Bitter End Resort - Southwinds, September 2001

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The Bitter End Yacht Club —
a tropical playground to suit many styles
By Doran Cushing

Don't be fooled by the name. The Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda Sound in the British Virgin Islands is unlike any yacht club you might run across in the United States. The dress code is mostly flip-flops and baggie shorts. It's unlikely you'll see a blue blazer, socks, or dress pants any time during your stay at this nautical playground.

In reality, the Bitter End is a tropical resort aimed at pleasing sailors, divers, or anyone else who wants to be close to the sea in a fantasy island setting without chirping cell phones, squawking televisions, or droning highway sounds.

Bitter End Yacht Club

Let me say this up front...we were guests at the Bitter End for a all-to-brief media visit. After eight-plus years with Southwinds, I do get a few low-cost vacations but that doesn't compromise the reality of the Bitter End experience. This is a first-class resort--romantic, revitalizing, and relaxing--and each day offered an open-ended agenda of sailing, snorkeling, fishing, or just quiet time along the water's edge. A daily schedule--different each day--listed the opportunities but it was up to each guest how they spent their time.

The trip from Tampa to Puerto Rico was about as painless as air travel can be these days with less than a three-hour flight to San Juan and a 45-minute puddle-jumper to the airport on Beef Island, which is situated just east of the main island of Tortola.

The North Sound Express ferry service between Beef Island and Virgin Gorda runs throughout the day and evening and we caught the last run just before 10 p.m. With a partial moon illuminating the neighboring islands and some travel weariness setting in, the trip across the sound took less than an hour with the cool Caribbean evening air keeping our spirits up. The late-night arrival merely added to the majesty of the morning awakening.

Bitter End Yacht Club, Tiki

The sun rose the next morning behind the resort, prompted by a fresh tradewinds breeze which rambled through each nook of our hillside bungalow. You could hear only the rustling of the wind, the melody of the tree frogs, and the muted splashes of gentle waves rolling onto the beach.

Described as "beachfront villas" in the brochures, our room was surrounded by palms, bougainvillea and cactus, flow-through floor-to-ceiling windows, and a wraparound veranda with cozy hammock. It was like living in a luxury tree house--albeit finished with fine woods and ample running water--complete with ceiling fans, a huge shower/ bathroom, a small refrigerator, and a sleep-friendly immense bed. No TV. There was a phone in the room but it was neither needed nor used. We were forced to relax.

The resort is arranged with the "au natural" villas on the northeast corner of the hills and the more sophisticated resort suites--air conditioned and set up for those desiring a slightly more modern bungalow experience--overlooking the resort and North Sound from the other end of the complex. It's a win-win option.

Bitter End Yacht Club

By now, most realistic sailors are likely wondering what it costs to visit this piece of Caribbean paradise. Our airfare from central Florida was less than $400 per person. The standard rates in effect during our visit would have ranged from $430 to $525 for two people per night. Expensive? Maybe. Those rates would include unlimited use of the armada of small boats (from sailboards to Optis to Lasers to Sunfish to Hobie cats to Rhodes 19s to kayaks to small powerboats). The larger and more exotic boats like J/24s and Freedom 30s were available at an additional cost. Those rates also include three excellent meals each day...and we are not talking about fast food pushed out in a buffet line. Without exception, each and every dining experience--morning, noon, and night--was delightful, pleasing, and varied in the options. There are a variety of dining areas spread across the resort and each captured a different charm. There are other vacation packages and other accommodations (including a two-bedroom estate house or the live-aboard option on the Freedom 30s), so most sailors and water-lovers can find something to meet their desires and fit their budgets. Throughout the year the Bitter End offers alternatives to the standard vacation trip. The first ever North Sound Adventure Challenge is scheduled for Oct. 27 and the 15th annual ProAm Regatta will be held Nov. 3-10. The challenge is a four-sport fitness contest encompassing a two-mile surfboard paddle, a three-mile hilly run, a six mile kayak paddle, and a seven-mile sail. The pro-am event has long been a favorite for rock stars and everyday sailors to come together on a week-long match of fun and competition aboard the Bitter End's Freedom 30 keelboats.

Want to learn to sail? Windsurf? Dive? The resort has a multitude of classes for all of the aquatic endeavors--some are included in the package rates, others are optional and tailored to the guest's needs and experience.

The Bitter End resort is by design isolated from the rest of the British Virgin Islands. Access is only available by boat. For guests who wish to see more of what the region offers, including the world-famous "Baths" and scuba diving on historic wrecks, the resort staff can arrange for the trips. The Moorings charter company now operates a base at the Bitter End Yacht Club and the adjacent mooring field and anchorage is sought out by many of the visiting sailors who have heard about the Bitter End's reputation for hospitality. For those who need a shopping fix, several island gift shops can send them home with more than just a tacky T-shirt. And for those who might suffer withdrawal symptoms, the Internet is accessible in the main resort building.

We saw a lot of smiling faces during our stay...on the faces of the guests and resident staff alike. It's got to be a fine place to work and live. For Troy and Rita Brathwaite of New York City, the Bitter End Yacht Club was a dream vacation and a honeymoon.

"We found this place almost by accident," Troy Brathwaite said, "and we're booking our return trip as soon as we get home."

Mary Jo Ryan has been the resort manager for 22 years. She said she came for one year after college...and stayed. She greeted us with a genuine smile when we arrived late into the evening and made the check-in process more of a family welcome than a business transaction. Each of the staff reflected the same personal but efficient approach when dealing with the guests, which may contribute to the number of visitors who come back year in and year out.

Chairs on the beach

"At least sixty percent of our guests are repeat visitors," Ryan said. "Maybe they come by boat on the first visit, but they come back the next time to stay at the resort, and they keep coming back."

For more information on the Bitter End Yacht Club visit their site at www.beyc.com.

The good news about the rates at the Bitter End is that there is a special late summer offer for people living in the southern states. For $150 per person per day, residents living as far west as Texas and as far north as Virginia and West Virginia can enjoy the full spectrum of the Bitter End Yacht Club's amenities. Guests and travel agents need to ask for the "Summer Sojourn" package to qualify for these rates.
Under the heading of "it don't happen here in the U.S. of A" would be the American Airlines flight attendant leading a chorus of native Puerto Rican passengers in a lovely old song about San Juan as we made our final approach to the airport. Spontaneous or not, it set a wonderful mood for the remainder of the old world Caribbean experience.
Under the heading of "they do it all the time," a complete dinner--delectable hot or cold--was saved for each of the late arrivees and was delivered to our rooms in the golf cart along with our luggage and ourselves. After airline and airport food, NOTHING can taste better close to midnight than freshly-prepared seafood and a hunk of double chocolate cake...nothing!
The Bitter End Yacht Club has been a family-owned and sailor-friendly destination since the 1970s. It hasn't lost that spirit as the resort moves into the 21st century. Despite its modest growth on an tropical island, the resort maintains an environmentally-friendly posture in the British Virgin Island. The Bitter End makes its own electricity and water but seemingly respects the limits imposed by nature.
Imagine working in paradise. Sandra Grisham is the managing director of the Bitter End Yacht Club and lives on the property. With a background in business, she uses her people skills to make paradise happen for all those who visit the resort, and to make the resort a good place to work for the staff. Grisham worked with resorts in California and the Florida Keys before signing on with the Hokin family, who have owned and managed the property for almost 30 years.

Mary Jo Ryan

Sandra Grisham

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