Caribbean Wedding - Yacht Charter in the British Virgin Islands

The archipelago of the Virgin Islands archipelago is made up of the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. 40' W; 20' N 64° the approximate co-ordinates are 18°. They are part of the Leeward Island chain. Located in the north of the Caribbean Sea to the east of both Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a British overseas territory.

The British Virgin Islands are in an area that can see hurricanes from June to October and this effectively limits the sailing season to November - May. The wettest months are September through to December. Although this is higher in the hills and coast is drier, the BVI averages about 115 cm of rain per year. C in the winter; c in the summer and 25° temperatures remain fairly steady year round with a daily maximum of around 29°. Moderated by the trade winds, the British Virgin Islands enjoy a sub-tropical climate.

The well-known bars of Jost Van Dyke Island; snorkelling on the coral reefs near Anegada; the baths on Virgin Gorda, numerous white sandy beaches; amongst the many attractions on the British Virgin Islands are the.

000 people, the British Virgin Islands have a total population of around 22. Is the capital of the islands, on Tortola, road Town. Approximately twelve miles long and three miles wide, tortola is the largest island. Anegada is the exception and is a flat island composed of limestone and coral. Hilly terrain, the BVI are mostly volcanic in origin and have a rugged. Only some fifteen of the islands are inhabited. Salt Island; peter Island, norman Island, necker Island, mosquito Island, guana Island, great Thatch, great Camanoe, ginger Island, cooper Island, beef Island, the smaller islands include. Tortola and Virgin Gorda together with over fifty other smaller islands and cays, jost Van Dyke, the British Virgin Islands include the main islands of Anegada.

Rgenes (The Virgins); this was shortened to Las Ví 000 Virgins); rgenes (Saint Ursula and her 11, he called them Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Ví. The first European sighting of the Virgin Islands was in 1493 by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas. The Virgin Islands were first settled by Arawak Indians from South America around 100 BC and inhabited the islands until the fifteenth century when Carib Indians from the Lesser Antilles Islands displaced them.

During the process of European colonisation the native Amerindian population was all but wiped out. They became a notorious pirate haunt. Spanish and Danish all sought control of the Virgin Islands, french, dutch, subsequently the English. In the early sixteenth century the Spanish Empire acquired the Virgin Islands and developed copper mining on Virgin Gorda.

And the British annexation of Anegada and Virgin Gorda followed in 1680, the British captured Tortola from the Dutch in 1672. In 1648 the Dutch established a permanent settlement on the island of Tortola.

Slaves were brought from Africa to work on the sugar cane plantations and the islands prospered until the growth in the sugar beet crop in Europe and the United States reduced sugar cane production significantly. The British introduced sugar cane that became the main crop and source of foreign trade. But were also planted when there were favourable economic conditions, the Virgin Islands were considered principally a strategic possession.

Separate colony status was gained for the British Virgin Islands in 1960 and they became autonomous in 1967. With an administrator representing the British Government on the Islands, kitts and Nevis. The British Virgin Islands were administered either as part of the Leeward Islands Colony or with St. Renaming them the United States Virgin Islands and the British renamed the islands they controlled as the British Virgin Islands, croix from Denmark for US$25 million. Thomas and St. St, john. The United States purchased St, in 1917.

The financial service sector is by far the more important and provides nearly 50% of the Government's revenues in the form of licence fees for offshore companies, economically, however. Politically tourism is the more important of the two employing large numbers of the local population and many of the businesses are locally owned. Since this time the BVI have moved away from an agricultural economy towards tourism and financial services and have become one of the richest areas in the Caribbean.

Major credit cards are honoured at the larger BVI establishments but do not expect to use them at small restaurants. The official currency of the British Virgin Islands is the US dollar. The islands are a popular destination for cruise ships in the Caribbean and they use the British Virgin Islands main harbour in Road Town on Tortola. Virgin Gorda and Anegada have smaller airports. Just off the eastern tip of Tortola, it is located on Beef Island. Antigua and Saint Martin, there are also flights from most of the major islands in the Caribbean. USVI, and Saint Thomas, puerto Rico, has regular connections to San Juan, also known as Beef Island Airport, lettsome International Airport. The Terrance B.

Fingi is a form of festive dance but also contains humorous social commentaries and is a source of BVI oral history. Also called "scratch bands and use a great variety of instruments, the fungi bands. The special sound of fungi is due to a unique local fusion between African and European music. Often made with okra, the traditional music of the British Virgin Islands is called fungi after the local cornmeal dish with the same name.

