| Bareboat in the BVI | | Print | |
| Written by Mike Marks | |
| Sunday, 25 November 2007 | |
My Dad says the best vacation he ever had was the week long bareboat
charter we took in the British Virgin Islands for his 65th
birthday. We snorkeled among colorful fish and hiked through
caves at Norman Island, swam ashore from our mooring for daiquiris at
Beef Island and listened to a first rate steel drum band under a
moonlit sky with accompaniment from small surf at Cane Garden Bay on
Tortola. We ate well on the boat and went out for a few great
meals ashore. I especially remember seeing a rainbow lit by a
full moon. I didn’t know that rainbows could be
seen at night. It was a fantastic trip that I look forward to
sharing soon with my wife and kids. One of the great things about bareboat sailing the BVI is that the required experience level is pretty low. Navigating is nearly all line of sight. Confirm there's no reef in the way and then simply head toward that hill on that island over there. There's virtually no tide or currents to worry about. And the steady wind rarely goes over 20mph. Compared to sailing around New England it’s a total piece of cake. For the seasick prone an itinerary can be created such that the longest passage is under 3-4 hours. For my Dad’s birthday trip we chartered from the Moorings and were completely satisfied. The quality of the boat, the lowest cost “value-line” (no longer offered) was high. Equally, if not more important, they made everything easy, from getting provisions at the beginning to cleaning up and leaving the boat at the end. My next bareboat charter will be from them. The cost of a bareboat BVI vacation for my family of four is comparable to a trip to Disneyworld when staying at an in-park hotel. A 33’ Beneteau is plenty nice for two adults and two small kids (when everyone gets along). At high season (winter) Moorings offers this boat for $372 a day. The rate drops to $275 a day and less for low season. Here’s a link to Moorings. Even if you don’t take a trip it’s fun to think about one. 
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