You've already joined boats.com for a visit to the British Virgin Islands once, in Paradise Revisited: Back in the BVI. Why not go back, once more?

Sunset-Great-Camanoe-British-Virgin-Islands

A remarkable sunset from the upper deck at Lee Bay, enhanced by the author’s Canon, shooting in “vivid” mode.



Day 1 (Mon., May 17)

Almost a disaster as American Airlines loses Rhea's reservation from Miami-Puerto Rico on the basis that she was a no-show in LAX, and canceled all her reservations. The flight is overbooked and they're offering $200 plus free tickets, but we still get two seats together. Arrive in Tortola at 9:30 p.m., van to hotel, meet D&J, have a couple of drinks and crash in a room notable for a huge can of cockroach spray. The only saving factor is that it has a ceiling fan that cools it down somewhat.

Day 2 (Tues., May 18)

Breakfast at Mariner Inn, ho hum, then have briefing with Zita who does a competent job. Then go to boat and check out with Kate ... extremely efficient and very nice as well as comprehensive. Sort out provisions, get extra ice (with difficulty) and argue with Zita as to whether we need a padlock or not. We were right. Depart mid-day and follow Kate's suggestion to go to Cooper Island first, since it has pay moorings that will be easier until we learn the boat. Cove is full, but we luck into a boat that is just leaving and have a good spot. Dinghy ashore, have a beer at small beach bar and wander beach. Take dinghy to explore small island and reef with snorkelers, Return to boat and have dinner (NY steak, fettucini, salad Veronique). Very hot and windless, so we lay in the trampoline watching the stars ... beautiful. See many satellites. R and I sleep in the tramp because the cabin is too warm. Not too comfy, but great view.

Day 3 (Wed., May 19)

Take off early and set sail for Norman Island and Bight. Pleasant sail in mild breezes. Arrive mid-day and find cove fairly empty, so we pick a good spot far in and close to beach and drop hook in 15 feet of water. Take dinghy to treasure caves and tie up on dinghy line, swim with snorkels and masks into caves, which open out inside. Best is the one farthest from the point, which has a small opening and is big inside, with a view toward island foliage. Some day moorings available outside but rolly. Dinghy back to William Thornton, a Baltic trader converted into a restaurant bar. Overpriced and nothing special, but visitors probably love it. Lots of breeze all night, and windscoops work great, but come lose in midnight.

Day 4 (Thurs., May 20)

Up at 8 a.m. to sound of nanny goat and kids bawling on shore. Up anchor and power around to caves to photograph, then out to Pelican and Indians, see a big squarerigger, then head along Peter Island, into Deadman's Cove. Very pretty, although Peter Island YC not pretty from shore, but beach in cove is gorgeous. Around to Dead Man Island and across to wreck of Rhone. Pick up mooring, but don't know where wreck is. Long swim up current. Wreck is off rocky point, so anchor as close as possible. Interesting to snorkel, although it drops off into diving depth fairly fast. See prop, rudder, keel, prop shaft, etc. Find big anchor under our boat. Rinse off and power along Salt Island (big yachts anchored, Mustang-red charter boat), and then across Sir Francis Drake Channel to Beef Island, intending to anchor in Trellis Bay. Plan to go ashore at Last Resort, but the anchorage is very industrial, just off the Tortola airport, filled with really ugly cruising boats. Decide instead to pick up pay mooring at Marina Cay, very pretty anchorage hidden behind reef. Go ashore to Pirate's Cove restaurant and bar, wander around shoreline looking for shells. Very pretty and Great Camanoe island just north has some lovely (and colorful) houses. Have a couple of Pusser's Painkillers and lime daiquiris ashore, and return to boat for photo session of cocktails and dinner decor.

Day 5 (Fri. May 21)

Up early and depart for The Baths on Virgin Gorda, powering into a solid headwind. Arrived early (everyone should to miss the crowds) and had these eerie cool caves to ourselves. Explored through caves and browsed T-shirt stand on beach. Found our dinghy had floated to end of tether. By the time we were done exploring, a crowd had arrived and the free moorings offshore were filled. Then a three-masted cruise ship arrived plus a big day-catamaran with a horde, and the beach was packed. We snorkeled the rocks around Devil's Bay and swam with parrot and angel fish, sliding back and forth with the tidal surges.

