West End, Tortola BVI
 

anyone ever looked around down there?

I saw a 31 Cigarette Decathlon behind Pussers but no one knew anything about it...probably cost too much to bring it back to the states, but my buddy was interested in it...

Any info?

also saw an orange 32 Skater sitting in the weeds...

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

There were a few nice boats down in the USVI when I was there last year, one outerlimits and a Cig Tiger I saw a few times. Never made it over to west end of Tortola though...shipping is crazy to get a boat down there, so I'm sure its just as bad the other way.

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

I Just got back from there in July. There is all kinds of offshore boats sitting around, but most of them have had a rough life. I did see a really nice Top Gun at Pussers, and there are a handful of nice Powerplays with egg beaters. I did not see the Decathlon in question, and I scoped out the place pretty good. I couldn't believe all the power boats sitting around. If you don't find a boat grab a painkiller and stay a week. Tortola is amazing.

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

I love West End and the BVI's... We were there in Dec. 05 and had "mostly" a good time... Although be VERY VERY care when swimming around areas that dinghy's operate... They can hurt you!!! :eek:

http://www.benhedrick.com/accident.htm

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

damn, you're lucky to be alive.

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

holy crap man, lucky to be alive is right, not to mention the half ass hospitals down there...thank god i never ended up in one

my main hangouts were in the usvi, but still loved to hit up jost and willy t

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Yeah, that's why they call me "Lucky"... Oh wait a minute, they don't... But they should!!!
Yes, I am VERY lucky to be alive. The rigid inflatable that hit me was doing 25 mph and it hit me square in the head first and then ran down my back and right shoulder. I was snorkeling in a "protected" area with a dive flag. The "drunk German" who hit me, said that he didn't know what the flag meant, and he never saw me. I had 12+" of cuts on my head and another 5" on my back. The entire story of the incident should be in a book and it's way too long to write here. I am doing OK now, but I have had a headache since it happened Dec. 30, 2005. Oh and the accident happened the second day we got there on a 11 day private chartered trip. :rolleyes:
Many others just like me haven't survived the exact same accident... :(

Ben

PS: And if you haven't already go to my site and read my first page: www.BenHedrick.com

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

geez ben...you are lucky to be alive!

we did a private 7 day charter back in feb on the mcgregor II; one of the few crewed powerboats available down there(a 58 Hatteras Yachtfish).

lots of bare boat snailbotes around run by anyone with a credit card... it was pretty scary to see...

looks like many offshore boats go down there to die...

the decathlon was out the back door of pussers and to the left. there were a couple of powerplays over there near the cig.

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Ben,
That's incredible! In my book, you are a LUCKY dog to be alive! :D Reminds me of the time I stood up too fast in the engine compartment of my old Velocity and smashed my head on the hatch actuator mount, Ripped open my scalp, I jumped out of the boat, (boat on the trailer in the driveway) grab a towel out of the garage and drove myself to the hospital! :eek: 26 stitches later, I was ready to go boating, but the doc said NO! :D
Glad you made it!
Dean

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Thanks guys for the well wishes. And just call me lucky. I hope to go back down to the BVI and especially West End, as we really did have a good time. Well "most" of the time... :rolleyes:
I think next time we want to stay at Saba Rock. And if you ever go there get the Fish Tacos. They're GREAT with a cold beer!!! Alright, most things are...

Ben

PS: And again, watch out for the "other guy"...

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Damn Ben................next time wear your racing helmet while snorkeling. I've looked at those pictures 5 times - I'm amazed at how lucky you were. Glad you are OK.

I will be on a week long charter in the BVI's in December, and you can bet I'll remember your experience.................

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

The helmets certainly would have helped! That's for sure. Can you imagine what my helmet would have looked like? We figured out that the front cut is a direct hit from the skeg of the outboard motor and the three other cuts are directly from the propeller.
I have been snorkeling since the accident along with just swimming around and I can't begin to tell you how spooked and nervous I am swimming! Even if there are no boats around or not, I still constantly lift my head up and look around waiting for someone else to run me over...
People use to ask me why "I race boats"? And I never had a good answer to that question and now I do... BECAUSE IT'S SAFER THAN SNORKELING!!! :eek:

Ben

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

I was coming through great bay(Ritz Carlton STT) in a 34 foot parasail boat and saw something awkward in front of me. I tell my mate to look up where I saw it and a second later I see it again stop the boat dead from about 30 almost throw my mate face first onto the deck and scream **** so loud i think i scared people on the beach a quarter mile away.

The disturbance I saw was now about 15 feet in front of me and it was BUBBLES, theres a dinghy about 100 yards away by a reef on the edge of the bay, and no dive flag anywhere. These same idiots had been sitting in the dinghy a few minutes earlier when I entered the bay and were now diving in the middle of the bay with no flag anywhere in sight. After sitting above them with my huge CAT diesel idling for about 15 minutes I figured they knew how pissed I was and i left.

Needless to say I was much more careful in that bay after that day. Regardless of the fact the water in that area is 40-60 feet deep there is no excuse for diving in a heavy traffic area, especially near a narrow pass like current cut and not even using a dive flag. It never ceased to amaze me the things I saw down there, idiots everywhere.

