Depart Hodges Creek and set your sails for Peter Island. If early in the day, anchor in Deadman’s Bay and swim in to to check out the beach and resort. This is also a great place to snorkel up against the east side of the bay, you’re almost certain to see Turtles and Eagle Rays. You may either stay in Deadman’s Bay for the night (check how rolly it is), or move around to Great Harbor Peter Island and pick up a mooring ball for the night. There is also nice snorkeling on the south side of this bay next to the little resort/restaurant.
Sail from Peter Island to Norman Island. Snorkel at the Indians and the Caves. Head into The Bight and pick up a mooring ball for the night. Check out the Pirates Bight for a great happy hour and a fun game of giant Jenga and then dance the night away at the famous Willy T. The Pirates Bight is newly renovated and has a nice atmosphere if you care to eat ashore. You can also eat aboard The Willy T if you are looking for something a little more casual.
Head off and set your sails for a beautiful downwind leg to Soper’s Hole. Pick up a mooring ball and head in to do some shopping, this is also a great place to provision. If you need to bring on water/drop trash/pick up ice, this is a good place to do it. Be patient though, as there is often a queue of boats waiting to get on the pier. When finished with shopping, head out of Soper’s Hole and set your sails for White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. This is the home of the famous Soggy Dollar Bar. There are newly installed mooring balls in White Bay. Pick up a mooring ball and head ashore. Note there is very little space for anchoring in White Bay, if there are not Moorings available, check down south side of the bay near Ivan’s. Enjoy your afternoon on the beach and you can either stay in White Bay for a nice quiet night, or head around to Great Harbour, home of Foxy’s. Great Harbor is a great spot to bring on water/get ice and get rid of your trash. The dock is located on the North side of Great Harbour and the owner is a really nice guy!
Take it easy mid week and hang out around Jost Van Dyke and it’s surrounding islands. Sandy Cay is not to be missed. Either sail or motor to this little island of paradise, pick up a mooring ball and swim ashore. It’s best to leave the dinghy at the boat at this location as the swells tend to surge on and off the beach. Take some flip flops and water shoes with you, this island has a great little 20 minute hike. The views off the North Side are spectacular! Also, look out….don’t step on the many little hermit crabs that inhabit this island. When you are finished with Sandy Cay, take a trip over to Diamond Cay for a lunch stop. You can either eat on the boat or go ashore to Foxy’s Taboo. This is also a good bay for snorkeling as long as the wind isn’t blowing too strong. There are many turtles and sting rays here. Look for the turtle grass off the concrete pier and hang out..turtles will come. If you are feeling comfortable in Diamond Cay, it’s a great place to spend the night, if you feel like moving, head out one bay over to Little Harbour, home of Sydney’s Peace and Love Restaurant. If you are going to have Lobster on your trip here in the BVI’s, this is where you want to have it! You’re mooring ball is free for the night if you eat at the restaurant!
Get ready for a great sailing day. Get an early start and sail up to Monkey Point on Ghana Island. Monkey point is a wonderful place to snorkel (unless there is a north swell in which case you will not want to stop here). After Monkey Point, move around to either Marina Cay or Trellis Bay for the night. Both are wonderful places to go ashore for dinner, Marina Cay offers some happy hour entertainment, while The Last Resort offers some wonderful and hilarious after dinner entertainment. Take your pick, both restaurants are wonderful!
Get an early start heading out to the dogs. Either shop on Great Dog or George Dog for some snorkling and then set your sails heading to the North Sound. Pick up a mooring ball at Bitter End Yacht Club and go ashore to explore. If you are feeling like you need to shop, stretch those legs and go for a hike, or simply relax on the beach in a chair, this is the place to do it! For happy hour your have two choices, you can stay at Bitter End, and head to Saba Rock where they feed the Tarpon (and don’t forget to check out the Tucans) or you can head to Leverick Bay (Monday – Thursday during high season) for the Michael Beans Happy AARRR show. Pick up a mooring at Leverick Bay and you get 100 gallons of water and a bag of ice FREE!
Get an early start and sail downwind the beautiful coast of Virgin Gorda to the Baths. Spend some time checking out these cool rock formations. This is not to be missed! After the Baths, set your sails to Manchaneel Bay on Cooper Island. This bay fills up fast so it’s a good idea to get there early (December – April). There’s something for everyone at Cooper Island. Snorkling, beach, restaurant, bar and even a boutique to go shopping. Enjoy a restful afternoon on your last day. The restaurant at Cooper is very good, but make sure to make reservations as it books up fast!
Have a relaxing morning before setting your sails back to Hodges Creek!
Whether it is the sound of the canvas negotiating with the wind, the smell of mango in your frozen drink or the sight of the waters off of Anegada where the color turquoise was invented nothing is better than decompressing on the edge of my slice of heaven in my 52 foot catamaran sailing through the Virgin Islands. Reaching a depth of relaxation where I have never before keeps me coming back year after year.
I’ve recently returned from a trip with my family and friends. We rented Sea Runner from the Catco team after seeing the boat via the website on-line. This was our eighth charter vacation, so we’ve seen a lot of bases and companies from around the world. Without question, the service and attention to detail that we received from your team in BVIs was the best we’ve seen yet. I’d like to share the highlights of the experiences we had with the team. It started with a most excellent briefing with Catco on the dock. They love what they do and it shows. There was no question too dumb and they went out of their way to ensure we were equipped and ready for great sailing around the BVI’s. The week sailing was great and boat was absolutely wonderful. No issues, everything went great with the boat and weather. We didn’t have to call into the base once. However, on the morning of our return to base, we got a huge chunk of coral caught in the anchor when raising it. Our flight was at 12pm and we didn’t have much time to waste, so after spending 1.5 hours trying to dislodge the coral I decided to motor into the marina so that we wouldn’t miss our flight. We arrived at base and let the team know that we were running late…. and had a big rock hanging from the boat. The team didn’t make us feel bad and instead worked double fast to ensure we got off the boat as quickly as possible. We arrived just in time and were the last to board our flight home. We had to leave some rubbish on the boat and I’m sure the crew had to work extra to turn it over. We are extremely thankful for their understanding. This was all done with a smile, and you could tell that their love of the country, water, and wind translated into fantastic customer service. They really love what they do. To the crew in Tortola. thank you! We will definitely be renting the Sea Runner again!
My crew and I greatly enjoyed our charter in the BVI, and wanted to thank you for providing a spectacular boat and an excellent captain on short notice. The catamaran “Sea Runner”” was well maintained and equipped. The water maker on board was a big help. The propane gas for the outside grill was excellent. The captain, Steve, from Ireland, was wonderful. He integrated seamlessly into our group and his sailing expertise and knowledge of the BVI allowed the crew to make the absolute most of every day, regardless of wind and weather conditions — we had a varied and fun trip. It was a joy to rent Sea Runner, and my crew and I look forward to chartering with you soon again.
My family and I (12 in total) chartered Sea Runner during our Cruise. We had experience sailing with other sail boats, but it was the first time with a catamaran and the first time in the wonderful BVI’s. The islands were beautiful and exactly what we were looking for. We heard about the Cruise just searching through internet and what struck our attention was the complete and excellent presentation of Sea Runner’s website. We were happily surprised by the professionalism of your Company. Everything was well planned and the catamaran was in very good condition. What an opportunity to charter a brand new boat!! The professional crew: Captain Paul, Hostess/Cook Marie, made our stay on the catamaran so fantastic! Captain Paul was an absolute professional Captain who provided us a safe sailing experience during our vacation. All in all, it was an excellent experience for us and we enjoyed our vacation so much!