NOTE: It's easy to become jaded with snorkeling when there are so many wonderful reefs. "Oh, yes, there's another angelfish, oh yes, there's something colorful" You become a child in a candy shop on the second day ... it has to be spectacular to arouse more than average oohs and aahs.

Leaving our mooring, we headed north along the shore, looking at the spectacular homes through binoculars and dodging the occasional submerged rock or reef. We wound our way into Virgin Gorda Yacht harbor, tied up at the dockmaster's office to get a slip, and watched a big ferry catamaran disgorge a horde of tourists. The harbor was literally sweltering in the absence of breeze, and we were soon bathed in our own sweat as we waited for the dockmaster to return. Finally get an end tie, quickly throw clothes into a bag, lock up the boat, and catch a taxi for Little Dix Bay. Sticky, we check in at open-air front desk and are soon in our rooms (we have 51 — a king, D&J have 49, two twins). Each is tiled and cool, with floor-to-ceiling louvres and overhead fan, no phones, no TV, looking out over manicured grounds. The shower is worth a fortune, cool, pure and soft from the Little Dix purification plant. Oddly enough, only a glimpse of the ocean is available, but a good breeze thru the room. We decide not to eat at the hotel which requires long pants, and ask Desmond, the security man, for a recommendation. The restaurant can't take us (only 10 seats at a time) until 8:15, so James, our taxi driver, takes us to Andy's (who owns the island) for drinks. We ask for snacks, she says she can bring chips, which turn out to be English chips, or french fries. Sit on open air balcony overlooking the sea and watch distant lightning. James returns to ferry us to dinner, and it is a one-room shack with wonderful aromas.

Paintings on all the walls are by Lawrence, the son of the cook — some good, some not so. Dinner is lobster chunks, chicken legs, potato salad, salad, etc. Decor is non-existent, and the French's salad dressing comes in the original screwtop bottle. We realize that the six men at one of the four tables came over on our Tortola flight, and soon are talking about chartering, laughing and telling tales. They depart, we finish dinner, buy a watercolor of The Baths from Lawrence, who is shy and pleasant. James has not returned, so we go into the bar in the next room, where half a dozen blacks are sitting on stools watching a pool game. Soon Debbie challenges William, a tall kid who runs a Whaler for Little Dix. William promises drinks for the house if he loses, but the table is not only tired and torn, but local knowledge is all-important and Debbie eventually loses. William then loses to another native, and we promise to send chalk for their cues. Around 10 p.m. the chef calls another taxi to retrieve us and, as we walk down the lane to our rooms, lightning is flashing on the horizon. Another cool shower and to fresh sheets, as lightning crashes and, eventually, a tropical downpour hisses through the palms. NOTE: Ask for the upstairs rooms, so you can leave the louvres open all the time, otherwise everyone looks in while your lights are on.

Day 6 (Sat., May 22)

After an incredible lightning show, the air is clear and pretty. Walk down the beach, see William the pool hustler, and have breakfast at the open air restaurant. Very ho-hum breakfast that costs an outrageous $92 for four: two tiny waffles, two eggs, four juice. The waiter, Leon, who has no other tables, is unable to remember who ordered what after only a few minutes, and then disappears. Each breakfast is $20 plus a $12 service charge! We all decide Little Dix help is overrated and unfriendly in general, and that the prices are too high. Taxi ($8! for just a few blocks) to the marina, which is windless and steaming. Quickly top up the water tanks and depart. Pleasant sail along Virgin Gorda in broad reach and into Gorda Sound, a huge "lake" with numerous nice anchorages.

Motor up to Biras Creek which looks like a pirate fortress on the top of an isthmus between the Atlantic and Gorda Sound. Nice docks and moorings, we tie up and check in. Staff quite flapped that we didn't call first, because they like to greet all guests at the dock with the electric cart, give them a guided tour, and deposit them at their rooms. We get room 7A, an oceanfront with limited view thru sea grape trees, but big separate bedroom with king bed, a living/sitting room with refrigerator, couch and chairs with sliding door, and a big tile bathroom with a wonderful outside shower that is open to the sky and with a tiled floor and small shell garden. Beautifully decorated. We have lunch in the open air restaurant, a buffet with curry dishes, and relax. Each room has two bikes for getting around, and Jim and I take them to explore the beach. Very nice cove with zillions of gnats, but nice sand, a dining area, and water toys like sailboats. Also Whalers available free at the marina and they also have a couple of larger sailboats for sailing.

