When I Went: July 9-17, 2011
Was That the Best Time of Year to Go? The British and U.S. Virgin Islands only change temperatures about 5 degrees between “summer” and “winter,” so they have heavy traffic around all major holidays and during our typical winter months. We were able to sail around there before storing the boat for the coming hurricane season near the end of July.
Why I Went There: It was a family trip back to the Virgin Islands to sail around and enjoy the islands.
We Stayed Here: The whole time we stayed anchored in different bays on our private catamaran sailboat.
You Won’t Want to Miss: New Year’s at Foxy’s and full-moon parties all over the British Virgin Islands. Also remember that there is no sales tax in the Virgin Islands, so it is perfect for major watch and jewelry purchases, where taxes can easily be in the hundreds of dollars.
[mapimage url=”http%3A%2F%2Fmaps.google.com%2Fmaps%2Fapi%2Fstaticmap%3Fsize%3D200x200%26sensor%3Dfalse%26markers%3DJost%2520Van%2520Dyke%2C%2520British%2520Virgin%2520Islands%7CSt.%2520Thomas%2C%2520U.S.%2520Virgin%2520Islands%7CTortola%2C%2520British%2520Virgin%2520Islands%26zoom%3D7%26center%3DCharlotte%2520Amalie%2C%2520U.S.%2520Virgin%2520Islands”]Eat Here: Soggy Dollar Bar, Foxy’s, Bitter End Yacht Club, Ivan’s Stress-Free Bar, Sydney’s Peace and Love, Pusser’s Landing, The William Thornton, Grande Cru, and Woody’s.
Play Here: Soggy Dollar, Foxy’s, The William Thornton, and shopping in Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
If I Went Again: Remember to take plenty of clothes appropriate for the climate. Although the temperature is usually steady in the mid 80s, the humidity can get high. While casual attire is accepted at most places, in the U.S. Virgin Islands places still require shoes and shirt (men) or coverup (women). The British Virgin Islands are more relaxed on their dress codes. Also prepare for sea and land sickness. If you’re out at sea for an extended period of time, your body gets used to the rocking of the ocean. When returning to firm land, some people can experience land sickness for a few days.
How Did You Get There From Dallas? We flew Spirit Airlines from Dallas to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then on to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Then it was ferry time to Soper’s Hole Marina (still on Tortola) to Voyage Charters, where the boat is docked. From there we took the boat out into the Caribbean.
