BVI w/kids need advice

[chuck1]

Greetings hope all are doing well,
My wife and I are taking 5 other kids (late teens-very early 20s) to the BVI week before X-mas on a 40' cat. We are all very excited. I would like to have some sort of loose plan not only for the individual destinations but really keeping the young ones organized and participating in the daily routines. In other words we don't want to do all of the cooking cleaning and would like them to have jobs around the boat. I don't want to be task master (it is a vacation) but it's not a free for all either.
Does anyone have direct experience with this. ex. same chore everyday rotate (your on dingy, your on anchor) chores. Do we do all the cooking (I'm okay with that) or rotate (kids are messy in the galley). Any advice will be welcome.

[OrangeCrush]

Originally Posted by chuck1

Greetings hope all are doing well,
My wife and I are taking 5 other kids (late teens-very early 20s) to the BVI week before X-mas on a 40' cat. We are all very excited. I would like to have some sort of loose plan not only for the individual destinations but really keeping the young ones organized and participating in the daily routines. In other words we don't want to do all of the cooking cleaning and would like them to have jobs around the boat. I don't want to be task master (it is a vacation) but it's not a free for all either.
Does anyone have direct experience with this. ex. same chore everyday rotate (your on dingy, your on anchor) chores. Do we do all the cooking (I'm okay with that) or rotate (kids are messy in the galley). Any advice will be welcome.

I don't have kids but when I chartered there with my friends I made a jobs rotation including almost every job imaginable, even some more difficult tasks that I normally would be inclined to do myself (like steering up to the mooring ball, calling tacks, coordinating sail changes, driving the dinghy). The thought that they have some serious high-stakes duties makes the more menial tasks easier to stomach. Set the rotation early so that more competent people have the harder tasks to begin with, and others watch on as sort of a quick mentorship. Of course, nothing in the BVI is really that difficult and I was always right there to step in as needed. This is all part of my philosophy (easier said than done) that everyone on board should be able to do every job on board. And as a teacher, I know that putting the rules in writing beforehand really takes the onus off of you as a task-master. You can just point at the sheet and say "can't argue with the rules." Let us know how it goes!

[OrangeCrush]

And as for the destinations... this is some advice I wrote up on a previous thread. Hope it helps and let me know if you have any specific questions.

I've done this trip 6 times now, twice as a teenager and 4 times more recently as skipper, every time on a 50ish foot monohull. There's a lot of good advice here but everything depends on what you're looking for so I'll give you my take. I also have come around to the mindset of staying more than one night at certain locations while I'm there. But then again some of the earlier trips with a more ambitious itinerary were also amazing. If you're confident and there's more stuff that you want to see, go for it.
Even though it is a sailor's paradise, I think it's fair to say chartering in the BVI isn't really all about the sailing. Our days underway generally end up being quite short and we put a high priority on getting going early (usually before 8am) so we can get to our destination early and be sure we get the spot we want. Doing so opens up the rest of the day for snorkeling, hanging, trips ashore, naps, whatever... plus an earlyish bedtime so we can get an early start again the next day. Our approach is also to plan most or all dinners on board. The restaurants get tiresome quick and are very very overpriced, especially on Anegada. We did get lobsters to go which was cheaper but they were a real pain to get the meat out of. You might wanna pay to have them do that for you.
Here is my itinerary from 2015, which for me is hard to beat:
1) Kelly Cove on Norman Island (access to Willy T's and the caves without being in the bight. Privateer Bay is on the other side and has the same advantages). The Bight is OK too and I heard the new bar/restaurant there is good.
2) Cooper Island (we took a boat from Cooper Island Beach Club to SCUBA dive the Wreck of the Rhone. You can stop at Salt Island but only for the day, and don't dawdle on getting to Cooper Because it can fill up before noon and no anchoring allowed.
3) Gorda Sound, Leverick Bay. (nothing to amazing but a staging ground for Anegada. We rented a hobie cat. Maybe Bitter end is better but haven't been recently.)
4) Anegada. (Also get there early. The anchorage isn't great but take a taxi to Cow Wreck Beach, it's pretty sublime. The people on Anegada are amazing, best vibe in BVI. Not too tricky but be careful finding the channel and don't cut any corners.)
5) Guana Island. (Private island except for the beautiful beach. Snorkeling at monkey point.)
6) Diamond Cay/Little Jost Van Dyke. (We've always anchored around the bend by Little Jost but the mooring field is nice too. Dinghy to Sandy Spit if it's calm enough to land on the beach. Skip Foxy's Taboo, that place is the worst! Go to the newer B-Line bar instead and dine on board that night. The walk to the bubbly pool is well worth it, and the pool itself is awesome if there's a north swell running)
7) White Bay on Jost. (Soggy dollar bar can be an ugly drunken scene at times but it's still a must, and the bay itself is gorgeous, especially as it empties out in the afternoon.)
8) Lilttle Harbor on Peter Island (this is a long upwind day from Jost but a nice sail. It's way better than Great Harbor and an easy short sail back to Road Town the next morning to return the boat early, assuming that's what you're planning. No moorings there but good holding. Run a stern line to shore and tie off on the rocks to keep yourself oriented. Extremely well protected and a wonderful sunset, great great last spot.)
Out of all those places, the ones I think are worth 2 nights are Anegada for day trips, Guana for seclusion, and maybe White Bay for a boozy beach scene.
If there is a strong North swell running, some places will be way too rolly: Guana Island, White Bay, and Cane Garden Bay, for example. Cane Garden Bay is not my favorite anyway, but it is a good place for restaurants and some light re-provisioning if necessary. The Baths is pretty cool and worth a stop on your way to Gorda Sound if you don't mind the crowds. I've always circumnavigated Tortola counterclockwise, and I can't really see doing it any other way without a brutally long upwind day on the North side. I guess you'll probably have fewer issues with crowding and competition than I have, since I always go in February or April when it's the higher season. We always have an issue or two fighting over the moorings and we're often ready to send out the dinghy ahead of time to snag one if there are lots of boats converging on a crowded mooring field. Don't tie up your dinghy to save your mooring for the day because that can start a real fight when someone moves it.