Helen, the sales manager, is charming, and so is Emma who greeted us at the dock. Martin, the bartender, is pleasant, and the overall atmosphere is that we are friends, not guests. The resort has a pleasant and airy round library filled with books and a TV and VCR, plus a chess table set up in a breezy corner.

We sprawl by the freshwater pool that is built right over the rocky Atlantic shore, and the cool water is delightful. Later, we have beers on the patio and then retire to clean up for dinner. Walking uphill to dinner is hot, but sitting on the patio as the sun sets is cooler and we have some island drinks, but the bugs are out, so we head for the dining room. Rhea has gotten us one of the two round rock seating areas that are against the windows and our choices are several fish dishes, duck, or lobster ($5 extra). Two bottles of wine lead to a tequila shooter contest between R&J and the skies open with a torrential downpour. We loll on afterdinner drinks and then race back to our rooms during a break. Later that night, the skies really open and the hardest rain I've ever seen comes down, literally pounding the roof and hammering the sea. I worry about the dinghy, so take a flashlight at 4 a.m. and walk to the marina to check the boat. All OK, so take a shower and return to sleep.

Day 7 (Sun., May 23)

Up leisurely and Rhea sleeps late, so i join D&J for open air breakfast, which is lovely. Talk at length to Tim Shepard, who is an ex-newspaperman from San Diego who wrote for Sea and Yachting, moved to Friday harbor, built houses, and is now married to a younger woman, lives in Kauai and Ganges Island, and has a Moorings charter and is staying at Biras. Charming man, knows lots of people and quite interesting. Promise to send him a copy of my book when it comes out.

We're offered the chance to stay for another night for food costs ($75), but D&J are hesitant to spend the money, so we quickly pack up and get back aboard the steamy yacht, which has had a few leaks during the downpour. Tour slowly around the Sound past Bitter End YC, Saba Rock with it's little yachtsman bar, and Gun Creek with luxury homes, and into Leverick Bay to explore the Pussers store. Tie up at marina, walk up to colorful stores, and have pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers, plus Pussers painkillers served in "keeper" Pusser mugs which we'd planned to buy anyway. Poor service at restaurant, and disinterested clerks in stores. Get food supplies at Buck's market and power over to Drake's anchorage where we pick up a pay mooring and laze away the afternoon. J&D explore the reef, with it's tiny white sandspit.

NOTE: Drake's has a generator that runs all night with a continuous whine, plus Whalers and small boats that run back and forth at full speed thru the moorings.

We decided to shoot some food decor and discovered we were out of champagne, so we put the dinghy on the mooring and raced across to Leverick Bay for ice and champagne. J&D go ashore, and I invited a young couple to visit our boat. Returning, we shoot some pix in mid-bay by circling to get the light right, and then return to mooring.

Go to bed and rain starts around midnight and is heavy. We fight with windscoops and then open and close hatches endlessly.

Day 8 (Mon., May 24)

Up early and powered to Marina Cay, where Rhea bought glass bottle to send to Kidd boys. Ran into Tim and his wife Joan Shepard again, they were going to Great Camanoe to look at property. They had put boat on mooring and spent the night in one of the villas on Marina Cay and bought copy of the book "Two on an Island."

We leave again and head through pass toward Atlantic, with beautiful homes on hillsides. Once thru, sea is calm and we power past Guana Cay and several pretty white beaches with pleasant day anchorages. Turn again toward Cane Garden, admiring homes along the back side of Tortola.

Cane Garden is a disappointment, however. Said to be the prettiest anchorage in the BVI, it is lined with houses and bars, and is nothing special. We power into the anchorage, look around, decide not to stay and depart. At this point, I am concerned with our fuel, since the gauge has never left full. Decide to power to Soper's Hole and refuel.

On the way, there is a spectacular home on the very western tip of Tortola, perched on a rocky peninsula. The harbor is busy, and we search for the fuel dock, finally finding a tiny one against the seawall that doesn't look deep enough. They signal us in and we take on 20-odd gallons before overflowing. The girls wander along the Pusser's store area and we pick up a Seacure mooring to save the $5 charge for dockage for two hours to shop. Dinghy ashore, browse thru a nice art gallery, Jim wants a beer, but I want to head out again and insist. Harbor is airless and hot, so it's nice to get underway.

