BVI 2025: Nov 22 Prologue

 We boarded the red eye on November 21st, switching planes in Chicago at 6:00am and making it to STT airport at 2:00pm, too late to make the 2:30pm ferry, but within striking distance of the 4:30pm ferry. Once of the plane we walked rapidly through the airport since we didn't need luggage, and got a taxi that delivered us to the ferry terminal within half an hour.

At the ferry terminal, we discovered that ferry ticket prices had gone up dramatically since our last visit to the BVIs --- for a family of 4 it now cost over $300, and bag fees were mandatory. There was also a new electronic entry system for the BVI, so rather than filling out a paper form I had to use my phone. We met with our neighbors who were coming along on the trip, Ying, Stone, and their son Mingkuan. Arturo, Mark, Kathryn, and Massi had made it onto the 2:00pm ferry, so they would get to the boat first and start provisioning.

On the ferry, we received word that we needed to be first in line to get off the ferry, as the electronic system had made things slower instead of faster. Our boat, the La Badine (a 45' Lagoon Catamaran) was not ready yet, so Mark and Kathryn had to watch the luggage while Arturo went to provision the boat. The ferry ride was slow, but uneventful other than the constant exhortations to sit down instead o moving around and taking pictures, a far cry from past visits where we could do whatever we liked. Arriving at Road town at 5:15pm, we were not let off until at least 5:30pm, and despite being 4th in line to get to the customs and passport controls, it took 30 minutes to exit!

We got to the boat just in time for them to let Mark and Kathryn in, and we moved into the boat, learned where the showers were, and then Arturo and Massi showed up with the provisions! That took us a good 30 minutes to organize, but then after that we went to the Peg Legs restaurant for a group dinner. As is usual in the BVIs it takes a super long time for the food to be served but eventually it was served, we had dinner, did our shower things, and went to bed. We were told that the boat next to ours, the Lili was being worked on (Mark would later tell us that they'd taken the steering rod out and straightened it out by having multiple men stand on it!) and we'd be awakened early anyway even if we slept badly.

Arturo discovered that the generator was running despite us being at dock. Since it made it impossible for those in the V-berths to sleep, we turned it off. We wondered why the generators were on even though the shore power cable was plugged in, and concluded that the power delivery at the docks must have been so weak that running the ACs (which was necessary during the day for the comfort of the cleaning and repair crew) would blow the fuses dockside. This is the kind of thing you encounter frequently if you charter in the Caribbean but would mystify a first time charter client.