TROPICAL PIPELINE
Changes in Attitudes (and Other Quirks) in the BVIs By Mike Kirk
For those planning a renewed visit—or first-time visit—to the Virgin Islands, here’s a motley collection of changes in recent times on the waters around the British Virgin Islands: • International regulations and bureaucracy finally caught up with the icon of party time, the William Thornton Restaurant on Norman Island, affectionately known to all revelers as the Willy “T.” New rules now apply that there will be no more jumping off the top deck of the bar. Since the Willy T is a floating bar/boat, this has special meaning. Apparently some sea lawyer pointed out that international regulations do not allow jumping from pleasure craft, and the owners were required to comply. It certainly is a pleasure craft!! Sidebar to this sad (but life-saving) decision is that the price of the “I jumped...” T-shirts are reported to be selling in the three figures on E-Bay! • Good news for Beans fans. After a frustrating attempt by Michael Beans to start his own bar in Trellis Bay on his (beached) old Island Sloop, Esperanza, Michael will be back for the season in January at Marina Cay. But Esperanza is still there, and who knows, maybe his trade license will come through at the usual island pace…say by 2010? Arrrrrrrrrgh! In the meantime, enter the conch-blowing contest and listen to Michael’s happy hour pirate cabaret at the Robb White Bar on top of Marina Cay Monday through Friday, with free rum shots for a good toast from the audience. • As the price of meals and moorings climb—particularly in Virgin Gorda—dinghy over to a funky little place called the Fat Virgin Café in the southeast corner of North Sound—on the right of Biras Creek. Sit on the deck and
enjoy the small family atmosphere and inMichael Beans holding court over the tradiexpensive food tional conch blowing contest at Marina Cay, away from the British Virgin Islands. high-end resorts. If you are the anchoring type, drop your hook by the mangroves under Prickly Pear Island over on the northeast side of North Sound on a 14-foot shallow spot for a quiet anchorage, or take a Saba Rock mooring for free water and ice. • WI FI hot spots are popping up everywhere, so if you must bring your computer, you will get free service in West End, Road Town, Marina Cay, Trellis Bay and many other places. • Dockage rates in the big marinas have all jumped to new highs, but the cheapest deal is still HR Penn’s Marina near the Pub in Road Town. The owners have held their already best-value rates at last year’s level. For daily or monthly rates, Shirley will cut you a good deal. • Mooring balls, which can offer a quiet change to the traditional anchorages, continue to proliferate in new bays. Try the east end of Jost van Dyke opposite Foxy’s new bar called Foxy’s Taboo. Snorkel off Diamond Cay. There are also buoys in Great Harbour on Peter Island and in Benures Bay on the north side of Norman Island. Sadly, the national park day buoys are limited to only three at The Dogs—so plan to get there early. However, there are two little-known buoys tucked in close to Fallen Jerusalem and one off Dead Chest— good lunch stops. • Access to the Baths is made more difficult now, as dinghies must be moored off the beaches—with the only option being a short swim in through the surf. For the less agile, getting back into a dinghy is often not a choice. Add to this the spring north swells, and landing can be quite an adventure. So here’s an option: Pick up a mooring ball off Spanish Town and dink into Virgin Gorda Yacht harbor. Take a cab to the Top of the Baths restaurant and enjoy the walk down to all parts of the Baths by land. Then return a little before your taxi pick-up time and enjoy the freshwater pool and a cool cocktail at the restaurant, with a wonderful view over Tortola to the north.
32
February 2007
SOUTHWINDS
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