We again round the west end northward and power across to Sandy Cay, the Rockefeller botanical garden. Beautiful little island with white sand beach and protected day anchorage to leeward near a reef. Several other boats are already anchored in sand dotted by coral, and one big cat is on the beach. I take dinghy and others swim ashore to soft powdery sand beach. Following a sandy trail, we pass through various jungle-like areas and along the rocky eastern shore. See a big lizard with tail "blade" and throat that puffs out, plus canaries and other birds.

Day is getting late, so we head for Jost Van Dyke and swing into Little Harbour, which was my first choice since it has Moor Seacure buoys, but it is deserted and seems a bit exposed in light of the winds and storms we've had for past few nights. I head for Great Harbour to check it out, and it is a much prettier harbor with houses ashore and a deeper indentation. We anchor near reef in 10 feet of water with open space, but it isn't long before another sailboat and a Grand Banks are alongside. Finally suggest to the sailboat that he move out a bit, so he sets a second anchor. J, D and I dinghy ashore to explore, starting at Foxy's at the right side of the harbor. Jim stays for a beer, while Debbie and I go different directions. I stroll down the beach past the pier and the customs/police office. Small bakery located in woman's house has great breads, and I end up talking to a Bertram 31 charter skipper who owns "The Legend of the Empire," powered by Iveco diesels. I wander back to Foxys, where Jim is listening to the old black sing made-up ballads about people's hometowns or their boats or clothes. Open air, palm-thatched, sand floor. We return to the boat and get ready to barbecue, and Jim suddenly takes off for shore in the dinghy and stays at Foxys most of the evening. The three of us have dinner in the cockpit and retire early, and Jim returns later, leaving a beer bottle in the dinghy. Lots of rain later in the night, and a breeze that swings us through the night.

Day 9 (Tues., May 25)

Cooler, cloudy, and humid. Leave early and power to Green Cay which is inviting with sandy beach and spit, but we are short on time, so power across to west end of Tortola in 18-knot breeze and swells. Rounding Frenchman's cay at Soper's Hole, the Drake passage is calm and smooth. Power along looking at Tortola homes and turn into Road Harbour. Our previous dock is filled with a Lagoon 42, so I back into the T dock and we clean up as it begins to spit rain. Nice British girl comes down to check us in, and we offer her some breakfast, which is a collection of leftovers on a paper plate as Rhea says she is a gourmet cook. Lots of laughter. Go over problems on the boat (not many, aside from teething) and she departs as sprinkles continue. We pack up endless amounts of gear and check back into the Mariner Inn. (This time we get an upstairs apartment which is much cooler because of the better breeze as well as the ability to leave the windows open all the time. Rooms are OK, apartments are better (upstairs have high ceilings, and suites at the end away from the pool are best. We have #35). Sit on the porch, and Jim and Debbie go into town to explore. I shower and decide to explore, so ask how far it is to walk. The front desk says 15 minutes (a lie) and I set out past the other Moorings hotel, the crewed boat docks, and toward town. I get directions to the main street, which is narrow and winding, with old style buildings, ironwork balconies, and bright colors. Stop at the Philatelic office of the post office where they sell Columbus commemorative stamps, pass the tiny town square, and look into Pussers. Very hot and steamy, so I stop at a waterfront ice cream stand and get a double scoop of coconut ice cream ... wonderful. Get a taxi back to hotel, take another shower, and laze around. D&J return, saying we have reservations at a restaurant that evening, have a few drinks together, and then relax. After cleaning for dinner, R and I decide that we're too tired, so we cancel out and tuck in.

Day 10 (Wed, May 26)

Cool and cloudy morning, start packing, and then taxi into town with D&J, buy some stuff at Pusser's, and have lunch at Cell 5, a small open-air cafe run by a very nice young man. Hamburgers have grated cheese and are on English muffins ... very odd. Taxi back to hotel, check out, and take Moorings van to airport on Beef Island. Again, open air, very native, and slow service. Hot. Aircraft arrives, and we fly to San Juan. At the airport, we meet a young couple from Arkansas on their first Moorings charter. He's a former National Geographic photographer and both are very nice. Invite them to sit with us in Admiral's Club in PR while waiting for our flights. J&D and our flight to Miami are almost the same time, so we end our trip.

Editor's note: this article was updated in July of 2017.