NEXT STEPS

Moving on, it was a short hop to Peter Island Resort where we tied up on their face dock behind a Nordhavn 76 that was bound from Alaska to Europe. Peter Island is owned by an avid racing sailor and now managed by his family to the highest standards. It’s an upscale resort with all the facilities you’d expect: a lovely pool, watersports equipment, mountain bikes, and a clubhouse with a loaner DVD library. It also has no fewer than five beaches, including Little Harbor which is a good overnight spot for anchoring.

When it comes to dining in the BVIs, it’s hard to beat the Tradewinds Restaurant at Peter Island. There is a not-to-bemissed gala buffet every Saturday night with everything from fresh seafood to carving stations for meats but we chose an off night when we could sit in the cool dining room and look through the windows at the lights of Tortola in the distance. I won’t tell you what to order, but if you don’t finish your meal with their famous Bananas Foster, well, just consider yourself warned.

Norman Island. What can you say about Norman? It’s the party island of the BVIs, especially if you anchor in The Bight near the faux pirate ship, the William T. Thornton, better known as the Willy T. Want a raucous night of drinking and telling cruising stories, this is the place. But if you want a beach bar that is a bit more elegant, make a reservation at nearby Pirates Bight. In fact, consider coming to Pirates Bight for the afternoon where you can enjoy one of the best beaches in the BVI, just a few steps from the bar and restaurant.

There are over 100 mooring balls available in The Bight ($30 per night). If you arrive late in the day, you will notice there are often more available mooring balls close to the beach, and closer to the late night booming music of both the Willy T and Pirates Bight. We are the wiser heads and turned left as we cleared Water Point. We tucked into Kelly’s Cove, which offers good protection,