Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - May 2018

The British Virgin Islands:
CRUISING IN RECOVERY
by Joan Conover
The British Virgin Islands show amazing recovery after having been hit by two
major hurricanes last September. This is providing a unique opportunity to cruise
not just Tortola but also the British Virgin “Out Islands”: Anegada, Virgin Gorda,
Cooper Island, Norman Island and to the northern side, Jost Van Dyke. The small
number of cruising yachts and loss of infrastructure make a visit similar to what it
was like cruising in the 1950s — the great sailing conditions, beaches and dive sites
are there; boat traffic is not. New government funding, via international loans and
grants approved in March, will help with repairing infrastructure. But already, outside
of the more populated areas where damage is so easily seen, the islands’ flora
and fauna are recovering more quickly than the buildings.
Here’s what the Growltiger crew found while cruising the BVI in March 2018 — just
six months after the storms.
DESTINATIONS
Tortola
Before we get to the “out islands”, let’s take a look at Tortola. Tortola suffered major
storm impact along its east and west sides and all along the southern shoreline.
Cleanup has been accomplished in many areas, but rebuilding is ongoing. Visitors
should expect to see damaged or sunken vessels; boat salvage is still underway.
Cruising along the Sir Francis Drake Channel, Soper’s Hole is a first stop, a BVI
port of entry, with the Customs Office currently housed under a white tent. Although
the determination of the officers to welcome cruisers is heartwarming, a lack of electricity
or internet can make for a slow check-in at almost all BVI ports of entry. As
of this writing, at Soper’s Hole everything is manual; having pre-printed crew lists,
etcetera, might help.
As we sailed in, from a distance the storm damage wasn’t too visible, but the entire
lower floors of all the buildings at Soper’s Hole were gutted, by post-Irma looting as
well as by the hurricane itself. Waves broke up large areas of concrete and tiles on
the walkways. Several of the concrete docks collapsed. At the top of the bay, overturned
vessels were still shoved up on the shoreline.
MAY 2018 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 21
Top: The British Virgin Islands seem perfectly designed to cruise — and now is
an exceptional time to be there
Above: The storm damage at Soper’s Hole was a shock,
but reconstruction is underway
However, parts of the “old” Soper’s Hole are there. At the mouth of Soper’s Hole,
Voyage Charters is an enclave with catamarans neatly tied bow out, with several
large cats on the hard behind them. Actively sailing and power boats were using
moorings and the remaining standing docks; dinghies can tie up at the Customs
dock or in front of Pusser’s.
The Soper’s Hole moorings are in place. There was no charge during our visit, as no
one was there to collect; the marina was closed. The remaining marina docks were not
maintained, but boats did tie up on the T-heads and in several of the slips that had
cleats still in place. Although the marina offices were boarded up, Pusser’s Bar on the
second floor was open with TV, WiFi, and a good menu. We got to the bar from the
road behind the buildings, climbed up a staircase and sat in shaded seats near the
iconic brass bar. Separate from and next to Pusser’s, on the dock level, there is Omar’s
Café; they have dockside tables, and offer early and mid-day gatherings and meals.
Reconstruction is ongoing; we saw piles of lumber at Pusser’s and near Omar’s.
In Road Town, boats can find moorings off the cruiseship dock, The Moorings has
charter boats at the docks, and there is a good traffic flow in and out of the harbor.
—Continued on next page