I hope this helps! You're in for a good time.

[Cotemar]

Here is a highly detailed BVI map that I modified that names all the great BVI places to go.

Most people think that I just post a regular map.

Look closely and you will find the detail only the guide books tell you about.

[RickG]

I took 10 folks, 5 if which were kids, to the USVIs/BVIs on a Helia 44 through CYOA summer 2015. It went well and we had a blast. Its a lot of work for the skipper.

Rotating task lists work well. We had galley, below decks and above decks rotations by day. The dinghy captain and helm were also assigned.

Not everyone likes or will even do every task. I had some crew that were happy to open and close holding tanks and others that refused. Others were happy to work winches, sheets and lines but were no use in the kitchen. No need to fight it as many hands makes quick work.

With that crew you will want to decide how you want to handle alcohol. Everyone in that group will be able to get all the drinks they want.

We had a blast and I would do it again. Just not two years in a row!

Cheers, RickG

[OrangeCrush]

Originally Posted by RickG

With that crew you will want to decide how you want to handle alcohol. Everyone in that group will be able to get all the drinks they want.
Cheers, RickG

Excellent point. The BVIs were the first place I was able to order drinks in a bar at age 16, as well as the first place I legally ordered drinks in a bar at age 18.

On a more recent trip, a crew member asked me if they were allowed to board the dinghy as they had not yet finished their painkiller. My response was that the silhouette of a inflatable dinghy with an arm dangling over with a cocktail in hand might as well be on the national flag of the BVIs.

Having said that, some of the more over-the-top scenes of drunken partying can get to be really revolting (mainly Soggy Dollar Bar and Willy T's.) Last trip I saw two people (wasted themselves) trying to float their passed out friend back out to their motorboat in White Bay. Very dangerous...

[Mark Stillwell]

We've sailed BVI 6 times in the last 15 years for 10-14 days. We have always been in June or early July. We plan for breakfast and lunch on board with dinner on land most nights. We buy most of our liquor when we provision, store on-board and have drinks before we go ashore for dinner. We budget $30 each for dinner + drinks.

We always stop at Cane Garden Bay with dinner at Myett's, Foxy's at Great Harbor and Bubbly Pool on Jost Van Dyke and Marina Cay for snorkeling and dinner a Pussers.

The snorkeling is great at the Norman Island Cave and nearby Indians. Your age group may enjoy Willy Ts.

Be sure to take in the Friday night BBQ buffet at Leverick Bay. It's a great party!!

If you make it to Anegada, try the beach and restaurant at Loblolly Bay.

Good luck and have fun.

