The British Virgin Islands are still working hard to overcome the damage caused by hurricane Irma last year and their efforts are paying off. Sailors who returned this season have told us what wonderful charters they’ve experienced and are recommending that it is the perfect time to re-discover the islands. One said: “It is like going back 30 years, to when the BVIs were a sailor’s secret.”
LateSail sailor, Richard from the US, visited the BVIs in late December/early January and shared with us how much he enjoyed his charter and the ease he had eating out and organising supplies, such as provisioning, water or fuel.
Richard said: “The islands are coming back and we had great dinners ashore in Anegada, Leverick Bay, Norman Island, and Spanish Town. Cooper Island was closed but I hear they reopen in April. Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor is discouraging overnight stays, but is open for fuel and water.”
He advised: “The main issue we saw was with card transactions. Many places were only accepting cash or had intermittent credit card processing. Also many ATMs were not working, although we found working ones on Tortola and Virgin Gorda. If you simply take extra cash with you, you’ll be fine.”
Eating out in the BVIs post-Irma
Richard recommended: “For dining, we went to Pirates Bight on Norman Island, which has been rebuilt. It’s a great bar with a perfect location on the beach. The food was delicious with some local specials, which were very popular. You can still see the floating bar, Willy T washed up on the shore but I heard they will have a new boat in the summer.
Norman Island, BVI
“On Virgin Gorda, we had dinner at CocoMaya, which was the best dinner of the trip. Walking there was a little sketchy so make sure you take a taxi and the restaurant will arrange for a taxi back. We also had lunch at Top of the Baths with its great views and tasty oxtail stew. On the North Sound, Leverick Bay was open for dinner. They had a few slips open and they were repairing hotel damage. We were there on January 3 and they were restoring water to the fuel dock. A lot of people were talking about Oil Nut Bay changing their rules to allow boat charterers to visit.”
Jost Van Dyke, BVI
“We celebrated a wonderful New Year’s Eve on Anegada at Anegada Reef Hotel where rebuilding was going well. We headed out to Loblolly for a few days and had a good lunch at Big Bamboo, where the bar was open. We also had dinner at Potter’s By The Sea, while some other charters went to Wonky Dog and said they had a great time too.
“We had dinner at the renowned Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke and from there, we could still see a lot of damage in Great Bay. The beach bar at Nanny Cay on Tortola was open and serving food, while Nanny Cay Marina hotel was under heavy reconstruction. Genaker Cafe was open for breakfast.”
Richard added: “Thank you again for all of your help and for working with us through the hurricane changes. Once again it worked out great for us.”
Find out more
Visit our BVI destination page for more information and itineraries to help you plan your charter or head to the blog to discover the BVIs. To learn more about chartering the BVIs, talk to our team on 01227 479 900 or request a quote.
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