Privateer Bay on Norman Island in the BVI
When the weather cooperates, this west facing bay is a wonderful overnight anchorage. You'll enjoy good snorkeling, a (normally) fabulous sunset and a lovely, peaceful evening.
There are 4 mooring balls located in the western part of the bay for overnight stays. Although entirely possible, anchoring can be very tricky as there really isn't good holding anywhere in the bay except perhaps in the far western section. It usually takes us at least two attempts before we find the sweet spot and I never feel entirely secure when using an anchor here. These days, anchoring in Privateer Bay is more work than I care to deal with. We generally move on if there are no mooring balls available.
Ashore the uninviting pebble beach, steep slope of the hills and thick underbrush prevents any kind of exploring from this location. However, you can sometimes find some interesting sea glass here just after a storm.
To the east and just around Treasure Point, is
The Bight. If looking for a nice evening out rather than cooking on the boat, dinghy around to either
Pirates Bight Restaurant or the
Willy T floating bar and restaurant. When going to or coming from The Bight, keep in mind that there is a small shoal extending north off Treasure Point, so give it wide berth.
Of course it's difficult to ignore the elephant in the room when talking about Privateer Bay. Anyone sailing the BVI has to be able to say that they snorkeled at the world famous
caves, which are clearly seen in the photo above.
