Suggested Cruising Program Departure from Road Harbour, Tortola
Arrival Day
Before you leave the docks you will receive an informative chart briefing. Our team has spent many years sailing, snorkeling and diving in the BVI - they will tell you everything you need to know.
Cast off from our dock in at either Road Harbour or Hodges Creek and set sail on a beam reach for Norman Island, home of the caves and the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's famous novel 'Treasure Island'. Snorkel the caves and then motor a short distance around the corner into the Bight which
provides a perfect anchorage for your first night. Eat, drink and be merry aboard the floating bar/restaurant 'The William Thornton'
Day One - Salt Island
A short beat up the Sir Francis Drake Channel takes you to Salt Island. Here you can pick up the National Parks moorings and either dive or snorkel the wreck of the Royal Mail Steamship Rhone, a relic of the hurricane of 1867 and famous for its part in the movie 'The Deep'. Alternatively, go ashore and visit the settlement and the salt pond from which the island takes its name. The annual rent for the whole island is paid each year directly to the Queen of England and is a bag of salt! After lunch sail to Cooper Island where you can pick up a mooring in front of the beach club bar and restaurant - there's a dive shop here also.
Day Two - Virgin Gorda
Sail to the Baths, one of the most unique natural formations in the BVI. Consisting of thousands of smooth boulders, some as big as a house, strewn along the beach on the southern tip of Virgin Gorda. You can explore the many gaps that open into massive rocky grottos filled with sea water. Nearby is Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, with a full service marina, shops and restaurants. In the afternoon, sail north and east to the North Sound of Virgin Gorda, surrounded with safe anchorages, snorkeling, beach bars and restaurants.
Day Three - Anegada
Either relax and spend the day in North Sound or sail the 15 miles north to Anegada. Anegada means 'drowned island' and when you see it you'll realize why! The highest point is 15 feet above sea level and it's famous for fresh lobster, iguanas and flamingoes.
You will have to leave North Sound early in order to arrive at Anegada during the middle of the day. This will give you good light to navigate through the coral
heads at the entrance to the anchorage. Take a taxi ride to Loblolly Bay on the north side and snorkel inside the reef. Then go back to the anchorage for smoothies and a lobster dinner at the Anegada Reef Hotel or Neptune's Treasure.
Day Four - Trellis Bay
Sail from either North Sound or Anegada to Trellis Bay on Beef Island - a well protected natural harbour and home of the famous restaurant and cabaret 'The Last Resort'. If you prefer a more tranquil spot then try Marina Cay across the channel to the north, off Great Camanoe, which features a Pussers that is good for happy hour and casual dining. Also there is a new restaurant on Scrub Island called Donovans Reef, access can be by dinghy from Marina Cay.
Day Five - Cane Garden Bay/Jost Van Dyke
Weigh anchor and take a short cruise up to beautiful Guana Island for spectacular snorkeling and a superb beach at Monkey Point. It's a great spot to picnic. Then take an afternoon sail west to either Cane Garden Bay on Tortola's lush north shore, or to the islands of Jost Van Dyke and Little Jost Van Dyke. Both locations have good anchorages, beautiful beaches, hiking, beach bars and unique restaurants for your share of the evening's entertainment.
Day Six - Soper's Hole/Peter Island
Anchor off Sandy Spit Green Cay and enjoy a swim in to shore. You can walk around the whole island in five minutes, but snorkeling around is more fun. Then sail west to Soper's Hole Wharf, the home of Pusser's Landing, said to be built on the spot where Blackbeard the pirate once lived. Ashore there are restaurants and provisions. For your last night, sail across the channel to Little or Great Harbour, Peter Island.
Day Seven - Road Harbour
Enjoy the sunrise over the hills of Peter Island, take an early morning swim or snorkel and then weigh anchor for a short sail across the channel to the TMM docks. (*Images courtesy of the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board.)
Tortola & The British Virgin Islands Suggested Cruising Program Departure from Road Harbour,
