flies, this left us plenty of time to take the tender to Willie T’s, have one of its famous Pain Killer rum cocktails and jump off the top deck – one of the must dos in the BVIs.
Willie T’s sits in crystal clear water and like everything has a limited number of spaces for tenders to tie up, so not surprisingly it becomes very lively, very quickly soon after its 10am opening. It’s one of those places where you buy a T-shirt that sparks conversation at any yacht club in the US. There’s also a sheltered reef close by that offers an easy snorkelling experience.
After a decent lunch, I plotted our course and headed out into the Frances Drake Channel to head northeast for our 3-hour run to Virgin Gorda at the East End of the BVIs, just South of Richard Branson’s Necker Island. Virgin Gorda is an excellent place to hunker down for a couple of days. With the exclusive Saba Rock already booked for Kristin’s birthday dinner, the Bitter End Yacht Club and The Baths, there are plenty of options for eating out.
The Aquila’s central flybridge helm enjoys great visibility. Photo: Elliott Maurice
The BVIs are so rich in things to see and places to visit, that leaving some out simply adds a reason to plan another trip next year!
It looked like we weren’t the only ones to have this idea. Heading into Leverick Bay, I spotted the Getty’s classic motoryacht Talitha anchored off, surrounded by several equally decadent more contemporary superyachts and a host of beautiful sailing yachts dotted throughout the huge mooring field.
Luxury tenders from Riva and Wally buzzed guests to and from shore completing the picture of a true yachting paradise.
The huge living area has 360 views and a beach house vibe. Photo: Elliott Maurice
Dark & Stormy
Passing through the narrow channel to the south of Saba rock, we turned into Deep Bay and picked up our sheltered mooring buoy to weather the incoming storm. The following morning, although not plagued by stormy weather, did prove gusty and with a dinner reservation at Saba Rock, we decided to stay local and attempt a visit to The Baths at south end of the island in St Thomas Bay.
The Baths is a hidden pool that requires you to anchor off and run a tender to a tie-up line across the beach before swimming in. Unfortunately, when we got there a stiff offshore breeze whipping up surf meant the 50-yard swim to the beach with red flags flying was not an appealing option.
A soggy day at The Soggy Dollar failed to dampen Elliot and Kristin’s high spirits. Photo: Elliott Maurice
Instead we grabbed a mooring ball just off Bitter End yacht club and settled in for an afternoon at this rather salubrious establishment. We took the dingy ashore for an excellent lunch and a couple of Pain Killers at the yacht club’s pirate ship beach bar.
The weather finally broke later that afternoon, swapping black clouds and passing showers for some glorious Caribbean sun just in time for our evening trip to Saba Rock. This stunning self-contained resort sits on its own island in Gorda Sound and offers fabulous food with breathtaking sunset views. It was every bit as exceptional as hoped and marked the start to clear skies and fairer days ahead.
The following day, we restaged our scuppered plans for The Baths, by ducking into the bay off Spanish Town. Once at anchor I ran Kristin, Lea and Tom ashore in the tender before returning to the boat to keep an eye on things. This gave me the chance to take a closer look at Talitha.
The Getty family’s iconic classic superyacht Talitha. Photo: Elliott Maurice
I had been anchored next to her in Mustique some 30 years ago on a sailing trip to the Southern Grenadines and she still looked every bit as impeccable today. On their return Kristin noted that while it was a good excursion, it’s quite a long walk between tight rock formations so take decent shoes and be prepared for a bit of trek.
After an easy 6-mile hop to our next stop on Cooper Island, we picked up our mooring ball and headed to the Cooper Island Beach Club, to sample its unique rum bar and highly rated menu. Food is only served here on the hour so, if you arrive just after the hour, you should be prepared to wait a while before you can order your meal – not an issue on island time with a wonderful sunset framing the idyllic beach and bay.
Article continues below…
What it’s like on a €70,000 per week, 80ft motor yacht charter
Guide to chartering in Croatia
Chantal Borciani writes of the delights of chartering a Jeanneau Prestige 46 Fly in Croatia
Jost Van Dyke
Lea and Tom’s last full day involved a passage to Jost Van Dyke, the quintessential Caribbean island with pristine beaches and turquoise seas. This involved skirting the US border between Tortola and St John and then a 4-mile passage across to Great Harbour. Tom took the opportunity to get to grips with some navigation practice, having decided that his ardent attempts at catching even a minnow had proved fruitless.
After a scenic two-hour cruise and another easy mooring ball pick-up, we headed ashore to the Soggy Dollar Bar for a couple of delicious cocktails, then back to the boat for silly games and Tom’s last chance to snag a local fish. Sadly, nachos and snacks had to suffice once again.
Saba Rock is one of several high end resorts in the BVI. Photo: Elliott Maurice
Another beautiful morning dawned and we took a trip to Peter Island, where I had a slip booked for the night.
The luxurious spa here immediately piqued my wife’s interest and with an overnight stop secured, she booked a massage for the following day. After a quick run to Trellis Bay to drop our guests off for the five-minute cab ride to the airport, we headed back in a 6ft swell to our slip for the night. After an hour’s passage in the less than comfortable conditions Kristin was ready for a comfortable night tied to terra-firma!
Crystal clear waters at Jost Van Dyke. Photo: Elliott Maurice
With a table booked at The Drake Steakhouse for dinner, a golf cart arrived to take us up to the hill-top restaurant overlooking Deadman’s Bay. Our meal was superb and we couldn’t have made a better choice for our last island visit. Our only regret is that we didn’t have an extra night or two in this wonderful spot.
The following day, after an equally luxurious spa visit, we set off in high spirits for our return journey to the Marinemax base in Nanny Cay. Our handover was a simple affair – we’d used just over $1,500 of fuel for the week, which considering that we’d had the generator running 24/7 and had covered a couple of hundred miles at sea, didn’t seem too bad.
Dining in style at Saba Rock’s exceptional restaurant. Photo: Elliott Maurice
Powercats like this may not be the most exciting of drives but they make a lot of sense as an island-hopping liveaboard boat. Once again Allysha came on board, deftly backed our boat into a waiting slip, and checked the propellers and rudders with an underwater camera for any signs of damage.
She confirmed I hadn’t bent anything but said at least one boat a week does come back with damage, which is why so many of their customers opt for a professional captain. The BVIs may be relatively easy to navigate but there are a lot of reefs to look out for.
Our last night on board gave us the opportunity to visit the local Pusser’s Outpost for one final Pain Killer and the requisite T-shirt purchase.
Docked at the exclusive Peter Island resort for a celebratory dinner on terra firma. Photo: Elliott Maurice
Verdict
After a week cruising the BVIs end to end, I left with a definite wish to return and visit the many spots left unvisited on this trip. The value for money this charter offers is excellent.
The boats are perfectly maintained and immaculately presented, and Marinemax’s slick operation makes it an easy and enjoyable proposition for anyone wanting to experience the BVIs on their own cruising agenda.
If you enjoyed this….
If you enjoyed this….Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.
Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht world and at the luxury end of the market.
Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.
Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
