BVI Sailing Adventure 2026 - Day 6
The derechos blew down the hillside spinning us like a top all night. The scenery changed every few seconds. It was not uncomfortable only a bit noisy.
Sunset looking back at Tortola from Benures Bay.
In the morning Oscar and Jack went fishing in the dingy. They always take a handheld VHF radio just in case. There are oars in the dingy also for just in case. The dingy motor overheated. After the engine cooled down they got it started and returned to the boat. This was our first situation. I called Navigare on the dedicated phone they provided. The technician said they would send a boat with a replacement engine. I called back after an hour and they said the boat was departing soon. An hour after that I called again. They said the boat was nearby but had to attend another situation on another boat first. Three hours later we had a replacement engine. Situation solved.
We departed for Treasure Point and the caves. We picked up a mooring ball and took the dingy near to the shore and tied up to the dingy mooring line. Legend has it that pirates hid their treasure in these caves.
The history of Treasure Point on Norman Island is a rare case where pirate legends are actually backed by historical record. While many Caribbean islands claim to have "buried treasure," Norman Island is one of the few places where a massive haul of Spanish silver was actually documented as hidden—and later found.
Treasure Point is widely believed to be the primary inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic 1883 novel, Treasure Island.
The water is warm and crystal clear. I rented a dingy ladder which makes it way easier to climb into the dingy.
After snorkeling the caves we cruised to Manchineel Bay on Cooper Island. There is a new program in the BVI called Boatyball. This is an online reservation system to reserve a mooring in many BVI harbors. There is a $15 registration fee and a $55 fee to reserve a mooring. It reminds me of trying to buy Jimmy Buffett tickets on Ticketmaster. At 7:00 am all the mooring bouys go on sale. By 7:00:01 am all the mooring bouys have been claimed. Your finger needs to be faster than a speeding bullet with grease on it. For an additional $750 you and reserve a Boatyball 24 hours in advance for seven days. If you don’t secure a Boatyball you are at the mercy of FSFC balls. They are first come, first serve like the balls at Benures Bay on Norman Island. Someone has monetized the mooring ball market in the BVI. Your other options are anchoring or paying $3 per foot at a marina. You might ask the question why don’t you just anchor? The mooring balls fill the harbors until there are very few places to more. If it’s a good spot to anchor them there is a Boatyball or FCFS ball. If you opt for a FCFS ball you need to arrive around noon unless it is a remote harbor.
This is what a pot of gold looks like in the BVi. This is a Boatyball.
Yes we won the Boatyball lottery today. Alison had a faster finger than the competition. Boatyball ensures early rising each day. Alison and I meet on deck at 6:50 am for coffee and to log in and get ready.
Manchineel Bay is a cruising favorite with serval bars and restaurants. The harbor is crowded and the wind spins the boats in opposite directions. Sometimes it seems like we will collide but we never do. The boat next to us spun so close it seemed we could step aboard for dinner. They were singing Happy Birthday to one of their crew so we joined in.
One of the many chores of living on a boat is maintaining all of the amenities such as refrigeration, WiFi and air conditioning. That requires charging the batteries for 6 hours a day. It would seem they should charge faster than that. The generator overheated after a few minutes. The raw water strainer is clean so it is most likely the impeller on the water pump. Another situation. We have to run the twin diesels all the time to charge the batteries.
We have been cooking dinner onboard each night. We have charcoal grill that gets lots of use. We had steak the first night and chicken the second night. The galley is spacious. That is the beauty of a catamaran. Lots of living space.
Each harbor has a vendor that comes around by boat selling ice for $10 per bag and collecting trash for $5 per bag. It is a welcome service.
Tomorrow morning we will once again face the Boatyball challenge
