The traditional first day out in the BVI is the short sail (8 miles/1 hour) to Norman Island to anchor in the Bight, do some snorkeling at “the Caves”, and maybe hit the famous Willy T’s floating bar. Day 1 is a chance to learn the boat, get your sea legs, and get into the BVI rhythm. So we of course did the same thing! Here is our route.
Setting Sail!
The Caves, Norman Island
A great first place to snorkel in the BVI is in “The Caves”, which are directly around the corner from the Bight, so they are the perfect first stop. We set sail around 3 pm and were snorkeling by 4:30. You can go quite deep into the Caves (you’ll need a waterproof flashlight) or just snorkel around the entrances as the fish are colorful and plentiful.
After about 45 minutes of snorkeling, we pulled up anchor and motored around the corner to anchor in the Bight, with about 50 other monohulls and catamarans!
The Bight, Norman Island
The Bight is a large, protected bay on the north side of Norman Island. There are plenty of mooring balls there, so there’s normally no need to drop anchor, and the Bight features two Bar/Restaurants – the Pirates Bight at the end of the Bay, which offers among other things a conch burger, and blows off a cannon daily at the beginning of happy hour. It has recently been remodeled and upgraded, but still has a rustic, eat with you feet in the sand, feel.
The Willy T Floating Bar and Restaurant
Willy T’s is definitely not for children or the light hearted. It’s famous for multiple people doing shooters by tipping up a water ski with 5 shot holders in it, and then dancing until the late hours. Two TV screens on either side of the bar show topless girls doing shooters and jumping off the boat. As mentioned, it’s not for children, but it’s a fun place where you can meet people and enjoy a fun night out from your boat!
Tomorrow – we sail to Peter Island, paddle board with turtles, and Cooper Island!.