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Ben your very Lucky! We are heading down in Dec. to St John we rented another house can wait :drink:

Jt do you run boats while you`re down there? If so looking to book a day trip.

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Oh I agree. I have seen the same thing. We we actually in a protected dive area with a flag and there was three of us on the surface at 3:30 in the afternoon on a bright sunny day.

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Sean,
Sorry I hijacked your thread here... :rolleyes: But have you really seen performance boats abandoned down there? And did you see a Skater for sure? I did see anything like that, but I did have a bump on my head... I did see some sailboats that seemed like they had been abandoned. But I figured that was because they were "sailboats"... :D

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

I won't be there this winter, except maybe a trip for vacation. I'm starting to wish I was, but I do have contacts down there who will be running this winter. Let me know what kind of trip you are looking to take and location I can give you some ideas. I definately reccomend letting a captain do the driving down there, they can get it done for you and allow you to enjoy the day without a care in the world. Island hopping and partying while trying to navigate unfamiliar waters there can really ruin a fun day on the water.

Ben, you guys were 100% doing the right thing, the problem is 80% of the boaters and about 50% of the divers there haven't got a clue. Lucky for you the guy only had a dinghy and not a 40 footer.

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Jt, I was looking at an day cruise, we have eight people most are ok with boats. One charter boat said, he goes the Baths, Guana Island,Marina cay then to Jost (Soggy Dollar), this sounded pretty nice $135pp seems to be the going rate. I have been to the baths before, but the rest have not. I would like to see Willy T`s :drink:

The one thing I know is Woodys Happy hour starts 3pm sharp :drink:

Thanks for any help

mark

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

BEN - I LOVE THE NEW HELMET -- IS THAT A RELIGIOUS THING??? :D DAMN THAT LOOKED NASTY-- GLAD YOU MADE IT!!!

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Yeah Billy, it's my new do... :eek:

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

If your down there on a boat then THE WILLEY T is a must see ,what a gig ,a floating bar with chicks jumping off topless for free T -shirts . IT don't get much better than that !!!!! :drink: :drink: :drink:

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Don't for get the Full Moon Party at the Bamba Shack!!!! I have a TON of pictures of old performance boats down there. I will try and dig them up.

Jon

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Was down there a few months ago(rented a Lagoon 44 catamaran sailboat with the flybridge) highly recomend this boat.

We were in Spanish Town on Virgin Gorda for a night and i saw a burned out Cigarette Topgun with the American flag paint job hauled out at the marina there ,it had 6s and big power.

Next night at Leverik bay in Virgin Gorda was awakened by a older 38 Cig that was kept there in front of a house.

Have seen the abandoned boats in the Bahamas but did not see any where i was in the BVI's.

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Did the full moon party.I gotta believe the magic mushroom drink is dirty sock water.Taste as chitty as mushrooms and gives you a buzz like COORS LIGHT :evilb:

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

yes, woody's is definately my hangout, dont miss happy hour...as for the trip, with 8 you will most likely have to take one of the larger boats most rentals/private charters are limited to 6 due to not being inspected. However 135 pp is not a bad deal for a good charter that hits all the hot spots. Main thing you will miss good sights like Willy T unless you go for a private charter. The trip you describe sounds like breakaway or limnos type trip which are usually pretty cool, but can have a bit of a crowd at times. If you have questions about specific companies or anything just let me know I'll give you any info I can.

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

No worries Ben.

The Skater I saw was to the right of Pussers if you are lookign at it from the water. It was a pearl orange and had either 4s or 5s on the back with no motors in it. There were a couple of locals there painting a 35 or 38 Cig flat deck adn several other performance boats were nearby. It looked to me that most were Tempests...

My brother in law saw the 38 Gun in Virgin Gorda and took some pics of it... I didn get up that far this time. We did Norman(WillyT), Peter and then Marina Key...

Spent a bunch of time in the Trunk Bay area too...

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

I coudn't agree more. I'd much rather sit back with a cocktail and take in the sights...

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

I was in Tortola about a month ago. Hit the Bomba shack too....pretty cool place. I forgot to get a T-shirt. They had them there with Bomba's head on the back....it was pretty funny.

If anyone is going down there anytime soon, I'll pay you to stop in the Bomba and pick me up a T-shirt.

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

It will be December before I go, but I am really liking all of the suggestions. :D

http://www.bareboatsbvi.com/bombas_shack.html

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

here's the boat i saw being painted in Soper's Hole...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1979-...QQcmdZViewItem

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

This has your name written all over it.... :D

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

Anyone going to down in the USVI the first week of Dec. We`ll be staying on ST. John for the week :drink:

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

cool. where are we staying? LOL

:)

maho bay is real nice...got married on a boat there...

Re: West End, Tortola BVI
 

We rented another house on Chocolate hole bay, two years ago we rented on the other side of the island. There is nothing like padadise :drink: We hit most of the beaches and most had less than twenty people.

Sean, could not imagine a better place to start a marriage :D