A North Sound day trip: what to expect

North Sound is the top end of Virgin Gorda, and it is one of the most sheltered anchorages in the Caribbean. That is the whole appeal. The water is calm, the lunch stops sit right on it, and you can spend a long, slow middle of the day there without the sea making the decisions for you.

Why people pick North Sound

Most BVI days are built around swimming and moving. A North Sound day is built around arriving somewhere good and staying a while. You get a proper lunch at a table, you get flat water to swim in, and you get the run out and back along the Sir Francis Drake Channel, which is scenery in its own right.

It suits groups who want a relaxed day rather than a full checklist. It also suits anyone travelling with people who would rather sit in the shade than snorkel every stop.

Lunch at Saba Rock or the Bitter End

The two stops we head for are Saba Rock and the Bitter End Yacht Club, both in North Sound and both among the best known places in the islands. You pick, or you decide on the day when you see which one the group fancies. Lunch is not included in the tour price. We take you where the good food is and you pay your own.

The Baths on the way home

Our North Sound and The Baths Tour does North Sound in the middle of the day and pulls in at The Baths on the way back, late afternoon, once the day-trippers have gone. That is the quiet version of a stop that can get busy.

Getting into The Baths means a swim of about 100 yards each way from the boat, so it asks for a bit of confidence in the water. Float noodles and life jackets are on board, and staying aboard is always an option. If The Baths is red flagged or too rough, we go somewhere else instead.

How the day runs

The tour is seven to eight hours from West End, Tortola, with a morning start that we confirm when we confirm your date. We can also collect you at Nanny Cay, or at Village Cay Marina in Road Town if you are arriving by cruise ship, at no extra cost. Pickups at Jost Van Dyke, Scrub Island and Virgin Gorda carry a surcharge and we tell you what it is before you book.

There are swim stops along the channel on the way out, picked on the day for wind and sea state. Your captain decides the order and the pace, and the weather is always part of that decision.

What is included

The whole boat is yours, up to 12 guests, at one price rather than a price each. That covers your licensed, fully insured captain, the fuel, all cruising permits, masks, snorkels, fins and float noodles, and an iced cooler with water, sodas, beers and a Painkiller each. The government tax is in there too.

Gratuity is not included. It is at your discretion and 15 to 20% in cash is customary.

Booking

Message us with your date and how many of you are coming. We confirm the boat is free, send one all-inclusive price and take a deposit to hold the day. If you need to add people later, tell us at least 48 hours ahead, because we buy cruising permits for the exact number of guests booked.