British Virgin Islands

I kept my boats for many years at Nanny Cay in the British Virgin Islands and spent a disproportionately large amount of time there, so I know this country and these islands quite well.

Unfortunately, the British Virgin Islands have become less attractive to cruisers over time. I recently decided to turn my back on the BVI and relocate to St. Lucia.

Economy

The BVI has historically made most of its money in the financial sector. It is home to tens of thousands of corporations. The BVI imposes no taxes on these companies as long as they don’t do business in the country. Sadly, this business construct has been misused and lax banking rules in the BVI have given it a deservedly bad reputation for money laundering. The sector was placed under warning by the world bank. It has only been spared blacklisting due to the economic problems caused by Hurricane Irma.

The cruise ship industry brings in a lot of money, although that goes only to a few local families and groups. The majority of the population works for the extended tourism sector. There are no big chain hotels and no fast-food chains, either. The BVI is home to one of the largest charter boat fleets in the world.

Weather

Alas, the British Virgin Islands are located right in the hurricane zone. Summer storms and hurricanes hit the BVI on a regular basis. While the damage is frequently limited, the devastation caused by the twin blows of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria in 2017 can still be seen in 2023.

Sailing

The sailing in the BVI is some of the easiest in the world. The islands of the BVI surround the Sir Francis Drake channel. The channel is a large and protected area perfect for sailing. Most of the islands have anchorages and almost all of those have at least one restaurant and bar ashore. The holding is good, and there are mooring balls for rent almost everywhere. The alternative to $20-30 per night is to anchor for free and most anchorages are suitable for that.

The islands are all of volcanic origin except for Anegada, whose highest point is a TV aerial on a private house. The island boats one of the largest barrier reefs in the Caribbean which is great for fish, but not so great for ships back in the days before GPS and reliable charts.