Ask your charter company for more details; charter Yachts require a National Park Permit. The first two weeks of July are also extremely busy due to Puerto Rico's holiday schedule. Presidents Week and the Easter holidays; christmas; on the downside the BVI can become crowded at peak periods. There are many flights to the BVI making access easy. Make the BVI perfect for the first time yacht charterer and for families with young children, often only 2 to 3 hours, the short distances between the islands. Monohulls or catamarans. Motor or sailing vessels. Prospective charters can choose between Skippered or bareboat charter. The British Virgin Islands are one of the Caribbeans most popular yacht charter destinations and Tortola is home to the world's largest fleet of charter yachts.

other mooring buoys will be encountered while sailing in the BVI and are colour coded as follows; Overnight moorings are on 18" white balls. Although the cynics will tell you it's also about revenue raising and at $30 per night it is hard not to sympathise with this point of view. Moorings are increasingly popular throughout the British Virgin Islands to prevent anchors dragging on the bottom and damaging the important coral reefs.

Day use only, orange - Non-diving.

Yellow - Commercial dive vessels only.

Large Yellow - Commercial vessels or vessels over 55' in length

For daytime dive use only, white - Non-commercial vessels.

Blue - For dinghy use only

Also note that there is a 90-minute time limit on all moorings.

But a selection of small clubs playing local music can be found in Road Town and in the beach bars around the Tortola, shopping and nightlife tend to be low-key. Restaurants on Tortola are held in high regard throughout the Caribbean. On Tortolas's north shore, some of the finest beaches in all of the BVI are located at Cane Garden Bay and Long Bay. Driving around the island's steep and winding mountain roads offers some breathtaking views. Allow time at the beginning or end of your yacht charter to explore Tortola. Welding and a 24 hour chase boat service, refrigeration, mechanical repairs, there are also a dive shop. Storage lockers and two restaurants, provisioning, ice and fuel, laundry, gift shop, water, the Nanny Cay Marine Centre has amenities including showers. There is also another full service marina in Nanny Cay that offers another starting point for yacht charters. Other marinas in Road Town Harbour include Fort Burt Marina and Inner Harbour Marina. There is a fresh water pool and a waterfront restaurant and bar. Beauty salon and spa, shower facilities, laundry, provisioning, ice, water, village Cay Marina is one of the full service marinas available in Road Harbour offering fuel. And most charters will start and end here. On Tortola, the major harbour in the British Virgin Islands is at Road Town.

An outdoor terrace and the company store, the Pusser's Landing features waterfront dining in two restaurants and bars. The Soper's Hole Wharf and Marina offers a full range of services located in charming colourful houses. A protected harbour lying between Frenchman's Cay and Tortola, west End is shown on the charts as Soper's Hole.

Jost Van Dyke is the home to the famous "Full Moon" parties held at Foxy's and Sidney's Peace and Love Bar. Great food and music, it has beautiful beaches. Jost Van Dyke Island was named after a Dutch pirate.

! ! You have been warned! If you go ashore on Anegada carry bug spray with you. The dining room and bar are directly on the beach. Anegada's Reef Hotel is renowned for the local lobster. Sugar sand beach and snorkelling with age-old shipwrecks and coral reefs, anegada Island is known for its beautiful pink.

Spanish Town on the southwest side of Virgin Gorda is a popular stop over for shopping and provisioning. The small deserted island of Prickly Pear is a great lunch and snorkelling spot and is just a dinghy ride from the Bitter End Yacht Club. You will be amongst some of the beautiful yachts in the BVI here. The Bitter End Yacht Club is located in North Sound and is a great place pick up a mooring. Dinghies are no longer allowed on the shore here and you must swim from a dinghy mooring to the beach. A day filled with cave exploration and water holes within this unique rock formation, virgin Gorda Island is famous for The Baths. Especially at the Courtyard, shops are concentrated around the Yacht Harbour area. Where the ferry arrives for land travellers, a marina with docking for 110 vessels, or you can get a berth at the nearby Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour. Moorings are available and anchoring is possible all along the coast of Virgin Gorda.

A 100' steel schooner, this is a popular overnight anchorage and many charterers will take dinner aboard the Willy T. The caves here are one of the most popular tourist attractions in the BVI. Although uninhabited it is alive with tourism. Norman Island lies close to the boundary line separating the BVI from the US Virgin Islands. Legend suggests this to be the fabled site of Long John Silvers treasure trove. Norman Island or "Treasure Island" as the locals know it is home to the pirate ship "William Thornton".