British Virgin Islands : Profile

Facts

The Virgin Islands are an archipelago comprising hundreds of small islands and cays situated between Puerto Rico and the Leeward Islands. The eastern half is a British dependency, while the western part is US territory.
The largest British islands are Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke and Anegada, the latter being slightly set apart, while the former are grouped together around the Sir Francis Drake channel.
The Virgins are perfect cruising ground - scenically beautiful, with countless bays, coves and anchorages, the waters sheltered from the strong trade winds and ocean swells.
The British Virgins are now the largest bareboat charter centre in the world. For this reason they are often less attractive to the long-distance cruising sailors, who prefer the less crowded islands of the Caribbean.
The BVI uses the American buoyage system, so red buoys mark the starboard side upon approach from the sea.

Based on reports to noonsite from cruisers, petty theft from yachts is on the rise in the Caribbean in general. Cruisers should take basic safety precautions and use common sense when leaving the boat or going ashore at night. Dinghy thieves operate throughout the Caribbean and best advice is to place your dinghy on deck and chain it overnight.

The latest - two dinghies have been stolen from boats in White bay, Jost van Dyke in the middle of December 2011.

Check the Noonsite Piracy Pages and the Caribbean Safety & Security Net for information on the current island situation.

The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (safetyandsecuritynet@gmail.com) gather information by anchorage or by island, so sailors can plan their cruising in the Caribbean with an eye to appropriate behaviour and precautions wherever they decide to go. Should you have information about a security incident, as well as contacting Noonsite please also forward details to the Caribbean Safety and Security Net, as theirs is the most comprehensive source of Caribbean security incidents against sailors on the net. Please be sure to include boat name, date of incident and anchorage/port where the incident took place.

Weather

The Caribbean's first walk-in weather centre, CARIBWX, is based in Road Town. Customised weather forecasts, a daily Caribbean SSB weather net, and also daily email marine forecasts are among the many services they can offer. Tel. 494 7559, email: weather@caribwx.com, and website: www.caribwx.com

ZBVI Radio
Marine forecast 0805 (Mon-Sat), 0945 (Sun) & updates every hour on the half hour.

British Virgin Islands Weather Forecast

Main Ports

There are two other entry points, Port Purcell and Beef Island Airport, but yachts are not supposed to enter or clear at these.

Jost van Dyke: Great Harbour *

Other Islands: Anegada , Cooper Island , Norman Island , Peter Island

Tortola: Nanny Cay , Road Harbour * , West End (Sopers Hole) *

Virgin Gorda: Spanish Town (Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour) *

*Indicates a port of entry.

Page Sponsor

Set in one of the finest and most central locations in the BVI, Nanny Cay is located on the South side of Tortola, between the capital Roadtown and West End. We are proud to provide the very best marine services and facilities possible in what after all is one of the most popular sailing destinations in the world today.

www.nannycay.com

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