Itinerary
Arrival Day
There are so many wonderful islands, beaches, and places to choose from. So where do you go first? Well, you can head off in any direction you want, but many of our guests ask us for a weeklong vacation plan. So here we go:
Depending on the time you arrive at our base in Maya Cove, you may wish to head into Road Town (the largest town in the British Virgin Islands) for a quiet dinner and a little bit of shopping. Then head back to our quiet base to spend a restful night before you head out in the morning. If you arrive a bit earlier, and still have a few hours of sunlight left, you may decide to sail away to either Peter Island or Norman to spend your first night on the boat in a lovely anchorage. It is all up to you.
Day 1:
Probably a good start is to take off on a glorious broad reach across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to Norman Island and anchor in The Bight. Here you will find the floating pirate ship "William Thornton" to grab a beer or rum “pain killer”, depending on how you feel. You will also find here the "Pirates" - a neat little restaurant on the beach that’s a great place to hang out and swim in the warm water. Norman Island is said to be Robert Louis Stevenson's inspiration for his book "Treasure Island". Local legend claims that treasure was indeed found here in the cave - enough to set the person up who found it as a taxi driver! If you are looking for something really secluded, and want to get away from it all, on the windward side of Norman is a quiet little anchorage called Money Bay. It is a small anchorage, and it can only handle a few boats, but it really takes you away from it all if going natural is your vision. We’ll let you define natural as you wish! Suffice it to say there is nobody about to tell you what to do and very few people to see what you are doing.
Day Two: Salt Island/ Cooper Island
Ok, now that you’ve gotten a little more familiar with the boat, it’s time to do a bit of sailing. So we suggest taking a short beat up to Salt Island. Here you can pick up the National Parks moorings and snorkel about the wreck of the Royal Mail Steamship Rhone, which sunk during the hurricane of 1867 and became famous in the movie 'The Deep'. Many of our sailors also like to go ashore to visit the settlement and the salt pond from which the island takes its name. Interestingly, the annual rent for the entire island is paid each year directly to the Queen of England as a bag of salt! After a bit of swimming and a light lunch we suggest a sail over to Cooper Island. Here you can pick up a mooring in front of the beach club bar and restaurant, which includes a dive shop in the event you want to explore the depths. Just to the south of Manchoneel Bay is Cistern Rock, offering some of the best diving and snorkeling around. The abundance of sea life here is enormous and if you are lucky you will spot a turtle.
Day Three: Virgin Gorda
Sail to the famous Baths, known the world over for some of the most unique natural formations in the BVI. The Baths are made up of thousands of smooth boulders, some as large as a house, which are strewn along the beach on the far southern tip of Virgin Gorda. What you do is grab a mooring ball near the baths, pop on your swim fins and snorkel gear, and jump. So you will be gliding over the many gaps in the rocks that open into massive rocky grottos filled with sea water. If you wish, you can also visit nearby Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor, with a full service marina, shops and restaurants. Depending on your time and desires, you can also grab a taxi to the nearby Copper Mine restaurant which is positioned perfectly to capture fabulous sunset views and is an old copper mine site. You can also go to the Top of the Baths restaurant which has a wonderful fresh water pool and full service cocktail bar.
Generally, sailors head just a bit North of Virgin Gorda where there are a wide range of inlets and nice, quiet anchorages to spend the night. Whether you want to snorkel Eustastia Sound with its sunken cannons and multicolored reef fish, or spy on Necker Island to catch a glimpse of some movie star on vacation, this is a super place to relax. Bitter End Yacht Club, Saba Rock and Leverick Bay also offer good restaurants and transient dockage. In Gorda Sound you have a wide bay with plenty of places to anchor for the night as well.
Day Four: Anegada
Depending on your level of enthusiasm for a long sail, you can either relax and just spend the day in North Sound, where you can grab a massage or windsurf or do just about anything, or sail the 15 miles north to Anegada. Anegada means 'drowned island' and that’s because the highest point is just 15 feet above sea level. The island is famous for fresh lobster, iguanas and flamingos. But if you intend to sail to Anegada you will have to leave North Sound pretty early to arrive at Anegada during the middle of the day. And you must do this, because navigation is trickier here than other places in the BVI. You do not want to arrive at Anegada at night. After you arrive, you can 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. A lot of sailors do not take the time to visit this island, but if you enjoy a longer sail, the real feeling of putting in some miles, Anegada is loads of fun to visit.
