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Sailing Area, The British Virgin Islands...
Acknowledged as one of the best cruising grounds in the world, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) never fail to impress visitors. 18o North and 64o West and at the northern end of the Leeward Islands, the BVI's have the Atlantic to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south.
Why are the BVI's so special?
There are officially 60 islands in the group, all within line of sight, with the exception of Anegada which is a coral island 15 miles north of Virgin Sound.Most of the islands are volcanic which result in numerous inlets and bays, which are ideal for anchoring or mooring.
Some anchorages are isolated, and you may well be the only yacht at anchor there. Others have famous bars and restaurants ashore. Great Harbour on Jost Van Dyke, with Foxy's bar, is said to be #3 in the world of places to be on New Year's Eve, (Old Years Night).
The islands are also home to some of the best scuba diving and sports fishing in the world.
In the BVI's you can usually rely on the easterly trade winds to give you great sailing and cooling breezes. The seas between the islands seldom exceed 3 feet. The daytime air temperature varies between 28oC and 32oC and the sea temperature between 24oC and 29oC. There is very little tidal rise and fall, few currents and no fog!
The Virgin Islands have been important sailing grounds throughout history. Columbus "discovered" the islands in 1493. The Sir Francis Drake Channel separates the main island of Tortola from Norman Island (Treasure Island), Peter Island, Dead Chest, Salt and Cooper Island. Without travelling far you can have a fantastic weeks sailing in and around this channel.
If you are more adventurous, a week will allow you time to circumnavigate Tortola and discover many lesser-known anchorages and snorkelling points (and bars!). Returning guests, or those on longer holidays, may wish to visit the coral island of Anegada that is 10 miles long but only 30 feet high. This is the so-called "forbidden island" as charterers are encouraged to stay away. The reefs round this island are the resting-place of hundreds of wrecks.
It is possible to revisit the BVI's many times without exhausting ones enthusiasm for either firm favourites or new sites and anchorages.
For more details see Sample Log and Ashore and Around.
For further interest try these links...
BVI Tourist Board
BVI History
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