Island Explorers: Perks of Fast Boats and Island Hopping

We recently purchased what I like to call a "fast boat." It took more than a little convincing for me to co-sign on the deal. I mean, we did just buy and take over a day charter business that will take a few years to pay off, and - call me conservative - but the idea of taking the proceeds of this successful season and dumping almost all of it into another boat was not exactly appealing to me. After explaining all the business advantages and a well-executed cost/benefit analysis full of numbers and technical terms, Scott went for the jugular and started speaking my language: "We can use it for our family, too" he persuaded, "...think of all the places we can go when we can't take out the big boat..." He saw my facial expression change and let this idea sink in. The wheels began to turn and suddenly this boat wasn't looking so daunting. Scott had a vision and I'm an easy sell, so a week later Aristocat Charters had a power boat in it's fleet. While the boat is technically for the business, it's also turned into another family car of sorts and has opened up a world of possibility and fun for us.

One of the reasons we love the BVI's so much is the fact that there are so many islands so close together to explore. No need for rough passages or overnight sails to make another landfall - islands are simply a few hours away....unless you have a fast boat. If you have a fast boat, they are fifteen to forty minutes away. This, my friends, is a game changer. Now, when Scott has a morning or afternoon to spare, we can zip on over to a neighboring island, enjoy the beach, perhaps some lunch or dinner, and be home for naps or bedtime. Island living is largely enjoyed on and from the water, so to have another mode of water transport ups the ante on the fun factor. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing like taking "the house" (aka our sailboat) out for a weekend at anchor, but that is not always feasible for us while running a business. The fast boat is the next best thing and the fact that it will hopefully pay for itself in a year makes it a win/win.

So when our good friends and neighbors suggested a little zip over to Peter Island to do a little hike and check out some ruins, we jumped at the chance. We packed a cooler full of drinks and beer, grabbed some snacks and away we went. Twenty minutes later we were tied up in beautiful Little Harbor and started exploring...

Our view once we tied up. It's summer now, and HOT, so sometimes the cloud cover is a welcome change!

Claudia and Ted (and their two kids) are our neighbors, we love them and love that they love our girls. Yes, we "hike" in flip flops and with beer.

These ruins were so beautiful, apparently it used to be a plantation and then a hotel, but it's not very clear...

We even found a goat skull up there, the girls were fascinated. And skeptical...

Yeah, sometimes we wear our jammies all day long. 

Our three little monkeys looking at what we figure was an old dining room. Love this image.

How beautiful is this old tile work? 

My favorite pic of the day. What we all guessed was the old dining room.

So many beautiful flowers blooming right now. 

The porch area

More tile work and - what's that? A real PIRATE TREASURE! The highlight for sure. It's a Geocache ;) 

Claudia and Isla sorting through the treasures of pirates before us.

The girls loved it - and the best treasure? Bug spray!! There were SO many mosquitos up there!

An old bathroom. 

The old kitchen

These strange little bugs are EVERYWHERE. The girls love to watch them. They are usually attached to each other. 

Sometimes you just gotta tuck and run with them. Hiking with us is not efficient, but...interesting!

Thanks for a great day Little Harbor! We'll be back!