Day Five: Trellis Bay and Marina Cay
Head over to Trellis Bay on Beef Island, a very well protected natural safe harbor. Or, if you want an even more tranquil spot try Marina Cay across the channel to the north, off Great Camanoe, which features a Pussers Rum that is fantastic for happy hour and casual dining. Many people like to head to the home of the famous restaurant, Last Resort, with its interactive entertainment with Al the singing chef.
Day Six: Cane Garden Bay/Jost Van Dyke
Get up in the morning and prepare yourself for a fantastic downhill sleigh ride through the channel. You can either anchor for the night at Cane Garden Bay on Tortola's lush north shore, or to the islands of Jost Van Dyke or Little Jost Van Dyke. Both locations have excellent anchorages, beautiful beaches, fantastic snorkeling, hiking, beach bars and unique restaurants for your share of the evening's entertainment.
Day Seven: Peter Island or Maya Cove
Depending on the length of you charter, you can either head back to our base, or head over to Peter Island. After you leave either Jost Van Dyke or Cane Garden Bay, you should head over to either Soopers Hole, home of Pusser’s Landing, for a little sip, or turn corner and just tighten in the sails and beat up to Peter Island. Peter Island is an elegant spot, known for its fine hotel and pristine beaches. Anchor off Green Cay and enjoy a swim in to shore. Or consider walking around the whole island in ten minutes.
Day Eight: Maya Cove
Wake up, breath deep, imbibe the sunrise over the hills of Peter Island, then take an early morning swim or snorkel and then weigh anchor for a brisk, close hauled sail across the channel to the Dream Yacht base at Maya Cove. You’ve had a great adventure, done a lot of sailing, perhaps drank a bit too much, snorkeled too much, laughed and ate too much – but that, for sure, was a week you’ll always remember!
The fact is, there are many, many possible approaches to your vacation. You can head off in any direction you want and spend the time in so many different ways. What you will learn is that, after your first charter, you will want to come back time and time again – there is that much to explore in this gorgeous island paradise.
Base Notes
Tortola - Hodges Creek / Maya Cove
Base details
Base manager: Yann Leboyer
Tel: + 1 (284) 544 86 18
E-mail: basetortola@dreamyachtcharter.com
Embarkation
Dream Yacht Caribbean
Maya Cove / Hodges Creek Marina
East end
Tortola / British Virgin Islands
How to get there
International flights via Saint Martin (Air France – KLM – Corsair – Air Caraïbes – (list of companies) connections with local airlines with American Eagle Airlines and LIAT.
International flights via San Juan (Puerto Rico)
(list of companies) connections with local airlines with American Eagle Airlines and LIAT.
Ferries from American Virgin Islands (Ferries)
Transfers
Can be organized by the base (upon request) / 10 mn between Beef Island airport and base (about 3,5 km).
About 14€ round trip per person.
Formalities
Valid passport – Beware – for visiting American Virgin Islands, you need a visa.
(Consulate).
Weather Forecasts
Daily weather forecasts in English on CaribWx (ZBVI radio 780 AM).
Services
In the marina
3 restaurants - (Calamaya & Fat Hog Bob's [lunch & dinner] & Pelican's Cafe [Breakfast – lunch & Dinner]).
Commercial Centers
One supermarket in the marina, market 2 minutes away, but the most convenient is online orders with http://www.bobbysmarketplace.com
Credit Cards / Accepted Currencies
Master & Visa credit card are accepted but most of transactions are done cash (US$).
USD is mainly used; euros accepted.
Things to know
- Only soft bags - No suite case (rigid suite cases are too cumbersome)
- On land electricity is 110 Volts – 60Hz (American plugs – get an adaptor)
- Telephone – Area code from abroad 00-1-284-49 + 5 figures of your correspondent) telephone card available on spot (Cable & Wireless).
