Captain's Logbook - British Virgin Isles - July 2024
DAY ONE - GETTING TO DOCK - SAILING TORTOLA BVIs
The day started with a direct, four-hour flight from Charlotte Douglass International Airport to Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas in the US Virgin Isles. A splendid steel drum ensemble from a local school greeted us in the terminal. The best place to launch for sailing the BVIs is Tortola island on the British side. After a short taxi ride took us into the capital city of Charlotte Amalie, we met up with our First Mate and other passengers at the Tortola ferry terminal. We had a while to wait until our scenic, hour ride between St. Johns and St. Thomas and into British territory, so we went upstairs to the Petite Pump Room Bar & Restaurant to enjoy some local cuisine and drink. The deck at the Petite Pump offers a great view of the bay, featuring great seats for a Sea Plane take off and landing. We took advantage of the down time to fill out our customs forms for processing in Tortola. The ferry ride to Tortola offers a great first glimpse of the Virgin Isles and an idea of just how close they are to one another. While the American side is beautiful in its own right, it’s the British Virgin Isles that are “sailors paradise,” known for favorable winds and friendly harbors. The ferry landing is located in Road Town, which is quite a bit less populated than Charlotte Amalie. After a surprisingly quick trip through customs, we set out to check into our night’s accommodations.
As soon as you set foot outside the ferry dock door, you realize that you are a world away from the Continental US. The streets are lined with interesting shops, pubs, parlors, and restaurants, while the occasional chicken or rooster struts by on the sidewalk as if they are shopping as well (they are protected here). Our boat would not be ready to set sail until tomorrow morning, but Tortola offers all of the hospitality and interesting culture you could want. Before our trip, we booked accommodations at the Marina Cay Resort and Marina, just a short bit down the road. The rooms are clean and nicely apportioned with air conditioning and wi-fi. The view of the marina still shows some of the devastation that Hurricane Irma inflicted across these islands. The resilience of the locals is truly inspiring, with their engaging manner and infectious smiles. While Village Cay has a very nice dockside restaurant and relaxing pool, the group decided to eat just a few minutes away at one of the islands most famous meeting places – Pusser’s Road Town Pub. Adorned with historic sailing and island memorabilia, Pusser’s gets its name from historic traditions in the British Royal Navy, whereas every sailor in the Royal Navy was given a ration of rum per day by the ships Purser (or Pusser). The pub also hosts a nice outfitter store with a good assortment of sailing apparel. Once thoroughly fed, the group made our way back to the resort and hit the racks, dreaming about the adventures to come with the dawn. We were looking forward to sailing out of Tortola around the BVIs.