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Ahoy Captain Itinerary Update 1.May.23
Here is an itinerary for you to consider.
It is the route The Captains Compass recommends to all its Captains and Guests and is based on 25 years of cruising experience.
Weather dictates Everything.
I would expect at least 1 Night to be affected by Weather every Week.
Please, Safety First, and I sincerely Trust You will have sympathy and respect for your Crew, and consideration for the Owner of Yacht.
Please, the worst mistake You can make is to arrive at the Yacht with an Excel Sheet of Destinations and Arrival Times all ‘Set In Stone'.
Please Remember that You are on a Relaxing Vacation, and hopefully so are your Crew.
This is a Sailboat on the Ocean, not a rental car in Vegas.
Your #1 Priority is to GET IN EARLY !!!
I strongly suggest getting into your destination and get a First Come First Served Mooring Ball before 2 PM.
This will give You time to enjoy snorkeling around the local reef and coral and fish with good light and good visibility.
Then You have time to explore the shore side facilities, maybe a dinner reservation or gift shopping, and check your emails.
Then You can return to your Yacht for Happy Hour, relax with a cocktail, and watch the ‘Circus come to Town' as the late comer's race for the last ball.
Being on a ball also ensures the Captain gets a good night's sleep.
Coming in late exposes You to other Yachts that arrive dangerously late, end up anchoring too close, and then are across your bow half way through the Night.
First Day -
It is smart to be on board with your luggage and provisions and ready for the 2 Briefings by 11 AM.
For safety I cannot allow the yacht to leave the dock after 3 PM
For safety I cannot allow the yacht to leave the dock with only 1 person.
The Chart Briefing takes about 30 Minutes and the Boat Briefing takes about 60 Minutes.
I recommend everyone attend both briefings. I require at least the Captain and First Mate for both briefings.
You will receive a free chart. You will also be provided, and billed for, the Cruising Permit and Park Permit during the Chart Briefing.
Day 1- Either West of Marina Cay or the East side of Trellis Bay.
Motoring or Motor Sailing on your First Day will give you a chance to build up some confidence within your crew and will give you a little extra control over the yacht for your first set of tacks and gibes.
Marina Cay is the prettier of the two harbors but can be a little breezier, especially in the winter months. Marina Cay has the nearby Diamond Reef for very good snorkeling, or, there is very sheltered swimming off the beautiful island beach.
There are no facilities (No fuel/water/restaurant/bar/shopping/ Pussers) at Marina Cay.
In Trellis Bay moor Only on the East side of Bellamy Cay with mooring balls, and shelter for bad weather.
A short dingy ride will take You to the West side of Trellis Bay with a small local convenience store, Aragon's Art Studio, Marche Shushi café, and the Loose Mongoose.
The Loose Mongoose has a very good restaurant and bar for lunch and dinner with very good food, service, and a very good view, and a deli open at 6 AM for very good real coffee and pasties and breakfast sandwiches.
The fuel and water dock at the Loose Mongoose is only 4‘ Deep at Low Tide, so not an option.
Day 2 & 3 - We recommend the 2nd day You get under way early for a very good 4 Hour sail north to North Virgin Gorda Sound. NVGS is an easy & smart place to re-water and re-fuel.
Due to the unreliability of the mooring balls at The Baths and the prohibition against landing dinghies on the beach I strongly recommend you pick up a mooring in Leverick Bay in North Sound and Taxi / Rental Car by land to The Baths.
Maybe enjoy ‘Hog Heaven' at Virgin Gorda Peak on the way back from the Baths for the best BBQ in the BVI.
We recommend 2 nights in North Virgin Gorda Sound as there is spectacular snorkeling and beautiful beaches. There is great snorkeling on Eustacia Reef which can be reached by a 20 Minute dingy ride beyond (east to north-east) of Saba Rock. Eustacia Reef has old cannons, an anchor, and 1 mile of coral and fish and turtles.