- Cellular phones – some can work (depending on zones) – do not forget roaming fees!
- Internet Access (Access spots = Access spots),
- (WiFi = WiFi ou (BVI Marine wifi = BVI Marine wifi) (admission charge)
Fleet
Currently at this Base
New and Best-In-Class Fleet
In addition to smaller bases and a higher level of personal care, we offer only the highest quality yachts at Dream Yacht Charter. That is why we partner with the best ship yards in the world and take great care to choose yachts that offer you sailing performance as well as great comfort and space. In addition, all of our yachts in the Caribbean are brand-new or less than 4 years old.
We own and operate the one and only fleet of Catana catamarans in the world. The Catana 50 was named "Best Cruising Multihull" in Cruising World’s 2008 Boat of the Year contest. Known for high performance and design, Catana is also one of two large scale luxury yacht manufacturers in the world that produces catamarans with dagger boards. It is well known to serious catamaran sailors that Catana catamarans cost at least 30% more to purchase than other catamarans of a similar size. What they also know is that Catanas represent the gold standard for quality and performance in sailing catamarans.
Each of our yachts is specially outfitted and equipped by Dream Yacht Charter to answer the most demanding needs of our guests. More than 200 details have been changed in our Dream Yacht Charter yacht specifications to guarantee you a safe and carefree vacation. Our Catana fleet is additionally outfitted with higher-end equipment.
We have selected for you only yachts of the best ship yards, perfectly adapted to the needs of a charter holiday, combining good sailing qualities with comfort and space. Each of these yachts gets special fittings and equipment ordered by Dream Yacht Charter.
The whole caribbean fleet consists in brand-new yachts (less than 3 years).
If you want to sail on a really luxuriously equipped yacht, try out one of our Catana catamarans, the last word in multihull design. Spacious, airy and beautifully designed, they offer you a new dimension for your holiday.
Over-the-top equipment: autopilot Raymarine ST 7001, chart plotter, maxiview repeater, watermaker, microwave, freezer, 220 V & 12 V plugs, solar panels and a lot more.
For the monohulls, you can select one of the latest models of the Harmony shipyard (Groupe Poncin) – the Harmony 38, Harmony 42, Harmony 47 and Harmony 52 with excellent sailing qualities and a very attractive design.
Equipment
All yachts are equipped with:
- Bimini top
- Electrical anchor windlass
- Roller furling genoa
- Full batten mainsail (easy furling mainsail)
- Self tailing winches
- Autopilot
- GPS
- Hot water
- Hot deck shower
- Additional ventilation
- Oversized water tanks and fridges
- CD-player with cockpit speakers
- Dinghy plus outboard engine
- Barbecue grill
For your personal comfort, you will find the following equipment for each guest onboard:
- Snorkelling gear for each guest (tuba, mask, fins)
- 2 sets of linen and towels per week (including bathing towels)
- Beach towels
Options, should you wish you can book the following options for each yacht:
- Child safety net
- Fishing rod
- Kayak
Tortola isin the ideal departure spot for The British Virgin Island cruisingground as it is located at the center of the archipelago and is thelargest and most populated island in the group. A sailing vacation inthe BVI is perfect for the first-time charter sailor because theislands are very close together and most of the anchorages can bereached without leaving the protected waters of the Sir Francis DrakeChannel. Smooth waters and brisk trade winds are the norm, with quietanchorages. If you only wish to sail for an hour a day, you can do so.If you wish to sail all day, you can easily do that as well. Theoptions in the BVI are truly unlimited for designing the sailingvacation of your dreams.
Like all of our bases, we went out of our way on Tortola to avoid thecrowed city and harbor of Road Town, the capital of Tortola, so thatour guests could spend a quiet first or last night on their boat in alovely marina. Maya Cove is just that. We are conveniently located justa few minutes from the Beef Island Airport in the East End of Tortola.It is a very short taxi ride into the town of Road Town for those whowish to shop, provision, etc. At our base in Maya Cove our guests cantake full advantage of the many facilities of the Hodges Creek Marina,including its three restaurants and provisioning store.
