Preparing for the BVIs

Passports: You need a valid passport to get into the British Virgin Islands. Please double check your passport. If it is expired, you can get a new one quickly through an expediting service in New York City.

Currency: US Dollars are the main currency in the British Virgin Islands. Just bring your dollars and do not worry. Also, bring your credit cards. Many restaurants and bars allow you to pay by credit card.

Emergency Numbers: Please give people who need your emergency numbers the telephone numbers of the Moorings base in Road Town. If someone needs to reach you, this is the best way.

Clothing: Almost everybody takes too much clothing. You can take more than enough stuff in one carry-on bag. Remember you can hand wash aboard and you have the best clothesline in the world. A good crewmate keeps everything they bring in their own cabin, not in the public space.

Sun Screen & Bug Spray: The sun can make or break your vacation. Use a high quality sun screen. Don't try to rush the tanning process by cutting back on the screen and lengthening the exposure time. Take a long sleeve 100% cotton shirt with you. That way is you feel you have had a little too much sun you can cover up without having to go below. Noseeums are those pesky little bugs that seem to attack mainly from the knees down. They come out just at sunset and unless there is a decent breeze they take great pleasure in trying to devour you a small bite at a time. A good bug spray or lotion will help.

Electronic Devices: The essence of vacation is that you leave your normal life behind. It takes time. Bay day 2, you feel relief. By day 4, you feel freedom. By day 6 you feel happiness, bliss and nirvana. However, if you or anyone on your boat stays connected to the mainland via phone, computer or other electronic device, you will not reach nirvana as quickly. Finding the offending devise and throw it into the sea. If you must log on, please do so only in the privacy of your cabin.

Arriving at Beef Island Airport: From the airport, please find the Mooring person who will arrange for taxi transfers to the Moorings base. Your skipper should have pre-paid taxi vouchers which will cover the cost for the taxi trip.

Skipper Briefing: On Saturday, Moorings runs several Skippers' Briefings during the day. Please attend the earliest you are able. The briefing discusses the sailing route and the weather. Skippers should bring their first mate and encourage other crew to attend.

Receiving your Boat & Check Out: We receive our boats on Saturday evening at approximately 6 p.m. Schedules in the Caribbean frequently run behind and the important thing is not to worry. Just relax. After getting your boat, please have all crew put their bags into the rooms, not in the main salon. This will allow you to receive and stow your food. Moorings will send a representative to your boat to do a walk-through and show you all the boat systems. Skipper and first mate should do this. The Moorings will usually get all captains of a similar boat together and just do one walk-through on one boat. Be sure your water tanks are all full before departing base.

Bringing Food Onboard and Storing: Never take a paper bag and never, never take a corrugated carton aboard the boat. They are renown for being the hiding place for cockroaches. Sure it takes a bit longer but its worth unpacking everything on the dock before taking it aboard. Work out the system for storing stuff. You want to be able to find food supplies without pulling up every seat. Whenever possible buy drinks in aluminum cans. They won't break and more importantly, when empty and crushed, they use less space in the garbage bag. Keep your frequently accessed drinks in a cooler on the back of your boat. Get a fresh bag of ice every day to keep them cold. Know how to charge the freezer when you charge your batteries. Be sure water can drain from the bottom of your fridge. In the warm climate, it is very important to keep all perishables refrigerated. Don't take a chance. If in doubt, pitch it into the garbage. Don't catch and eat your own fish, some are poisonous.

Drinking Water: You should figure on at least 1 1/2 liter bottle per person per day. Here is a little hint: when you open a bottle of water, write your name on a piece of duct tape and stick it to the bottle. Generally people are nervous about drinking out of an open bottle so this will decrease dramatically the number of open bottles sitting around.

Conserve Water: There is a limited amount of water on a boat and fresh water is expensive. Conserve water during your trip. Keep showers to a minimum. Turn the water on to wet down or wash off but turn it off when soaping or shampooing. Whenever possible, use the shower on the transom. This will keep your cabin drier. Showering outdoors is also a very sexy thing and other boats will notice.

Moorings vs Anchoring: Whenever possible, take a mooring overnight. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind. If anchoring for the night use lots of scope and be sure and dive the anchor to be sure it is well set.

Traveling with Luggage: Checked bags on airplanes do not always arrive with you. Fact of life. Sometimes they miss the plane in NYC, sometimes miss the connection. If you are departing on a boat the next day, it might take a while for any lost bags to catch up with you. Whenever possible, bring your belongings as carry-on. Pack light. You can always buy t-shirts in the islands and give away some of your clothes at the end of the trip. If you are checking bags, please keep at least a bathing suit and toiletries in your carry on (be aware of security restrictions of what you can carry on). If your checked bags get lost, at least you have something to change into. If traveling with someone, consider putting half your things in one bag and half in the other. This way, if one bag gets lost, you still have the other.