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Sandy Spit

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Another great stop on your powerboat charter to Jost van Dyke is Sandy Spit. A tiny unihabited Cay like Sandy Cay, surrounded by a picture perfect, 360° white sand beach, boaters and visitors from all over the world love sun bathing, excellent snorkeling, picnics and watersports there. Naturally as unihabited cays go, there is no dock, so prepare to get wet and swim to shore.

UPDATE: Since this article was posted, a lot of the beach has been eroded. So go and visit Sandy Cay while it is still there.

powerboat-charter-stjohn-sandy-spit-corona-island

The sun always shines on this tiny little island. It lights up the Caribbean Sea like a lighthouse. The picture-perfect tiny little island has a few rocks, green vegetation and two lonely coconut palms, you will not find much shade, so bring a hat or sunbrella. If you are lucky, you might have Sandy Spit to yourself for a few wonderful hours.

Activities on Sandy Spit

It will only take a few minutes to walk around Sandy Spit – if you walk slowly (it measures less than half and acre in size)! Other than that, you can go paddleboarding and it is also very popular with kite surfers, it can get a really nice wind. On calm days you will also find great snorkeling there.

Sandy Spit Island BVI

Where does the name Sandy Spit come from?

It is said to come from the fact that it is in spitting distance of Jost van Dyke. It is of course also in spitting distance to Sandy Cay (in the West). To the East you can see Tortola, and to the west you can see Little Jost Van Dyke and Jost Van Dyke. Sandy Spit is also know as

“Corona Island”

Sandy Spit in the BVIs is often also dubbed “Corona Island”, some of the famous Corona Beer Commercials are said to have been filmed there. Well, we really love the “Dump your cellphone” one, but if we did that, we could not answer your call to book a powerboat charter to Sandy Spit 🙂

 

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Day Trip St. John – Virgin Gorda – Jost (video)

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Here are some photos and a video from this weeks powerboat charter trip  St. John – Virgin Gorda – Jost van Dyke. It was quite a rough day with 5ft swell at 10seconds and 25knots of headwind, but the guests were happy and head a great time. We left Cruz Bay at 9:00 AM, passing beautiful Stade Amsterdam and checked into the customs at Tortola Westend. We pulled out of Soper’s Hole but were hitting some hard waves on the North Shore, so Captain Tyler decided to the take the route South of Tortola which was more comfortable.

day-trip-stjohn-virgin-gorda-jost

Arriving at Virgin Gorda we went straight to the word famous Baths, first having some drinks on board, then going for a swim to the shore and a hike around the boulders. From there we went straight to Jost van Dyke to finish off the day with painkillers at Soggy Dollar Bar. Check out the video below.

Day Trip St. John – Virgin Gorda – Jost van Dyke Powerboat Charter Video

Photos Day Trip St. John – Virgin Gorda – Jost van Dyke

Review Day Trip St. John – Virgin Gorda – Jost van Dyke

5*

We had such a great time yesterday in spite of pretty rough waves. Virgin Gorda in the morning and most in the afternoon for Soggy Dollar adventure.

Paulette, March 5th, 2015

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Ivan’s Stress Free Bar Reopening

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Friday the 13th was a good day on Jost van Dyke, BVI. Ivan’s Stress free bar celebrated their 24th (!) anniversary and their reopening after a makeover, which was more like a complete rebuild. It went from this:

ivans-stress-free-bar-jost-van-dyke

to this:

Ivans-Jost-Reopening

That’s an awesome party deck upstairs, no? Also all the rooms and cabins are really nice now. Come on a day trip to Jost van Dyke with us and check out the new Ivan’s. Here is a video one of our charter guests took on Friday.

Ivan’s Stress Free Bar Reopening

Post by Mark S Gierth.
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Breakfast @ Bitter End Yacht Club, BVI

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We had breakfast at Bitter End Yacht Club, Virgin Gorda the other day. They describe themselves as “an island retreat where love of the water, family tradition, welcoming staff and the generous Caribbean spirit matter most” and they have been selected a World’s Best Resort by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler!

Yes, it is a great place and the breakfast buffet is the best I have seen in the Virgin Islands so far. You can choose from a wide variety of food, truly English Breakfast with sausages, you can have a freshly made omelette with ingredients of your choice (e.g. salmon, spinach, peppers), eat fresh fruit, cereal, a wide variety of bread and jam, fruit juices etc.

bitter-end-yacht-club-virgin-gorda-bvi

Check out the photos from our visit at Bitter End Yacht Club below.

 

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Top 3 Places to explore on Anegada

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Last week, we went on another powerboat charter to Anegada, this time to pick up some guests who had helicoptered there a few days before. The island is truly amazing and very different from the rest of the Virgin Islands, it has no mountains, it is flat and low and much more relaxed than St. Thomas and St. John. Yes, this is the place where St. Johanians go when they need a vacation 🙂

day-trip-stjohn-anegada-usvi-bvi

Anegada has it all, great Lobster, amazing beaches, surfing, kiteboarding, amazing dive sites and great restaurants. The water and sand are totally amazing and there are some great places to explore. What it does not have is supermarkets, banks and all the other stressful things of modern society.

