Peter Island British Virgin Islands

Anchored in Great Harbor at the eastern end of the harbor at Peter Island turned out to be a fantastic location. The anchorage was deep at 40 feet so we laid out 200 feet of chain. What we liked the best was that there was no roll or wrap around swell and for one night our boat did not rock from side to side, but rather sat flat and calm. That may not sound like a big deal but it really is. Being below decks all night with the boat rocking from side to side can be uncomfortable plus plates and glasses slide off the table while dining. When we chartered here, we were usually on catamarans, so the rolling is much less noticeable. We are finding very few anchorages or mooring balls that provide a calm flat anchorage. This one, Great Harbor, was calm. We took advantage of the good conditions to varnish teak and compound and wax the cabin top.

Taking the dinghy to the head of the harbor and landing on a gravel beach, there is a trail that leads over to the Peter Island Yacht Club and then out to Deadman's Chest Bay. Yachtsmen on anchored boats are actually invited to use one particular beach, a large and lovely beach with shady trees. (See sign below.) This was very surprising.

Peter Island Yacht Club is a very upscale resort with a marina and mooring balls for $65 per night. Golf carts take guests around the property and over the mountain 5 miles to a huge beach on White Bay. There a large spa and several different styles of beautiful accommodations. It is unrecognizable from July 1987 when we had an elegant breakfast there while aboard a Whitby 42 charter boat named "Winds of Paradise." We enjoyed our hike to a look out cabana with a 360 degree view while the crews of Fezywig and Sea Star went snorkeling.

Sailing and motor sailing from Cooper Island to Peter Island is downwind and it is only 5-6 miles, so we were lazy and we simply sailed a jib. I am always amazed at the color of the blue blue blue water. These are all cell phone photos. Look at the beauty....

 Look at the water inside the harbor where we dropped anchor in 30-40 feet.

These photos are from our long walk around Peter Island Resort and Deadman's Bay....

Great Harbor on Peter Island is really A Great Harbor! One of our favorites this trip so far....

Cooper Island British Virgin Islands

...Blue blue water...

Hands down, Cooper Island Beach Club at Manchioneel Bay has the most blue blue clear waters of any harbor in the British Virgin Islands. You can see the bottom at 30-35 feet deep, you can see green turtles swimming past the boat along with many tropical fish. You can snorkel and dive right off your boat along with the dive instructors training new divers right in the harbor. Then to add to these great water activities, there is a beautiful reef on each end of the harbor which is a short dinghy ride away. There are national park moorings for dinghies so we do not damage the reef by dropping an anchor.

They even have underwater web cams where you can watch the fish LIVE and maybe you will even see a swimmer or diver. Very cool idea.  This live feed is displayed on a 60" TV mounted over the bar. Way cool.

After a fun full day of water sports then it is time to enjoy the outstanding happy hour where their rum punches, painkillers and well drinks are two for seven dollars! WOW, guess what? The bar is full every happy hour, no kidding. Copper Island Beach Resort has hit a home run. They have games to play, comfortable furniture and umbrellas for your use. They really make you feel welcome. The site is very well designed, upscale, spotless, and provides something for everyone. Coffee shop, ice cream and pastry shop, dive shop, rum bar, gift shop, cottages and a 5 star restaurant. We have now been here twice and we are sure to spend more time here next season on our way back through. For now, we are simply hitting all the key places as a review for this April/May time frame and then in late May we will store our boat in Puerto Rico and head home. We will be returning to the boat in November and go to the BVIs for Dec. It has really been great spending far more time here. It is dream come true to NOT be on a one week charter boat, but rather to be on our own Island Spirit and on our own time frame. What a different experience this has been. It is really wonderful and these photos will show that as well....enjoy.

Island Spirit off Cooper Island Beach Club

Rooms to rent

Onsite solar micro brewery

Sunset over Tortola as seen from Cooper Island

Oh yes, It is the BVIs so it is charter boat madness. They are bigger than ever before!

The dive shop has fantastic prices on masks, so we bought new ones
to replace out 1991 vintage models.

The water off our stern and the dinghy

I love to take photos with the GoPro camera when snorkeling. I especially like to photograph the water surface with bright sunlight coming down onto the reef and to capture the reflections of the reef back up onto the water surface. Here are some shots focused on this idea.

   
       Cistern Point snorkeling. We saw squid, file fish and a huge lobster, in addition to the usual fish.

Here is a photo from the Cooper Island Beach Club web site. You can see why this place would have such clear water. Look at how this harbor is on the west side of the island. The current flows around the ends of the island and this causes a lot of odd swinging of the yachts. Thank goodness they added 30 mooring balls here, like every harbor in the BVIs. The moorings are a great idea to help the charter boats, and they are wonderful for protecting the coral reefs. At $30 - $35 per night, they are a expensive for cruising yachts....$900 + per month! The waters left for anchoring here are 40-50+ feet deep, making it difficult to anchor. This harbor really needs the mooring balls due to the currents and the wrap around swells. NOTE: When the winds are lighter and there is no south aspect to the east winds, and no swell, we will anchor in the little bays to the right where J.M. and Kimberly IP 420 Pura Vida recommended.

Last Resort Sam Bellamy Party

...Hayden & Radeen at Piarate Party...

We moved back to Trellis Bay from Cooper Island and reconnected with "Team Six Knots" so we could attend the Pirate Party at the Last Resort, now referred to as The Island of Last Resort. We were glad IP38 AMORA II and IP380 ANTARES decided to stay for the festivities. The party was to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Black Sam Bellamy, whose ship was lost at sea off the coast of Cape Cod 300 years ago. "Black" referred to his long black flowing hair tied back into a ponytail. He chose not to wear a white powdered wig, which was fashionable at the time. When he died at age 28, Sam was the wealthiest pirate in history, who was never reported to have killed anyone. He was known to hide in Trellis Bay and the island where The Last Resort is located is named Bellamy Cay. 

Michael Beans, the best Pirate Singing Show in the Caribbean
Happy Birthday, Michael! A day to remember!

The party started with Michael Beans singing pirate songs and sharing the story of Sam Bellamy. It continued with pirate trivia, games for the children, a conch blowing contest (Hayden won again!), a fire dancing couple and several fine musicians.

Here are some photos of the party....

What would a Pirate Party be without a pig roasting on a spit?

Piarate Lauren of 42' Grand Banks SEA STAR

The new boat-shaped stage built for the party, broken in by Michael Beans

Dan and Judy of IP 38 AMORA II

Micahael Beans is the best musician, singing old sea shanties and his own work

...."Hi, I am sailing from Italy to my home in Australia. I am a Pirate GrL"

The Party atmosphere created by Michael Beans is really fun, plus add a little RUM

The winners arrrr.....

Hayden, Radeen, Joe, Jackie, Bill and Lauren

Arrrrrrr.....Team Six Knots...42' Grand Banks SEA STAR Bill and Lauren

The required selfie, fun fun fun

Hayden with the Fire Dancing Team

A very interesting show, the Fire Dancers of The Last Resort

Beautiful Fire Dancer with constant flames on the hem of her skirt

We survived and here is the selfie to prove it!
Hayden, Radeen, Meloney, Don, Lauren and Bill

...Did I say ARRRRRRRRR?.....