In the South West area of North Virgin Gorda Sound -
Leverick Bay is fully operational with mooring balls, fuel and water, and provisions.
There is a very good grocery store and deli, good gift shopping, a good pub by the fresh water pool, and the very good Restaurant at Leverick Bay up the stairs.
Blunder Bay to the West of Leverick Bay has mooring balls and a very good restaurant and bar.
In the East side of North Virgin Gorda Sound -
Bitter End is now open with mooring balls, fuel and water, and very good restaurants and bars, and a good grocery store, and shelter for bad weather.
Saba Rock is now open with mooring balls and water, and a very good restaurant and roof top bar.
Oil Nut Bay is Off Limits due to Depth for the Yacht, but not the dingy.
Vixen Point is very good for a quiet and peaceful night in North Sound with mooring balls and nothing else.
Please consider getting fuel and water the afternoon of your 3rd Day in North Virgin Gorda Sound.
Day 4 - You must be into Copper by 11 AM. No Anchoring!
Cooper Island is the center of the scuba diving area in the BVI and as a result it is a very popular site. Unfortunately, it has relatively few balls and it is unsafe to anchor.
Please consider leaving North Sound before 8 AM to arrive at Cooper before 11 AM. Or, motoring up from Norman or Peter to arrive before 11 AM.
Arriving at Copper before 11AM is a very good idea due to the shore side homemade ice cream bar, the real coffee bar, the homemade beer bar, the vintage rum bar, the ‘white sugar' beach, and the cocktail tables in 3 Feet of water.
Cooper Island has a beautiful beach with sheltered swimming and very good snorkeling at nearby Cistern Point.
Cooper Island has the best sunsets and a very nice (solar powered) restaurant, the 'Cooper Island Beach Club'.
Day 5 - Salt Island for a Swim at the Wreck of the Rhone, and then off to Jost Van Dyke.
White Bay is Off Limits for the Yacht.
To Salt Island to the Wreck Of The Rhone for a spectacular advanced snorkel and dive site with the 300'+ wreck laid open in 15' to 100' of water beneath you.
White Bay is Off Limits for the Yacht.
We recommend Jost Van Dyke as a destination on the 5th day. It is usually a beautiful sail down the channel and through the West End Cut to JVD.
We Strongly recommend Little Habor and Harris's for the most honest and hard working Family in the BVI and a Real BVI Lobster dinner.
Little Harbor usually has more balls available and more shelter than Great Harbor. You can enjoy at taxi to Great Harbor and Foxy's Bar and then White Bay and the Soggy Dollar Bar.
Great Harbor is an option although more crowed and the anchoring is very bad and exposed.
White Bay is Off Limits for the Yacht.
Please Do Not re-fuel or re-water at JVD.
Optional Day - We recommend Cane Garden Bay on the North side of Tortola, or, West End/Sopher's Hole/Frenchman's Cay.
Cane Garden Bay is one of the legendary beaches of the Caribbean and even Jimmy Buffet sings about CGB. It has a beautiful beach, good dinning at Quito's or Myett's. You need to get into CGB before Noon to get a ball. Unfortunately, we must avoid CGB if there is a North Sea Swell running in the winter.
West End is a very good place for mooring balls, fuel and water, very good restaurants and bars, very good provisioning and shopping, and shelter for bad weather.
Day 7 - We recommend our final destination to either The Bight on Norman Island, or, Great Harbor on Peter Island.
Noman has very good snorkeling at the Caves and, 1 Hour away, the Indians.
The Bight on Norman has mooring balls, a good restaurant and bar on the beach, the Pirates Bite, or across the harbor, the legendary Willy T.
Great Harbor on Peter has mooring balls, very good snorkeling, and a very good beach bar and restaurant at Oceans 7.
Last Day - Up early and a relaxing motorsail back to Fat Hog Bay to refuel by 10:00 AM
Please call Capt. Brent at 1.284.341.3332 when you are 1 hour out of Nanny Cay.
Fair Winds.
Capt. Brent
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