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October 8th-19th, 2006 - British Virgin IslandsThis page has been moved from "Upcoming Events" and will eventually be turned into a "Trip Review" page. The following information is from Noel Hall, trip leader.
BVI - British Virgin Islands
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How do I get there?:
BVI is a short ferry ride from St. Thomas, which is easily
reached through Atlanta on Delta, or through Charlotte on US Airways.
Another route is through San Juan, Puerto Rico, by airline shuttle to Tortola
(Beef Island Airport - EIS)
But isn’t October/November during hurricane
season?: Hurricane
season in the Caribbean is June through November, with the peak in September.
Although there is a remote chance of a trip being interrupted by a tropical
storm, weather reports allow for plenty of time to take appropriate action in
case of an approaching storm. The trade-off is warm water and calm
winds, perfect for scuba diving and power boating.
I haven’t heard much about diving in BVI, is it
any good?: The British
Virgin Islands are known as the sailing capital of the world, but the secret
of scuba diving is now out. Websites such as www.bluewaterdiversbvi.com
and www.divetortola.com have plenty
of details about diving in the area.
Why a “bareboat”, aren’t there liveaboards
in BVI?: Yes, the Cuan
Law (www.cuanlaw.com) is an excellent
choice and their website offers lots of information about diving in BVI.
However, the cost is twice that of chartering our own boat.
I don’t understand, just what is a
“bareboat”?: See
the website www.bareboatsbvi.com and
click on Motor Yacht Charters in the left column. Then click on any of
the power boat links for a full description. The term “bareboat” simply
means NO CREW. This means no captain, no cook, no dive-master, and no
one to clean-up after you. Just like renting a car, we leave with a full
tank of fuel, and bring it back with a full tank and no damage.
How do we find the dive sites, and how do we get
tanks refilled?: The
dive sites are mapped and have mooring buoys. We simply tie-up and go
diving. Dive shops with compressors are located throughout the islands.
Where do we stay at night?:
We live and sleep on the boat. Each evening we plan our
itinerary for the next day and where we will stay the night (all subject to
change at any time).
What about food?:
We usually stock the boat for breakfast and lunch.
Evenings we can eat on the boat or choose to eat on shore. Small
restaurants are located on many of the beaches, as well as beach bars with
limited menus.
What is this going to cost me?:
It depends on the choice of boat, choice of cabin, and the
number of people on the boat. For example, eight people on the “Trader
485” would be about $700 per person for a ten day charter. Other boats
or fewer people would likely be somewhat higher. The other major cost is
transportation to BVI. Airline fares to St. Thomas are likely to be
about $500. Other costs of fuel, scuba tanks/fills, taxis/ferry, food
& drink could be another $500. For “quick & dirty”
estimates, plan on $1,500 - $2,000 for a ten day trip. The actual costs
can be narrowed once we have an idea of the number of people and their choice
of boat.
Links to information on:
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