[ohdrinkboy]

We did the trip 2 summers ago. My wife and I with 2 16 year old girls. I didn't assign any tasks. I simply told them that I expected everyone to pitch in. I'll ask for a volunteer when something needs to happen and they need to do their share. Great trip....everyone did their share. I did have to set some rules on alcohol though. Enjoy the trip. Don't over structure.

[chuck1]

Thanks all for the great replies and excellent pointers on things to see and do. When kids are 16 you can still tell them what to do but in their 20s they seem to think they have a choice.
I'm leaning towards a jobs chart rotational posted up that I can read off of when everyone needs reminding. They can keep they're quarters clean. Parents will do the cooking and they can hoist helm, trim, tack and anchor under light supervision. I think they'll appreciate that and learn alot. Getting them up and at it early should be fun also. Thanks again and I'll report back!

[bjymd]

As a single male liveaboard in Tortola I try to avoid heating up the cabin, I prefer to grill as much as possible. I have also found a source of prepared food which is quite delicious: I have personally tried the eggplant parm and have put it on my list as a staple. (low carb / vegan) It come frozen, can be stored frozen and then defrosted in the fridge. I have reheated it in the microwave with great success rather than using the oven.
Consider: Provisioning Prepared Meals - Yacht Charter - Ms Penguin - BVI
IMHO the food is great: I am in no way affiliated with these people. Their shop is in Wickin Cay on the north side of Road Town.
Enjoy your trip.

[Mrfish]

I believe that one person should be assigned as Dinghy Captain. They will get to know the dinghy and how it handles.

If you rotate that position, each person has a learning curve.

Also, the most experienced person (sailing wise) should be appointed as first mate to make sure that everything gets taken care of in case the captain is indisposed.

All other positions, could rotate, people that like to cook should cook, the rest can clean.

Just my thoughts.

[YellowcakeMan]

We did this a few years ago. It was our first charter. You need a plan or you can't change it, but if anything, we over planned. Chartering and sailing in the BVI is as easy as it gets. All the suggestions you've been getting are good, but don't let the volume of them overwhelm you. Pack light and play a lot of it by ear on a day-to-day basis.

[david knowles]

In the Bahamas I always had one line out while traveling catching a fish does get exciting. entering a marina I drive and everybody does lines. even on auto pilot I nap and someone stands watch. Wake the captain if you see, feel, smell anything amiss. I'm not really sleeping. My son, your the dinghy captain the rest learn. Wives and daughters I may a great cook but you take care of everything below the companion way Fathers and sons we work the deck including washing anchoing and filling

[hamburking]

I have taken many, many guests out on my boats, and sailed with my own 2kids as well as lots of their friends and relatives.

They were all useless.

You are not running a sailing school. And I have found no one wants to learn while on vacation. Its easier to just do it all yourself and save yourself the agony of trying to teach someone who has no interest in learning. Sometimes they ask questions, but often they are actually second guessing you ("why can't we go over that shoal, it would save time?")

So accept that you are going to do all the sailing work, anchoring, setting sail, etc. And you will also be cooking, and washing up too. Your guests will constantly leave a mess all around the cabin. If you are lucky, they might get themselves a drink without losing a weeks worth of ice or draining the batteries. You will be shocked at the stupidity of the things they do. Ask someone to put the battery switch to 2 and it will almost certainly be set to BOTH (because both is 2 right?). The teak and woodwork are doomed. Your fiberglass will be cracked as each and every crew member tries to hold the winch handle horizontally and has it smash into the deck/port/instrument nearby. I had just two rules on my boat...No chewing gum and don't step on the throttle. So what happens? "I had to step on the throttle because my other foot stepped on chewing gum!".

Enjoy the mayhem. Embrace the Chaos. Stay at anchor at one place. Smile. Laugh. Get drunk. Kiss your wife. Then kiss someone else. Have a great trip.

[autumnbreeze27]

[QUOTE=OrangeCrush;2259191] We always have an issue or two fighting over the moorings and we're often ready to send out the dinghy ahead of time to snag one if there are lots of boats converging on a crowded mooring field. Don't tie up your dinghy to save your mooring for the day because that can start a real fight when someone moves it./QUOTE]
Here's a tip... you might get in less fights if you don't snag somebody else's mooring by launching your dinghy.. we had somebody do that to us at the bathes... really pissed us off... And the next mooring opened up 5 min later and was in a much better spot. You're on vacation just slow down and enjoy, you can fight over parking spaces when you get home.