We spent the week of the Fourth island hopping around the British Virgin Islands with Ben’s family. The adults have all done this trip, but this was the first time for the kids to experience the magic that is sailing through paradise. Ben’s family has plenty of boating experience and his younger brother is an actual captain, so we bareboated. No crew, stew, chef, etc. Just us and Mother Nature! It was fabulous.

Here are the details: we rented Unwinding through Virgin Charter Yachts. She’s a beautiful new vessel and we loved the layout and use of space. It was perfect for our group of eleven. Linked here: https://virgincharteryachts.com/yachts/unwinding. We stocked the boat ourselves with goods from RiteWay. We flew American from Miami into Tortola and took a taxi from the airport to the marina. Our plan was to cook breakfast and some lunches on the boat, but eat dinner on shore each evening. This worked out perfectly. The boat has a grill on the upper deck, which made whipping up burgers and brats a breeze.

Breakfast and Lunch

We had a loose itinerary that included all the hot spots: Foxy’s, Willy T, Soggy Dollar, Foxy’s Taboo, Cane Garden Bay, the Baths, etc. While we enjoyed those places, I think we all had the most fun at the laid back, off the beaten path locations. For one thing, most of us, including my kids, had done these all prior, except for the Baths. Unfortunately, we timed our visit to the Baths horribly and ended up with a bunch cruise ship passengers, which made for big crowds and a slow pace. Still cool, but not necessarily worth it. A random dive bar we all loved is B-Line on Jost Van Dyke.

Uncle Scott at B-Line

We didn’t make it to Sandy Spit last summer, so that was a must see this time. As always, it’s postcard perfection. We love bringing a cooler and a speaker and setting up camp for a bit. Paradise.

The Fellas at Sandy Spit

My favorite day was hands down the day we went Scuba diving. My younger brother in law is certified, so he and I got to dive while the rest of the fam took a Discover Scuba class. For our second dive, we were able to dive together as a family at The Indians. The Indians is one of the coolest spots I’ve dived. I loved it. We used Dive BVI and they were extremely accommodating. How can you not have a good time in this water!?!?! https://divebvi.com/

Scuba

I’m happy to report that after months of being difficult and insisting that Scuba isn’t for him, Ben actually enjoyed it. There’s hope for us after all!

A new spot for me was Cooper Island. What a lovely day! We moored at a boaty ball and the kids had a great time snorkeling, jumping off the boat, riding in the dinghy and catching some rays. The adults hit up the Rum Bar for a painkiller, which was the best painkiller of the trip. We all ate a lovely dinner at the Cooper Island Beach Club restaurant that evening. A great spot to spend the day. Side note: The staff at Virgin Charter Yachts was helpful in getting us dinner reservations as needed using WhatsApp. All of the bars and restaurants in the BVI’s and USVI’s seem to have pretty good food. Two summers in a row of us being impressed by the culinary scene.

Rum Bar

Spending time unplugged with family was the true highlight of the trip. Gorgeous scenery, lovely weather, and this fun crew…

Boat Views

I spent many hours reading on the boat. This book, which I’ve shared before, is THE PERFECT SUMMER BOOK. I loved the plot and the characters and the setting. I mourned when I finished…I didn’t want it to end! https://amzn.to/4m72hXt

One Golden Summer

Our final night was spent back on Tortola. We stayed at the Wyndham, which is the ideal spot for boaters needing a place to sleep, eat and shower the night before/after a charter. I can’t tell you how amazing a non-military shower felt after a week on the boat. As nice as the boat is, it’s still a boat. I was ready for a bigger space and clean laundry! In all seriousness, chartering a boat through the BVI’s is a lovely way to connect with family and make memories. I’d go back in a second! Worth mentioning: the wifi was great on the boat, which was nice for work and being able to stay in touch with my mom who was at my house dealing with the pets. As always, please reach out if you have any questions.

Dinner at Wyndham

And now it’s the best week of the year…Shark Week!