Top 3 Places to explore on Anegada

Big Bamboo, Cow Wreck Beach, Flash of Beauty

Big Bamboo, Anegada

Big Bamboo on Anegada, BVI

Tip: Go to Big Bamboo at Loblolly Beach. Buy a piece of wood from crazy Richard (price: about 2-3 beers). Ask the bartender for the magnifying glass and burn your and your loved ones name onto the wood, then hammer it to the bar….more pics are below!

anegada-big-bamboo

Flash of Beauty

describes itself as “Flash of Beauty Anegada – Carribean Tiki Bar in Paradise“. Friendly owner, great food and drinks, amazing beach and fantastic snorkeling…..

Flash of Beauty, Anegada, BVI

Cow Wreck Beach

One of my favorite beaches on Anegada or maybe in the word is Cow Wreck beach, especially during sunset. Beautiful white sand, turquoise water, great food and drinks, lined with palm trees and conch shells. Words can hardly describe the beauty, maybe just look at the images

powerboat-charter-stjohn-anegada

Where does the name “Cow Wreck Beach” come from?

In the 1800s, a ship carrying cow bones (used at the time to make chalk and buttons) wrecked on the reef just offshore of a small sandy cove on the northwest coast of Anegada. For years afterwards these bones washed ashore and hence the cove became known as Cow Wreck Beach.

Sunset at Cow Wreck Beach, Anegada

Photogallery: Powerboat Charter to Anegada.

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Half Day Boat Trip: Best of St. John

by Posted in Boat Charter, St. John News&Events Tagged , , ,

See the island from the water. Explore what St. John is known for: turquoise water, white sand beaches, sea turtles, dolphins, etc. We will take you out to Whisling Cay to visit the old customs house and some snorkeling and then cruise back along the North Shore, past Francis, Maho, Cinnamon, Trunk, Hawksnest, Dennis and can top at Henley Cay / Lovango for more snorkeling. We can also stop at the Pizza Boat near Little St. James for some delicious, fresh pizza (if it is open that day)

The timing and route is flexible, one thing is certain: You will see the Best of St. John at a great price for only 350$ incl. Captain and fuel with no hidden charges!

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BVI Customs and Immigration

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Many of our day trips from St. John (Jost van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, Norman Island etc.) are to the British Virgin Islands, they are British overseas territory. The fourteen British Overseas Territories (BOT) are territories under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom; they do not, however, form part of it.

BVI Customs and Immigration

The following measures are to be adhered to by all non-British Virgin Islanders entering the Territory: Bona fide visitors may be granted entry for up to one month at the ports of entry, provided that they possess return (or ongoing) tickets, evidence of adequate means of support and pre-arranged accommodations during their stay. Visitors wishing to stay longer will need to apply for an extension.

From North America: U.S. citizens travelling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda must present a passport or other WHTI-compliant documentation to enter or depart from the United States.

Canadian Citizens:  a passport is preferred however you may also use an original birth certificate accompanied by a valid photo ID such as a driver’s license.

From Europe: European citizens need a valid passport to enter the British Virgin Islands. However visitors that are residents of certain countries, require a visa in order to enter the BVI. If in doubt about the necessity of a visa; contact the nearest BVI Tourist Board Office, the nearest British Embassy, or contact the Chief Immigration Department, BVI Government at Tel: (284) 494-3471 or 468-3701 ext. 4700.

From the Caribbean: Please note that citizens from some islands may need to obtain a visa to visit the British Virgin Islands. Visitors from these Caribbean islands need to have a visa in order to enter the BVI. If in doubt about the necessity of a visa, contact the nearest BVI Tourist Board Office, the nearest British Embassy, or contact the Chief Immigration Department, BVI Government at Tel: (284) 494-3471 or 468-3701 ext. 4700.

For more information on whether you require a visa and how to obtain one, please check the UK Border Agency or the Deputy Governor’s Office of the British Virgin Islands. Click here to see a list of countries that require a visas to visit the British Virgin Islands.

There are 6 ports of entry to the British Virgin Islands:

  • Road Harbour , Road Town , Tortola (Ferry Boats and private, charter and cargo vessels
    8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.)
  • Sopers Hole, West End, Tortola (Ferry Boats and private and cargo vessels
    8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. )
  • Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport , Beef Island, Tortola (Airborne vessels
    7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
  • Taddy Bay, Virgin Gorda:Airborne vessels
    8:00 a.m. to sunset
    Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda
    Ferry Boats and private, charter and cargo vessels
    Tel: (284) 495 5621 ext 6520/6521
  • Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke (Ferry Boats and private and charter vessels
    8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
  • George Augustine Airport, Anegada (Airborne vessels 8:30 a.m. to sunset)

BVI Customs Information

You will require a valid passport or passport cards to BVI destinations. If you have a large party and want provide the below information in advance via email  for every passenger it will speed up our check-in process!

FAMILY NAME FIRST NAME/Initial DATE OF BIRTH NATIONALITY PASSPORT #

e.g. Stuart Mary A. 5/21/1955 US 21239809890

BVI Customs Fees

While our prices include captain and fuel, the BVI Customs fees  have to be paid separately on the day of charter and in cash. They keep changing but are currently running at about 70-95$ per person. It’s not a fixed fee there is a fee for boat and park permit and entry and departure tax and surcharge on holidays so the above figure is what you pay on average when we break down the total per person. It is slightly more per person for a small party of 2 and slighly less per person for a party of 6