Sailing is Back in The BVI!
The British Virgin Islands has always been the Caribbean’s top sailing destination, and even hurricanes and pandemics have been unable to knock it down for long. After almost two years of lockdowns, changing entry protocols and travelers wary of getting on airplanes, The BVI is rounding the corner. Boats are filling popular anchorages, the Sir Francis Drake Channel is dotted with white sails. BVI charter boat guests are happy to once again be out sailing on the water.
Recently I was in White Bay on the BVI island of Jost Van Dyke and marveled at how many sail boats were at anchor. The same was true at Cane Garden Bay, where charter boats bobbed placidly on their anchors and sailors congregated at the bay’s many popular watering holes. Full ferries are another indication of the BVI’s slow but sure return to normal; this I observed on a January trip to the US and back. The majority onboard my ferry from St. Thomas were sailors heading for various yacht charter companies throughout the BVI. Excited to be sailing, they compared notes on their favorite anchorages, places to eat and preferred rum drinks.
So how do the owners of local yacht charter firms and their guests view the BVI’s comeback? I asked a few to give me their thoughts.
For Cindy Chestnut, co-owner of Conch Charters in Road Town with her husband Brian Gandey, this current season has had its ups and downs. “In general, business is coming back,” Cindy says. “It won’t be at the peak pre-Covid, but is maybe 70% greater than in 2020 when the BVI shut down completely.”
“What is great about sailing in the BVI now,” she notes, “is that anchorages have fewer boats and beach bars are less crowded, like it had been in the ‘early days.’” This is something that Cindy and Brian, Canadians who first visited the BVI in 1984, remember well. “When we first arrived, we were so impressed, we said ‘Wow!’” and started planning a massive career change.”
What ports of call does she recommend when sailing the BVI? “It’s all great,” she contends, but some favorites include Cooper Island; Pirates on Norman Island; Quitos, Myetts and Indigo House in Cane Garden Bay – and just about any place on Jost Van Dyke, although Taboo and the Beeline on the island’s East End are two quieter options, she says.
Sylvia Driver is Director of Horizon Yacht Charters based at Nanny Cay. She and her partner Andrew Thompson see a bright future for BVI sailing. Sylvia says that the company has been “very busy catching up on postponed/rescheduled charters and a surge of new charters too, since November 2021. The first half of 2022 is almost fully booked, and we are seeing strong winter bookings through to 2023, advance bookings too.”
What does she recommend for charterers coming to the BVI? Travel insurance she says, “one that covers COVID delays or disruptions to travel or indeed getting COVID while on charter and having to stay longer in the BVI until you test negative again. If you test positive on your pre-departure COVID test in your home country, you will not be allowed to board a plane or travel to your charter destination. Your charter, at this stage, is non-refundable which is why everyone should take out insurance.”
Barney Crook is managing director of TMM Yacht Charters at Road Reef. He and his wife Lin are longtime residents who have observed the charter industry’s development through the years.
Barney has an optimistic take on the BVI’s charter industry in genera,l and TMM’s, in particular, “Charters are back with a vengeance and we are just as busy as we were pre-Covid. Only a few people are still canceling, mainly due to work concerns and Covid. (Getting stuck and not being able to get back to work or kids). More bookings than cancellations, though, which is good.”
Along with her husband Robin, Jo-Ann Downing of Voyage Charters is upbeat about this season’s prospects. She notes that “new bookings are very similar to that of pre-Covid.” She adds, “Our BVI operations team, our USA Reservations Team, and our Manufacturing Company in Cape Town, South Africa, are all extremely positive about the future of the yachting industry, especially in the British Virgin Islands.”
Voyage is located at Sopers Hole Marina on Frenchman’s Cay off Tortola’s West End, and Jo-Ann notes: “With brand new docks, great restaurants and good shopping at Soper’s Hole, things are looking very good for Voyage Charters.”
And how do the charterers feel about sailing in the BVI? Barney Crook passed on a few of the comments that he has received this year from charter guests.
Wrote one, “We arrived by ferry from St Thomas, had our Covid test within 48 hours of arriving on Tortola so no further testing was required. Got through Immigrations and Customs with no problems. We provisioned ourselves and found most of everything we were looking for. The weather has been great and we haven’t had any problems finding mooring balls.”
This charter guest was thrilled by the number of beach bar and restaurants that are currently open. “In regards to our stops getting back to normal, I think this is even more back to normal than my trip that was immediately before the world shut down due to covid. At that time, places such as Saba Rock and BEYC (Bitter End Yacht Club) had not opened. These are open and Saba is better than ever. BEYC just had a soft opening and is not quite to the point that attracts me, but this is the recovery from Irma that is ongoing and not so much Covid related. All on Anegada are open (plus some new places such as Typsy’s beach bar and Sid’s Restaurant). Cane Garden Bay has continued to recover from Irma and Jost Van Dyke places – Soggy Dollar Bar, Foxy’s and others are open, even more so than pre covid trip.
Norman and Cooper Islands restaurants and beach bars were back to normal. Willy Ts is recovered and bigger. We enjoyed the BBQ Buffett at Leverick Bay Marina on Friday, which was a first for us in over 20 trips. In regards to boating, there are more places to snorkel or scuba dive. Sailing is great. The boat charters are booked the most I have seen.”
Getting into the BVI was smooth sailing for this charterer: “Getting into BVI has gotten easier as only 1 test is needed to enter USVI and same test qualifies to enter BVI (No quarantine)”, said another. Please note: that to not quarantine, you need to be fully vaccinated.*
Sylvia Driver weighs in with her reason for loving to sail in the BVI. Simply put, the BVI is THE best sailing grounds in the world! The BVI has some great restaurants dotted around the islands and top-class provisioners and wine purveyors. The winds are constant, the seas are warm and crystal clear, and the beaches are beautiful … plus you will get a great welcome everywhere you go!
“The feedback I have gotten from others,” sums up Barney, “has been that BVI sailing is BACK!”
*Please note: In order to not quarantine, Travelers to the BVI must be fully vaccinated (two doses, with the second dose received 14 days prior to travel), and the negative result of a Covid test must be received within 72 hours of travel to the USVI and 48 hours of travel to the BVI.
For more information on entry requirements to the BVI see: Entry Requirements https://thebviinsider.com/entry-protocols
– Claudia Colli
