William Thornton Archives

Sailing takes me away to where I’ve always heard it could be,
Just a dream and the wind to carry me,
And soon I will be free…Christopher Cross

It’s no secret that we love to sail.

Can you beat the feeling of the sun warmed sea air on your face and the sounds of the sea as you adjust the sails to catch the warm breeze? We’ve been lucky enough to sail the British Virgin Islands (BVI) twice and are hooked. Once on a sailboat and once on a catamaran, we can’t wait to go back again. Although we’ve seen quite a bit of these picturesque islands, there is still so much more to explore and we look forward to doing just that.

Through lots of pictures and just a few words, we’d like to share some of what we’ve experienced – so far – in the BVI. Check out this MAP to see the location of each of the islands.

Norman Island
At the southern tip of the British Virgin Islands, this privately owned, uninhabited island has plenty to experience. We spent one night on both of our sails in The Bight – a sheltered harbour which makes a great anchorage. While there, we:

1. Took a hike to the top!
(You can find the path behind Pirates Bight. Great views of The Bight, Peter Island and Tortola.)

2. On our way back down, we stopped for a drink, some sun, beach time and chatter with fellow boaters at Pirates Bight.

3. Dinghy-ed up for a drink at the infamous Willy T’s.
(Go during the day for some tasty food and a (usually) quieter crowd. Go at night for the party! Read more about one of our visits here: Rum Therapy at Willy T’s)

4. Snorkeled the Caves
(Just past Treasure Point is a great area to snorkel with several caves and abundant fish. Keep your eyes open for treasure – apparently some was found years ago in The Caves.)

Peter Island

We took a short sail around Norman to Peter Island, home of the magnificent Peter Island Resort and Spa. We spent an awesome day in Deadman’s Bay doing the following:

1. Walked the beach, kayaked and enjoyed cocktails at the Deadman’s Beach Bar & Grill

2. Snorkeled
(Turtles can sometimes be found in the sea grass beds)

3. Took a short hike up the road to get a beautiful view of Deadman’s Bay and the other side of the island

After a great day basking in the sun at Deadman’s Bay, we moved the boat around the island to Little Harbour for the night. As the sun went down, we enjoyed some rum and wakeboarding behind the dinghy. We’d already had a great couple of days and were looking forward to heading north the next day to the beautiful island reputedly named The Fat Virgin by Christopher Columbus – Virgin Gorda.

Check out Rum Therapy Sailing in the British Virgin Islands (Part 2):
Virgin Gorda

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Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

Have you heard of The Willy T? Accessible only by boat in The Bight at Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands, the infamous Willy T is short for William Thornton and is a bar and restaurant located in an anchored hull of a ship. Depending on the time and day you motor or dinghy up, you could encounter anything from a quiet lunch crowd to an all out party!

When we first visited the Willy T in 2006, it was widely known that women could score a free Willy T’s T-shirt by removing their shirt and walking the plank (jumping off the top deck). When we returned in 2010, there was a sign posted on the top deck prohibiting jumping and diving from the ship.

Although T-shirts are no longer awarded to topless women hurtling themselves over the top the jumping continues. We saw numerous people – male and female – jump & some took the plunge totally naked!

We enjoyed several tasty rum punches and downed a round at the Shotski.

The later it got – the rowdier the crowd got and in addition to body shots on the bar, both women and men were getting temporary Willy T tattoos from the bartenders – some in places, well, where the sun don’t shine!

We had a great time – made a lot of new friends that probably didn’t remember us the next day…

and the only problem we had was finding our dinghy after an evening of revelry! Thank goodness for our captain, the designated dinghy driver…

Ready to head on over to Norman Island for a tasty lunch or a Willy T’s tatoo, a drink from the Shotski and maybe take the plunge? Check out their website to find out more: The Willy-T

Have you taken the plunge at Willy T’s? Tell us about it!

Find Willy T’s on our Norman Island Map

To see more posts on the British Virgin Islands and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Tag: William Thornton

Rum Therapy Sailing in the British Virgin Islands (Part 1)

Have You Taken the Plunge at the Willy T?