Longshore Sailing School

It is time to dust off your duffel, your passport, and your shades. Caribbean Sailing Weeks are coming soon. Our all-star tropical 'away team' is busy preparing for your arrival in the BVIs. Here are some travel tips to help you plan and pack for your tropical adventure:

Bitter End life is pretty laid back. You will not need a wardrobe of designer cruise wear. If you are doing this right, you won't be very fashion conscious. Keep it simple. First-timers generally pack too much stuff. There are several shops at The Bitter End Yacht Club (BEYC) where you can find common items (sunscreen, toiletries, island apparel etc.) you may have forgotten.

Shorts, T-shirts and beach-wear are essential. Sunglasses and sunscreen are a must. Bring your mask and snorkel too, because the snorkeling is fabulous. BEYC Watersports provides free loaner fins for guests. A lightweight windbreaker may come in handy for sailing, though it will be in the mid-80's by day and no lower than 72 at night. Seawater temp is a warm 80-ish, and we'll be surrounded by it.

For night wear, there is no need to get glammed up. Casual is the word. Dinnertime is as dressy as it ever gets. Leave sports jackets at home...you''ll never miss them. Men usually wear shorts and a collared shirt and women's attire varies from shorts and a tank top to a casual skirt or sundress. Flip flops often accompany all outfits, day and night. We recommend bringing a gym bag or small backpack to stash your gear for our daytrips.

It takes at least two airplanes and a boat ride to get to BEYC from the U.S. mainland. Most Caribbean travelers connect through San Juan for smaller planes to the individual islands. Tortola is the capitol island of the BVI. It is one of the few with an airport. You will clear Immigration and Customs there and catch the ferry to Virgin Gorda. Carry your passport and bring a pen to fill out your Immigration card and Customs declaration during the 40 minute flight from San Juan.

We suggest you do a quick costume change between planes (from your carry-on bag) in San Juan. There you will leave wintry cold behind and arrive in the tropics. Plan to do the reverse clothing change in San Juan for the trip home.

There are no roads to the Bitter End. Everyone comes and goes by ferry. The North Sound Express (NSX) is the ferry service connection between the Beef Island airport on Tortola and BEYC. As soon as you exit BVI Customs look for a Bitter End representative near the door. They will have your name on a list and will check your luggage straight through to your BEYC room. Keep us informed of your flight’s arrival time on Tortola, so we can pass it along. You may then either walk the 300 yds. to the NSX ferry dock or take the NSX jitney from the air terminal. You do NOT need a taxi or a porter, and there is no need to tip anyone. At the dock, stop in the NSX office to obtain your boarding pass. The NSX costs $35 per person, each way, and departs from Beef Island each day at 8:15 am, 11:15 am, 1:45 pm, 4:15 pm (and 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm by prior arrangement.). It is a 45 min. ferry ride to BEYC, including perhaps one or two brief stops along the way.

The currency used everywhere in the BVI is US Dollars. You will not need any cash at the Bitter End itself. You can charge any bar bill or sundries to your room and square up by credit card when you check out. Visa and MasterCards are accepted nearly everywhere. Beware: many credit cards now have a foreign transaction fee for charges outside the U.S. (American Express is 2.7%). You can avoid it by using cash, traveler’s cheques or a Capital One card.

You may want to bring some cash along on some of our daytrips for mementos or libations. There is no ATM at Bitter End, but there is an ATM in Spanish Town. It is a 10 minute ferry ride (free) plus a 20 minute taxi ride away (about $25 per head). There is a $20 BVI departure tax (cash or credit), payable at the airport.

Tap water at Bitter End is de-salinated. Most of us drink it without concern. However, if you have a sensitive stomach, you might prefer bottled water, which is available everywhere.

Intentionally, there are very few clocks at the Bitter End, so we recommend you bring a wristwatch to keep track of mealtimes and special activities.

There are free wireless internet 'hot spots' at the BEYC clubhouse and at the Pub. If you bring your Wi-Fi equipped laptop or smart phone, you can Skype, check email or...postpone your return flight, so you can stay longer! Cell phones work there too.

We look forward to greeting you at the Bitter End dock and helping get you settled. Please join our ‘away team’ for dinner the evening of your arrival. We’ll answer all your questions and fill you in on our private adventures and options. We want to make sure you get what you came for...which is as much, or as little, as you like!

If you have any questions or would like more information about travel times, dates and prices, please call our Westport office at (203) 226-4646.