If you are looking for a Caribbean charter to an island that has a dock for cruise ships disembarking hundreds of passengers, fast food restaurants and T-shirt stores, television, or even a structure that rises higher than the mast of a sailboat, then this is not it. will find. on Peter’s Island. Instead, located 4 miles south of Tortola, across the Sir Frances Drake Channel, you’ll find a piece of paradise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Drake Channel, 6 stunning bays, and 20 secluded coves. At 1,800 acres, this is the fifth largest of the approximately 60 islands, cays, and exposed reefs that make up the British Virgin Islands. Although the island is home to the super-exclusive, ultra-luxurious Peter Island Resort and Yacht Harbor (this means cruise ship passengers are required to adjust their attire to match the hotel’s tone), the rest of the island is private and largely undeveloped. . A Caribbean charter to this island offers scenic drives to private beaches, spectacular views of the outer islands, excellent snorkeling and scuba diving, and peaceful seclusion at some incredibly picturesque anchorages.
the anchors
Little Harbor is the westernmost anchorage. It is a well protected overnight spot with good gripping ground on a sandy bottom. Even in high season, there are usually less than a dozen yachts here. There is no restaurant on land, so if you are chartering in the Caribbean, plan your provisioning to cook on board.
Great Harbor is large, isolated and strikingly beautiful, but it runs very deep. So to use it as an anchorage you need to take advantage of the few mooring balls available in Buttonwood Bay at the western end of Great Harbour. Once the home of Prospect Reef-owned Callaloo at the Beach restaurant, it has reopened as the Oceans Seven Beach Club. The food is excellent for both lunch and dinner. Every 2nd Saturday there is a roast pork and seafood buffet with live music and dancing. There are water trampolines and kayaks for rent, or just enjoy lounging on the beach in one of their chairs.
Sprat Bay, popular with boaters from around the world (with mooring balls, ice, water, fuel and showers available) is the entrance to the Peter Island Resort facilities. You will also find a full service dive shop here. Compared to most Caribbean charters, mooring here is expensive. Expect to pay $65.00 per night instead of $20.00-$25.00 per night in the rest of the BVI. Once ashore, there are plenty of walks to take, but be sure to take the short walk up the hill to the east side of the harbor for a great view of the Channel and Dead Chest Island.
Deadman’s Bay is the easternmost anchorage on Peter Island. Due to the swell, it is best as a beautiful day stop only. Deadman’s Bay’s grassy bottom can make anchoring difficult, but it’s a good place to snorkel over the kelp beds. Keep an eye out for green sea turtles. The mile-long white crescent beach fringed with sea grapes and coconut palms has been rated one of the world’s ten most romantic beaches. The west end of the beach is for the exclusive use of hotel guests, so stay behind the line of buoys that designate the swimming area. Deadman’s Beach Bar and Grill is located in the middle of the beach. It is a popular place with good food. Barbecues with dancing are often held on the beach. A steel drum band plays every Sunday with a West Indian brunch. Monday is West Indian night with Moko Jumbee dancers on stilts.
There are two excellent anchorages at the rear (south shore) of Peter Island given the right sea and wind conditions. White Bay is named after its long, sparkling sandy beach. Divers will find smallmouth grunts, a small variety of octopus, and the occasional tarpon on the long, shallow reef. Key Bay, west of Key Point, is a small anchorage with room for only a few boats. Since it is open to the prevailing winds, it is free of insects. The snorkeling is excellent.
The dive sites
Peter Island has 30 dive sites within a 20-minute boat ride, including Black Tip Reef, Rhone Anchor, the Fearless Dive Wreck, and Truck Reef (a collection of underwater cars and trucks). Some of the most spectacular sites are:
Shark Point is an advanced dive site formed by the Peter Island Bluff ledge. Along the rocky, current-swept ridges, expect to see schools of butterfly fish, trevally, and sharks.
Dive in and check out the former Willie T’s ‘Underwater Bar’. This Baltic schooner is the original floating bar and restaurant.
Carrot Shoal consists of rocky ledges resembling underwater train cars on a station platform. This open water formation gets its name from the thin branches of the protected black coral found here that look like carrot tops.
Close to Dead Chest Island, an uninhabited national park, it has 3 dive sites reached by taking a boat ride from Deadman’s Bay:
Painted Walls – This is a shallow dive at the southern point of Dead Chest. Here divers will delight in the kaleidoscope of colors created by encrusting cup corals and neon-bright sponges on the walls of four long canyons. It is perhaps the most photogenic dive site in the British Virgin Islands.
Coral Gardens – This is a great site for divers and novice divers. It gets its name from the many massive heads of brain, star, and leaf corals that resemble a water garden.
Dead Chest West: Divers will discover coral arches, caves, bowls, and mazes.
If calm coastal waters reflecting endless shades of turquoise and miles and miles of seductive, often secluded anchorages and beaches sound like the perfect definition of peace, then a Caribbean charter to Peter Island is for you. Come aboard and let your cares melt away in a sea of serenity.